Production Notes
Varietal Content: 100% Pinot Noir; Cooperage: 70% New, 30% Second French oak; Medium toast: Allier, Vosges and Tronçais Forests
Winemaker Notes
Featuring both hillside and valley floor plantings, Confluence Vineyard is one of the most diverse properties in our Estate portfolio—and the warmest. As a result, it consistently delivers a lush and layered expression of Pinot Noir. The 2008 vintage is no exception. The aromas are deep and inviting with notes of toffee, mocha, raspberry, baking spice and barrel char. The velvet-textured palate offers flavors of blackberry pie filling and dried cranberry, with overtones of suede and vanilla.
Production
Despite frost and fire, 2008 was another great year for growing Pinot Noir in Anderson Valley, delivering excellent yields and a beautiful array of fruit. Harvest started on September 9th at our Confluence Vineyard, moved to Gowan Creek, and concluded at our Narrows and Abel vineyards on October 23rd. The beauty of the 2008 harvest was the range of styles it produced. As our vineyards continue to mature, their identities are becoming clearer and clearer, allowing us to make both complex, layered blends, and site-specific wines embodying a focused sense of place.