Production Notes
Varietal Content: 100% Pinot Noir; Cooperage: 70% New, 30% Second Vintage French oak; Medium toast: Allier, Vosges and Tronçais Forests
Winemaker Notes
The Narrows is a mountaintop vineyard located in the cooler “deep end” of the Anderson Valley. The grapes from this distinctive site consistently yield complex, age-worthy wines that strike a balance between rusticity and sophistication. In the aromas and on the palate, ripe raspberry and bramble fruit layers are complemented by elements of wild mint, leather, pine needles and toasted oak. The tannins are fine-grained, and the wine displays good length and weight.
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.