2019 Anderson Family Vineyard Pinot Noir 3 Litre
Winemaking and Notes: We sourced fruit from all over the vineyard to see what we would come up with and attempt to get a sense of the nature of the site. The largest section is a 2.45 portion of south facing Dijon 115 and that was all done with 100% whole clusters. The next largest was a north facing section of Dijon 667. We had a couple of tasting encounters with some very nice 667-based Pinots in 2019 and were eager to work with this section. While it was very aromatic it didn’t seem to work with what we ultimately decided upon for this bottling. The smallest two sections were sub-half acres of Pommard and Wadensvil that we destemmed and co-fermented. After multiple tastings we decided upon an equal balance between the whole cluster Dijon 115 and the destemmed Pommard/Wadensvil cuvee. 10% new barrels and 30% once used barrels were the driving force in the cooperage.
While we do source fruit from a multitude of Dundee Hills AVA vineyards this one is clearly a zebra of different stripes. Because of the make-up of the hillside this vineyard has aspects to it that are simply different than any other vineyard in the Dundee Hills. The rockiness most certainly influences the wine. So, while there is the lush Jory soil atop it the true nature of the site is the stones that make up the near entirety of the hill. This resonates in the wine in ways we did not anticipate but now really understand. While this does have the red fruit sweetness that is the hallmark of the AVA it is leaner, lighter and more piercingly structured that other Dundee Hills Pinots. It is like putting a Dundee Hills vineyard in Ribbon Ridge to some extent. It takes a moment to get your head around the fact that its just a half octave off of what you would expect from a Dundee Hills wine but that difference is what makes it unique, fun, delicious and special.
