Whitehall Lane
2019 Pinot Noir
, Petaluma Gap
Sonoma Stage Vineyard

90 Points - Wine Enthusiast

Layers of wild strawberry, baked cherry pie, anise, cherry lollipop, wild game, and spicebox.  On the palate, black cherry jam couples with crème de cassis, mixed berry crisp, rhubarb, and a touch of vanilla.  Bottled unfined and unfiltered, with a textured, round mouthfeel and long-structured finish.  Drinking exceptionally well now with a fresh complex bouquet that draws you right into the glass that leads into a long satisfying finish.  Gorgeous terroir-driven Pinot Noir that will cellar well.

This is the real deal and represents one of the best values in their portfolio.  You'll want to grab as much of this gem as you possibly can!

VINEYARD

The Petaluma Gap AVA is one of the newest grape growing regions in California. The region is known for its naturally formed 15-mile-wide "gap" in the coastal range mountains that pulls cool coastal air in when the inland valley air heats up. The wind comes in from the ocean of Tomales Bay and Bodega Bay, bottlenecks as it goes through the gap, building up speed, and empties into the San Francisco Bay.  It consistently produces powerful, concentrated Pinot in the New World-style. The Petaluma Gap moderates warm spells in the summer and fall, and enables the fruit to hang into late September and October for optimal ripening and balance.

WINEMAKING

The Pinot Noir harvested from the Sonoma Stage Vineyard are Calera, Swan, 115, and 667 clones. Upon hand harvesting in the early morning hours, our grapes were carefully destemmed and sent to tank for a whole-berry fermentation.  The grapes were cold-soaked in tank at 45°F for 4-7 days, allowing for increased color, aroma, and flavor extraction.  After inoculation with a select yeast, the grape must (juice, skins, and seeds) fermented at 82°F, which allowed for a hot extraction on the skins. For fermentation cap management, the juice was pumped over the skins two times per day, wetting the cap evenly for a nice healthy fermentation. This small lot was aged in French oak barrels (35% new) for 14 months and was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

VINTAGE

The 2019 vintage was a near perfect growing season. Bud break began in late March, leading to a Spring that had few showers and was relatively dry.  Summer was also quite warm and long, leading into a steady Autumn harvest season. The consistent summer weather encouraged our Pinot Noir grapes to ripen in September to early-October.

Winemaker: Jason Moulton
Vintage:  2019
Appellation:  Petaluma Gap
Varietal Composition:  100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 14.3%

Tasting Notes  PDF

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