ENKIDU
2022 Pinot Noir
, Peters Vineyard
Russian River Valley

96 Points, Double Gold - Press Democrat North Coast Wine Challenge
94 Points - Wine Enthusiast

Ruby-plum core with a light purple rim in the glass, with aromas of dark cherry, plum, spicy cola and black tea waft from the glass.  The palate delivers all of that and then some, adding layers of fig jam, white peppercorn and baking spice.  Firm juicy tannins and balanced acidity round it out, and will help this wine evolve beautifully for the next 10-15 years.  Generously pour glass after glass.  Outstanding and ready to impress!

Only a 100 cases made.
You'll want to grab as much as you can.

VINEYARD

Peters Vineyard is a topflight Pinot Noir vineyard located in the Russian River just southwest of Sebastopol.  Along with the cool climate, the Gold Ridge soils form an idyllic terroir for growing premium Pinot Noir.  While Randy Peters grows multiple clones of Pinot on his property, Enkidu sources just Pommard.  Pommard can be earthy with great structure that more expresses a masculine texture versus the Dijon clones that have a more feminine tilt.  Randy’s vineyard has an abundance of sunshine, but mornings of fog and moderate temperatures give length to the growing season.  The low yields of the Peters Vineyard further lend itself to expressive wines of depth and concentration. This is truly a gem in the riches of the Russian River Valley.

WINEMAKING

They hand sort all of the fruit and employ a saignée of 15-20% to concentrate the skins on the juice.  After a 5 day cold soak native yeast fermentation begins.  With 12-15 days in tank they transfer the free run and first low pressings of high quality must to tank to settle.  The wine is then transferred to barrels, 33% new French, where it aged for 15 months.  No racking during this period, but periodically stir the barrels that still contain lees.  Before bottling they determine what level filtration is required, but most receive minimal attention.  Their Pinots are never fined.

VINTAGE

The 2022 vintage in Russian River Valley produced Pinot Noirs characterized by vibrant fruit, exotic spice, and layered texture. The wines show a classic style with notes of red and black fruit, along with hints of cola, earth, and spice.  The 2022 season saw a relatively smooth start, with minimal frost incidents and temperate weather during bloom and set.  However, a Labor Day weekend heatwave led to higher temperatures, accelerating grape ripening and resulting in earlier-than-average pick dates.  Unseasonal rains followed, along with warm autumn weather, which helped with hang time and fruit maturity.  The 2022 vintage in Russian River Valley is considered to have produced high-quality Pinot Noirs with excellent structure, great acidity, and fantastic aging potential.

APPELLATION:  Russian River Valley
VARIETAL:  Pinot Noir, Pommard Clone
HARVEST DATE:  August 25th, 2022
AGING:  15 Months in 33% New French oak barrels
BOTTLING DATE:  June, 2023
TA:  6.1 gms/L
pH:  3.45
ALCOHOL:  13.8%

Tasting Notes  PDF

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