MERCY
2012 Pinot Noir, Arroyo Seco
Cedar Lane Vineyard

92 Points - Wine Enthusiast, Dec 2015
Gold Medal - 2015 Pinot Noir Shootout

Vineyard Notes
Found at the base of the Santa Lucia Mountains, up against the 50-foot palisade that defines the “Riverbed” terrain from the benchland, this 60-acre vineyard features meager surface soil over dense hard-pan subsoil. The vines on this windy property are naturally low-yielding and consist of multiple varietials, including seven clones of Pinot Noir.

Winemaking Notes
The Pinot Noir was hand-harvested on October 10, 2012.  At the winery, the fruit was gently crushed and de-stemmed with the must racked to macro-bins. Cold-soaked for two days, the juice was inoculated with RC212 (Burgundy yeast isolate) and spent 2 weeks extracting color and flavors from the skins. The wine was pressed shortly after dryness and racked to French oak barrels. Aged for eleven months, the resulting wine was bottled on September 26, 2013.

Tasting Notes
This wine epitomizes the elegance and broad character profile of Pinot Noir from the Arroyo Seco AVA’s riverbed channel. Loaded with red-tone fruit characters, the bouquet fills with cranberry, cherry, raspberry cream and dusty plum. In its recesses, aromas of pomegranate, sandalwood, baking spice, rose petal and earthy notes abound. On the palate, the flavors carry through with balance achieved between the vibrant acidity, and fleshy yet firm tannins.

Vineyards:  Cedar Lane Vineyard
Composition:  100% Pinot Noir
Clones:  50% - Pommard Clone 4, 50% -“Dijon” Clone 667
Harvest:  October 10, 2012
Aging:  French Oak, 14% New Dargaud Jaegle, Mercurey & Taransaud
Bottled:  September 26, 2013
Acidity:  0.61
pH:  3.89
Alcohol:  14.1%
Production:  156 cases

Tasting Notes  PDF

About The Winery...

Mercy Vineyards is the fruition of friendships. Vintners Mark Dirickson and Mike Kohne have known one another for over a decade and have, collectively, been in the wine industry for over 45 years. Their experiences lead them to believe that the regional aspects of the Arroyo Seco AVA make it one of world's ideal growing regions for the wines they produce. Sourcing idyllic fruit, the wines are vinified by Mark and Mike's long-time friend and distinguished winemaker Alan Phillips. Produced in small lots, Alan employs classical winemaking techniques to help enhance the overall character of the Mercy wines.

More at www.mercywines.com.

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