2019 Dijon Clone Pinot Noir

Wine Score

Description

Bouchaine’s 100-acre estate vineyard lies on the southern border of Napa Valley’s Carneros district, overlooking the San Francisco bay with the financial district in the distance. Fog, wind, and the cold nightime temperatures of this unique geographical area lend a distinctive regional identity to our Pinot Noir.

Growing Season
The 2019 growing season will be remembered as a “Goldilocks” vintage. Not too cold, not too hot . . . but just right. Late rains in May had growers biting their nails as these storms can cause damage to vines that are flowering, leading to reduced crop. However, sunshine won that battle and the rains disappeared giving way to a long, consistent growing season throughout the summer. No major heat events appeared during harvest time allowing for beautiful ripening at an even pace. Juuuust right.

Vinification
All fruit is hand-harvested at night, preserving berry integrity. After a 7-day cold soak, fruit is fermented with native yeast in open top tanks. The wine is then drawn off and the must is placed into a basket press for gentle pressing. All wines complete malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels. The vineyard blocks are kept separate for evaluation with the most intriguing blocks racked together in late Spring to assemble the finest expression of the Dijon clones from our estate. The blend is returned to barrel to allow the wine to marry before bottling.

Tasting Notes
You may have met my sister (the Pommard clone) by now. What can I say; she’s flashy, juicy and lush. I know what they say about me, “She’s more reserved and mercurial, blah, blah, blah.” But give me time and once I unwind . . . watch out. Layers of dense dark fruit entwined with more spice than I know what to do with. Like I said, give me time . . . but don’t miss your chance.

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