Silver Medal - 2005 Northwest Wine Summit

Silver Medal - 29th Eastern International Wine Competition

Winemaker's Tasting Notes
The nose is spicy with a cherry bouquet. Flavors of blackberry are joined by a leathery, meaty taste in the middle that gives way to a long, supple, cherry finish that lasts and lasts. The fruit and French oak are perfectly balanced, complementing each other's role in the flavor of an outstanding Oregon Pinot Noir.

Vintage
The winter preceding the 2002 harvest was moderately wet and seasonably cold. Our nutrition program, combined with a mild irrigation regime towards the end of the season, allowed us to maintain very healthy vines, which carried a beautiful crop of grapes with great flavors, acidity and sugars. Light leaf removal around the fruiting zone on the morning side of the canopy allowed for good air circulation and exposure of the fruit to light without sunburn. We started picking by hand on September 28 and finished in mid October.

Fermentation and Aging
The grapes were picked, stemmed but not crushed and allowed to cold soak for 24 hours in small, one-ton fermenters before yeast inoculation. After fermentation to dryness the wine was racked to French oak barrels and aged for 16 months before bottling. The wine was then bottle aged for one year for release on February 1, 2004.
Alcohol: 13.8% ~ Residual sugar: 0% ~ Total Acid: .61 ~ pH.- 3.42

Vineyards
Winter's Hill has 21 acres of Pinot Noir planted at 1089 vines to the acre. The 12 acres planted with own rooted vines in 1990 are trained to a Scott Henry divided canopy. Nine acres were planted between 1997 and 2000 on phylloxera resistant rootstocks, 44-53,5C, 3309 and riparia, which are less vigorous and so are trained to a double cane trellising system. The vineyard is all on Jory soil, the most sought after soil type for the growing of premium grapes. Jory is a silty clay loam desirable for balancing good water retention properties and excellent drainage. Pommard Dijon 114 and 115, and Wadensvil are the clones which are planted. The combination of clones serves to enrich the flavor profile of the wine.

Estate-Grown

Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir

Appellation: Willamette Valley

Yamhill County

Production: 669 Cases

Availability: 750 ml, 1.5 L and 3 L

Release Date: November 25, 2004