2016 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast • St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

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Tasting Notes

Our Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir features a beautiful silky texture with light, bright aromatics of fresh raspberry and spice. The flavors are rich and complex with a hint of earthiness that blends with cherry, tomato leaf, and pomegranate notes before a good pop of acidity on the finish.

Vintage Notes

Harvest in 2016 started in the middle of August during a pattern of warm sunny days cooled by foggy mornings and breezy afternoons for most of the area. The early months of the year were very mild with little rain allowing the vines to progress steadily and uneventfully. Yields throughout the region were slightly below average but moderate weather starting in early summer gave the fruit plenty of time to develop great color and flavor, resulting in beautifully balanced wines.

Vineyard Notes

We source the fruit for this wine from vineyards in the Sonoma Coast region of the county. Due to the proximity to San Pablo Bay and the Pacific Ocean, the Sonoma Coast area experiences many cool and foggy days during the summer months, resulting in small yields of flavorful fruit with balanced acidity. We add a touch of Syrah from our Certified Sustainable Wild Oak Estate Vineyard. The combination of fruit produces a wine with distinct varietal character and supple features and texture.

Winemaker Notes

This Pinot was fermented using a combination of techniques, fusing both old and new world styles of winemaking. Each vineyard lot undergoes a slow 14-day ferment, with an extended maceration for up to 30 more days to allow flavor and texture to harmonize. The wine is then racked off into French oak barrels, 30% new, where it undergoes malolactic fermentation naturally. The wine is aged for 14 months before bottling.