2018 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley • St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

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Tasting Notes

This is a ripe, berry-forward Pinot Noir framed by a silky herbaceousness. Subtle notes of red delicious apple and dried hibiscus petals, turn the corner to aromatic sandalwood and clove. The finish peaks with a hint of orange zest within the bright, refreshing acidity.

Vintage Notes

2018 provided an ideal climate allowing time for the grapes to ripen to their optimum flavor structure. The year presented a fairly mild growing season with few heat spikes, inspiring winemakers to push harvest back a few weeks. This longer time on the vine was great for grapes and the mild temperatures kept the fruit from over-ripening. More than an inch of rain fell in early October in many locations, but there was little impact on the quality of the fruit. 2018 could be remembered as one of the longest and most desirable seasons in years, producing exceptional quality grapes throughout Sonoma County.

Vineyard Notes

The fruit for this Pinot Noir is sourced from sustainable vineyards found throughout the Russian River Valley AVA. The extreme flux of warm days and cool fog-laden nights make the vineyards of this region excellent for growing bright, vivid Pinot Noir grapes. Dense redwood forests trap heat during the day and channel cool sea breezes off the Pacific Coast in the evenings. This temperature fluctuation strengthens the skins and helps set optimum sugar levels,

Winemaker Notes

The grapes are carefully hand-sorted and destemmed as whole berries after harvesting. The fruit is then collected into open-top fermentors allowing the skins to impart color and tannin to the naturally free-run juice. Small bladder punch-downs are applied 2-3 times daily for a total of 21 days with skins intact. Some natural malolactic fermentation does take place during the barrel aging process.