R. STUART & CO. AUTOGRAPH PINOT NOIR

2016 rolled in with a very early warm spring and consequently bud break started 2 to 3 weeks (depending on the vinryard site) earlier than average. Things popped out quickly and furiously and of course, bloom was early too. There was some spotty weather during bloom, resulting in a somewhat smaller set than the previous years. The summer heat was moderate, which gave us smaller berries and therefore a higher skin to juice ratio. When this happens, we get more color and flavor (we like that!).

We waited as long as we could to start picking fruit -more hand time delivers more fully ripened flavors, nonetheless, we brought in our first fruit (for sparkling) on September 1rst! We were able to wait two more weeks before we brought in any more Pinot though, and it was all in on October 19th. The vintage is characterized by bright fruit flavor and medium color, but still plenty of depth in the wines.

When the fruit comes in from the vineyard to the winery, the first thing we do is destem it – without crushing – into small 1-ton fermenters. We use proprietary yeast, which we’ve cultured from that year’s vineyard samples. Using strains from our many vineyards gives us some complexity. Later in the fermentation process we delestage. The result is large, soft tannins – just the kind we like. We rarely use new oak in our cellar as we much prefer the gentle aging acheived with neutral French oak. In addition, our reserve wines are never filtered. Our goal for each wine is just the right amount of soft tannins, balanced with luscious fruit and bright acidity.