We harvested grapes for this Pinot Noir during the cool nighttime temperatures to retain the freshness,
natural acidity and fruit purity we tasted in the vineyards. At the winery, the grapes were hand-sorted and
destemmed before heading to small tanks—kept separate by each vineyard block. In tanks, we gave
grapes time to “cold-soak,” which helped along the extraction of deep color and flavor and allowed native
yeast to naturally begin fermentation. We allowed a portion of this wine to fermented with its grape stems
for spicy aromatics and complexity, and later we added cultured yeast to finish fermentation. Gentle
punchdowns during fermentation encouraged ideal color, flavor and tannin development. After
fermentation, the free-run wine was drained from its skins and transferred to French oak barrels (37%
new) that were carefully chosen to enhance the elegant wines of Anderson Valley. As the wines
developed in barrel, individual lots were evaluated and blended early—within three months of harvest—
to integrate flavors and ensure balance. The blended wine aged in barrel for ten months.