2021 Foretell Pinot Noir

Vineyard:

Property:  Cinghiale Vineyard
Appellation:  Fort Ross-Seaview, Sonoma County
Clonal Selections:  clone 828 and 777
Site: West facing rocky slopes at 1500 feet elevation facing the Pacific Ocean only 4 miles away
Yield: 1.5 tons/acre

 Growing Season:

The 2021 vintage will be remembered for low yields with intensely-flavored, small sized berries and a smooth and uneventful harvest season. The season started off with very little rain, leading to the 2nd year of drought conditions in leading to an early harvest. While concerning in the long term, the drought of 2021 resulted in a more natural load on the vines, requiring less pruning and dropping of fruit. The resulting grapes are packed full of flavor due to lower yields and smaller berries

 Harvest  Date: September 1st, 2021

Harvest Brix:   24.0° brix

Winemaking:

Hand-harvested, picked at night
De-stemmed whole berry to tank
72 hour cold soak at 55° F
Fermented with Assmanhausen yeast for 14 days with 17 days of total maceration 
Free run drained by gravity to barrel
Aged 6 months sur lie   in French oak barrels, then racked and aged an additional 10 months prior to bottling
Coopers: 60% new French oak, Vernou and Nadalie Medium Plus tight grain
Un-fined and lightly filtered; bottled August 2023

Tasting Notes:

“Candied cranberry, raspberry fruit leads the red fruit dominated nose with aromas of cotton candy, vanilla, allspice with velvety notes of mint, and rose petal.  Dark and bright fruit lead the charge on the palate with savory notes capturing the mid-palate with the classic minerality and umami notes on the long finish.  This incredibly balanced Pinot Noir shows off the elegance of the 2021 vintage still buoyed by the intensity the Foretell wines are known for.  This beauty is drinking great now with a short decant and will age gracefully for years to come.”

-Sam Baxter, Winemaker and Proprietor