• 2019 Pinot Noir
    Deep End
    Anderson Valley, Mendocino
    • (750 ml) Sold Out!
    • (Magnum) Sold Out!
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Decades ago we started fermenting Pinot Noir wine using traditional Burgundian techniques—no must pumps, only manual punch downs, no refrigeration and no fancy equipment. This low-tech approach continually delights us by highlighting the effect of the particular vintage on our wines. The last release, 2018, was a big, powerful wine produced from grapes grown in a warm vintage. The ripening period for the 2019 Pinot Noir vintage was more temperate with daily highs mostly in the '80s; consequently, the wine's beauty is its purity, balance and structure. That is not to suggest that it is light; the wine is chock full of flavor, but without excess alcohol. It's a blend selected from nine vineyard blocks and four Pinot Noir clones with ENTAV 777 dominating, resulting in a flavor profile that alludes to black cherry with suggestions of red fruits from the other three clones.


4 AM at the winery crush pad. Empty bins in which we ferment Pinot Noir are lined up at the winery, ready for destemming the fruit harvested that night. [above]
Sarah and Alfredo punching down Pinot Noir. Pigeage has been used for centuries to produce the red wines of Burgundy and this is our California modification of that technique. The surgical gloves are very thin so it's easy to spot the cold spots where the fermentation is slow and then mix it with the warmer and more active fermentation. [below]


After fermentation the wines were aged for 16 months in French oak barrels—about one-third new—adding hints of vanilla, toast and Asian spices which have integrated nicely with the fruit into a smooth and seamless presentation. Unfortunately most of our production was sold as futures after a barrel tasting and the remaining tiny portion is only available in Sampler #3. Because of smoke from the forest fires, there is no 2020 Deep End Pinot. Gold Medal winner.

Specifications
  • Harvested: Sept. 19 to Oct. 9, 2019
  • Sugars at harvest: 24.8° Brix
  • Bottled: Feb. 24, 2021
  • Cases released: 12
  • Alcohol: 13.7%
  • Titratable acidity: 6.0 g/L
  • pH: 3.62