• 2019 Pinot Noir
    Méthode à l'Ancienne
    Anderson Valley, Mendocino
    • (750 ml) Sold Out!
    • (750 ml Unfiltered) Sold Out!
    • (375 ml) Sold Out!
    • (Magnum) Sold Out!
See all Wines

Unfortunately this product is no longer available!

You may still be interested in:


Level best Recent Press

Pinot Noir wine quality is affected by crop level and Navarro's thinning experiments have shown that our best red Pinot wines were achieved with crop levels between 2.5 to 4.5 tons per acre—above that crop level the wines were thinner and below that level the wines were too heavy and muscular. For vine health, when we prune our vineyards we try to match the vigor of the vine by retaining the appropriate amount of buds. However in the following spring, Pinot Noir vines typically set more clusters than desired for red wine production, requiring that we thin the crop before veraison—Pinot Noir is our most expensive grape to grow. In the winery, costs are also high because the best Pinot Noir wines have been fermented for centuries using labor-intensive pigeage in small fermenters to keep the juice and skins mixed rather than using modern pumps and large tanks.


Pinot Noir clusters are small and frequently bear a mixture of big and little berries (millerandage). The small berries have a high ratio of skins to juice which is desirable when making red wine. Above is a Pinot Noir cluster at beginning of veraison; the berries are now full-size with sugars measuring about 13° Brix. In the next six to eight weeks the fruit is ready to harvest (right). The berries now have a blue-black color and the sugars have increased to about 24° Brix.

[above] Harvesting Pinot Noir in the Winery block pre-pandemic.


Is the amount of attention we must provide Pinot one of the reasons we love it so much? The 2019 growing season seemed picture perfect; temperate weather allowed us to unhurriedly harvest vineyards without the fear of over-ripeness. This is not a rock 'em sock 'em, monster Pinot but rather a balanced and harmonious elixir that is a delight to drink. Gold Medal winner. 93 Points.
“This is a classic, well-balanced and delicious wine that doesn't go over the top with ripeness or oakiness. Pure cherry and strawberry flavors ride a smooth, lightly gripping texture that keeps begging for another sip.” —WineEnthusiast.com


Specifications
  • Harvested: Sept. 12 to Oct.1, 2019
  • Sugars at harvest: 24.0° Brix
  • Bottled: Aug. 21 to 26, 2020
  • Cases produced: 2,469
  • Alcohol: 13.6%
  • Titratable acidity: 5.5 g/L
  • pH: 3.70