Indigo Hills North Coast Pinot Noir 1997

Located in Sonoma, Mendocino, Napa, Lake, and Marin Counties, California's North Coast is well established as America's premiere grape growing region. The grapes for our Pinot Noir were selected largely from vineyards in the cooler growing regions of the North Coast such as Mendocino County and Sonoma County, including Russian River Valley. In these cool-climate areas, the grapes ripen slowly, revealing elegant varietal flavors, refreshing acidity that contributes to the wine's finesse, and a silkiness on the palate. A small percentage of the grapes are from Arroyo Seco in the Central Coast. These grapes contribute a delicious juiciness to the wine, thanks to ripening effects of the intense Central Coast sun.

In 1997, an unseasonably warm winter and balmy spring lead to an early spring bud-break. Although frost protection was necessary on many nights, excellent weather during bloom lead to a good crop set. Perfect summer temperatures produced an early sizeable harvest. Fortunately, fruit quality was high and reached maturity, while maintaining the acidity that is the hall-mark of cool climate fruit.

Throughout the winemaking process, we handled our grapes carefully, minimizing tannin extraction, which can add harsh or bitter flavors. The grapes were destemmed, but not crushed, before being transferred to stainless steel tanks. While removing stems eliminated the extraction of green tannins, whole cluster fermentation concentrated the grapes' fruit flavors. After a primary fermentation, maloactic fermentation transformed the sharper malic acids into softer lactic acids, producing a rounder wine. More than five months aging in predominantly small French oak barrels with medium and medium plus toast levels added complexity and gave the wine time to mellow before bottling.

Our Pinot Noir is smooth and silky. Strawberry and red raspberry fruit flavors are accented by subtle spice and vanilla flavors. A lingering finish completes this elegant wine.

Consider food pairings with a heartier fish such as salmon or halibut. Roasted chicken or lightly grilled or roast pork also complement this Pinot Noir, as do sautéed mushrooms.