Lockwood Pinot Noir 2016
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The grapes for our 2016 Pinot Noir were selectively harvested during early September. The wine underwent a 3 day cold soak followed by a 14 day fermentation after which it was left on skins for an additional 5 days. The wine was then aged with a combination of stainless steel and French oak, 15% new.
First released in 1989, Lockwood Vineyard was developed under the belief that world class estate produced wines are attainable through ideal vineyard location and quality winemaking.
Lockwood Vineyard’s founders, Paul Toeppen, Phil Johnson and Butch Lindley, who have cumulative vineyard management experience of over 90 years, first planted the large 1,850 acre San Lucas Vineyard in 1981 after concluding that the parcel was perfect for growing premium grapes. The vineyard is in a remote area nestled at the base of the Santa Lucia mountain range, in Monterey County, and is one of the largest premium estate vineyards in the world.
Under the new ownership of Boisset Famiy Estates, Lockwood Vineyard continues to be devoted to producing high quality estate grown wines.
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
Within the greater Monterey County, the San Lucas AVA claims the largest diurnal temperature variation of all of the California AVAs. The area produces a variety of styles.