Winemaker Notes
This dense, concentrated expression comes from fruit grown on blauschiefer (blue slate) soils on Dernauer's steepest slopes. Berries are destemmed and crushed with maceration lasting for about 20 days. Elevagé occurs in mostly used barriques for 11 month. The stony create a mineral wine with smoky aroma of red fruits, blackberry, blueberry, red currant and dark cherry, accompanied by floral and roasting aromas. Impeccable balance between fruit, mineral, and oak here.
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.”
