Summary

Vineyard planted in 1995
Vine spacing 6' x 8'
Dijon 115, Swan, and Pommard clones/selections
1103P rootstock
Eastern exposure
1.9 tons per acre fruit yield

3.55 pH
0.58 g/100mL titratable acidity
13.5% alcohol by volume
60% new, 40% 1-year old French oak barrels
Aged 16 months
404 cases produced

Vineyards and Winemaking

Thorn Vineyard has the distinction of being one of the least hospitable sites I have ever visited. Ted Klopp farms this desolate outpost located about five miles southwest of Sebastopol on the northern edge of the Petaluma Gap. The soils are low-vigor silt and the very limited water supply almost qualifies Thorn as a dry-farmed vineyard. Thorn Vineyard is pummeled by cold air and fog rushing through the lowest point in California's Coast Range, naturally limiting yields and ensuring extended hang times.

The vintage of 2001 was marked by a cold, damp spring and the worst frost since 1980. The result was a remarkably small yield of 1.9 tons per acre, resulting in a wine with even more concentration than normally seen in this vineyard.

The grapes were simply destemmed with approximately 25% retained as whole clusters, then left to soak prior to the start of a native fermentation. Part way through, a small amount of a commercial yeast strain was introduced to ensure completion of the process. After an extended maceration, the must was pressed on the day of the most spectacular thunder-and-lightning storm in recent memory. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation and sixteen months of aging in new and one-year-old French oak barrels. A mere 404 cases were produced.

Tasting Notes

Our 2001 Thorn Vineyard Pinot noir possesses many of the enigmatic qualities that make Pinot noir so interesting. The nose is reminiscent of blueberry tart, briar, and black pepper. It possesses a firm structure, but there is also a delicate elegance melded with an alluring wild note sometimes found in great red Burgundies. Blueberries and spice compose an exceptional persistence.