Summary

Vineyard planted in 1995
Vine spacing 6' x 8'
Dijon 115, Swan, and Pommard clones/selections
110R and 1103P rootstock
Eastern exposure
1.7 tons per acre fruit yield

3.74 pH
0.58 g/100mL titratable acidity
14.1% alcohol by volume
60% new, 40% 1-year old French oak barrels
Aged 18 months
246 cases produced

Vineyards and Winemaking

With panoramic views of northern California's Coast Range, Thorn Ridge is an ideal spot for a picnic on a warm summer day. With a weather pattern that runs in 3-5 day cycles of alternate hot and cold, however, this great spot for an outing becomes downright inhospitable during the cold portion of the cycle. Sitting southwest of Sebastopol on the northern edge of the Petaluma Gap, Thorn Ridge is a magnet for cold air and fog, just the right elements for superb Pinot noir grapes. The soils are low-vigor silt and the vineyard receives so little irrigation that it is, for all intents and purposes, dry farmed.

In 2003, Mother Nature spawned both grief and extraordinary pleasure in the hearts of growers and winemakers. At this site of naturally low yields, the grape crop was freakishly reduced by a combination of unseasonable heat spikes in March, followed by one of the wettest Aprils recorded. Just prior to harvest, a series of heat spikes created a touch of dehydration, concentrating the near-perfect flavors that resulted from very mild summer days. The result is a wine with exceptional fruit qualities and concentration.

Harvest occurred on 19 September and 24 September. The grapes were simply destemmed with 25% retained as whole clusters. Left to soak for five days prior to the start of a native fermentation, a small amount of a commercial yeast strain was introduced to ensure completion of the process. Pressing occurred after 36 days in the fermenter. The wine underwent malolactic fermentation and eighteen months of aging in new and one-year-old French oak barrels.

Tasting Notes

This wine is big and serious. Ripe plums and blackberry jam virtually jump from the glass. Rich and complex, a mouth full of black cherries fills the palate, reinforced by very fine-grained tannins and significant structure. Silky, rich, and intense, this is a concentrated, beautiful example of Pinot noir reflecting terroir.