2017 Hillside Cuvee Pinot Noir Library Set

3 bottles

Our Sonoma Coast blend is a counterpoint to our Three Sons Cuvee, Russian River Valley, displaying an apt comparison to these neighboring growing regions.

Hillside Cuvee is bright, light and glimmers in translucent rubies. The nose hints of earthiness reminiscent of a fine Burgundy, oftimes described in French as sauvage  or animal. But it also carries bright aromas of fresh cranberry, red raspberry and strawberry mixed with spice notes of white pepper and earthen floor. On the palate, it leads with red fruits like pomegranate and fresh cranberry, with hints of raspberry.  The brightness carries through, filled with flavors of pomegranate mixed with a panoply of red fruits, spices, white pepper with a subtle rich minerality. The mouth-feel integrates earthiness with the fresh fruit and fine tannins in the mid palate. The finish is long and rich, revealing silky tannins combined with emerging cherry, gentle minerality, lustrous acidity and white pepper. Rich, elegant, and complex, it finishes in white pepper, lingering for many minutes.

Grapes were picked before sunrise, hand-sorted and de-stemmed then cold-soaked for five days before going through whole berry fermentation and receiving two punch-downs per day. Fermentation took approximately 12-16 days in an open top five-ton fermentation tank and the wine was then racked to barrels.

30% new French Oak, 30% one-year-old French Oak and 40% older. Wine remained in barrel for ten months with one racking at five months during blending.

370 cases produced