2007 Bryce Vineyard Pinot Noir -

The 2007 growing season was challenging, to say the least. The weather was ideal for powdery mildew (a real bane), and we had to increase our vigilance to red alert levels. It wasn’t quite as kind to the grapes though. First there was an unusually hot June which caused the clusters to jump ahead and grow like there was no tomorrow. July was lovely but not as hot as we had hoped for. August came in and acted like March, cool and showery. September wasn’t much better, leading one of our friends to dub the season “a green tomato year.” The vines started to slow down and cast an eye towards their cold weather dormancy.  Fortunately we don’t ask the vines to carry a heavy crop, and this type of year makes our low yield strategy seem positively brilliant. The fruit came in surprisingly ripe, arriving at the winery with almost 24 degrees brix (to the envious looks of our colleagues). It strengthened our faith in our amazing vineyard and its ability to handle just about anything.

“Much more Burgundian” is how my winemaking colleagues are describing the wines of 2007. They’re more refined than the beefy 2006’s, with a quieter elegance. A bit lower in alcohol too.  The Bryce Vineyard Pinot noir follows this pattern, while still retaining the deep luxurious richness that characterizes our wine. You’ll enjoy aromas textured with floral, tobacco, chocolate and black cherries. The wine has an excellent balance and is what Pinot purists would call a perfect glass of wine. We think this will cellar very well.

375 cases produced ~ $114 / 3-bottle box ~ $228 / 6-bottle box ~ $420 / case.