2021 “Primo's Hill” Pinot Noir

TASTING NOTES 
What started as an experiment resulted in the most nuanced, complex and layered Pinot Noir of the vintage. Fermenting and aging in a single 1,000L cask with whole cluster fruit allowed the wine to beautifully integrate subtle flavors from the stems and oak into the high-toned fruit and floral characters of the pinot. This is one of those wines that quietly stops you in your tracks. 

HISTORY
Poseidon Vineyard, located at the confluence of Carneros Creek and the Napa River, was planted in 1973 by the Molnar Family to the Burgundian varietals: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The maritime environment of the Carneros grape-growing region delivers cool, foggy mornings followed by warm days that slowly nurture ripening. This seaside influence is particularly acute on our estate, where one can see the masts of boats bobbing in the water just a few steps to the south. A gravelly hillside at the northwest corner of the vineyard sits below the historic homesite. Vines planted on Primo’s Hill consistently produces the most complex and intricate lots of Pinot Noir, giving this barrel selection bottling it’s name.

VINTAGE
The season began early with dry conditions, leading to very small bunches and berries that ripened well ahead of the average schedule. A vintage marked by very small yields and high flavor concentration and quality.

WINEMAKING
A single lot of Pommard 5 Clone Pinot Noir was fermented in a brand-new 1,000L Hungarian Oak cask. 40% of the fruit was left whole cluster. When fermentation was complete, we pressed the lot and returned it to age in the very same cask. A small portion of the same fruit aged in 300L barrels was added to the final blend.

Alex Beloz, Winemaker