Robléon Pinot Noir 2008

La Encantada Vineyard
Sta. Rita Hills

$45/750ml bottle

The Wine
Beautiful concentrated cherry and blackberry on the nose with hints of vanillin and spice. This wine opens on the palate with fresh fruit flavors of blackberry, cherry, and cola all lifted by a firm backbone of acid.  While the wine has an obvious origin in the Sta. Rita Hills, it exhibits an elegant silkiness that is seldom achieved from this region.  The finish is long complex, and exceptionally well balanced, overtly appealing for a second (and third) taste.  A siren this one…

The Vintage and Vineyards
The first certified organic vineyard in the appellation, La Encantada sits at the western edge of the Santa Rita Hills, where it is subject to very cool temperatures, limited sunshine due to fog and marine layer haze, and significant wind influence.  Owned and farmed by Richard Sanford, it is known for producing fruit of exceptional concentration and depth of flavor.  Spring was late in coming this year as cool temperatures kept the vines from getting off to an early start.  Things warmed up a bit in July, allowing the vineyards to catch up, and then temperatures moderated and remained moderate through harvest.  Set and cluster size were average and yield from the vineyard was somewhat less than 2 tons per acre. 

In The Winery
Upon arrival at the winery, most of the fruit was gently de-stemmed and cold soaked for 7 days before being inoculated with Burgundy yeast. The cap was punched down regularly during a two week long fermentation to promote medium extraction from the skins.  When dry, the must was pressed into Francois Freres French Oak barrels (50% were new) for aging. The wine was racked once off of the gross lees and again just before bottling.  It was bottled August 14, 2009 un-fined and unfiltered.

Technical Data
Vineyards: La Encantada
Harvest: October 6, 2008
Cooperage: 100% French Oak (50% new- Francois Freres). Aged for 10 months
Bottled: August 14, 2009
pH: 3.61
Alcohol: 14.2%