Winemaking

Wine is a captured expression of its fruit, a summation of its life on the vine. Once our fruit has achieved its optimal character and maturity, we continue the practice of observation and exactitude. The grapes are hand-harvested block by block in the cool, pre-dawn hours. The clusters are hand-sorted, and, once de-stemmed, the berries are hand-sorted once more before delivery to tank.

For our Pinot Noir, we allow four to five days of pre-fermentation cold maceration in small open-top fermenters before bringing the fruit to a temperature that initiates 100% native yeast fermentation. After two to three weeks, the Pinot Noir is then gently pressed and moved to barrel where it completes both primary and secondary (malolactic) fermentations.

In the case of our Chardonnay, we very gently press whole clusters after double hand-sorting. The juice is allowed to settle overnight before racking to barrel, where it naturally undergoes 100% native yeast barrel fermentation followed by malolactic fermentation.

We determine a specific combination of barrel cooperage, toast level and percentage of new oak based on the singularity of each newborn wine. The wines age in French oak for approximately 12-15 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Every decision is made with the intention of enhancing the unique character of each individual block, ultimately resulting in 30 distinctive wine lots. We can then interweave these lots into harmonious blends or – in those moments when a single clone presents itself as wholly extraordinary – we celebrate it as its own bottling.

Our wines are only released when our winemaker determines them ready.