2014 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Harvest Notes

Continuing the string of great vintages, 2014 completes the trifecta of extremely high quality growing seasons. The 2014s exhibit a great purity of place, with generous fruit and elegant textures. The 2014 growing season started out as one of the driest winters on record with only 40% of normal rainfall by mid-season. Due to the extremely dry conditions over the winter months, many of the vineyards were irrigated in December and January to ensure the vines had enough moisture, effectively mimicking winter rainfall. It was another early bud break season; almost 14 days earlier than “normal.” When rain in early April finally appeared it helped replenish the soil’s moisture profile to re-invigorate the plants and boost growth. May brought flowering, as expected, and fruit set was bountiful overall for a third straight year. The harvest season was near perfect with warm temperatures, which allowed for a leisurely picking schedule. 2014 was a wonderful growing season that has yielded another fine set of wines that speak of the place. In short, 2014 is another superb vintage of compelling nature and should allow for long-range cellaring for those to choose to age their wines for 7- 10 years.