We are pleased to release the 2005 Rutherford Pinot Noir and 2006 Rutherford Chardonnay. The 2005 and 2006 growing seasons were some of the mildest in memory. The resulting wines show a wonderful restrained personality with mineral and floral notes. Both the Pinot noir and Chardonnay possess excellent acid structures with great cut that buffer the ripe round fruit flavors. These wines will deliver rewarding drinking now and will develop further complexity over the following decade.

The two Pinot noir blocks thrive in our Rutherford vineyard, where cool nights and warm days allow the fruit to reach exceptional phenolic maturity. Following extended whole cluster fermentation, with manual punch-downs, the must is basket pressed and gravity fed to barrel. The wine spends 16 months in 70% new and 30% two year old Francois Frères cooperage. The wine is bottled by hand via gravity and then rests for a year in bottle to further enhance complexity and to ensure silky tannins.

Our 30 year old Chardonnay vines produce complex aromatics and flavors that only older vines can. We are passionate about retaining these components and the naturally high acid levels by eschewing malolactic fermentation. The wine is fermented in 50% new and 50% once used Francois Frères barrels where it matures sur lie for 12 months. Following bottling the wine spends 9 months in bottle before release.

The first commercial releases were the 1987 Pinot noir and 1988 Chardonnay. Average annual production continues to hover around 900 cases of each. All wines begin in the vineyard. We farm first and then exercise restraint in the cellar. We attempt to have the courage to do nothing while striving to strike a balance between the over-done and the under-done.

Please see the below links for additional information and do not hesitate to contact us with any questions.