2022 Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir
2022 Fiddlestix Vineyard Pinot Noir
New Release! A bright, aromatic Pinot from one of the Sta. Rita Hills' legendary vineyards.
Description
The aromatic profile features bright notes of red cherries and pomegranates that dominate the bouquet. Complementing the fruit are subtle undertones of warm oatmeal cookies, adding a delightful hint of baking spices. On the palate, this wine is elegantly structured with a medium body and silky tannins. The pallet brings flavors of ripe raspberries framed by bright acidity, while hints of cinnamon and nutmeg add depth and warmth to the finish. Charming and approachable, this Pinot Noir will pair beautifully with grilled duck breast or a Thanksgiving turkey.
Vineyard Notes
Planted near the halfway-point of the Sta. Rita Hills on the north side of Santa Rosa Road, Fiddlestix sits just across from the historic Sanford & Benedict Vineyard. Fog usually lingers until mid-morning and the temperature rarely rises above 75, ensuring cool grapes throughout a lengthy day of sunshine. The soil is well-drained Gazos and Botella clay loam, loaded with chirt and Monterey shale, with 96 acres under vine. The blocks sourced for Ken Brown Wines are planted to the 667 and Pommard clones.
Production Notes
The 2022 harvest was tracking to be a little later than usual, but Labor Day weekend brought a significant heat bump which accelerated the pace. Berry size was smaller than average, which resulted in smaller yields across the appellation this year. Our first Sta. Rita Hills fruit was picked on September 2nd. Our Pinot Noir harvest finished less than two weeks after it began, with Fiddlestix coming in on September 15th. Harvest then paused for more than a month until Syrah was ready to pick in late October.
Winemaker Notes
Pinot Noir clusters for this wine were hand sorted before being de-stemmed and gravity fed to fermenters. The must was immediately chilled for a pre-fermentation cold soak where the most beneficial extraction of color, aroma and flavor occurs. The wine aged 10 months in French oak barrels. The barrel composition included 29% new French oak. The wine was racked once and bottled unfined and unfiltered on August 16th, 2023.
| Vintage |
2022 |
| Wine Style |
Red Wine |
| Varietal |
100% Pinot Noir |
| Appellation |
Sta. Rita Hills |
| Acid |
6.8 g/l |
| PH |
3.79 |
| Alcohol % |
14.1 |
| Size |
750 ml |
