The fruit was hand-harvested at night to preserve freshness and fruit integrity, and immediately brought to the winery. About 20% of the overall grapes were fermented whole cluster; meaning that in some lots, about 20% of the grapes were put into the fermenters with the rachis. This technique imparts more structure to the mid palate. The remaining lots were de-stemmed, but not crushed, leaving whole berries. Winemaker Ana Diogo-Draper cold soaked the berries, in stainless steel tanks (70%) and Puncheon (30%), for four days a method which gently extracts color and flavor without harsh tannins. Afterwards, the grapes were gently brought up to temperature, and 100% native yeast fermented. We punched down the grapes three times a day to
extract color and flavor. The free run wine was placed in French oak barrels (30% new) for ten months, where it aged on lees, being racked once prior to bottling. Our Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir is 100% grown, produced and bottled by Artesa.
In 2019 conditions returned to those of a more "typical" vintage. Starting off with a slightly wetter winter than previous years and transitioning into what we consider characteristic Los Carneros weather patterns - morning fog and mild temperatures rolling into to spring. In May, we received some significant late rainfall that allowed us to pull back on irrigation. Throughout the spring we were granted moderate temperatures and perfect weather patterns for grape growing. Then summer came and differentiated the various growing regions and their respective micro-climates, each one expressing itself as independent
as ever.
We began harvest mid-August, beginning with grapes from our Estate vineyard, intended for the production of our sparkling wines. Shortly after, the first Pinot Noir grapes made their way to the winery. Mid-September to mid-October is when we saw the complexities weaving through the vintage, as more varieties reached their optimum point of maturity and were ready for harvest. In 2019 overall quality of the fruit was incredible, with white varieties allowed to retain the acidity and freshness we strive for, and red varieties developing their lusciousness and stoutness.
