2020 Pinot Noir Reserve Cuvée Griffin

Herbaceous and complex, the nose is full of forest floor and hints of mushroom aromas.  In the mouth, the wine explodes with notes of jammy black cherry and baking spice.  The texture is silky, with a subtle weight and the finish is all about fruit - red plums and cherry pie filling - with a lingering sensation of vanilla.

Griffin’s Lair vineyard is a landmark vineyard situated in the Petaluma Gap (Sonoma Coast).  The ocean’s cooling, penetrating breeze and protective fog match with low vigor soils and detailed farming practices result in a deeply concentrated wine.  The vineyard features three different blocks, each composed of a different clone of Pinot Noir - Swan, Pommard, and Dijon (667 and 777).

This wine was made entirely from Block 2 (Pommard clone).  Fermented as two separate lots, one was 100% destemmed and fermented at warm temperatures (86°F) in a large oak vessel to drive jammy fruit character; the other was 13% whole cluster and fermented at cool temperatures (72°F) in a stainless steel tank to preserve aromatic finesse.  Both lots were fermented with native yeast and kept on skins for 22 days for a refined mouthfeel.  This wine was aged in 100% French oak barrels for 18 months.

This wine would go well with anything from tomato sauce manicotti and sweet italian sausage to moroccan spiced chicken skewers and aromatic rice.  For those with a sweet tooth, lean more towards caramel than chocolate.