Winter Release Flax Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir
2022

Winemaker’s Notes

Several notable elements serve to distinguish our Flax Estate Pinot from the vineyards and wines grown in the coastal districts of western Sonoma County. Most fundamentally, the soils in this northern district are volcanic in origin rather than marine-uplifted, and that dramatically alters the structure of the wine. Secondly, coastal fog plays a lesser role – the days are warmer and the nights mild, not cool. Additionally, the genetic vine material relies heavily upon the old Pommard clone, which is a specialty of this stretch of the Middle Reach of the Russian River Valley. This older clone brings richness, earthiness, and structure to the wines verses the lifted sleek purity our coastal vine plantings offer. Here, the wines are driven more by tannin than acidity, and they wear their natural richness proudly on their sleeve. The challenge can be to retain elegance in an environment – a terroir – that wants to deliver power, so our winemaking is extremely gentle with Flax fruit. That means cooler and shorter fermentations with a very light touch of extraction. The result is a wine that’s ebullient yet graceful and wonderfully conveys the special character of the rock-strewn hillsides where the grapes are organically grown.

The wine’s aromas and flavors feature red and black cherry, blackberry, dried rose, red licorice, ferrous iron-like scents, and underbrush. The palate is deep and full, with broad fruit intensity and gravelly fine balancing tannins. There's lift and vibrancy to the red-fruited iodine-fresh finish. Drink between 2025 and 2034 and decant for an hour to hasten the wine’s development.

Andy Smith