Growing Conditions
Pinot Noir is a crowning gem for the La Esperanza vineyard. Its heavy clay soils and proximity to the lake allow for fully ripe grapes. La Esperanza is our coolest growing site, being located right off of Lake Michigan.
Harvest
This Pinot Noir was hand-picked on September 26th, 2020.
Winemaking
It was destemmed without crushing and fermented in egg fermenters in order to exaggerate tannin and color extraction. It was pumped over twice daily for the first half of fermentation and then punched down for the remainder. It was gently pressed and aged in puncheons for 14 months, 25% of the oak being new heavy toast French oak, this is an older style of Burgundian winemaking.
Aging
Aged in puncheons for 14 months, 25% of the oak being new heavy toast French oak.
The wine was highly structured with grippy tannins and needed more time in bottle to settle down and grow into itself so we aged it in bottle for 2 years prior to release.
Food Pairing
This is a very food friendly wine and will pay dividends to a well thought out meal. Braised Lamb Shanks, Mushroom Risotto, Roasted Duck, Charcuterie
