Saracina Pinot Noir 2009
Vintage and Release Information
Klindt Vineyard, Anderson Valley 2009
Released May 1, 2011
Production of 237 cases
Varietal Composition
100% Pinot Noir
Technical Data
14.2% alcohol by volume
0.57 gm/100 ml titratable acidity
pH 3.68
Bottled August 27, 2010
Vineyards
In the deep end of the Anderson Valley, at 400 feet elevation lays the hillside Klindt Vineyard. This is certainly one of the most daring vineyard locations in California; its ultra-cool climate puts Pinot Noir to the test, even in ideal years. The clonal selections, Pommard 113 and 777, are well laid out on the slope's different aspects to capture the needed daylight hours and achieve maturity in this marginal climate. This is a site that can produce real nuance and complexity with this variety, more Burgundian than new world.
Harvest
2009 was chalked up as a drought year in California, and the Anderson Valley was no exception. The growing season was moderate, but lack of ground moisture kept the cluster weights down which allowed for very even ripening and great concentration. We harvested on the morning of September 25 at 24.2 Brix, right before the onset of a significant heat spike.
Winemaking and Cooperage
The grapes were harvested by hand, de-stemmed and gently fed into an open-top tank with 100% whole berries. Native yeast fermentation began a full eleven days later and was complete by October 12. We drained the free-run juice directly into Francois Freres, Allier barrels, 20% of which were new. Native malolactic fermentation was complete by the end of January. The wine was racked off fine lees directly to the bottling tank and bottled without fining or filtration on August 27, 2010.
Winemaker
Alex MacGregor
Consulting Winemaker
David Ramey
