
2014 Foley Estates Pinot Noir, T Anchor Ranch
91 Points - Wine Enthusiast
Winemaker Notes
Lush aromatics of juicy boysenberry and black cherry cobbler entice your
senses. This Pinot Noir displays flavors of ripe blackberries and black
plum, highlighting spicy black pepper flavors characteristic of the
Pommard clone of Pinot Noir. The French oak provides a chewy
mouthfeel that lingers with a finish of burnt sugar and boysenberry jam.
Composition
100% Pinot Noir
Wine Specs
Vintage
2014
Varietal
Pinot Noir
Appellation
Sta. Rita Hills
Harvest Date
August 19 – October 10, 2014.
Acid
6.9 g/L
pH
3.32
Aging
18 Months in 40% new French oak
Bottling Date
April 4, 2016
Alcohol %
14.3
Wine Enthusiast
91
Production Notes
We harvest our grapes based on the ripeness of the tannins. For Pinot
Noir this usually occurs between 24.5-27.0 Brix. The clusters were then
gently destemmed with no crushing. The must was cold-soaked in
open-top fermenters for four days. Each tank was manually punched
down throughout maceration. Upon completion of primary fermentation
and maceration, the free-run wine was transferred to tank for settling.
Finally, the individual lots were racked to barrels and aged for 18 months
prior to blending and bottling. 2014 was our third consecutive abundant vintage. The yields were high
in quantity and quality with the earliest bud break on record. Ideal
conditions from bloom to set accompanied by a warm growing season
led to the earliest harvest we’ve had to date. This vintage yielded grape
clusters with larger than average berry size that achieved optimal
ripeness within a shortened time frame. The grapes were harvested in
the cool morning hours of August 19 – October 10, 2014.
Vineyard Notes
There’s only one way to describe the Rancho Santa Rosa Vineyard: serene.
Located in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara County, these
stunning hillsides feature vines that climb from 500 to 1,000 feet above
sea level. The soils are marine-based and the weather is consistently cool
thanks to moist ocean breezes that sweep the property daily. The vineyard
is farmed with the painstaking care and attention usually associated with
much smaller properties. In fact, this vineyard was originally conceived as
a series of individual micro-vineyards delineated by soil, exposure,
elevation, grade, rootstock and clone.