2018 Ramey Wine Cellars Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

50% De La Montanya (Pommard, 115, & Calera), 25% Bucher Vineyard North L Block (777), 20% Dutton Goff Vineyard (115), and 5% Kilcullen Vineyard (Pommard)

100% Pinot Noir

Huichica clay and Spreckels loam at De La Montanya, Yorkville clay at Bucher, and Goldridge fine sandy loam at Goff and Kilcullen

The 2018 season was exemplary. Spring was drier than in 2017, and after two years of poor set, consistently mild weather led to good berry set. Higher cluster counts than the low yielding years of 2015-2017, coupled with cooler late summer temperatures, brought longer hang times with harvest dates up to two weeks later than the previous vintage.

Tank fermented with native yeast and 25% whole cluster. Native malolactic fermentation in barrel. As traditionally practiced in Burgundy, we use an anaerobic approach with our Pinot Noir to preserve freshness. It was aged sur lies with monthly bâtonnage and spent 13 months in 39% new French barrels (François Frères, Demptos and Taransaud). The wine was then lightly fined with egg white and bottled without filtration.