2018 Ransom Eola-Amity Hills "The Archive" Pinot Noir

14.5

Vivid aromatics
of black cherry, wild iris,
and sweet earth. On the palate, dense,
concentrated notes of cassis and baking
spices wrapped around fine river stone
tannins and a plush core of mouthwatering
acidity leading into a long, rich finish

100% Zielinski Vineyard own rooted
Pommard, planted 1975. Elevation 650 feet, Jory soils

The fruit was 100% destemmed with a high
percentage of whole berries to 1.5 ton
fermenters. Cold soak lengths of an average
of seven days ensured gentle yet thorough
extraction of color and flavor. The small lots
were fermented for an average of twelve days, and hand punched two to three times daily. The wine was aged eighteen months in mixed French cooperage two to three years old before being blended and bottled.

A cool early spring delayed bud break
slightly, but warm weather helped the
grapes catch up in time to bloom right on
schedule in mid to late June. While the
summer was warmer and quite a bit drier
than usual, temperatures topped out in the
low to mid-nineties with few extreme heat
spikes, setting up a balanced year with
great concentration. We picked the grapes
in late September and early October,
following a pleasant string of warm days
tempered by cool nights in the late summer
and early fall. This weather pattern allowed
for development of complex fruit flavors
and the retention of fresh, vibrant acidity
that we feel will set this classic vintage
apart from a string of other recent ripe
vintages