The Knuttel Family Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is 100% varietally pure and produced entirely with traditional Burgundian techniques. After blending thousands of wines over nearly forty years, William Knuttel still marvels at how the components and characteristics of wines mesh together like the tracks in a rock and roll recording. Put every track together, and something sublime emerges-- and, especially with Pinot Noir, any of the “tracks” can hook you into the wine’s charms.

This Pinot Noir is blended from two vineyards, both of which are also bottled as vineyard designates for the William Knuttel label. Richard Rued’s mixed clone planting off Olivet Lane in the Russian River Valley offers a complex array of aromas and flavors, and Dijon 777 Pinot Noir from Windsor Oaks Vineyard in the Chalk Hill sub-appellation adds muscularity to the wine’s expansive structure. Hand-harvested clusters were gently de-stemmed, leaving whole berries intact. All lots were cold soaked for 4-5 days prior to fermentation at low inoculation rates. Extraction was gently carried out with pumpovers to maximize fruitiness, and occasional délestage enhanced the wine’s tannin profile. The new wines were drained when dry, then pressed to French oak for ten months of aging, with 35% new oak. The final blend was not fined.

The wine’s balance and fine acidity pairs with seafood and light dishes, and is hearty enough for roasted meats and more substantial fare.

Tasting Notes: Bright aromas of wild raspberry and ripe strawberry mingle with hints of pomegranate, violets, and red plum. Flavors explode on the palate, and an elegant structure and mouthfeel give way to ripe, focused tannins in the finish.

Varietal: Pinot Noir

Region: Sonoma Coast, California