THE WINE From the beautiful Silver Pines Vineyard at nearly 1000 ft. elevation on Sonoma Mountain, this Pinot Noir is a blend of clones UCD 23 and Pommard. The masculinity of clone 23 blends beautifully with the perfume and complexity of Pommard. Tiny yields produced a powerful, complex wine that will age beautifully for years to come.

Gentle handling began in the vineyard with hand harvesting at night, followed by cluster and berry sorting in the winery. After de-stemming, the fruit dropped by gravity into the open top tank for a 5 day cold soak with gentle pumpovers. As the fermentation began, punchdowns were added to the daily routine to enhance extraction. Finally, after draining and pressing, the wine was racked to barrels where malolactic fermentation took place and the wine aged until ready for bottling.

PHILOSOPHY Joel Aiken’s goal is to produce wines of distinction from exceptional vineyards in outstanding appellations. With over 30 years of winemaking experience, Joel knows the vineyards and growers capable of producing exceptional grapes for these wines.