2001 J Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

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J’s 2001 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is an elegant composition of hand-selected fruit from five of our distinctive Pinot Noir vineyards sprinkled throughout the appellation. As with the assemblage technique he uses to create J Vintage Brut, Winemaker Oded Shakked tasted and blended each lot for flavor and complexity.

The Vineyards
Wohler Bridge Vineyard
Eastside Ranch Vineyard
Teardrop Vineyard
Robert Thomas Vineyard
Nicole’s Vineyard

Processing
The fruit is carefully hand-sorted before de-stemming into a variety of open-top and closed-top fermenters. The must is given 3 days of cold soaking before fermentation is allowed to begin. This gentle process allows the extraction of flavor components from the skins for a lush, full-bodied wine without any trace of bitterness.

Ageing
Malolactic fermentation occurred in oak tanks and French oak barrels. For barrel ageing, the wine was placed in 30% new French oak for ten months. The wine is bottled unfined.

Tasting Notes
The 2001 release showcases the complexity of the place in which it is grown. The wine is a collage of seamlessly integrated berry and stone fruit aromas and flavors that lead to an elegant, layered palate. With just a hint of floral notes in the initial aroma and a slightly earthy finish, this wine mirrors the breadth of vineyard locations, soils and clones that are its parents.

Harvest: August 24 – September 24, 2001

Harvest Analysis: Average sugar 23.0° Brix

Final Analysis: Alcohol 13.8% by volume

Bottling Date: June, 2002

12,500 cases produced