1996 J Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

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The Wine
1996 marks the very first vintage of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir from the cellars at J Vineyards & Winery. It is an elegant composition of hand-selected fruit from each of our own distinctive Pinot Noir vineyards sprinkled throughout the Russian River Valley appellation. As with the assemblage technique he uses in sparkling wine, winemaker Oded Shakked tasted and blended each lot for flavor and complexity. The result is a complex and delicious estate Pinot Noir.

The Vineyards
This wine is made from a blend of Pinot Noir grapes from J's seven vineyards which each possess unique characteristics as a result of individual vineyard terroir — opulence from the Robert Thomas Vineyard adjacent to the Russian River, bright red berries from the vineyard nestled against Mark West Creek, and a brush stroke of rich color and structural concentration from Nicole's Vineyard, our hillside clos.

Processing
The winemaking team first cold-soaked a portion of the fruit then fermented it in a combination of open-top and closed-top fermenters. Malolactic fermentation occurred in oak tanks and oak barrels. For barrel ageing, the wine was placed in 30% new French oak for nearly eight months.

Winemaker's Notes
Deep garnet in color with vibrant aromas of raspberries, Bing cherries, strawberries and subtle oak. Flavors of berries, black cherries, tea leaves, delicate smoky oak notes, allspice and black pepper. Serve this versatile wine with a myriad of delicious foods; we like it with dark-meat fowl including turkey, guinea hen, quail, duck, seasonal wild mushrooms, veal, and pork. Don't limit your options; innovate with seafood and vegetarian cuisine. Cheers!

Harvest: August 30 - September 11,1996

Harvest Analysis: 24.3° Brix

Analysis at bottling: Alcohol 13.9% by volume

Bottled: June 24-25, 1997