2003 J Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley

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The Vineyards
J’s 2003 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is an elegant composition of hand-selected fruit from our distinctive estate vineyards sprinkled throughout the Russian River Valley. As with the assemblage technique he uses to create J Vintage Brut, Winemaker Oded Shakked tasted and blended each lot for flavor and complexity.

Processing
We strive to pick our fruit only in the cool morning hours to preserve freshness. The fruit is then 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. The wine aged for 11 months in French oak barrels, 30% of which were new French oak. A loose filtration process with no fining was employed before bottling.

Tasting Notes
The aroma begins with dried herb and bing cherry notes. A light earthy and smoky nuance completes the aromatic profile. Rich fruit and smoked bacon flavors are evident on the palate. The finish of this Pinot is long and combines rich dark cherry and vanilla notes.

Harvest: September 8-26, 2003

Final Analysis: Alcohol 14.5% by volume

Bottling Date: November 2004

Cases Produced: 20,000