2017 Jenkins Ranch Pinot Noir
95 points
Wine Enthusiast
Catching the first morning rays of sun, which help off-set the abundant cooling winds from the Pacific, this predominantly Dijon 777 Clone Pinot stays true to the appellation with its delicious savory/red fruit interplay. The 2017 delivers blueberry, crushed raspberry, dried orange peel, along with a hint of ocean spray notes. The tannins are soft, broad and fleshy, weaving into a well-integrated, rich, complex finish, tempered with mouthwatering acidity and freshness.
The 2017 growing season began in March with cool temperatures and sustained rainfall, a welcome development after five years of drought. As the rains cleared, sunny and warm conditions prevailed. Flowering began as usual in May, but foggy and windy days caused incomplete pollination, creating small berries with fewer seeds and reduced crop yields. The upside is that small berries provide great flavor concentration and color. A very warm, beautiful summer advanced the growing season by almost two weeks, accelerating our picking to get the grapes into the winery at ideal ripeness. We started harvest August 18th for our sparkling wine and concluded on September 27th, making 2017 the fastest harvest since 2008. Fortunately, our strong farming relationships allowed for perfectly ripe fruit with excellent chemistry. When the fires broke out in Napa and Sonoma on October 8th, we had (along with 90% of Sonoma vineyards) picked all our grapes. 2017 is proving to be a fine year, producing wines of depth, finesse, focused vineyard character and delicious flavors and aromas.
Located about two miles south-west of Sebastopol on Pleasant Hill Rd. (in an area locally known as Sebastopol Hills), the 18-acre Jenkins Ranch is situated on a north-east facing hillside. Once an apple orchard, Jenkins Ranch features Goldridge series sandy loam soils planted mostly to Dijon selection 777 with a small block of 667. These vines were planted under the guidance of renowned vineyard manager Charlie Chenoweth in 2001. Though the site features cool coastal influences, its location one series of hills back from the Petaluma Gap offers a degree of shelter and warmth for the grapes.
100% Burgundian French oak barrels (40% new; 60% 1-2-year old)
Bottled without filtration to preserve the wine’s aromas and flavors and enhance aging potential
- Type:
- Red
- Varietal:
- Pinot Noir
- Region:
- California
- Appellation:
- Sonoma Coast
- Vintage:
- 2017
- Blend:
- 100% Pinot Noir
- Alcohol:
- 14.2
- Fermentation:
- Multi-yeast fermentations (native yeast, followed by cultured yeast); 10% whole cluster added; 100% malo-lactic fermentation in barrel