2016 Alexana Pinot Noir Terroir Series

50% of the fruit from their Dundee Hills estate, plus a good bit from Chehalem, plus some coastal vineyards (where the grapes have thick skins from wind). Destemmed, then berry-sorting table. Totally clean fruit goes in the tank, no MOG. Goes into small vessels, 2 to 3 tons, for fermentation. Cold soak at 40 °F, then they warm it up and let the native yeast take off. They d on’t add any sulphites during fermentation because of the native yeasts. They work in oxygen with punchdowns to prevent stressed-out yeasts. Reductive once in barrel. Faint note of fennel seed through malty strawberry fruit. Lots of acidity. Long tannins, pencil and kohl sketched on the rustle of tracing paper. There is a distinct mushroom-picked-straight-from-forest-floor earthiness and dampness connecting a whiff of truffle with the first tip of autumn. Dried cherries and balsamic-strawberry syrup in sepia tones. Quite a lot of fruit evolution and I find myself looking just a little more freshness and brightness. (TC)