94 POINTS
1 1

2020 Laniger Vineyard Pinot Noir

2020 Laniger Vineyard Pinot Noir

Carneros750ml 14.8

The Laniger Vineyard is located on an opposing bench slope adjacent from our acclaimed Deer Camp vineyard, on the western edge of Grace Benoist Ranch. Laniger is more protected from the cooling ...

The Laniger Vineyard is located on an opposing bench slope adjacent from our acclaimed Deer Camp vineyard, on the western edge of Grace Benoist Ranch. Laniger is more protected from the cooling Petaluma Gap but still benefits from proximity to the San Pablo Bay, allowing the fog to develop early and recede late in the day.

  • Alcohol 14.8%
  • Vintage 2020
$90.00
$90.00

Are you a Wine Club Member?

Login or Sign up to receive 15% off your order & more!

Specifications

  • Vintage: 2020
  • Region: Carneros
  • Appelation: Carneros
  • ABV: 14.8
  • Varietal: Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes

A lovely Pinot Noir with intricate layers of earthiness, richness, saturation, and structure – all nods to this extraordinary vineyard block. The nose is perfumed with red berry fruit and delicate floral violet notes. On the palate, an intriguing bramble berry fruit comes through with wild cherry, soft rose petal, vanilla pod, and allspice, supported by earthier and savory notes on the finish. Fresh and lively with a lean line of acidity and supple, chewy tannins leading to a juicy, mouthwatering finish with nuance and complexity. A glorious wine, spotlighting the remarkable character of Pinot Noir, especially Clone 115, which attributes the distinctive floral and red fruit signature of this beautiful wine.

View full details

Expert reviews

94 POINTS

"Lots of pumice, pine needle and spice. Oyster shell. Red stone. Full-bodied with an open-weave tannin texture. Orange peel. Flavorful finish."

The Vineyard

GRACE BENOIST RANCH

The Laniger Vineyard is located on an opposing bench slope adjacent from our acclaimed Deer Camp vineyard, on the western edge of Grace Benoist Ranch.  Here the soils are very well-drained alluvial Laniger loam, a volcanic fine sandy loam with gray to brown color and medium acidity levels, a result of the Rodgers Creek Fault line which runs near the vineyard.  Laniger is more protected from the cooling Petaluma Gap but still benefits from proximity to the San Pablo Bay, allowing the fog to develop early and recede late in the day.  The gradual slope here and moderate microclimate allows for even vine growth and ideal fruit ripening. 

Process

The 2020 vintage

  • Winter

    The 2020 season is considered another successful vintage, despite being remembered for factors beyond the typical harvest season. It was a warm, dry winter and the rain and cooler weather didn’t arrive until the end of March.

  • Spring

    While the mild spring season was a great early start, our winery working conditions had extensive safety protocols due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

  • Summer

    Summer brought very cool mornings and very warm days, but then harvest was interrupted by wildfires across California, which came as grapes started to be picked, and we were very fortunate that none of our vineyards were in the areas of the active fires.

  • Harvest

    The red wine harvest started in late August, with the wines showing excellent development in cellars, reflecting the fine vintage year.

Crafted Excellence

Winemaking

The grapes for this wine were harvested at night to preserve freshness and integrity. They were placed in open-top fermenters for 3-5 days of cold maceration followed by fermentation. A small percentage of the grapes were left as whole cluster to preserve the buoyancy of aromatics of the fruit and to add structure and refinement to the wine. Punch downs were performed during the early stages of fermentation with the extraction becoming gentler as the wine became dry. A quiet extended maceration followed, helping to enhance the richness and mouthfeel of the wine. The wine was lightly pressed into French oak barrels (25% new) where it rested for 14 months. The wine was bottled with no fining or filtration and allowed to rest for another eight months prior to release.