• 2021 Estate Pinot Blanc
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2021 Deer Camp Pinot Noir

2021 Deer Camp Pinot Noir

Carneros750ml

Our Deer Camp Pinot Noir is a vineyard designated wine from the Etude Estate Vineyards at Grace Benoist Ranch. This multi-vineyard ranch is tucked away in the far northwest corner of the Carnero...

Our Deer Camp Pinot Noir is a vineyard designated wine from the Etude Estate Vineyards at Grace Benoist Ranch. This multi-vineyard ranch is tucked away in the far northwest corner of the Carneros appellation and features well-drained, rocky upland soils.

  • Alcohol 14.5%
  • Vintage 2021
$90.00
$90.00

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Specifications

  • Vintage: 2021
  • Region: Carneros
  • Appelation: Carneros
  • Varietal: Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes

A Pinot Noir of striking ruby hue, with flecks of garnet, this wine entices aromatically with a subtle sweetness of boysenberry confiture layered with notes of ripe red and dark fruits. A dark volcanic minerality accompanies an earthiness which echoes the terroir of Grace Benoist Ranch. A plush mouthfeel aids in showcasing a juicy and pleasing palate. Notes of olallieberry take center stage, intermingling notes of blackberry and red raspberry seamlessly. Certain to age gracefully when cellared properly over the next three to eight years.

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The Vineyard

Deer Camp Vineyard

The Deer Camp Vineyard at Grace Benoist Ranch is located on a southwest facing slope of two blocks we refer to as the Pinot Bowl. Featuring distinctive rocky, welldrained soils of Kidd Stony Loam, the site is planted mostly to the Martini clone of Pinot Noir, which produces thick-skinned, pulpy grapes that hold up well to the fog and wind that blow through this cool climate vineyard. This small vineyard was named after an old deer camp structure that stands at the base of this site.

Process

The 2021 vintage

  • The 2021 season was joyous and welcomed after the challenges of previous vintages, producing exceptionally high-quality fruit, some of the best in recent years. A tremendous year to taste the nuances and terroir distinction from around the valley.

  • Spring

    Rain early in the year led to almost no notable precipitation for the rest of the season, providing an ideal environment for grapes to flower, bloom, and set in early spring, with budbreak early in April, followed by flowering and bloom in May.

  • Summer

    The summer saw early and even ripening throughout the valley, with veraison appearing in early July.Low yields (in part due to drought conditions), created fruit that is intensely flavored and smaller in berry size.

    One of the earliest starts, harvest began with white wine grapes coming in towards late July, while red wine grapes arrived about a month later, at the end of August.

  • Harvest

    With optimal ripening and taste, our winemakers took their time bringing grapes in, crafting wines of fantastic character, with amazing color extraction, aromatic intensity, tremendous balance, and structure, that are equally lush and fruity.

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 and followed with a quiet extended maceration to help modify the richness and mouthfeel of the wine. The wine was lightly pressed into small French oak barrels where it rested for 14 months.