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2021 Heirloom Pinot Noir

2021 Heirloom Pinot Noir

Carneros750ml

Etude’s Heirloom Pinot Noir, produced from several heirloom selections of the variety, is dedicated to the celebration and preservation of plant diversity. It exemplifies the singular, superior ...

Etude’s Heirloom Pinot Noir, produced from several heirloom selections of the variety, is dedicated to the celebration and preservation of plant diversity. It exemplifies the singular, superior wines – unusually expressive, concentrated and pure – that issue from original varieties or vine selections chosen for the inherent wine quality they produce.

  • Alcohol 14.2%
  • Vintage 2021
$95.00
$95.00

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Specifications

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

Tasting Notes

This striking, garnet Pinot Noir entices with aromatic layers of strawberry, pomegranate and red berries, which subtly mingle with toasted almond and baking spices. Graceful notes of orange pekoe and dried rose petals delicately entice, while savory tones echo aromatic notes found within the Grace Benoist Ranch terroir. A palate of soft fruit complements an earthy minerality, emblematic of the volcanic soil where the fruit was nourished. Certain to age gracefully when cellared properly over the next three to ten years.

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The Vineyard

Heirloom Vineyard

Grown on the Etude Estate Vineyards at Grace Benoist Ranch, the grapes for our Heirloom Pinot Noir come from shy-bearing selections that produce small bunches and even smaller berries. Although some may overlook these vines due to their extremely low yields, we prize their ability to produce wines that are both expressive of their genetic origins as well as providing a unique flavor profile, which exemplifies the varied site and diversity of soils on which they’re grown.

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 handpicked at night to preserve freshness and acidity. They were placed in open-top fermenters for 3-5 days of cold maceration followed by fermentation. A small percent of the fruit was kept whole cluster during fermentation to add further complexity, buoyancy of aromatics and an element of structure and refinement. 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 enhance the richness and mouthfeel of the wine. Lightly pressed, the wine was transferred to small French oak barrels where it rested for 14 months.