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  • A bottle of Heirloom Pinot Noir from Etude's Carneros estate vineyard, Grace Benoist Ranch
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2022 Heirloom Pinot Noir

2022 Heirloom Pinot Noir

Carneros750ml 14.1
$95.00
$95.00

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Specifications

  • Vintage: 2022
  • Region: Carneros
  • Appelation: Carneros
  • ABV: 14.1
  • Varietal: Pinot Noir

Tasting Notes

This wine opens with a rich bouquet of black cherry and red currant, complemented by subtle notes of black tea and ripe plum. The aromas are layered, imbuing complexity and depth. On the palate, the wine mirrors its aromatic profile with vibrant flavors of black cherry and red currant, intertwined with a hint of bay leaf, earthy minerality and linear acidity. The whole cluster fermentation imparts a distinctive nuance, while the wine’s well-integrated structure suggests that it will continue to evolve with additional bottle age, offering a promising and intriguing evolution over time.

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Winemaker Jon Priest walking between rows of grapevines in a vineyard.

The Vineyard

Grace Benoist Ranch

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.

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 2022 Vintage

  • A near ideal vintage, 2022 produced exceptionally high-quality fruit. Winter began with ample rains and led to cool weather patterns during flowering, which supported naturally limited vine yields. A mild summer set the stage for even ripening, with veraison appearing in early July. A cool, maritime-influenced August supported a foundation of bright, natural acidity and slow maturity, resulting in beautifully complex flavors and aromas. Picking prior to a Labor Day heat event allowed the fruit to retain the wine’s alluring and fresh characteristics.
Winemaker Jon Priest holding up harvested grapes near stainless steel fermentation tanks.

Crafted Excellence

Winemaking

The grapes were handpicked at night to preserve freshness and acidity. They were placed in open-top fermenters for three to five days of cold maceration followed by fermentation. About 20 percent of the fruit was kept whole cluster to preserve buoyant fruit aromatics and to add structure and refinement. Punch downs were performed during the early stages of fermentation with extraction becoming gentler as the wine became dry. An extended maceration followed to increase richness and mouthfeel. The wine was lightly pressed into French oak barrels (25% new) where it rested for 14 months, bottled with no fining or filtration.