Tasting Notes:
An exceptional vintage in an exceptional vineyard would be the synopsis of the 2005
Sanchietti Pinot. 2005 was just the sort of year that Sanchietti loves–lots of spring moisture,
moderate set (10 tons off of 6 acres), and a long, cool ripening season. The thin soil pushes
the vines quickly at the end of the season, so the cool fall provided the fruit extra hang time
and wonderful ripeness, both in flavors and texture. The hallmark of Sanchietti for us is its
enthralling combination of grace and power, and the 2005 offering certainly exemplifies
this. In the nose it leads with dark blueberry fruit, violets, and a hint of black tea, all with a
touch of extra concentration courtesy of this vintage. In the mouth bright berry and black
cherry shine through along with concentrated, finely structured tannins and ginger spice.
This a wine that is clearly packed tightly and well built for aging, but its silkiness and
candied finish are enticing already. Enjoy it over a long dinner of veal Cordon Bleu, truffle
risotto, or Moscovy duck breast..
Vineyard Notes:
Dutton Ranch/Sanchietti Vineyard has a special place in our hearts at Dutton-Goldfield.
Located on a steep east- and south-facing hillside on the west side of Green Valley,
Sanchietti was one of the first highly acclaimed Pinot vineyards in our part of the world,
and well represents the short local history of the varietal. The vineyard was planted in 1985
for sparkling wine, the assumed use for cold climate Pinot at the time. Dan began making
still Pinot from it in 1993 for La Crema Winery, and in 1994 it constituted one of his first
single vineyard wines for Hartford Court. It was a standout of the Hartford program until
Dutton-Goldfield started taking the fruit in 2002.
The shallow soil and great exposure of the Sanchietti hillside produces exceptionally thick
skinned pinot berries, with fully ripe seeds at harvest, and a distinct violet/floral element
that is its hallmark. The mature vines and outstanding site give the wine a wonderful
combination of concentration, beauty and longevity..
Winemaking Notes:
After hand sorting and destemming into small open top fermenters, the must is coldsoaked
for 5 days in order to gently extract color, spice and fruit characters, while mitigating
harsher tannins. Because of its extremely small berries and thick skins, Sanchietti is
handled very gingerly in the winery. Whereas we punch down other lots up to 4 times daily,
Sanchietti rarely gets more than 2. The south and east terrace were fermented and racked
separately into French oak to age. Our favorite barrels from each lot were blended (about
70% from the south and 30% from the east) in the spring of 2006. One of the pleasures of
assembling a wine is choosing the barrel array for the final aging of the wine after blending.
In this case the ginger spice of Taransaud and the floral elements of Remond barrels were
wonderful enhancements for the vineyard. The wine was bottled in February 2007.
Technical Notes:
| Appellation: |
Russian River Valley
|
| Production: |
343 Cases
|
| Alcohol: |
13.8%
|
| Aging: |
Aged 17 months in
French oak
(55% new barrels) |