Wines> Library Wines> 1996 Red Hills Estate Pinot Noir
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ORIGIN: The Red Hills Estate vineyard with moderate slopes, shallow Jory soils, and southern exposure produces one of Archery Summit’s finest "vineyard designated" wines. As one of the premier sites in the Red Hills of Dundee, our Red Hills Estate is destined to take its place as one of the world’s great vineyards.
VINEYARD: The Jory soils provide great ripeness of fruit and profound rich flavors and texture in this Pinot Noir. From the original 1977 planting of the Pommard clone and a small amount of our new planting from Dijon clone 115, the grapes were thinned to 1.4 tons per acre to develop intense, concentrated flavors and hand harvested in mid October 1996.
WINEMAKING: This wine was vinified by cold soaking the grapes with 25% whole clusters. The cap was gently punched down one to three times per day. The wine was aged in 100% new, heavily toasted François Frères French oak barrels for 14 months. Crafted entirely with gravity, this wine was bottled February 1998, unfined and unfiltered.
TASTING NOTES: Evocative aromas of smoke, ripe black cherries, marion berries, and spice, are hallmarks of our Red Hills Estate. The flavors mirror the aromatics and are buttressed by firm rich tannins. Complex, powerful, and intense, the rich texture leads to an opulent mid-palate and a long finish. This Pinot Noir will grow even more graceful with extended cellaring for at least ten years.
The vintage produced 1,569 (750ml) four-bottle cases.