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2000 Pinot Blanc
Freedom Hill Vineyard Release Date: 11/1/2001 Retail Price $: 15.00 Production: 450 cases Production Notes Freedom Hill Vineyard is located in the foot hills of the coast range 10 miles south west of Sa lem, Oregon. The vine yard was plant ed in 1993 on a well drained silty clay loam. It has a southwest exposure at an elevation of 475' and benefits from heat rising off the valley floor. Picked at perfect ripeness with some dehydration, the juice was fermented 50% in tank, 10% in new French oak barrels, and the rest in neutral barrels. After lees aging for seven months, the wine was bottled after a light filtration Crop Level: 4.2 tons/acre This Pinot blanc complements a wide variety of foods - shellfish, cold meats, terrines, chicken, pasta, and grilled vegetables. |
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Winemaker's Notes
Read my lips. THIS IS THE BEST PINOT BLANC I HAVE MADE. IT IS GREAT PINOT BLANC. IT IS GREAT WITH SHELLFISH – I MEAN REALLY GREAT. MY WIFE SAYS IT IS GREAT WINE (and she likes red wine). Those of you who have tasted previous vintages have an idea of what I am talking about. The rest of you, don't mess up and miss this wine. It's unlikely that I can just keep getting better; however the vineyard seems to produce better fruit each year as the vines get older.
Pinot blanc is a mutation of Pinot noir; essentially it lost its color. Its most important attribute is complexity of fruit, both aromatically and in your mouth. Good Pinot blanc should smell great. This is not produced like Chardonnay, which I also make and is lovely in it's own right. I want to make a wine that shows fruit, has texture and freshness. It is traditionally grown in Alsace and northern Italy (Pinot bianco). Most California Pinot blanc is actually Melon, the grape of Muscadet. This is the real thing.
I think it is a great white meat and shellfish wine. I like fruit and texture, so here's how I make it. Whole-cluster pressing extracts the best juice, even though it takes forever. The must is half tank-fermented and the other half is barrel- fermented in older barrels. It is aged on the lees for 8-9 months, long enough to build body, but not so long to lose the freshness of the fruit.
Tasting Notes
Ripe pear, melon, banana, and peach aromas dominate the nose. Layered sweet fruit flavors fill your mouth with hints of nutmeg and white pepper. It has a lovely mouth filling testure, but is not heavy, or thick. This is fun wine to drink. Shellfish, roasted birds, and savory appetizers will be great matches with the 2000 Pinot blanc, but mussels are the supreme match. It's made to enjoy young, so I recommend that you drink it all over the next three years.