Aromas of wild raspberry, blood orange, and pomegranate integrate with savory notes of forest floor, black tea, and a hint of white pepper. The palate is medium-bodied and exceptionally vibrant, featuring a core of high-toned red fruit and a sleek, nervous energy. It displays ultra-fine tannins and a focused acidity that leads to a long, transparent finish marked by a distinct saline minerality and floral perfume.
Winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown utilizes 100% Pinot Noir from a single, high-elevation site. In the cellar, the fruit is fermented using native yeasts in small, open-top vessels with a significant percentage of whole clusters to enhance the wine's aromatic lift and structural tension. The wine matures in French oak barrels, only a small portion of which are new, to ensure the delicate site-specific nuances remain the focal point. It is bottled unfined and unfiltered to preserve its raw, crystalline character.
The fruit is grown in the Sonoma Coast at the Irmgard Vineyard, a steep, wind-swept site located near the town of Occidental. The site is defined by its proximity to the Pacific Ocean and its lean, Goldridge sandy loam soils. These extreme conditions and the constant cooling influence of the coastal fog result in a very long growing season, allowing the grapes to develop profound flavor complexity and spice at low sugar levels. This rugged terroir produces a wine with the intensity and racy structure that defines top-tier, cool-climate California Pinot Noir.
