Tortoise Creek Pinot Noir 2021

Our Pinot Noir is extremely elegant and Burgundian in style. It has lovely aromas of violets and ripe cherries and is soft on the palate with delightful impressions of raspberries and other red fruits.

The Tortoise Creek Pinot Noir is sourced from sustainably farmed vineyards in Clarksburg (90%) and Monterey (10%). The growing methods and harvest strategy are the same for each wine in the blend but since each region ripens at different times they are harvested by block and fermented separately. The climate in Clarksburg is almost identical to Carneros in Napa with the same mean annual temperatures.

The grapes are harvested at night so they arrive at the winery cool (cold usually 45F). They are then cold soaked for 48 hours followed by a 7day fermentation for a total time of 9-10 days on the skins. During the fermentation the juice is pumped over the skins 3 times per day. After 10 days the juice is drained and the skins gently pressed and added back to the juice.

When fermentation is complete, all the lots are combined and go through 100% malolactic fermentation. The wine is then aged in French oak for approximately 7 months. The wine is racked 3 times before bottling.