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2001 Stoller Vineyards Pinot Blanc

(updated 4/21/03)

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The Wine

This is our third commercially released pinot blanc, continuing our appreciation of Alsace varietals. From our newest plantings at Stoller Vineyard, there is excellent ripeness and clean flavors. As we experiment for a process to make classic Alsace textured wines, we expect a purity of fruit and good weight on the palate from these early wines.

The Vineyard

Stoller Vineyards is our newest, and therefore most viticulturally advanced, of our three estate vineyards. A south-sloping, 110 acre vineyard on a 350 acre parcel, Stoller Vineyards commands a dominating view of the southern end of the Red Hills of Dundee, giving it regular comparison to Burgundy's Corton Hill. Stoller Vineyards is planted on jory soil, with a touch of Nekia, which are both red volcanic soil types. There is one acre of pinot blanc at the site.

The Vintage

2001 is a soft, big vintage. It saw almost ideal growing and ripening weather and less than an inch of rain during harvest. This is not a typical cool climate vintage and the Pinot noirs will be soft, fleshy and early appealing. Whites will be full and broad, and early maturing. The alcohols are restrained slightly by yields that were neither too generous nor forced extreme extraction: Pinot noirs, 2.38 tons/acre; chardonnay, 2.77; Pinot gris, 2.26; riesling, 2.77; gamay noir, 1.86; Pinot blanc, 4.27.

Stats

Harvest Data:

Harvested 10/18/01 @25.8 brix

Fermentation:

Fermented with several yeasts (VL3, VL1. & 3079) in neutral barrels

Cooperage/Aging:

100% barrel fermentation

Clonal Selection:

Bottling:

Cold stabilized, filtered and bottled 7/01/2002

Bottling Analyses:

13.9 % alcohol, 6.2 g/L acid., 3.44 pH, 0.1% residual sugar

Cases Produced:

Suggested Retail:

$15

Release Date:

May, 2003

Winemaker's Comments

Always a powerful wine, considering the warmly ripening Stoller Vineyards site and full-flavored style Cheryl and I imprint on winemaking decisions, in this vintage we are also achieving fruit and spice complexity. It is pretty and big. The flavors are white fruit, melon, mango and lemon curd. The alcohol, decent acid and tinge of barrel drive the fleshy fruit with an assertiveness that asks for food. And yet, I just poured it as an aperitif for a wine dinner, with seconds, thirds and fourths being requested before we sat down. Our best job yet with this variety.