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2000 Corral Creek Pinot Noir

(updated 10/9/02)

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The Wine

This wine is the second commercially released vineyard-specific wine from Corral Creek Vineyards, the vineyards surrounding the winery and usually dedicated to be the core of our well-known 3 Vineyard blend.

The Vineyard

Corral Creek, although not our oldest estate vineyard, was begun in 1983 by John and Diane Howieson, founders of Veritas Winery from whom the vineyard was purchased in 1995. A 25 acre vineyard predominantly planted to Pinot noir, significant grafts of Dijon chardonnay and Pinot gris have been made at the vineyard, but not touching a 1.1 acre block of 15 year old Riesling nestled on a low bench above Corral Creek. Soils are Laurelwood, a predominantly sedimentary soil series that, although being low in elevation, is well drained.

The Vintage

Vintage 2000 was our third great vintage in-a-row, providing full ripeness and excellent weather throughout the growing season and through harvest. The average to one week early harvest, September 29-October 26, saw only 1.09 inches of rain. Fruit quantities were bountiful, permitting crop thinning to obtain ideal croploads of 2.50 tons/acre for Pinot gris, 2.55 for Chardonnay and 2.31 for Pinot noir. White wine characteristics are between 1998's round fleshiness and 1999's crisply structured ageability. Red wines benefit from less extreme extraction at Ridgecrest than the prior two vintages, thanks to normal croploads of 2.49 tons/acre and improved and excellent quality from the other vineyards. The average quality in the Pinot noir cellar exceeds 1999 and is similar to 1998.

Stats

Harvest Data:

Harvested from 9/29-10/6/2000 @ an average 23.1 brix, 3.21 pH, and 8.00 g/l TA, from 1.9 tons per acre cropload

Fermentation:

Average of 10 days total fermentation with 5 days pre maceration

Cooperage/Aging:

11 months in barrel, with one racking, in 33% new French oak barrels and 58% new and 1 prior use

Wine Selection:

Selected barrels from two fermentation lots

Bottling:

Bottled 9/17/01

Bottling Analyses:

14.2% alcohol, 6.4 g/l TA, 3.58 pH

Cases Produced:

270

Suggested Retail:

$39

Release Date:

May, 2002

Winemaker's Comments

As always when Corral Creek hits its stride, this is perfectly balanced, round pure fruit. There are red to black cherry aromatics, with almost sweet pipe tobacco hints. Structure is fine and dusty, with good acid and integrated wood. The sweet core of cherry fruit extends to great length, with a balance and continuity that is almost seamless. We are very pleased for the vineyard, producing a very pretty wine in a pretty vintage.

Quotes

Wine Spectator, September/October, 2002: 90 Points. Ripe, open in texture, this has an inviting style that glows with berry, cherry and peppery floral flavors, which echo nicely on the fine grained finish.

Wine Enthusiast Magazine, October, 2002: 88 Points. Smells of black fruit, toasted wood and forest floor. Meaty on the palate, with rich, dense and layered plum and cherry fruit. The finish is smooth, with ample but balancing tannins; nicely integrated and structured.

Wine Spectator, September 2002: 90 Points. Ripe, open in texture, this has an inviting style that glows with berry, cherry and peppery floral flavors, which echo nicely on the fine grained finish.