2018 Poseidon Vineyard Estate Pinot Noir

TASTING NOTES
A graceful vintage: medium light in color; aromatically shy, somewhat closed in its youth, but slowly shows fresh strawberry, Bing cherries, leather and an earthy undertone. Flavors are beautifully woven together—red fruit, dried raspberries in particular, root-beer and a lift of baking spice. Tannins are integrated and silky. A wine of great balance and harmonious flow.

HISTORY
Poseidon Vineyard, located at the confluence of Carneros Creek and the Napa River, was planted in 1973 by the Molnar Family to the Burgundian varietals: Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The maritime environment of the Carneros grape-growing season delivers cool, foggy mornings followed by warm days that slowly nurture ripening.

VINTAGE
As the impact of the 2011–2017 drought continued to fade, the growing season was characterized by moderate temperatures. Fruit development was gradual, without stress, and uniform. But as harvest got underway, temperatures varied dramatically, creating a nerve-wracking stop-start, wait-versus-race dynamic for the crews and cellar. Attention and experience in the vineyard proved critical during this stretch. While wildfires created havoc in other parts of the state, the Poseidon Vineyard was entirely unaffected. The harvest was one of the most generous and flavorful crops in recent memory. 

WINEMAKING
Though painstaking, we harvested the three blocks of the hillside (top, skirt, bottom) separately. We kept the fermentation temperatures low to retain the fruit’s liveliness. As soon as the fermentations were complete, the wines were pressed gently into 100% Kádár Tokaj oak, adding a signature spiciness to the blend that complements the fruit character. Racked only once before bottling, the result is a very pure, fruit-filled expression of Pinot Noir.

Alex Beloz, Winemaker