2018 Starmont Pinot Noir Toyon Farm

Winemaking

Handpicked at Toyon Farm in Carneros on September 14th and 20th, the grapes were carefully sorted in the field and at the winery. The wine underwent native fermentation in a combination of open-top and puncheon fermenters after a 3 to 5-day cold soak. Punch downs were performed twice daily. Fermentation lasted 7-10 days with minimal extended maceration for a total of 10-15 days on skins before pressing. This wine was aged in 100% French oak barrels, 20% new. Careful attention was taken to match oak and toast to the vineyard and wine traits—restrained to push the fruit’s character forward and respect the vineyard site. This wine is drinking beautifully now and will drink well for the next 3-4 years. The wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Tasting Notes

The Toyon Farm single vineyard Pinot Noir is another beautiful example of Carneros Pinot Noir. All of the Starmont single vineyard Pinots are made from within three square miles of oneanother, yet each brings a unique expression based on the specific site and clonal material. This wine is made from Dijon Clone 115 and River Ranch Clone, and brings a light and pretty aspect to the line-up. The pale garnet color points to the gentle extraction during fermentation. Notes of plum and black cherry jump from the glass with subtle hints of cinnamon and orange zest. The broad entry and round mid-palate makes this wine exceedingly pleasing and approachable with soft, pillowy (fluffy) tannins.