2002 Wedell Cellars "Hillside Vineyard" Pinot Noir 750ml

In 1995 we planted a small steep north facing hillside vineyard in the southern end of Edna Valley with a field mix of three different dijon clones of pinot noir (clones 115, 667 & 777) on low vigor root stock (rootstock 420a). While to our knowledge, nobody else had tried this approach with pinot noir, we believed that by doing these things we could delay bud break, increase hang time and acidity while keeping the vineyard’s yield exceptionally low and would potentially produce an exceptional pinot noir. After five years of intense farming our hillside vineyard finally began producing a small crop. The wines that have come from it, Wedell Cellars Hillside Vineyard Pinot Noir, have been widely praised in the wine press. One wine writer stated that it could be easily mistaken for Domaine De La Romanee Conti while another remarked that it is one of the best Central Coast Pinot Noirs in memory.

Our 1.25 acre Hillside Vineyard was planted at a density of almost 2000 vines per acre, yet the yield IN 2002 from more than 2300 vines was only 1.25 tons (slightly more than one pound per vine). The already low vigor vines are crop thinned to one cluster per shoot and no more than four shoots per vine, the average cluster being less than five ounces! Historically, our Hillside Pinot Noir harvests a week later, the sugars are more than 2 brix lower and the acids are higher than the rest of Edna Valley. It is our belief that especially with Pinot Noir, most of the work is done in the Vineyard. Our 2002 Hillside Vineyard Pinot Noir reflects this philosophy and the results are spectacular. The grapes after being selectively hand harvested were destemmed, the free run juice was then pumped off and discarded (saignee). The grapes were cold soaked for two days and finally spent ten days on their skins fermenting, after which only the free run juice was placed in Demptos Bertranges and Allier New Oak barrels to age sur lies for twenty months. The wine was never racked, it was gravity bottled off its lees, unfined and unfiltered on May 12, 2004.

The deep color and intense bouquet of blackberry, cherry and raspberry are only a hint of what an extraordinary wine we have created. The richness and complexity are reminiscent of a truly exceptional pinot noir. We feel that while our 2002 Hillside Vineyard Pinot Noir is enjoyable now it will only benefit and improve with more bottle age for years to come.