2004 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 2004 from more than 2300 vines was under 2 tons (slightly less than two pounds 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 eight 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 2004 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 Allier and Taransaud Center of France 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 April 19, 2006.

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 2004 Hillside Vineyard Pinot Noir is enjoyable now it has the proper balance to benefit and improve with more bottle age for years to come.