2007 Pinot Noir Reserve

Like its predecessor, our 2007 Topel Pinot Noir Reserve is the best of the best, crafted from the finest Pinot Noir fruit from the vintage. It is a sensual, beautifully balanced wine, with bold fruit flavors, dominated by blackberries and plums, reminiscent of its famous mid-Burgundian sisters from Echézeaux and Grands Echézeaux. The nose is bright and floral with nuances of lilac and rose petals. The mouthfeel is full and balanced, with a long, silky finish.

2007 Pinot Noir Reserve, Serendipity Vineyard, Monterey County

As always, we source our grapes for this wine from a Northern Monterey vineyard we call Serendipity because we feel it is our good fortune to have found absolutely the best place in California for Pinot Noir grapes. Located directly across from the famed Santa Lucia Highlands, this area is known for its special terroir and unique climate, which allows for a long growing season, resulting in deeply colored, richly flavored, elegant wines.

Méthode: The 2007 growing season was mild, which enabled the grapes to mature to uniform ripeness with a minimum of heat stress. We harvested in the third week of September. The grapes were field crushed within 30 minutes of picking and allowed to spontaneously ferment in 3/4-ton batches. The small fermentation bins were punched down by hand four times a day to maximize color and flavor, which also allowed for a cooler fermentation, lasting 20 days. The wine was then pressed into 30% new French oak barrels for the first six months. After secondary fermentation, we separated the best barrels of the ’07 vintage and transferred the Reserve Pinot to the tightest grain French oak from Francois Freres, where it aged another 16 months before bottling. It was released in February, 2010.