2009 Cerise Vineyard Pinot Noir
 
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This is the third release from Cerise - and it continues to be a true standout, deserving of its distinction as a vineyard designate.  In 2009, the vines benefited from slow development over a moderate spring and summer.  We harvested on September 28, before a heat spike and certain dehydration. This is perhaps the most structured vintage to date. Cerise produces wines of excellent structure and backbone. They age particularly well and need some time in bottle to fully blossom.  Cerise greets you with aromas of dark cherries and plum, with seductive flavors of black cherry and strawberry intertwined with a touch of minerality.  Elegant and intense without being overbearing, the Cerise finishes long and complex notes. -132 cases
 
APPELLATION Anderson Valley
 
WINEMAKING  James MacPhail   
 
VINEYARD BLOCK  A Block – Wadenswil Clone, D2 Block - Pommard
 
FERMENTATION  100% native, 5-day cold soak in small open top fermenter, punched down 2-3 times per day
  
BARREL AGING  Only free run juice goes direct to barrel, aged 16 months in French Oak (35% new) from François Frères, Damy, Remond and Cadus, aged on malolactic lees with minimal racking prior to bottling 
 
BOTTLED 132 cases on February 23, 2011    
 
ALCOHOL 13.9%  
 
Cerise Vineyard is located between 800 and 1200 feet above the floor of Anderson Valley looking down on the little town of Boonville.  The vines are planted on a series of steep slopes facing south, and all farmed organically.  There are 40 acres total, scattered on a series of small, clonal blocks, generally each no larger than a few acres.  They are quite exposed to both fog and cooling breezes from the ocean. The soils here are thin, hard and quite marginal, a blend of sandstones and fractured shale. The property is full of sunken boulders and bedrock that fractures only under great stress.   
 
If the old adage that great wines come from poor soils is true, then this site is the real deal.  The vines struggle to produce two tons per acre in the very best years.  The clusters are small, as is berry size.    2009 marks my third release from Cerise - and it continues to be a true standout, deserving of its pedigree as a vineyard designate.  The vines benefitted from slow development over a moderate spring and summer.  We harvested Cerise on September 28, before a heat spike and certain dehydration.   
 
This is perhaps the most structured vintage to date. Cerise produces wines of excellent structure and backbone. They age particularly well and need a year or two of bottle aging to fully blossom.  This vineyard consistently epitomizes all that we love about Anderson Valley – great aromatic complexity with abundant dark fruit tones and substantial tannins.