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The 2001 vintage marks the culmination of plant selection we have been working on since 1997. We have been selecting cuttings from the most flavorful plants from the vineyards we had sourced - with the idea of making our own “super” selection. The vineyards were planted to “Old Wente” or “Robert Young” selections, so we were already starting with some of the most revered cuttings in California*. Even so, we were intent on making a good thing even better. We had these cuttings planted for us at the Toyon Ranch on the Napa side of Carneros and they produced their first juice in 2001. This blends with the Old Wente selection from Sangiacomo’s Vella Ranch. The wine has layers of forward fruit, complex nuances of yeast and barrel, and a striking minerality that is seldom seen in California Chardonnay. This combines with structure and balanced acidity that promises further development over time.

The 2002 harvest marks the first vintage where our Carneros Pinot Noir comes entirely from the Toyon Vineyard, located in the Napa side of the appellation. It sits on a cool, southern facing knoll with spectacular views to San Pablo Bay. It was planted for us in 1998 to two clones of Pinot noir: Dijon 115 and the Swan selection. The Swan selection possesses deep, juicy black cherry, blackberry, and dark chocolate flavors with great structure. The 115 clone overlays pretty aromatics of spice, violets, and cola and bright fruit. Together, a mouth filling combination with layer upon layer of complexity

Blackberry, cocoa, and plum, dominate the youthful aromas. On the palate the wine is loaded with black cherry/blackberry fruit, blackberry jam, dark chocolate, and tar. Deeply concentrated, full bodied, with excellent texture and firm underlying structure. The palate brims with mouth watering black fruits followed by clove, cinnamon, spice in the finish. This wine will continue to unfold for 5 - 7 years.

Bing and black cherry fruit, sandalwood, smoke, pepper and baking spices in the nose. Lush, sweet fruit predominates on the palate delineated by an excellent sense of focus and length. At release, the wine continues to flesh out days after being opened - displaying that the best is yet to come! Finishes long with a supple texture and balanced acidity.

Floral aromas of sage, violets, orange zest, dried roses, truffle, and black tea. Orange peel, cherry and blueberry fruit predominate on the palate framed nicely by subtle vanillin, cocoa and toasted oak. The wine is velvety in texture but possesses a firm underlying structure. Finishes with very long, lingering flavors echoing the floral notes of the nose. Drink or Hold 10 +years.

For us, the Oregon Pinot possesses elegant perfume of dried roses, plum, boysenberry, and forest floor, with a beautifully textured mid-palate, nice structure, and distinct earth nuances underlying it all. The earthiness (coming across more as a forest floor/humus character) and aromatics are the most distinctive from our other bottlings. The wine has developed more slowly than our other bottlings with the exception of the Sonoma Mountain designate - but we feel it has the balance to age very well.