2021 Pinot Noir Wild Thyme Vineyard
Appellation
Fort Ross - Seaview
We planted the Wild Thyme Vineyard with clones Pommard and 943 in the year 2009. It sits along the ridge-line between our Three Sisters Vineyard and our Blue Slide Ridge Vineyard, on the edge of a sheer canyon that the old timers refer to as “Devil’s Canyon”. The vineyard is just above the fogbank that hugs these coastal cliffs, allowing for this Pinot Noir to ripen slowly, developing layers of complexity and flavor. Wild Thyme Vineyard is named for the wild thyme that grows abundantly at this location, and for the wild times we have had as a family while drinking wine on this property since the 1860s
Wine Specs
Vintage
2021
Varietal
Pinot Noir
Appellation
Fort Ross - Seaview
Vineyard Designation
Wild Thyme
Alcohol %
15.1
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
The complex and almost mysterious nose has aromas of mountain wild berries, blueberries, and fuchsia petals. Bursting upon entry, the palate has mouthwatering flavors of black cherry and blueberries. Subdued tannins and a hint of barrel spice add to the long finish.
Vineyard Notes
We planted the Wild Thyme Vineyard with clones Pommard and 943 in the year
2009. It sits along the ridge-line between our Three Sisters Vineyard and our Blue
Slide Ridge Vineyard, on the edge of a sheer canyon that the old timers refer to as
“Devil’s Canyon”. The vineyard is just above the fogbank that hugs these coastal
cliffs, allowing for this Pinot Noir to ripen slowly, developing layers of complexity
and flavor. Wild Thyme Vineyard is named for the wild thyme that grows
abundantly at this location, and for the wild times we have had as a family while
drinking wine on this property since the 1860s
Production Notes
2021 was the driest known year on record and was also the third year of drought conditions for Sonoma County. Contrary to these conditions, the summer was relatively cool and started two weeks later than the previous year. The drought conditions did bring ripeness to each of our varietals at just about the same time. By the end of the first week, we had 40% of total tonnage in the winery. This included Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel from both Fort Ross-Seaview and Russian River Valley. Despite being a very compact harvest, small clusters and berry size have yielded exceptional quality which makes 2021 a standout vintage.
