2005 Dierberg Vineyard Pinot Noir

The Harvest
I have spoken previously of the conditions responsible for this magical vintage here on the Central Coast. The goodly amount of rain during the winter washed away much of the salt clogging the root portals. This ‘cleansing of the soil’ so to speak, restored the vines’ ability to take up necessary nutrients very quickly and to reach physiological maturity at relatively low levels of sugar. The fruit also maintained excellent levels of acidity providing a wonderful balance to the fruit.

The Vineyard
The Dierberg’s began planting their 160-acre vineyard in 1997. The vineyard is predominantly a series of small, undulating hills with southern exposures and sandy loam soils. Ten different Pinot Noir clones were matched with a variety of limiting rootstocks to maximize the options in the vineyard. Clone selections for Pinot Noir featured Dijon clones 115, 667 and 777 along with a selection from Champagne identified as clone 31 and the very popular Heirloom clone 13, otherwise know as the Martini clone.

A total of 25 different Pinot Noir blocks are now planted within the Dierberg Vineyard. Of particular interest to me is the clone 31 from Champagne, which was selected for its ability to retain acidity given the soil type. Sandy loamy soils tend to have higher levels of potassium and thus fruit can have higher pH levels increasing the risks of bacteria spoilage and oxidation. I wanted to investigate whether this clone would maintain a low pH given its ability to retain acid. I also wanted to continue my education with regard to 667 and 115, two clones that seem to prosper here on the Central Coast.

The Production
Only the best Pinot Noir grape clusters are handpicked in the vineyard in the early morning hours when the fruit is still cool. Pinot Noir has a tendency to ferment very quickly thus preventing the wine full color and flavor extraction. To arrest the on-set of immediate fermentation, dry ice is added to the small open-top fermenting vats. This “cold soak� (at 45˚F) slows fermentation while saturating the juice with rich fruit flavor and true Pinot Noir color from prolonged contact with the grape skins.

Concomitant with the primary fermentation is malolactic fermentation (malic acid to lactic acid), which reduces the total acid and imparts softness to the wine. The grapes are pigeaged (foot treaded) 3 to 5 times daily to extract color and tannins. We then press the wine at 1 – 2 % sugar and allow it to complete both primary and secondary fermentation in barrels; this helps integrate the qualities of oak in the wine. The wine was aged for 22 months in 36-month old, extra-tight grain chateaux Sirugue French oak barrels, 40 % of which were new. The wine was then bottled unfined and unfiltered. The bottled wine was further aged 14 months to allow the integration of the wine to become more complete.

Technical Data
3.39 ph		696 - six packs
6.5 g/l		60 - magnums
14 % alcohol		5 - 3 liter bottles
.23 ppm dissolved oxygen		5 - 5 liter bottles
~ Download a PDF of this information~
~Back to Wine list~