When researching the history of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir,
there is no more recogniz- able, admired or envied grower than Joe
Rochioli. So many have set out to rival his success, but all have
fallen short. My relation- ship with him (and access to his grapes)
has been the single most important contributor to my success in the
wine industry. Considering only Williams Selyem, Gary Farrell,
Rochioli and Alysian wineries receive Pinot Noir alloca- tions from
his vineyard, we are indeed fortunate and grateful for Joe’s
commitment to our new Alysian brand.
VINTAGE
SUMMARY
2008 was a tremendous vintage for producers favoring
finesse and elegance in their wines. As you may recall, 2007
provided very bright, but highly extracted, dense wines from our
region. While many enjoy this style, it is not the style of
winemaking I have embraced during my career. Rather, I prefer more
subtlety in my wines; with greater focus on purity of fruit, acute
balance and elegance than density or power. Thankfully, 2008
provided ideal fruit composition for crafting wines of this
style.
WINEMAKER
NOTES
In a word … stunning. This wine draws you in with alluring aromas
of fresh cut strawberry, raspberry and pomegranate. On the palate,
the flavors explode with a juicy array of fresh mixed-berries. The
unbelievable intensity, freshness and purity of fruit is
complimented (but never overpowered) by hints of enriching oak.
This is an extraordinary effort whose fruit flavors linger
literally for minutes. Incredibly structured, delicious and
vibrant; clearly Rochioli Vineyard at is absolute
best!
Gary Farrell, winemaker
CELLAR
NOTES
Vineyards and Clones
Rochioli Vineyard
Pommard, Dijon clones 115 and 777
Harvest Information
Harvest date: August 30
Hand harvested at night under lights
Hand sorted in vineyard
Brix at harvest: 24.4 degrees
Grape Processing
Cold fruit processed early AM
Hand sorted prior to stem removal
Hand sorted after stem removal
Fermentation
Tanks: Small open tops
Cold soak: 5 days
Yeast: Wild and cultured
Mixing: 3 punch downs daily
Duration: 10 days
Barrel Program
100% French oak
Francois Freres, Rousseau
45% new
ML fermentation in barrel
14 months in barrel
Finished Wine
Alcohol: 14.3% alcohol
Titratable acidity: 6.75 gm/L
pH: 3.46
Bottling date: November 24, 2009
Production: 233 cases (9 liter equivalent)
