Winemaker Notes

A fruity and elegant Pinot Noir with aromas of black cherry, raspberry, Asian spice, cherry cola, cardamom, earth, sweet oak and vanilla. The color is ruby red and the flavors are fruit-driven by rich black cherry and raspberry, with nuances of tea, spice, violet, vanilla and oak. The silky, smooth texture and ample acidity create a lingering elegant finish. A balanced and food-friendly pinot ready to drink now or to cellar.

The Seawind 2006 Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Pinot Noir is a richly fruity and stylish wine made using small-lot artisan techniques. The ripe fruit was hand-sorted and 100% de-stemmed to minimize herbaceous notes and accentuate the fruit, then gently crushed to retain 25% whole berries in the initial must. After a 4-day cold soak in a small open-top bin the must was inoculated with yeast to initiate a clean and complete fermentation. Careful cap management and punch-downs during active fermentation controlled the temperature and assured optimum flavor and color extraction. The initial fermentation was complete in 10 days and the fresh wine was lightly pressed into Francois Freres French oak (25% new) to age for 9 months with occasional stirring of the lees while malolactic fermentation completed. The finished wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered to retain its richness and complexity. It is slightly cloudy, not uncommon in artisan Pinots.

Fruit