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Pinot
Noir Viticulture Notes
Prepared by
Mark Whisson
1992 Cold season. Cold during picking and fermentation.
Grapes were picked in the second week of April. Wine made by Mark,
foot crushed with 100% stalk and fermented in stainless steel
gelati maker. Two days cold soak with 10-14 days ferment, pressed
and put into wood, (2 year old French oak) for one year.
1993 Long cool season. Grapes picked in early April.
Crushed without stalks and stalks added for tannins. Temperature up
to 28 degrees during ferment. Wine was fermented for approximately
one week, pressed and put into wood, thought to be one to three
year old French oak. Wine made by Grossett.
1994 Warm season with a cold finish and cold when picking
in mid April. Wine made by Mark Whisson with Charles Hargreave
providing technical advice. Wine was crushed and plunged daily by
foot. Cold soaked for three to four days before undergoing wild
ferment for two weeks in large plastic tubs wrapped in insulation.
Post fermentation soak for 3 weeks then pressed and put into wood
(two year old French oak) for two years. Bottled in February
1996.
1995 Wine made by Roman Bratsiak. Mild season, grapes
picked in mid April. Crushed and de-stalked with 10% of stalks
returned. Wine cold soaked for two or three days and fermented in
stainless steel for two weeks at 30-31 degrees C. Grape sugar was
added to maintain temperature. Stored in a mix of new and old
French oak for one year before bottling.
1996 Wine made by Roman Bratsiak. A warmer year than
previously. Winemaker was very impressed with the quality of the
fruit. Wine made as in 1995. Stored for one year in same mixture of
new and old oak then bottled.
1997 Another dry vintage but a cooler year than in 1996.
Fruit picked mid April. Wine made as in previous two years except
no extra grape sugar was required to keep ferment going. Same wood
mix as in previous years. Bottled after one year in wood. Winemaker
was Roman Bratsiak.
1998 Warm year with a dry finish. Grapes picked in mid
April. Baume was 15.8 and final alcohol level was accordingly high
meaning wine will live forever. Wine made by Roman Bratsiak as in
previous years. No extra grape sugar was required.
1999 Cooler year and wet vintage. Picked in mid April.
Wine made by Torbreck who used open concrete fermenters. Crushed
and 10% of stalks added. Fermenting tanks were covered when
temperature too high and only a little plunging occurred. Wild
yeast was used in a shorter ferment with a short pre soak and no
post soak. Pressed and into Sirugue oak, a mix of new and one and
two year old oak for one year before bottling.
2000 Warm and wet year, picked in mid April. Made by
Torbreck, similar to previous year. Wild, warm ferment in open
tanks. A year in a mix of old and new oak before bottling.
2001 A hot and fairly dry year. Picked in mid April and
made by Torbreck as per previous year but cold soaked after
fermentation at Mark’s request. Cold soaking stabilizes tannins and
colours. Stored in wood and bottled after one year.
2002 Very cold year and grapes picked in second week of
April. Wine made by Mark Whisson. Wild ferment at above 31 degrees
C. All had two to three days soaking before ferment and seven to
ten days soaking after ferment. Put into wood, 1/3 new and 2/3
three year old barrels.
2003 Warm, dry year, grapes picked in mid April. Wine
made in open top plastic picking bins insulated in patented blanket
and covered. Crushed with small crusher, 4-5% whole bunches added
back. Cold pre soak for four to five days, wild ferment for 2 ½
weeks and 11 days post soak, then pressed and put into same barrels
as 2002 and one new Vertimuer barrel. Currently in barrels.
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