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Tasting Notes • 2004 Pinot Noir |
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The fruit came from our 30-year-old pinot block—north-south rows with seven by twelve foot spacing on St. George rootstock. The budwood and clone were hand-selected by Bill Hanna in 1973. The ranch is owned and farmed by the Hanna Family. The vineyard is nestled at the base of the foothills northwest of Napa and receives a good deal of maritime influence, helping to extend the growing season The must was inoculated with Ruby yeast and fermented in temperature controlled tanks. It was pumped over twice daily for six days and pressed at -0.3º Brix. Malo-lactic fermentation took place over the course of twenty-five days. The wine was aged for just over twelve months in French oak barrels from the Allier forest (10% were new). It was topped every two weeks during the barrel aging, then racked to one large tank, filtered and bottled. 1650 cases were produced. The 2004 Muir-Hanna Pinot Noir is a pure expression of the varietal characteristics typical of older Burgundy clones grown in the Oak Knoll District of the Napa Valley. It is medium to light bodied and well-balanced. It exhibits pronounced floral and berry notes highlighted by a subtle touch of oak. The wine can be paired very effectively with pork or lamb, salmon, flavorful cheeses and fresh fruit. |
