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Tasting Notes • 2005 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 fruit was hand sorted before destemming. The must was transferred to tanks in batches and was cold soaked for 24 hours before inoculation with Ruby Ferm yeast. It was fermented in temperature controlled tanks and was punched down three times daily for six days and pressed at -0.3º Brix. Malo-lactic conversion took place over the course of four months in a stainless steel tank. The wine was aged for eleven 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. The wine was bottle aged for 19 months before release. 314 cases were produced. The 2005 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 floral and berry notes underlain by a slight earthiness. It is all tied together by a subtle touch of oak. The wine can be paired very effectively with pork or lamb, salmon, flavorful cheeses and fresh fruit. |
