By Iron Horse Vineyards
2017 North Block Pinot Noir

Wine Description
North Block is a mere three-acre 'block designate,' replanted in 2007, that spills out at your feet at the tasting room and down toward the creek bed. The texture of this wine is like soft, plush rose petals.

Technical Data
Appellation: Green Valley of Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Grape: 100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 13.80%
Acidity: 4.50 g/L
Residual Sugar: Less than 2.00 g/L
pH: 3.68
Malolactic Fermentation: 100%
Barrels: Average age of barrel is three years, 100% French from the center of France, fire bent, medium+ toast, and toasted heads.
Barrel Age: 9 months
Harvest Date: September 1, 2017
Date Bottled: July 3, 2018
Release Date: January 2020
Suggested Retail Price: $87.00

Precision Winegrowing
At Iron Horse, "Estate Bottled" means that the winemaking begins in the vineyard. Our location in Green Valley represents the very best soil, climate, and aspects for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Our goal is to grow the best winegrapes, what we call "precision farming." All pruning, canopy management, irrigation, and cover crop decisions are determined on a block-by-block (and sometimes even vine-by-vine) basis, considering both the vintage at hand and the long-term needs of the land. For sparkling and still wine, precision harvesting is key. Our only rule is to make the best wines we can. We wait until harvest to decide sparkling or still, as the main difference is the Brix level (or the amount of sugar in the grapes, less for sparklings, more for still). Then winemaker David Munksgard considers berry size (bigger is better for sparklings, smaller for still), the health of the canopy, clone selection, even small details such as the relative dampness of the cover crop can make a difference. When making Pinot Noir, the key is to achieve uniformity of ripeness and maturity within the vines and clusters. If necessary, parts of a single block may be picked on different days.

Winemaking
Handpicked from a single block and a single clone. De-stemmed into small open-top half-ton macro bin fermenters or into stainless steel tanks where they are cold-soaked (using dry ice) for four to seven days. Before fermentation is complete, the new wine is gently pressed from the skins and transferred to French oak barrels. Fermentation then completes in the barrels, allowing us to stir the lees as the wine goes through malolactic fermentation.

Tasting Notes
A Pinot Noir that affects the senses on multiple levels. Intense and dark. A mix of raspberry, cherry, spice, and cola on the nose. In the mouth, silky and smooth with a lingering complexity.
[Information provided by Matador Vino]