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2000 Ridgecrest Vineyards CERISE™

(updated 4/20/02)

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The Wine

Cerise™ is our name for a predominant Gamay noir blend with Pinot noir. Both varietals are best done in Burgundy and both exhibit a palate of cherry flavors and aromas. "Cherry" in French, Cerise is our tribute to a high fruit, moderately serious red wine. In Burgundy they do one too, called passetoutgrains, blended close to an 80% Gamay noir and 20% Pinot noir, for drinking while waiting for their highly structured Pinots to develop. Ours is made with the same casual purpose in mind.

The Vineyard

Our oldest estate vineyard, Ridgecrest is a 37 acre vineyard on a 72 acre property. Beginning in 1980, this site pioneered grapegrowing on Ribbon Ridge, a small ridge on the western end of the Chehalem Range and Valley. Soils are Willakenzie, a transition soil series exhibiting characteristics of both volcanic and sedimentary underlying structures. The rich, supple black cherry and blackberry fruits are characteristic of Ridgecrest Vineyard and the Willakenzie soil type. Excellent acidity and a finesseful texture and finish are hallmarks of the vineyard site, being relatively high in elevation, mature in vine age and deeply rooted. There are two acres of gamay noir planted at the site, in perhaps the oldest commercial planting in the US.

The Vintage

Vintage 2000 was our third great vintage in-a-row, providing full ripeness and excellent weather throughout the growing season and through harvest. The average to one week early harvest, September 29-October 26, saw only 1.09 inches of rain. Fruit quantities were bountiful, permitting crop thinning to obtain ideal croploads of 2.50 tons/acre for Pinot gris, 2.55 for Chardonnay and 2.31 for Pinot noir. White wine characteristics are between 1998's round fleshiness and 1999's crisply structured ageability. Red wines benefit from less extreme extraction at Ridgecrest than the prior two vintages, thanks to normal croploads of 2.49 tons/acre and improved and excellent quality from the other vineyards. The average quality in the Pinot noir cellar exceeds 1999 and is similar to 1998.

Stats

Harvest Data:

Harvested on 10/16/2000 @ an average 22.5 brix, 3.22pH, and 6.6 g/l TA, from a 1.84 tons per acre cropload

Fermentation:

14 days total fermentation with 7 days pre maceration

Cooperage/Aging:

11 months in barrel, without racking

Wine Selection:

Gamay noir ( 70%) and Pinot noir ( 30%) from Ridgecrest

Bottling:

Bottled 09/18/01

Bottling Analyses:

13.8% alcohol, 6.6g/l TA, 3.32pH

Cases Produced:

246

Suggested Retail:

$18

Release Date:

May, 2002

Winemaker's Comments

Probably our best Cerise, at least since 1992. We now know to make great Gamay noir we have to restrict yields greatly, less than two tons per acre from a variety that wants to give you 6 tons. This is a bright, firm, right-on cherry wine, with enough extraction to give great color and light tannin. It is cranberry to sour cherry in character, would be great with Spanish or slightly salty food like a salami or Smithfield ham. Bright, vibrant, balanced—a home run. Could even age well.

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