Brophy Clark Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 2017 Red Wine

Brophy Clark Santa Maria Valley Pinot Noir 2017

We love it when we come across Pinot Noirs like this - absolutely delicious, from a small "Mom and Pop" winery whose owners put their hearts and souls into winemaking. Kelley Brophy Clark and John Clark are hands-on vintners/winemakers who have been working hard since 1996 to produce high-quality wines in the Central Coast region of California. Their Pinot Noir perfectly captures the essence of the Santa Maria Valley, with a wonderful blend of earth, spice, ripe red fruit and a splash of caramel. Lively acidity makes this a great food wine. Try it with Rotisserie/roasted chicken - what a great pairing that is!

FROM THE WINERY

HARVEST

Ample winter rainfall in 2017 was welcome after five years of drought and set up excellent budbreak, bloom and set. Optimal temperatures throughout the growing season allowed for even ripening, and harvest dates returned to normal ranges. Yields were healthy and overall quality was exceptional.

VINEYARDS

The Garey Vineyard lies in the heart of the Santa Maria Valley on a bench above the small town of Garey. The terroir is one of gently rolling slopes with sandy loam soils. The coastal fog influence and the cool afternoon breezes are the perfect climate for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The vineyard was planted in 1998 by the Robert Mondavi Winery and is also SIP (sustainability in practice) certified. The clones for this wine are Dijon clones 667 and 115.

WINEMAKING

Pinot Noir grapes were hand harvested into half-ton bins and crushed into a temperature-controlled tank. Following a two-day cold soak at 58 degrees, which promoted enhanced extraction of color, aroma and flavor, the lot was inoculated with Assmanshausen yeast to initiate the cool primary fermentation. The fermenting juice was pumped over three to four times daily during the peak of fermentation, then once daily until dry, about three weeks. After pressing, the wine was transferred to a combination of one-third new French oak barrels, one-third one-year-old barrels and one-third two-year-old barrels where it underwent malo-lactic fermentation and aged for 16 months.

TASTING NOTES

This Pinot Noir displays elegant, complex aromatics featuring hints of black cherry and currant with accents of cedar and ripe persimmon. The flavors are rich and lush with notes of dried cherries, plum, tobacco and spice. The wine balances a velvety texture with bright acidity, culminating in a silky, lingering finish.

Appellation: Santa Maria Valley
Vineyard: Garey
Harvest: September 13, 2017
Oak Aging: 16 months
Bottling: March 19, 2019
pH: 3.50
T.A.: 6.5 g/l
Alcohol 14%
Cases Produced: 270