Spring Release Wester Reach Pinot Noir
2023

Winemaker’s Notes

Our 2023 vintage of “Wester Reach” Pinot Noir is a multi-layered interpretation of this classic region where we live and farm vines. It includes some of the finest sites in the appellation - vineyards that we have planted, farmed, and harvested for over twenty-five years. Comprising four of our region’s unique sub-districts, the wine blends fruit from the valley itself with vineyards further west, stretching out to the coolest ‘reaches’ of the appellation’s high elevation coastal ridges. Each district contributes something unique, be it valley-floor texture and volume, ridge top fruit intensity or bright coastal acidity.

The late and cool 2023 vintage is among the greatest winegrowing seasons in modern Californian history – in fact, arguably the finest ever – and each vineyard performed toward its maximum potential. It was a drawn-out season with zero heat concerns, so the fruit was able to hang on the vine building nuance and intensity while retaining acidity and pinpoint purity. The wines will drink beautifully soon after release and gain complexity in the bottle for many years.

Highly perfumed aromas blend fresh summer berry notes with anise, pine needle, and dark cherry. The style is pure and fresh with lovely lift and floral spice. The wine’s flavors are bright yet dark and really draw you in: Bing cherry then wild blackberry, orange zest, and cardamom. The palate becomes broad and layered with understated, elegant power and fine lacy tannins supported by a fresh line of crunchy acidity. The long finish is pure, fruity, and energetic. Drink between 2025 and 2035.

Andy Smith