The Famous Gate Pinot Noir 2018

• 75cl bottle

The 2018 Famous Gate Pinot Noir opens with enticing aromas of cherry, blackberry, violets and mandarin orange. On the palate, there is sweet boysenberry, enriched by layers of pomegranate, bergamot tea and star anise.

Vineyards

13 different clones are selected to demonstrate the best that Carneros can produce.

Vintage

The growing season combined interesting aspects of two recent vintages. As noted above the temperatures in 2018 tracked identically with 2011 but the vintages were markedly different due to flowering dates and cropload. The `18 cropload was similar to that in `12 on our ranches, and I think it was similar for the same reason – unchecked cell expansion after set due to prolonged cool weather. At the end of the day we were quite lucky that we had only one rain event the first days of October. This may have been a blessing for wineries as it gave them some breathing room to open up more tanks.

Winemaking

The fermentation process begins with a gentle de-stemming, followed by a cold soak for five days to extract colour and aromatics. The wine is aged in barrel for 16 months and the final blend is racked once before bottling without fining or filtration.

Enjoy with:

• Grilled and Roasted Red Meats
• Grilled and Roasted White Meats
• Pizza/Pasta
• Casseroles/Stews
• Mild Creamy Cheeses
• Mature Strong Cheeses

A wonderful accompaniment to Christmas roast turkey or a beautiful cut of beef.