Talisman Adastra Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015 750 ml

Vineyards and Winemaking
Adastra is a California Certified Organic vineyard situated in the very heart of the Los Carneros appellation. Located in a low spot
with cool air flow and very thin, relatively light clay-loam soils, it is a site with naturally low vigor. The inherently low yields produce
extraordinary fruit from vines that require little in the way of manipulation, a hallmark of an exceptional vineyard. Chris Thorpe
and his son-in-law Edwin Richards do an incredible job of managing this vineyard that produces wines unlike most Los Carneros
Pinot noirs.
When you’re a wine grape farmer, unremarkable weather can be a very good thing, and the 2013 growing season was pretty close to
ideal. Wonderfully dry conditions and moderate temperatures throughout the season allowed us to pick when the flavors were just right.
We picked all of our blocks in two consecutive days. In addition to the blocks that we’ve historically sourced, we also worked with
the second significant crop from four new blocks containing “suitcase” clones that had been budded over from merlot to pinot noir.
Feral fermentations started 4-6 days after harvest, retaining a whole cluster component of 25% and all of the lots underwent extended
maceration prior to pressing and barreling. The wine was aged and went through malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels,
including François Frères, Rousseau, Dargaud et Jaegle, Marcel Cadet and Remond for 18 months.
Tasting Notes
2013 Adastra Vineyard Pinot noir begins with a beautiful garnet color and big dark cherry bouquet. Rich aromas of blueberry, currant,
ripe cantaloupe and slate waft out of the glass; the wine is richly textured with firm structure and an amazing array of flavors
ranging from blackberry and sweet spice to white chocolate, brown rice, clay and a whisper of caraway. The finish continues with
lingering flavors of pure Bing cherry juice.