2011 Pastorale Vineyard Pinot Noir

The 2011 Pinot Noir Pastorale Vineyard (Freestone) was made from Dijon clones and was aged in 60% new French oak. It offers lots of floral, sweet and sour cherry, pomegranate, plum and a hint of bouquet garni. A meaty, rich and elegant Pinot, it can be drunk over the next 4-5 years. 1,000 cases produced Joseph Phelps has a whopping 102 acres on the Sonoma Coast called the Freestone Vineyard, 82 acres of which is planted in Pinot Noir and the balance Chardonnay. The interesting thing about this site is the bud break can occur as early as February, and the hang time often exceeds the European model of “100 days,” often lasting as long as 120 to140+ days. All of the wines that follow, even in a great vintage such as 2012, rarely exceed 14.2% alcohol, with most coming in under 14%. Their flavor intensity and richness make them fascinating, and I suspect this relatively new operation will get better and better as the vines age, and the Phelps team in Napa continues to fine tune the vineyards and the winemaking. www.josephphelps.com