Vintage Notes
Two distinctly different Pinot Noir vineyard sites in the Russian River Valley comprise the 2005 Villa Fiore Pinot Noir. Our vineyard on the western edge of the Russian River ripened quite late, the 6th of October, while our vineyard in Green Valley carried a well-balanced crop and fully ripened earlier, on the 26th of September. The small berries, dark color and intense tannin of the latter vineyard provide the backbone of this Pinot Noir.

Winemakers Notes
Each lot for this wine was hand harvested in the early morning and then hand sorted at the winery. Via a custom conveyor belt system, whole berry grapes were gently gravity filled directly into stainless steel tanks. Grapes were cold soaked for five days, and the cap was punched down into the lower-lying juice three times daily for two weeks, when fermentation was complete. Wine was then gravity filled directly into French oak barrels where it underwent malolactic fermentation and aged for 16 months.

Rhonda's Recipe and Pairing Notes

A food-friendly wine, our 2005 Pinot Noir pairs nicely with salmon and is also delicious with turkey, light meats such as veal, and mushrooms. It is also delicious with higher acid dishes, such as those with balsamic vinaigrette, soy sauce or lemon.