The benevolent 2009 growing season provided us with the opportunity to pick each of our 6 sections at the Keefer Ranch Vineyard at the opportune time, allowing us to maximize fruit ripeness and physiological maturity. We started picking the vineyard on September 18 and picked our final section on October 2, 2009.

This long growing season also allowed us to utilize more whole cluster fermentation on certain clones, as the stems achieved good levels of maturity. By fermenting each clone and each section separately, we made numerous versions of Keefer Ranch Pinot Noir. At that point, our goal became to blend them back together in a blend that best captured the complexity and beauty of the site. In 2009 that meant a blend of 25% Pommard Clone, 20% Clone 114, 20% Wadneswil Clone, 15% Clone 23, 15% Clone 777, and 5% Clone 115. Putting this blend together is much like assembling a puzzle, and it both challenging but also exhilarating. In 2009, this was especially

The 2009 Keefer Ranch Pinot Noir recently won a blind tasting of our 2009 wines. It shows incredible perfume, classically Russian River on the nose. In the mouth the wines possesses richness without undue weight. Nutmeg spice combines with wild berry, raspberry, and plum fruit, all carried on a framework of good acidity and enough tannins to balance out the wine. While this wine drinks well now, it isn't difficult to see it aging for many years to come.

Cases: 247
Released: April 2011