- Wines
2019 Windy Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir
Vineyard
The Windy Hill Vineyard is perched atop the Fogarty Estate at nearly 2000 feet in elevation. The 2.5-acre vineyard was replanted in 2012 yet remains tightly packed and full of old California heritage selections of Pinot Noir. The vines are buffeted by wind, often blanketed in fog, and are grown in shallow soil. The challenging environment leads to wines with plenty of character. The Windy Hill wines are laced with red fruits, spice, and distinct mineral notes.
Winemaker Notes
The 2019 vintage will go down as a classic year in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Unsettled weather in the spring resulted in poor flowering, and lower yields in some blocks. The summer was warm, but not oppressive. The lack of extreme heat events was a welcome change. Harvest began in mid-September, finishing up in mid to late October. The wines are concentrated with a fine balance of structure and fruit intensity. Site expression seems amplified; low yields and moderate temperatures often lead to some of our most singular and terroir driven wines.
Technical Data
Vintage
2019
Varietal
Pinot Noir
Appellation
Santa Cruz Mountains
Vineyard Designation
Windy Hill Vineyard
Acid
5.0
pH
3.74
Alcohol %
12.8
Other Notes
The 2019 Pinot Noir Windy Hill Vineyard is one of the more extroverted wines in this range of 2019s. It offers up notes of exotic red berry fruit mixed with scents of star anise, blood orange, cedar, tobacco and whole cluster inflections. Although a bit wild, the Windy Hill has a ton of character, even if it remains unruly. - 93 points. Antonio Galloni, Vinous