- Wines
2021 Razorback Vineyard Pinot Noir
Vineyard
The 2021 vintage was a welcome change from the catastrophe of 2020, which saw devastating fires throughout the region. Harvest began for Pinot Noir in early September, an average historical starting date. Sugar and acidity levels tracked well, and while the crop size was shorter than we would prefer, we were able to harvest perfectly ripened fruit at a reasonable pace. The resulting wines have excellent balance and intensity. In comparison to our most recent vintages, there are some similarities to 2019 in that the wines possess great elegance and site specificity.
Winemaker Notes
The Razorback Vineyard was planted in 1986 and is the lowest elevation vineyard on the Estate, at 1400 ft. With a cool northeastern exposure, this 2-acre hillside is planted with four clones (115, 667, 777 and Swan) of Pinot Noir on fractured sandstone and shale. We ferment the clones together to encourage complexity and intrigue in the finished wine. This rather steep vineyard is dry-farmed, receiving some of the cooling fog that settles below our other Estate vineyards. 2011 was the first vintage we chose to bottle as a stand-alone, single-vineyard wine.
Technical Data
Vintage
2021
Varietal
Pinot Noir
Appellation
Santa Cruz Mountains
Alcohol %
13.80
Other Notes
The 2021 Pinot Noir Razorback Vineyard is a dark, brooding powerhouse. A blast of dark cherry, plum, gravel, incense, game and tobacco saturates the palate. This imposing, backward Pinot is all acid, brawn and tannin, but there's plenty of fruit depth as well. It's a Pinot to drink at the table with the heartiest of fare. - 94 points. Antonio Galloni, Vinous