VINEYARD Gap’s Crown
CLONES 114, 115, 667, 828, Swan
ORIENTATION North/East
TRELLISING VSP
SOIL Goulding Cobble Loam, Raynor Clay, Seeped Loam
FERMENTATION 5-ton open tops / 7-ton concrete tanks / 9% wood tank / 7% concrete tank / 7% whole cluster / 3 day cold soak / 9-16 day ferment
OAK 25% new French oak / aged 15 months / 20% aged in wood cask / 14% aged in concrete tank
ALCOHOL 14.1%
pH 3.48
TA 7.1 g/L
AROMA
Stunning aromas of blueberry, blackberry, lavender and ripe strawberry.
PALATE
Full body with super ne tannins that are compressed and extremely long.
This Sonoma Coast vineyard was developed specifically with Pinot Noir in mind. Bold sweeping elevation changes and clonal selections define this exemplary property which is farmed to exacting standards. For us, Gap’s Crown is all about a professional singular focus on Pinot Noir and we love it.
Steep hillsides and a variety of clones help add diversity to this vineyard whose aspects were carefully planted to encourage even sunlight exposure during the final stages of fruit ripening. The Sonoma Coast influence is key at Gap’s Crown—located in the Petaluma Gap where late season fog becomes trapped and takes a little longer to burn off. The fruit is allowed to hang a little longer creating more balanced and evolved flavors.
We’ve been working with the vineyard since 2006 and enjoy a long term lease of 37 acres. This allows us to manage how the vineyard is farmed and exercise our influence as an estate producer. Gap’s has become the backbone of our Sonoma Coast program and we believe the viticultural standards at work here are second to none.
Fact of Note: 7% fermented and aged in concrete.
THE SONOMA COAST, WHICH OVERLAPS with the Russian River Valley and stretches all the way to the windswept edge of the Pacific Ocean, has emerged as a hub for cool-climate wines. The vineyards are planted using the finest modern clones and viticultural techniques and have rapidly earned the region acclaim for producing some of the world’s most extraordinary Pinot Noirs.
A deserving pitstop along the Sonoma Coast is the picturesque town of Bodega. Made famous by Hitchcock’s “The Birds,” this little town is also known for incredible food from talented chefs focused on local, seasonal brilliance.
