VINEYARD Gap’s Crown Vineyard, Sonoma Coast AVA
CLONES 828, 115, 114, 667
ORIENTATION North / East
TRELLISING VSP
SOIL Loam and clay
FERMENTATION 73% concrete, 27% stainless steel, 50% whole cluster
OAK 43% new French oak for 16 months, 30% new Austrian oak for 16 months
ALCOHOL 14.3%
pH 3.67
TA 6.03 g/L
AROMA
Complex aromatics of dark fruits and a broody rusticity emerge from the glass complemented by beguiling notes of red cherry pie, mocha, and cocoa.
PALATE
An attention-grabbing unveiling with pleasing tension balanced by nimble, integrated tannins and an impressively long finish.
Gap’s Crown is considered by many to be one of the best representations of what the Petaluma Gap AVA, which spans more than 200,000 acres, is all about. Since we began working with this site in 2006, its meteoric rise into the pantheon of great Pinot Noir vineyards has been extraordinary, and we are thrilled to showcase this unique interpretation within our Observations Series.
To create an elegant and distinctive expression of Pinot Noir, we performed an extended 60-day submerged-cap fermentation, with 73% of the wine fermented in a concrete tank. This long, gentle process preserved the wine’s most delicate characteristics, resulting in an uncommonly graceful Pinot Noir with ethereal aromatics, polished tannins, and pure, resonant flavors.
Fact of Note: The concrete tank fermentation allowed for the very delicate flavors to be preserved.
The Sonoma Coast is the largest appellation in Sonoma County, strongly influenced by its proximity to the ocean and heavy rainfall—producing more than twice the annual amount of its inland neighbors.
Our Sonoma Coast vineyards span the northern true coastal zone and the southern edge of the appellation. This distinctive blend is made from 11 different clones, fermented in predominantly stainless steel, and aged for 16 months in 38% new oak. The resulting wine has an energetic acidity with cascading layers of black cherry and elderberry, followed by a lasting finish.
