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By Big Basin Vineyards
2017 Lester Family Vineyard Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains

Background
Our approach to wine growing is rooted in the earth and refined by hand. Great wines are grown, not made, harvested by hand, fermented with native yeast, avoiding filtering or fining, and using minimal sulfur. Ocean breezes, rocky soils, and mountainous terrain establish the Santa Cruz and Gabilan Mountains as exceptional winegrowing terroir. Each vineyard we work with has a unique personality that inspires us to let them speak for themselves. Our steep windswept hillsides, first planted over 100 years ago, are now planted to Pinot Noir, Syrah, Grenache, and Roussanne. Founder and winemaker Bradley Brown has evolved the style at Big Basin to produce wines with more energy, intensity, and dimension that speak clearly of their mountain origins.

Vineyard
When you are setting out to produce Pinot Noir that is evocative of the Old World, there are very few places in the New World where one can achieve that. The region that we feel has been most successful in this regard is the Corralito foothills of the extreme California coast - those vineyards planted within six miles of the Pacific and the cooling fog that rolls in off the ocean. It has proven over the years to be one of our favorite places to source Pinot Noir as this microclimate allows the grapes to ripen slowly. The net effect is great physiological ripeness at low sugar levels, along with well-lignified stems. We believe these are essential to produce great Pinot.

Winemaker Notes
2017 is another classic vintage of the Lester Family Vineyard Pinot Noir. We used 100% whole clusters placed into a fermenter with absolutely nothing added to it. Once the wine finished malolactic fermentation in barrel, we added minimal sulfur to stabilize the wine.

Tasting Notes
High-toned aromatics with hints of rose petals, baking spices, and pomegranates linger on the nose. On the palate, the aromatics echo the nose with a backbone of sappy red fruit. The wine is already showing a nice body, while vibrant acidity carries a long finish.

Wine Details
Vine Age: 19 years
Elevation: 485 ft to 570 ft
Aspect: South
Slope: 5%-15%
Soil: Sandy clay loam
Clones: Pinot Noir 37 (Mt. Eden), Swan, 667
Fermentation: Native primary and malolactic
Alcohol: 13.30%
Elevage: 17 months in French oak
Bottling: No filtration or fining
Retail Price: $55
[Information provided by Miller Squares]