2016 Moses Hall Vineyard Pinot Noir
Year after year, this lovingly cultivated vineyard continues to evolve, yielding evermore complex wines. This site produces wines with a rare combination of savory and fruity aromas and flavors, a trait often associated with the finest Pinot Noirs. Aromas of mulled spiced cherry, five-spice powder, moist fresh earth and hard roasted nutty toffee. Dense and rich, this slightly rustic wine is the single vineyard Pinot needing the most time before drinking. 2016 shows less tannin and more spice than most years, making the drinking window a bit earlier than typical.
2016 was another fantastic growing season. It started out with good winter rainfall, which after four years of drought, was a big relief. While the summer of 2016 was quite hot, a perfectly timed cool-down over a three-week period in August allowed the grapes to ripen with moderate sugar levels. It also preserved the acidity that is so essential to making great Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Thus, the quality is exceptional with vivid, alluring flavors in the Chardonnays and deep colors and gorgeous aromatics in the Pinot Noir.
As the name implies, Moses-Hall Vineyard is owned by two of the Patz & Hall cofounders: Anne Moses and James Hall. Anne and James purchased the property (which is located between Hudson and Hyde vineyards in the southern part of Carneros) in 1999. One of the coolest areas of Carneros, close to San Pablo Bay where the chilly pacific winds roll over the vineyard from two directions, the vineyard is situated on an uplifted knoll with well-draining gravelly soils. The vineyard was planted to James and Anne’s specifications to five selections of Pinot Noir: 777, Swan, Calera, 828 and 115. With seventeen years of vine age, the vineyard consistently yields grapes that produce lovely layers of red fruit, as well as darker, more savory elements.
100% malo-lactic fermentation in barrel
100% Burgundian French oak barrels (55% new; 45% 1-2-year old)
Bottled without filtration to preserve the wine’s aromas and flavors and enhance aging potential
- Type:
- Red
- Varietal:
- Pinot Noir
- Region:
- California
- Appellation:
- Carneros
- Vintage:
- 2016
- Blend:
- 100% Pinot Noir
- Alcohol:
- 14.2%
- Fermentation:
- Multi-yeast fermentations (native yeast, followed by cultured yeast); 100% malo-lactic fermentation in barrel; 10% whole cluster added