2020 Gap’s Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir
The 2020 offers complex aromas of cranberry and black cherry along with hints of cinnamon and dark cocoa. On the palate the wine is generous and juicy with inviting plum and cassis notes. Gap’s Crown Vineyard is a very long-lived wine that will reward patient cellaring for many years to come.
The year began with a very dry winter, leaving some vineyards with reduced water for the growing season. This translated into smaller berries, adding extra intensity to the aromas and flavors of the 2020 wines. The harvest at Patz & Hall wrapped up in late September, making it the earliest end of picking in my 30+ years of winemaking. Though 2020 produced record small yields, the quality was remarkable, with most vineyards producing wines of depth, intensity, and dramatic concentration. The Chardonnays are showing intricate aromatics and deep flavors while the Pinot Noirs show very dark and concentrated flavors with developed tannins. Overall, I’m very pleased with the strength and vitality of the 2020 wines and believe they have a long life ahead in the cellar.
One of the Sonoma Coast’s great vineyards, Gap’s Crown was first planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in 2002. Located high on a rock strewn, windswept hill directly overlooking the Petaluma Gap, the coastal mountain feature that feeds the cool Pacific air into the Russian River basin. Our section is planted exclusively to Dijon 667, in the sites most rocky and austere soils. Gap’s Crown is one of the last vineyards we harvest each vintage.
10% whole cluster added
100% Burgundian French oak barrels (44% New)
Bottled without filtration to preserve the wine’s aromas and flavors and enhance aging potential
This wine is Vegan
- Type:
- Red
- Varietal:
- Pinot Noir
- Region:
- California
- Appellation:
- Sonoma Coast
- Vintage:
- 2020
- Blend:
- 100% Pinot Noir
- Alcohol:
- 14.5%
- Fermentation:
- Multi-yeast fermentations (native yeast, followed by cultured yeast); 100% Malo-lactic fermentation in barrel