Hummingbird Pinot Noir

VINTAGE NOTES

2021 in Mendocino County was another good year for farming. The summer saw consistent warm temperatures with few heat spikes that can strip fruit flavors from grapes. Smoke from fires were well to the north and east which is becoming more and more a worry, but luckily Mendocino vineyards have been spared. Generally, Mendocino has a slightly shorter growing season compared to Napa and Sonoma, so the wines show brighter and crisper strawberry and cranberry notes.

VINEYARD NOTES

Nelson Family Vineyards are certified sustainable and fish friendly vineyards. The grapes for the 2021 Hummingbird Pinot Noir are sourced from a single vineyard south of Ukiah in the McNab Creek watershed surrounded by coastal mountains. Also known as the old Crawford Ranch, the steep topography spills cool air down into the valley and keeps the nights cool and crisp. The result is ripe red-fruit flavors backed by lifting bright acidity, making for great food wines.

WINEMAKING PRACTICES

Winemaking decisions were made to let the vineyard, the place, speak through the wine. No heavy-handed oak or additives were used to mold this wine into something it is not. Instead, very little is done except to keep it clean and to allow the wine to become itself. Malolactic fermentation occurred slowly over the course of fall and winter while the wine gained depth and spice, rounding out some of the crisp, bright fruit.  We bottled relatively early because we like our Pinot Noir to be full of spunk and verve - think highly trained dancer versus a brooding weightlifter.

WINEMAKER’S TASTING NOTES

The 2021 Hummingbird Pinot Noir is pure, clean, fruit-driven wine. The aromatics and flavors of this vintage are strawberry and cream, with a hint of cedar and spice in the finish. It is a crisp wine with a cooler climate acidity that is typical for the more northern and mountainous Mendocino County. Ready now, it should only improve over the next 5-7 years.

FOOD PAIRING NOTES

The 2021 Pinot Noir is excellent with barbequed chicken and pork. The tangy sweetness of the barbeque helps balance the 2021 richness. Or try it with wild mushrooms to bring out some of the earthier tones of a classic Pinot. The 2021 Pinot Noir is a bright and refreshing wine. Cheers!

VARIETAL COMPOSITION:

100% Pinot Noir

APPELLATION: Mendocino County, CA

ALCOHOL: 13.1%

T.A. AT BOTTLING: 5.4g/L

pH AT BOTTLING: 3.63

BRIX AT HARVEST: 22°

R.S.: less than 0.02%

COOPERAGE: Neutral and mixed forest from France

MALOLACTIC FERMENTATION: 100%

PRODUCTION: 149 cases