2009 RIBBON RIDGE WINERY PINOT NOIR ESTATE RESERVE RIDGECREST VINEYARDS RIBBON RIDGE OREGON

2009: The 2009 vintage may be one of the best, with nice balance in all ways for both reds and whites—very good quality and yields as well as good ripeness and acids. The closest vintage in memory might be 2002. It was the type of vintage to satisfy winemakers AND accountants, with yields in the 2.5–3 tons/acre average this year, compared to 2–2.5 in normal years, and with high quality demanding only patience awaiting flavor development. Fruitfulness caused some problems early on, with large berries and full clusters pushing off berries in the cluster, allowing earlyharvested blocks to develop botrytis and require sorting. Later blocks were pristine and, assuming patience (and if nothing else, we’re patient!) to await flavor development rather than picking on simple analytical numbers like TA and brix, will be as good as any wines we’ve made, especially for Pinot Noir.