2014 Goldeneye Pinot Noir Ten Degrees Anderson Valley

The name Ten Degrees pays homage to the unique, cool climate of the Anderson Valley and the fact that even though our four estate vineyards span a modest eight miles, they often display a temperature variance of as much as 10 degrees from The Narrows Vineyard in the cool “deep end” to our Confluence Vineyard in the south. To add to this natural climactic diversity, our Estate program consists of 200 acres and more than 96 individual blocks of Pinot Noir with 49 unique combinations of clone and rootstock material. Vineyard Notes 4 Vineyards Harvested Production Notes Varietal Content: 100% Pinot Noir; Cooperage: 100% New French oak Medium toast: Allier, Vosges and Tronçais Forests Barrel Aging: 16 Months Winemaker Notes Embodying the best of the best from our estate program, this stunning wine combines the lithe, elegant red fruit, conifer notes and silky tannins of our Confluence Vineyard, the opulent dark fruit, leather and spice of our Gowan Creek Vineyard, the structural elements and wild berry and cracked pepper notes of Split Rail, with the vivid blue fruit, earth and lavender character of The Narrows. Supple, super complex and supported by sweet and toasty French oak flavors, this is a profound and powerful expression of Pinot Noir. Production After a cold, dry winter, we did extensive pruning to delay budbreak until the optimal time. Early spring rains and warm weather produced ideal conditions from bloom through fruit set. Though we set a larger-than-normal crop, the clusters were dense and compact with abundant small berries, which is perfect for high-quality wine. Warm summer days, cool nights and clockwork fog allowed for slow, even ripening and the retention of acidity. We harvested block-by-block over an almost languid two-month period. Like the Anderson Valley itself, the resulting wines are pure and complex, balancing a natural richness with a rustic elegance.