2008 J. Lohr Fog’s Reach Vineyard Pinot Noir

The vintage of 2008 was the third consecutive drought year in the Central Coast with total rainfall amounting to less than seven inches. Additionally, we had a very hard freeze in January followed by
very cool weather all the way to bloom in May. The end result was record low yields of our Pinot Noir, producing half of historic yields, due to poor berry set. The silver lining to this vintage was very mild weather throughout the summer with typical Monterey County fog and winds for much of June, July and August. Weather at harvest was moderate and full maturity was reached. Picking decisions were made on flavor, with Clone 115, 667 and Pommard 4 producing the best lots this vintage.

TECHNICAL DATA

Appellation:	Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County
Composition:	100% Pinot Noir
Harvest Dates:	October 1 and 2, 2008
Harvest Process:	Hand-harvested early morning into 1,000 pound bins, destemmed, sorted on Vaucher-beguet sorting table and crushed to six and twelve ton open-top stainless steel fermenters
Cold Soak:	Three to five days
Harvest chemistries:	26° Brix, pH 3.67, total acidity 0.71 g/100ml
Vinification:	Yeast: RC212 and Assmanshausen Fermentation: Stainless steel fermented with manual punchdown of cap Temperature: To 92°F Maceration: 6 to 10 days Malolactic: Inoculation in stainless steel and completion in French oak barrels Maturation: Aged 8 months in French oak barrels, 50% new/50% second fill Barrel Type: French, Burgundy barrels Forests: Predominantly Bertrange and Allier Coopers: Francois Fréres, Dargaud et Jaegle, de Mercurey, Remond and Sirugue Post-Maturation: Rack from barrels, blend lots, bottle age 11 months prior to release
Bottling Chemistries:	pH: 3.8 Total Acidity: 0.63 g/100ml Alcohol: 14.5% by volume Residual sugar: Dry
Cases produced:	1,090
Cellaring:	Delicious now, with the structure to age for up to 7 years.

Winemaker's Comments

Deep red-purple with youthful hues and moderate density. Enticing
aromas of strawberry and rhubarb jam, with a bouquet of toasted oak and sage. The flavors are reminiscent of stewed strawberry and cherry with hazelnut spiciness. A wisp of fresh herbs and tactile structure leave a long, lingering finish.

Price: $35.00 750ml