2016 Old Vine Pinot Noir
4+ bottle discount
Vineyard
Our 2016 Old Vine Pinot Noir owes much of its success to superior terroir and diligent, sustainable farming. The ‘Old Vine” block was planted nearly five decades ago, making it one of the oldest plantings of Pinot Noir in the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA. It is own rooted – a rarity in California. The crop was thinned to a maximum of three tons per acre or 1.5 lbs. of fruit per foot of cordon. Row orientation is primarily north/south in both vineyards, which provides even sun exposure from morning to afternoon. Except for one irrigation during a hot spell in August this portion of the block was dry land farmed.
Winemaking
At McIntyre our winemaking techniques are minimalistic. Our philosophy of “thoughtful but limited intervention” guarantees that the character and complexity of our fruit is highlighted in all of our wines. The grapes for this Pinot were harvested and hand-sorted in the early morning hours. Primary and malolactic fermentations were managed naturally using the wild, indigenous yeast strains that thrive in our vineyards.
