Davies Vineyards

California: Napa Valley, United States

Pinot Noir, Nobles Vineyard, Fort Ross-Seaview, Sonoma Coast — 2022

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  • Introduction

    • WINERY The Davies family, of Schramsberg Vineyards and Davies Vineyards in the Napa Valley, is pleased to release its fourteenth vintage of its Nobles Vineyard Pinot Noir. The family’s experience with Pinot Noir dates back to 1967, when Jack and Jamie Davies first used this elegant red varietal to make their inaugural vintage of Schramsberg Blanc de Noirs sparkling wine. Over the 57 years following that first use, Schramsberg’s winemakers have built long lasting relationships with some of the best Pinot Noir growers and vineyards in the North Coast. Developing upon this passion, history, and experience, second generation Vintner Hugh Davies, along with Winemakers Sean Thompson, Jessica Koga and J.P. Pierce present this vineyard-designate Pinot Noir wine from the 2022 vintage.

      WINE Owned and managed by the Nobles family, this vineyard produces bright, complex, and richly layered Pinot Noir grapes. It is located approximately 75 miles north of San Francisco, on the north Sonoma Coast, in the Fort Ross Seaview AVA. With the vineyard’s moderate daytime and nighttime temperature swings, the Pinot Noir grapes follow a steady path to optimal ripeness, full flavor, and color expression. The site is located on the eastern slopes of the second mountain ridge in from the Pacific Ocean, between 950 and 1,050 feet above sea level. Planted in 1993, on the property’s Goldridge loam soil, less than two tons per acre of vibrant, yet supple, fruit is harvested each year.

  • Vineyard Profile

    • Owned and managed by the Nobles family, this vineyard produces bright, complex, and richly layered Pinot Noir grapes. It is located approximately 75 miles north of San Francisco, on the north Sonoma Coast, in the Fort Ross Seaview AVA. With the vineyard’s moderate daytime and nighttime temperature swings, the Pinot Noir grapes follow a steady path to optimal ripeness, full flavor, and color expression. The site is located on the eastern slopes of the second mountain ridge in from the Pacific Ocean, between 950 and 1,050 feet above sea level. Planted in 1993, on the property’s Goldridge loam soil, less than two tons per acre of vibrant, yet supple, fruit is harvested each year.

    • Appellation: Fort Ross-Seaview, Sonoma Coast
    • Location: California
    • Cultivation: Sustainable; Solar
    • Vine Age: Vineyard planted in 1993
    • Clones: 777, Martini
    • Soil: Goldridge Loam
    • Exposure: Eastern exposure
  • Vintage Report

    • The 2022 growing season began with several weeks of sunny weather, leading to an earlier bud break. After a few years of drought conditions, the harvest started a few weeks earlier than normal and concluded ahead of schedule. Ripening was hastened thanks to lighter crop levels and consistently warm days in late August and early September. The smaller berries and cluster sizes led to exceptional fruit quality, resulting in wine with superb concentration and flavor.

  • Vinification

    • After meticulous care and selection in the vineyards, the fruit undergoes a gentle pressing and is fermented in small lots for precise temperature control and optimal extraction of color and flavor. After fermentation, the wine is aged for 15 months in a combination of French oak barrels, with a small percentage of new oak (20% new) to enhance its complexity without overpowering its delicate fruit profile.

    • Barrel Aging: 15 months (20% new, 30% once used)
    • Coopers: Atelier, Damy, Francois Freres, Orion
  • Technical Information

    • Varietal Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
    • Alcohol: 14.5%
    • TA: 6.7 g/L
    • p H: 3.46
    • Release Date: September 1, 2023
  • Tasting Notes

    • Our 2022 Nobles Vineyard Pinot Noir has enticing fragrances of black plum, baked blueberry compote, crème caramel, dulce de leche, espresso, and mint tea. A generous and flavorful entry of ripe raspberry, Santa Rosa plum, hibiscus, and a touch of cocoa nib, is driven by a bright acidity to a structured and long finish.