2015 Pinot Noir Will's Cabin Vineyard

Fogarty suffered through a devastating growing season in which yields were reduced by 85% for Pinot Noir and 70% for Chardonnay. As a result, Fogarty was not able to bottle a number of their vineyard and block designate wines. The Pinots are surprisingly delicate, and don't really show the effects of the drought vintage or miniscule yields, something that is most likely attributable to a decision to pick early. While yields are down more sharply for Pinot Noir than Chardonnay, it is the Chardonnays that reflect the abnormally low yields of the year more in their intense concentration and overall feel. Razorback and Rapley Trail, both Pinot sites, are closer to natural water sources, so those wines seem less affected by drought than Langley Hill and Portola Springs, both Chardonnay sites that are further away from water. The Pinots were done with around 30-40% whole clusters, although practical decisions about volumes needed to fill tanks and the inherent challenges of sorting through tiny clusters drove stem inclusion decisions as much as anything else in 2015. For the Chardonnays, the winemaking team opted for less time in oak and more in steel to preserve as much freshness as possible.