2005 Pinot Noir Cerise Vineyard

Ted Lemon, who has destemmed his fruit in recent years, told me he has done very little stirring of the lees since 2000 as he found that wines made this way become "too flowery and biscuity." Lemon considers 2005 an outstanding vintage for chardonnay, thanks to the combination of fresh acids and serious chardonnay texture and weight. As to pinot noir, Lemon thinks of the 2005s as "brushy, earthy, herbal wines-not fruit bombs." Yields were on the low side, especially on the Sonoma Coast, where cool June weather, including a stormy period in the middle of the month, sharply reduced production and brought an added measure of concentration. For the time being, there is no more One Acre pinot noir, as the vineyard has recently been replanted.