2010 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Wherever leaves had been pulled on chardonnay vines in 2010, the fruit was hit hard by the late-August heat spike, said winemaker James Hall. "The high temperature on the Sonoma side was 104 degrees," he told me, "but cluster temperatures were more like 110 to 113. The result was like radiation burn, but it was also easy to snip off the damaged grapes." Dutton Ranch was hard-hit, he went on, as were many sites in Mendocino County. For pinot, though, the heat spike served to thicken the grape skins, and brought elevated anthocyanin levels. "With ripe tannins, we could extract completely, at slightly cooler fermentation temperatures," said Hall, noting that the grip and acidity of many 2010 pinots can make their tannins more apparent. Hall vinified his vineyard-designated pinots with 10% to 15% whole clusters.