2017 was a tale of two growing seasons. We started the year with a flood that saturated the soils and led to a late spring, but all worries of a late vintage vanished with the warm summer. 2017 was harvested close to normal with ripe flavors and only 2007 and 2015 had more heat accumulation in the last 20 years. 2017 will also be remembered for the wine country fires. While devastating to our community the wines were not affected since all grapes were harvested before the fires occurred and were unaffected.

The grapes were harvested early in the morning, brought to the winery and hand sorted. They were destemmed into half ton inventors and allowed to cold soak for a week, punched down twice a day during that period. Once inoculated, punch downs continued until the wine was pressed, a few days before fermentation completed. Wines were then transferred to barrels and stirred once a month until malolactic fermentation was complete. The wine was not found to need any fining and was bottled 9 months later.

Anderson Valley is the northernmost of the appellations the Meyers work with and is known for growing some of the best Pinot Noir in California. Only within the last decade have winemakers realized the vast potential of the region and flocked to the small area to make wine. Similar to the Yorkville Highlands, the Anderson Valley is a cool climate, where even during the hottest day, winds off the Pacific Ocean will drop the temperature to 50ºF at night. This variety of heat and cold impacts the grapes, creating pronounced fruit characteristics, yet maintaining a balanced acidity.

The Monument Tree Vineyard is a standard in complex understated elegance. When it is poured into the glass the light color would suggest something light and fruity. However, the nose quickly reveals a glass packed with raspberry, strawberry, a rose garden in full bloom, dried cranberries, and a hint of lavender. Due to the complexity of the wine it will spend extra months in tight grained French oak coaxing out aromas of caramel, fresh rolled cigars, and even a hint of snickerdoodle.