Tasting Notes

Notes of rose petal, earth, cherry cola, and baking spices. Soft and supple in the mouth, with cherry, wild herbs, and strawberry on the palate. A lengthy finish with fine tannins.

The Vineyard

The 2013 vintage marks the 39th consecutive year Bill Cadman has purchased Pinot Noir from the Haynes Vineyard, and we still get the same block, the same vines, as we did in 1975. This old-vine Pinot Noir, planted in 1968, is a rarity in Napa Valley, and it consistently produces wines of great elegance and finesse. The low-yielding vines are the old Martini selection, brought to Napa Carneros from the great vineyards in Burgundy by Louis Martini Sr.

The cool-climate Haynes Vineyard, located in the Coombsville AVA, is ideal for Pinot Noir ripening. The unique soil also helps produce wines of distinction. The Haynes Vineyard sits in a concentrated pocket of alluvial gravel, cobblestone, and volcanic ash, resulting in excellent drainage and mineral-rich soils. These factors have allowed Tulocay to produce noteworthy and ageworthy Pinots for many decades.

Winemaking

After a hand-harvest, we destemmed the majority of the fruit, reserving 20% for whole cluster fermentation. After 13 days on skins, with twice daily pumpovers, we gently pressed at dryness in a traditional horizontal basket press, and sur-lie aged the wine in 70 percent neutral and 30 percent new oak. The wine was never racked during its 18 months in barrel and is bottled without fining or filtration.