2016 Estate Pinot Noir

Though the sheer beauty of the Belden Barns site is undeniable, its long history of producing highly respected Pinot Noir was what really got us excited to plant our flag here in 2005.  As many know, quality Pinot Noir production is limited to a narrow band of climate conditions.  In the case of our site, those cool, consistent conditions exist in spades.  Originally planted to Cabernet Sauvignon in 1973, the site proved too cold to produce ultra-premium wine from the sun-loving Cabernet grape.  Coaxed by the highly respected Pinot Noir winemaker, Rod Berglund of the famed Joseph Swan label, our vineyard's founder, Dave Steiner, was convinced to plant a block of the vineyard to Pinot Noir.  That move kicked off what is now over twenty years of exceptional Pinot Noir production.

Our Estate Pinot Noir fulfills our site's long-standing reputation and provides an absolutely stunning wine that offers a captivating balance of dark fruit, earth, spice, and that ethereal "Pinot-Ness" we've come to covet from this varietal.  Our site's 1,000-foot elevation and maritime breeze influence produces smaller "mountain" berries with relatively thicker skins.  As a result, our Pinot Noir achieves a unique depth of color and lush core of flavor.  Extremely food-friendly, be careful with this wine – its magical aroma and tantalizing taste will quickly leave you with an empty glass.

The 2016 Estate Pinot Noir strikes us as extremely balanced out of the blocks.  Slightly more refined than its 2015 sibling, which highlighted darker fruit notes, this vintage truly blends bright red fruit with dark fruit elements making the 2016 more lively than brooding.  The plush, steering toward hedonistic, hallmark of our Estate Pinot is certainly present, but is balanced by the ever-present backbone of acid our Belden Barns site delivers - This is truly a beautiful wine.