2009 Pinot Noir Pierre Léon
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir -- Appellation: Yamhill-Carlton -- Released: January 2012
$42
TASTING NOTES
Deep cranberry red in color, with sweet black fruit and carnation on the nose. The palate showcases red plum, red currant and red cherry, as well as unmistakable earth, nutmeg, star anise, and kirsch notes. It is a seductively plump style of Pinot Noir, with structure that builds in the mouth, yet eases gently into a smooth woodspice finish. This wine delightfully surprises with ripe fruit, which is typical of the vintage, and well-balanced acidity. Its elegant profile and balance lead us to believe this wine will age well for 7 to 10 years.
Pair with Chateaubriand, or pork tenderloin with plum sauce.
VINTAGE
The 2009 vintage started with a slightly delayed budbreak in the third week of April. After swift canopy growth from mid-May to June, full bloom ensued by June 18th, resulting in a healthy fruit set. By July, summer heat spells hastened fruit development and seed hardening. By executing a strategic leaf pulling program, we were able to delay exposing the fruit, despite the potential for sunburn damage, which was minimal compared to other sites in the valley where pulling was heavy and early. The growing season provided ample vegetative growth with a focus on maintaining a contained canopy, guiding the plant from green growth to fruit growth. Our clusters were abundant in number and plump with the start of veraison, from August 5th, onward. With appropriate hedging and fruit thinning, we managed to keep our target yields. The fruit matured progressively with very little fruit rot and increasingly
lower yield, as dehydration set in. Harvest began on September 21st with Terres Basses and ended on October 12th. The overall quality of the fruit was exceptional with full, heavy clusters, good color, and an ideal balance of sugars and acids.
VINEYARDS
2009 Pierre Léon is a selection of different Estate grown Pinot Noir clones, including several Dijon clones, primarily 113, 114, and 115. WillaKenzie Estate has a total of 68 acres of Pinot Noir. The vines are densely planted at 1200 to 1800 vines/acre, running north to south, allowing for maximum sun exposure. All the vineyards are planted on Willakenzie soil, a type known for its excellent drainage. The plants are grafted onto phylloxera-resistant rootstock and trained into an upright, double guyot trellising system. The crop was thinned at the time of veraison to assure low yields and maximize flavor and intensity.
Yield: 2.5 tons/acre — Brix: 24.5º — pH: 3.5 –TA: 6.2
WINEMAKING
We used our state of the art, gravity-flow winery to achieve a fully extracted and complex 2009 Pierre Léon. A cool maceration preceded the open-top, Burgundian-style fermentation for a total of 25 days of skin contact and daily punchdowns by ‘Bigfoot’, our mechanical punchdown device. The wine was then gravity fed directly to barrels where it underwent 100% malolactic fermentation during the next 6 months. The wine spent a total of 13 months in French oak barrels (40% new) from a selection of coopers.
Alcohol: 14.4 % — pH: 3.75 — TA: 5.1
REVIEWS (2008 Vintage)
WINE SPECTATOR
“Firm in texture, with juicy red berry and red cherry flavors cutting through the veil of tannins, picking up cinnamon and clove nuances as the finish lingers. Best from 2012 through 2018.”
Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator Insider, May 11, 2011
WINE & SPIRITS MAGAZINE
“Scents of graham cracker and soy lead to ripe black cherry flavors, while oak defines the finish with mocha notes melding into the sweet, dark fruit. This has the depth for spice-rubbed pork loin.” June 30, 2011
STEPHEN TANZER’S INT’L WINE CELLAR
“Bright ruby-red. High-pitched, floral-accented aromas of cherry and red berry compote, with complicating spice and earth nuances. Spicy and precise on entry, offering sweet red fruit flavors that gain weight and smokiness in the mid-palate. Tannins arrive late and add structure to the spicy, clinging finish.” - Josh Raynolds
ROBERT PARKER’S WINE ADVOCATE
“The 2008 Pinot Noir Pierre Leon spent 12 months in 50% new French oak. It displays a more expressive bouquet of balsam wood, Asian spices, incense, black cherry, and black raspberry. In the glass it displays considerable structure with the requisite fruit for balance. Give it 2-3 years to fully blossom and drink it from 2013 to 2020.” – Jay Miller
