2010 Pinot Noir Thibaud’s Cuvée

TASTING NOTES
Ruby-red with purple notes, Thibaud’s Cuvée is highly expressive with lots of spicebox, lavender, eau de vie, and currant leaves. The palate shows some strawberries and toastiness accompanied by polished tannins, juicy fruits, and very balanced acidity and alcohol. The finish is bright and long with a hint of dusty sour cherries. The 2010 Thibaud’s Cuvée is a substantial wine, which is very enjoyable now and will hold on for another 5 to 7 years.

We recommend pairing with a delicious Monte Cristo made with French toast, ham, cheese and loganberry jelly.

VINTAGE
The 2010 vintage caused much anxiety in Oregon although it featured a relatively warm winter, especially February. Spring, however, was cold and wet, with May and June temperatures 8-10 degrees below average on most days. Budbreak occurred in the third week of April, but very little growth took place in the following weeks. Veraison was one of the latest on record, beginning at the end of August and completing in mid-September. The vintage was saved by a sunny and fairly dry October, contributing to good phenolic maturity, albeit at a lower than usual Brix level. Harvest started on October 19 with Terres Basses and finished on November 1 just before the rainy season. These wines are balanced with a lower level of alcohol, typically around 13.8, and they exhibit an excellent fruit profile.

VINEYARDS
Our 2010 Pinot Noir Thibaud’s Cuvée is a selection of different Estate grown Pinot Noir clones, including several Dijon clones such as 113, 115, and 777.
WillaKenzie Estate has a total of 68 acres of Pinot Noir. The vines are 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 grapes were harvested in excellent condition between October 26th and November 4th.

Yield: 2.2 tons/acre — Brix: 23° — pH: 3.5 — TA: 6.8

WINEMAKING
We made the 2010 Pinot Noir Thibaud’s Cuvée in our gravity-flow winery with the goal of achieving a wine that is rich and elegant, yet also fresh and approachable when young. A cool maceration preceded the open-top, Burgundian-style fermentation that averaged 22 days of skin contact with daily punchdowns. Following fermentation, the wine settled for several days before being racked to barrels where over the next 7 months it went through malolactic fermentation. Winemaker Thibaud Mandet selected lots reserved for our vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs that had aged for a total of 10 months in French oak (30% new) from a variety of coopers. He was assisted in the blending process by sommelier Andrew Green, who will offer the wine exclusively in his S.F. Bay Area restaurants. WillaKenzie Estate bottled all of the 2010 Pinot Noir Thibaud’s Cuvée with screwcap closures.

Alcohol: 13.5% — pH: 3.6 — T.A.: 5.6

REVIEWS

2009 Vintage

WINE & SPIRITS MAGAZINE
“Savory scents of Mexican chocolate and cinnamon highlight this wine’s dark plum fruit. The flavors are generous and lifted, the texture sleek. A note of tar on the finish suggests pairing with game, like squab. (500 cases)”

To see tasting notes from previous vintages please visit our Trade Toolkit