2016 Pinot Noir Deer Meadows Vineyard

Bookended by a pair of vintages in which Mother Nature presented a litany of challenges, 2016 was marked by a welcome calm in the vineyards. Pinot Noir crop size was above average and in balance with the canopy, each stage of growth arrived on schedule and harvest followed a smooth cadence. The resulting wines from Anderson Valley reveal the profound potential of this idyllic coastal outpost. Here, legendary vineyardist Richard Savoy’s success lies in his artistry. His nine-acre Deer Meadows Vineyard is farmed biodynamically and boasts a diverse clonal mix of Pinot Noir highlighted by the Calera clone. Rumored to be descended from Domaine de la Romanée-Conti cuttings smuggled out of Burgundy in the 1990s, Calera is a heritage clone noted for later ripening without a corresponding increase in Brix. It is ideally suited to Deer Meadows’ position atop a 1,600-ft ridge, where its location above the fog line affords ample daytime sunshine before Pacific Ocean breezes cool the site quickly after dusk. Deer Meadows Vineyard is a consummate site for crafting the archetype Texture Pinot Noir - one with layers of savory ripeness tempered by precise acidity, and the promise to age with the grace and delicacy of its esteemed counterparts in Vosne-Romanée.