The grapes for this wonderful wine came from Ken Nerlove's vineyard (Ken is a dear friend)high up on the side of Elkhorn Peak in the very coolest part of Jameson Canyon (1/2 mile east of Carneros). The grapes were night-harvested, so they showed up at the winery ice cold. They were destemmed - but not crushed - into half-ton fermentation tanks. Yeast started to grow as they warmed over the next few days. We "punched down" the must by hand five times a day for about 2 weeks, then drained off the free-run and sent the wine directly to barrel. Malolactic fermentation took all winter to complete and the wine was racked only twice from barrel to barrel. Then into the bottle it went. Simplicity is what Pinot Noir needs to maintain its complexity. Our cellar treatment was simple and this wine is indeed very complex! Blackberry, rose and blueberry are the most dominant notes, with flavors of oak and a rich mouth feel. - Kent Rasmussen