♦ 2004 Pinot Noir– “Bella’s Reserve” ♦

Vineyard: Primarily Bailey’s Branciforte Ridge Vineyard
Appellation: Santa Cruz Mountains
Wine: 100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 14.2%
Production: 42 cases

This Pinot Noir is a very limited release that was intentionally “built” for long-term aging. 2004 was the birth year of the winemaker’s daughter, Isabella. This wine is meant to be something that can be drunk over the decades for celebrating various major landmarks.

Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard is well-known for producing Pinot Noir that can age for many decades, especially wines made from grapes grown in the historical Vine Hill area of the Santa Cruz Mountains where this wine originates. At the release of Bella’s Reserve in 2008 we are still very much enjoying our Estate Pinot Noir from the late 1970’s, more than 30 years from the vintage.

To make this wine we carefully selected our favorite barrels from our 2004 Bailey’s Branciforte Ridge Pinot Noir. Our two favorite barrels were both French barrels, one made by Rousseau Cooperage with a center of France oak blend and the other from the cooperage of Tonnellerie St. Martin with their “Finesse” selection of center of France oak sources. Since these barrels had been aging the Pinot Noir in new oak for almost 18 months we then needed to tone down the oak to where it was balanced in the wine. To do that we took some of the cellar blend of the same wine to blend back into this barrel selection, then we added a touch of our other Pinot Noir source from a mile away, the Branciforte Creek Vineyard, for a little more complexity.

Even though the wine should age for years if cellared properly, it still provides enough accessible fruit while young to enjoy earlier. We suggest opening and decanting for at least a couple of hours before serving to wake up all the nuances if you try it in the near term.