Pinot Noir
Thorn Ridge Vineyard
This steep eastern-facing sloped vineyard is planted on Goldridge sandy loam soils. Thorn Ridge is located just west of the town of Sebastopol where a heavy marine influence gives notes of dark fruit integrated with spicy undertones to the wine.
DARK CHERRY // BLACKBERRY // SAVORY PLUM // THYME // CRUSHED RED FLOWERS
Vineyard Notes
The unique east-facing orientation of Thorn Ridge enjoys ample morning sun resulting in a richer palate that stands out in the LaRue lineup. This wine is more rustic and has a darker fruit profile than our other Pinot Noir vineyards – with notes of blackberry and black cherry. While bolder in style, we still maintain a lower alcohol by harvesting at a fairly low brix. We work with two blocks that were planted in 1996 to Pommard and 115 clones.
Winemaking Notes
Each year, I strive to showcase the vineyard as well as that particular growing season. Once the grapes come into the winery, I will sort and destem the fruit. The grapes begin with a cold soak anywhere from 4-7 days. Once the grapes start fermenting, I will do a combination of punchdowns and pumpovers.
After fermentation, I press in a gentle basket press and settle the wine before going to French oak barrels. The percentage of new oak can be anywhere from 20-50% and is dependent on the wine’s structure and complexity, as well as the number of barrels. While the wine is aging, I will taste all of the barrels regularly and will rack barrel to barrel as needed. Some barrels may spend up to 16 months on original lees. I bottle this wine after 20 months in barrel.
— Katy Wilson // Proprietor + Winemaker
Vintage Details