2017 Kiser Vineyard Pinot Noir, LOWER Block

The Kiser Vineyard Pinot Noirs are a fascinating study on variations of a theme. All are specifically Kiser and more alike when compared to other vineyards. However, when tasted as a set, they are all distinctive among themselves, each showcasing a different expression.

2017 Kiser Vineyard, Lower Block, Pinot Noir // The ground here still sits over sheets of fractured sandstone like the Upper but due to erosion off the hill, the top soil is a bit deeper. The temperature is also cooler here. This wine for Lower Block is darker and more brooding, displaying dark notes of blackberry and fresh earth with the same mineral underlining. [Previously called the "En Bas" block.] 

Kiser Vineyard is one of the last vineyards in the Valley. In this chilly corner, harvest is often up to a month later than in the southern part of Anderson Valley, only 15 miles south. The hillside vineyards sit on a thin layer of topsoil over sheets of fractured sandstone and shale. The upper block is slightly warmer and harvested first. Its wines are high-toned and bright. After millennia of erosion of the hillside, the lower block has deeper soils and thus broader, deeper flavors. A local vineyard worker remarked it was the coolest vineyard in AV.

Tech Information // Alc. 13.8%, 3.29 pH, 6.9 g/L TA Harvest Dates // Lower 115 picked on October 5