2021 Pinot Noir Precioso
In Stock
The Precioso is a precious reserve of pinot noir selected from the most outstanding barrels that highlight the attributes of the 2021 vintage.
Wine Details
Vintage
2021
Varietal
Pinot Noir
Appellation
Petaluma Gap
Harvest Date
September 9 - 29, 2021
pH
3.60
Oak Regime
50% New French Oak
Alcohol %
14.1
Wine Spectator
92
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
The 2021 Keller Estate Precioso Pinot Noir opens with aromas of raspberry and black currants, or their alcoholic counterparts, Chambord & crème de cassis. There is a hint of anise and powdered sugar on the nose. The mouth reveals the floral notes of lavender and dried petals. The palate length comes from the malolactic fermentation and the crème bruleé flavors. The tannin structure is elegant and supple and provides a framework for the fruit to carry across the mid-palate and into the finish. This is a well-constructed wine and will age gracefully over the next decade. Drink it in its youth to know its fruit character. Drink it in five and ten years to see how it evolves over time.
Vineyard Notes
By November 2020, it became apparent that the persistent, multi-year drought was adversely impacting the ponds’ levels. To reduce vine stress, we irrigated the vineyards early in the growing season to encourage them to pull nutrients from the soil and establish a healthy canopy. Keller Estate’s three rain-collection ponds, which we irrigate our vineyards, olive groves, and landscaping, were almost dry by May. Fortunately, we had fewer than anticipated heat spells in the summer. With well-established vineyard sites and intensive canopy management, the vines produced beautiful clusters, albeit with small berries. As a result, the 2021 wines were concentrated, succulent, and rich.
Winemaker Notes
The 2021 Keller Estate Precioso Pinot Noir was picked around 24 Brix. We pick it at night, so the fruit is cool when it arrives at the winery in the morning. We destem as whole berries and put our fruit in open-top fermenters. We chill the tank to initiate a cold soak and let the tank warm up gradually. The fermentation is native yeasts indigenous to our vineyards and winery. As fermentation begins, we start by punching down the cap several times a day. We transition to a combination of punch down and pump overs until fermentation is complete. Once the wine finishes primary fermentation by yeast, we put the wine in barrels and age them in our cave. The wine goes through malolactic fermentation in barrel and is bottled after 11 to 18 months of aging. The 2021 Keller Estate Precioso Pinot noir is a reserve barrel selection, culled from our La Cruz and El Coro barrels.