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A rare September harvest brought in this extraordinary crop. Spiced by an abundance of sunshine this year, it was relentless from April to October! The Pommard clone that we planted in the mid-nineties really began to show itself in this and all subsequent vintages. The seven acres were harvested in two sections or 'lots'. The first is de-stemmed, and with 72% whole berries, fermented in open-topped fermenters. The second lot is picked later and added on top of the already fermenting must. This is done to extend the fermentation, extracting deep pigment and fruit flavor. The yeast strain Assmanhausen to add lightness to the bright cherry Pinot Noir fruit character. After aging in a combination of newer and seasoned French Oak cooperage the wine was lightly fined with fresh egg whites. This wine displays bright cherry and plum aromas with a cedar note in the background. The flavors are full and ripe. They finish silky with lingering smoky-oak and cherries. It will age gracefully in the bottle for 6 - 8 years. This wine won a solid fan base and is a favorite with many of our guests. It won both double-gold medals and Best-Of-Class merits at the prestigious 2002 West Coast Wine Competition in Sonoma and 2002 International East Coast Wine Competition in Corning, New York. (GT 02/14/04)

A slight departure from what has been the norm at Trout Gulch Vineyards, the 2002 vintage Pinot Noir was selected from two Santa Cruz Mountains vineyards. Our own Trout Gulch Vineyards and the Regan Vineyards at the southern end of the mountains near Corralitos. The Turgeons are limited partners of Regan Vineyards. Perfume and blackberry leap from the glass. Racy aromas of plums, berries and spices balance the lingering, juicy finish and bright cranberry color. Styled to be fruit driven, this wine nonetheless displays concentrated flavors and firmness in the finish.

This 2001 Pinot Noir may prove to be one of the most elegant wines to come out of our beautiful Trout Gulch Vineyards. Our estate vineyard produced a bountiful harvest despite the challenges of the 2001 growing season. This vintage displays stylish aromas perfumed of Bing cherries. Ripe plum and blackberry brambles linger in the background subtly encircled by smoky-sweet oak. The finish shows restraint and is capped by the goût de terroir that shines through after the last drop has exited your palette. The flavors are layered with deep fruit character and ample texture to produce a mouth filling experience. Silky and enticing, this wine is full and round. It is made complete by a juicy lingering finish. This wine is structured to be enjoyable now and will age gracefully for another 5 to 7 years, due in part to the cool climatic conditions provided by the convergence of the Santa Cruz Mountain’s western slope and the Monterey Bay’s coastal influences.

Once again our seven acres were harvested in two lots. The first was de-stemmed, and with 50% whole berries, fermented in an open-topped fermenter. The second lot was picked two days later and added to the already fermenting must. Talk about hang time in this late-season picking! It is predominantly from our original top-vineyard rows of the Louis Martini clone (the highest in the vineyard) and lower block vines grafted with the Mount Eden clone in 1989 & 1990. 15 months aging in a combination of newer and seasoned 60 gallon French Oak barrels followed the extended fermentation. This wine was bottled unfiltered and unfined. It shows subdued yet tell-tale bright cherry and plum aromas. The flavors are full, ripe and coastal in nature. The body is pleasingly viscous with a distinct mineral terroir. It has a distinctive hard edge and finishes with lingering cedar-smoke & a hint of kelp and sea-spray. This highly structured vintage shows grace and will age throughout the next decade.