Hartford Court Pinot Noir Seascape Vineyard 2010

Seascape Vineyard is a six-acre site on a scenic ridge-top west of the town of Occidental in the Sonoma Coast AVA. The vineyard abuts an old redwood grove and faces cascading ridges to Bodega Bay and the Pacific Ocean. The well-known Coastlands Vineyard also borders the property. Because there is no ridge between the ocean and the vineyard, Seascape is in extremely cold spot – so cold that Pinot Noir is often picked in November. This cold and foggy coastal climate preserves natural acidity in the grapes and helps delineate the purity of fruit flavors and expression of the unique coastal terroir in this wine. Balanced natural acidity also accentuates the potential for long and graceful aging of Seascape Vineyard Pinot Noirs.

Seascape Vineyard is planted primarily to Dijon selections such as 777, 114 and 115 and averages about one ton per acre, which helps to ensure thorough physiological maturity in this cool and challenging site.

WA93: A gorgeous wine, the 2010 Pinot Noir Seascape Vineyard is full of character. Savory herbs, tobacco and licorice are some of the notes that take shape in the glass. Focused, bright and beautifully articulated, the 2011 is an excellent rendering of Pinot from this coastal site just west of Occidental. This is yet another in a series of hugely impressive wines from Hartford Court. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020.