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Appearance: Near opaque dark crimson with a ruby edge

The nose opens with a lovely, interesting sweet lavender. It is followed by
wild rose behind it, a delightful surprise when it appears. There is a slight
spearmint edge then, almost sweet.

The mouthfeel is beautifully tailored, medium weight, texture silky, the
contents highlighted with the lovely bright acidity this vintage delivered.

Immediately apparent fruits include black raspberry and black cherry,
followed by a suggestion of dark chocolate adding more richness to the mid
palate, tannins completely integrated, flawless structure.

The finish has great extension; the wine remains beautifully integrated as it
sighs cleanly to a sated close.

2008 Vintage Report

If ever there was a year when waiting paid off - this was it. We started off with a cold, wet spring, which set the stage for a smaller yield & a late bloom (July 3rd for most vineyards). Still, by then my instincts were telling me this could be a stunning vintage - and it was.

So what made 2008 so fantastic? Was it the short crop? Was it the cold spring? That's part of the story, but it's mostly about the finale. Each week of October brought a forecast of rain. Rain, rain, and more rain. Still, I wasn't read to pick. And guess what, each week the rain miraculously stayed away. We just had nice cool weather all month long. And we waited. By the end of the month we were bringing in fruit that was as close to perfect as it gets. All that cool weather allowed the flavors to develop to their maximum perfection, with the ideal structure of higher acid and modest tannins.
- Rob Stuart

At R. Stuart & Co. we hang our hat on blended Pinot noirs. The Big Fire Pinot and the Autograph are really the cornerstones of what we do.

Having said that, it’s still lots of fun to make single vineyard Pinot noirs. In 2007 I made six of them. All in small lots – just about 100 cases each – and all are unfined and unfiltered. We age them each for about 10 months in a combination of new to 5 year old French oak.

Taste and explore these wines for yourself.  Watching them unfold over the years is a fascinating and delicious pastime – I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.