www.rstuartandcostore.com

Formerly known as Goldschmidt Vineyard, the proud new owners of this gorgeous piece of land are Donna Morris and Bill Sweat. They purchased the vineyard two years ago and their stewardship of the land is just outstanding.

I love the way Winderlea fruit gives stunning notes like the floral components of roses and violets, the lively flavors of Queen Anne cherries creating a delicate yet very obvious mid-palate presence. Add in a beautiful and elegant bead of acidity from beginning to end and Wow. If you could personify a Pinot Noir, this one would be our Audrey Hepburn.

- Rob Stuart

Appearance: Near opaque dark crimson with a ruby edge

The nose is restrained but suggests sophistication immediately, showing
floral notes that include damp rose and violet. They are added to by a fine
leather edge, think ladies glove, with a hint of delicate talcum.

The mouth-feel is polished, satin, edged seamlessly by red fruit acidity.

The fruits in the palate are cherries, both wild cherry and the more robust
bing but there is also a vanillin sweet coating adding another dimension to
the mid palate. Gamine, elegant tannins politely support the fruit.

The wine altogether is poised, balanced, with very fine flavor extension and
length in the finish.

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.