" We don't sell the wine without touching the vine "
Ancien Pinot Noir Russian River Jouissance 2021
Our Price: $75.00 $65.00
6 bottles with free shipping for: $390.00
12 bottles with free shipping for: $720.00
6 bottles with free shipping for: $390.00
12 bottles with free shipping for: $720.00
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| Country: | United States |
| Regions: | California California (Sonoma County) |
| Winery: | Ancien wines |
| Grape Type: | Pinot Noir |
| Vintage: | 2021 |
| Bottle Size: | 750 ml |
Product Description
Ancien Pinot Noir Russian River Jouissance is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Jouissance is sourced from the single vineyard established and farmed by Mark Lingenfelder at his home estate. Mark’s decades of experience as a vineyard manager and consulting viticulturalist have provided him the depth of experience to reach the pinnacle at his own property. Having worked with storied wineries over the years, we are grateful our paths have crossed enabling us to work with him for our Russian River designate. He tends the vines himself while relying on neighbor Lee Martinelli to provide additional help at the peak times. We work with a mix of Pommard and Dijon 667 vines from his oldest and youngest blocks – aged wisdom combines with youthful vigor!
The 2021 growing season was a welcome success after a more varied and challenging 2020. The vines came on with aplomb, demonstrating the rich fruit concentration we expect – even if the crop was meager. The ongoing drought in California served to further accentuate the character and concentration of the fruit. While warmer conditions have prevailed in other areas, the coastal areas of California continue to benefit from the maritime influence and moderating influence that it brings.
We fermented in our one ton, open-top tanks after filling by gravity. A warm fermentation with a combination of native and isolated Burgundian yeasts produced excellent and focused flavor extraction, complemented with traditional punch-downs by hand. The wine was aged entirely in Francois Freres cooperage, 40% new, and racked once, gently, prior to bottling. Grapes, must, and wines were moved using gravity through to the barrel and using inert gas through racking and bottling. 151 cases produced.
Bright fruit notes dominate the aromas with bright cherry, plum, and boysenberry underlaid by allspice and clove. On the palate the wine is liquid velvet, it’s silkiness segueing into a burst of fruit and spice that rides high on the palate while gradually opening to deeper berry, tea, and baking spices. It is a refreshing and lively Pinot Noir in its youth that will continue to fill out in depth and complexity over the next 2-5 years.
Winery: Ancien wines
The Ancien Estate Wines
The Estate is owned by Ken and Teresa Bernards whose combined experience is moving into its 3rd decade, having made acclaimed wines for other producers prior to focusing on their own label, Ancien. Their trips to Burgundy filled them with inspiration drawn from the ancient history and tradition of winemaking. While the techniques have constantly been refined, they have been using the same principles of winemaking for generations.
The Ancien Vineyards
Carneros Chardonnay comes from a plant selection, planted on vineyards at the Toyon Ranch on the Napa side of Carneros and the Vella Ranch. Carneros Pinot Noir is a blend of two very similar vineyards situated near the Napa-Sonoma county line at the southern end of the appellation. The two vineyards, Domaine Chandon and the Ferguson Ranch, were both planted in 1973. Both are austere sites with lean soils and low vigor. The similarity of site, rootstock, clone and vine age (28 year old) ensure a commonality between the wines. Sonoma Mountain Pinot Noir is grown in Steiner Vineyard, at 1100 feet elevation, on the cool northwestern slope, 17 miles from the ocean. The first grapes were planted here in 1973 (making them pioneer of the region). Seeing the unique qualities of grapes grown in this outstanding area, they were a driving force in creating the Sonoma Mountain Appellation. The soils vary through the vineyard changing from clay loamy stuff with fractured ryolite to an austere rocky area. Carneros Pinot Gris is grown on the far southwestern edge at the Sangiacomo family's El Novillero Vineyard (2 acres). The soils and eastern facing orientation are perfect.
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Review:
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Review:
Deep and dark aromas of black cherry, sandalwood and incense make for a heady nose on this bottling. The palate is big and bold, loaded with ripe black cherry and boysenberry flavors, as peppery, incense-like spices add complexity and the texture stays lusciously creamy.
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HARVEST NOTES
All plants require water to grow, and grapevines are no exception. The 2021 growing season was our driest yet. The Maggy Hawk vineyard relies on rainfall in the winter and spring to fill our vineyard ponds to irrigate our vines during the summer months. These ponds ran dry a few weeks before harvest began. Fortunately, the grapes made it across the finish line without being affected by the drought. We typically harvest over 2-3 weeks. In 2021, everything was ready at once, and we harvested in just one and a half weeks. The clusters had a shorter ripening period and were harvested on the earlier side, which produced wines with intense hues, great acidity, and concentrated aromas and flavors.
WINEMAKING
Our 2021 Unforgettable Pinot Noir is crafted from a unique selection of five blocks and three clones from all corners of the Maggy Hawk vineyard. Upon arriving at the winery, we separate the individual blocks and allow the grapes to cold soak for 5 days before raising the temperature and beginning fermentation. The fruit is then pressed very gently, and the free run is kept separate from the harder pressing and racked down to barrels. The wine is allowed to go through malolactic fermentation on its own before being left to age in 30% new French oak barrels for 17 months. Finished unfined and unfitered.
Freshness, power and persistence. Unforgettable delivers a pronounced mix of fresh black cherry and red plum balanced by hints of dried lavender, bay leaf, anise and potting soil notes. A perfect balance of structured and juicy with smooth, rounded edges on the palate due to integrated tannin.
Review:
This wine is opulent, with aromas of Black cherry, red currant compote, cinnamon spice, and fresh florals on the nose. The flavors on the palate are Bing cherry, blackcurrant confiture, vanilla lime cream interwoven with dried herbs, bittersweet chocolate, earth and a long silky finish. Hold or Drink until 2032 Pair with Lamb Shoulder — Tonya Pitts
-Wine Enthusiast 94 Points
The 2021 Pinot Noir Unforgettable boasts a deeper red/ruby color and was aged in 38% new French oak. There’s more 667 clone in this blend, which reveals a darker profile in the glass, with red and black-fruited notes of black raspberries, brambly herbs, forest floor, and cedar. Medium-bodied, it has a broader shouldered feel, with lovely structure throughout and a lovely, ripe finish. It’s going to drink well over the coming 10 years.
-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points
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Review:
Sliced strawberry with bark and stone with some sand undertones. Graphite. Medium-bodied, tight and focused with spices such as pepper and bark. Flavorful finish.
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Harvest Note
At the beginning of the season, winter in Apalta presented itself with mild temperatures and rainfall close to 13 inches, a considerable drop compared to the previous year's 20 inches. Winemakers started irrigating later in the season because of the rainy and cool spring, which allowed them to reserve water for summer. Summer was dry in the Colchagua Valley. It was warm, but not warm enough to damage the vines or grapes, and they didn't suffer any other climatic events that could have harmed the health of the grapes. Winemakers implemented controlled water-stress conditions between fruit set and veraison, limiting berry size and achieving a great skin-to-pulp ratio, which resulted in superb color and concentration, rich tannins, and remarkable aromas. The weather presented good conditions for harvesting red varieties. There was no rain in March or April, so winemakers waited for full phenolic ripeness, without the threat of disease that could have affected the quality of the wine. In short, this was not a year of detrimental weather events, so the health and quality of the grapes gave clean musts of great potential.
Tasting Note
Aromas of raspberry and strawberry with plum and ripe grapes followed by toasted notes of nutmeg and nuts.
Food Pairing
Pairs well with duck breast, lamb or pork chops, pasta with pesto, lamb masala, and chicken with mushroom sauce.
Technical Data
GRAPES: 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, 5% Petit Verdot
APPELLATION: Colchagua Valley
PH: 3.45
ACIDITY: 3.85 g/l
ABV: 14.5%
AGING: 80% of the wine’s components were aged for 18 months in new French oak barrels. The remaining 20% was kept in barrels of two or three previous uses, for the same amount of time.
Unique Selling Points
- Extremely limited production where grapes are hand selected one by one.
- Only released if head winemaker, Aurelio Montes approves the quality.
- Originating from Colchagua Valley, one of the best and most awarded Chilean wines.
- Aged in new French oak barrels for 18 months.
- Smooth but structured on the palate, with silky tannins.
Review:
Deep nose, but really fresh at the same time. Currants, blackberries and chili-pepper chocolate with cedary and meaty undertones. This is really juicy, with a tight, tensely framed palate, underscored by lots of creamy, dusty tannins. A lengthy, refined and elegant expression of cabernet sauvignon, but a strong statement from Colchagua. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 97 Points
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Try these Similar In Stock Wines
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Review:
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10 months in 40% new French oak
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Review:
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Any vegetable or meat in the grill. Delicious with Chocolate as well.
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RS: 2g/L
The grapes were carefully selected to ensure the healthy and ripe fruit was vinified and then gently pressed. The must was racked and cool fermented in stainless steel tanks at controlled temperatures of 14 to 16°C, with selected yeasts. The wine delivers a crisp, fresh style as it did not go through malolactic fermentation. It was lightly filtered prior to bottling.
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