Winemaking=
Perfect Fruit…Max grew it. Don’t mess it up.Receiving & Sorting
The Pinot Noir grapes are stored in the cave until ready for processing. They are gently raked into an escalator that drops them into the destemmer. From there, the grapes fall onto a vibrating sorting table where they can be inspected (ie. eaten :) on their way to the open-top fermentation tank. 
Cold Soak & Fermentation
The grapes are cold macerated below 50 degrees for approximately 3 days in the open top fermentors. This allows for some enzymatic breakdown in the pulp and skins, so that extraction of phenolics can occur at lower fermentation temperatures. The cooling is turned off and the grapes are allowed to warm up naturally. At this point, a Burgundian yeast is added (Laffort RB2). Daily cap maintenance is performed in the way of punchdowns and, if necessary, an occasional pumpover.
Pressing & Barrel Down
Upon dryness around 20 days, the wine is drained to tank, the skins are dug out and loaded into the bladder press. The press "cut" decision is made by monitoring both the flavor and the pH as the pressure gradually increases. The bladder slowly fills with air and squeezes the grape "must" against the inside of the cylindrical chamber. The remaining pomace is emptied from the press and taken to the compost pile, eventually being spread back into the vineyard.
The wine is aged in mostly neutral oak barrels in the cave for 18 months. Only one of the eight barrels produced is new French oak-- La Fabrique Eric Millard. I am honored to use these barrels as they are expertly crafted and show great respect to the fruit.
