2021 Calligraphy Pinot Noir

Inaugural Release

Vineyard: Bootlegger's Hill
Owner/Manager: Charlie Chenoweth, Vigneron and 4th generation Sonoma County Farmer
Appellation: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Vine Age: Planted in 2009. Peak maturity and optimal health.
Goldridge soil: Fine, sandy loam from fractured sandstone from ancient seabed. Nutrient-poor.

Bootlegger’s Hill is a winemaker's vineyard with a tapestry of rootstocks and heirloom clones. Vineyard development and farming practices are focused on quality, experience and fine winegrowing. At 750 ft elevation perched between the towns of Occidental and Sebastopol, this is territory of dense fog and redwood forest. The site is a plateau that breaks both eastward and westward.

Clones: Calera, Pommard, 667, Elite, Wädenswil (co-fermented)
Harvested:October 1, 2021: 24.9 brix. 3.20 pH. 7.0 g/L titratable acidity.
Growing Season: Dry winter and spring, tiny berries, 15% light crop load, near perfect growing season

Winemaking:

  • Hand harvested in the cold of night.
  • 94% destemmed. 6% whole clusters.
  • Whole berries gravity-fed into a small, stainless steel, open-top tank.
  • Fermented with native yeast; 17 days total in the tank.
  • "Free run" juice (only) transferred to French oak barrels; 70% new/balance 1-year old Chardonnay barrels.
  • This 10-barrel lot was aged sur lies for 15 months prior to bottling. Minimal SO2 used.
  • Bottled in February 2023; unfined and unfiltered.
  • 14.5% ABV

2022 Calligraphy Pinot Noir

Vineyard: Bootlegger’s Hill
Owner/Manager: Charlie Chenoweth, Vigneron and 4th-generation Sonoma County farmer
Appellation: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
Vine Age: Planted in 2009. Peak maturity and health.
Soil: Goldridge soil—fine, sandy loam derived from fractured sandstone from ancient seabed. The low fertility, excellent drainage, and natural chemical composition of this soil-series contribute to overall vine health and balance.

Bootlegger’s Hill, a winemaker’s paradise, features a rich mosaic of rootstocks and heirloom clones. Dedicated to quality and fine winegrowing, the vineyard rests at an elevation of 750 feet, nestled between Occidental and Sebastopol among dense redwood forests. Positioned above the fog line, its plateau with east- and west-facing slopes provides optimal growing conditions

Clones: 667, Pommard, Elite, Wädenswil (co-fermented)
Harvested:September 7, 2022 | 25.1 Brix | pH: 3.41 | 6.5 g/L titratable acidity


Growing Season: Following two drought years, Spring rains mercifully filled the soil profile with water at budbreak. Both drought and cold Spring nights likely contributed to a light crop at harvest. Summer was ideal; warm and dry. A heat spike in the second week of September accelerated grape maturity and harvest occurred about two weeks earlier than typical.

Winemaking:

  • Hand harvested in the cold of night.
  • 93% destemmed. 7% whole clusters.
  • Whole berries gravity-fed into a small, stainless steel, open-top tank.
  • Fermented with native yeast; 18 days total in the tank.
  • "Free run juice" (only) transferred to French oak barrels; 64% new/balance 2-year-old Chardonnay barrels.
  • This 11-barrel lot was aged sur lies for 15 months prior to bottling. Minimal SO2 used.
  • Bottled in February 2024; unfined and unfiltered.
  • 14.5% ABV