The Vintage

The 2009 vintage was one of significant temperature swings, with spikes of record heat followed by very cool daily high temperatures. Overall, growing “degree-days” were very close to historical average, and the growing season was moderately drier than normal. The only significant rain, in early September, had no impact on fruit quality, and was followed by warm weather and breezy, drying conditions. Overall, fruit quality was excellent, with mature tannins and balanced acid levels. The resulting wine has bright, forward fruit and while it can be enjoyed upon release, it has the balance and structure to age gracefully.

The Wine

The 2009 Kiff Vineyard Pinot Noir is a blend of pommard and 667 clones. Each contributes unique characteristics; 667 provides mid-palate volume and dark fruit flavors, while pommard adds red fruit, rose petal, chocolate, and structure. The resulting wine has rich mid-palate volume, velvety tannins, and a long, seamless, finish, with flavors of marionberry, raspberry, and black cherry that lead into notes of rose petal, chocolate and lavender.

The fruit was harvested on October 2nd, and spent the next four days in a cold-soak to extract color. Fermentation was completed in small, one-ton bins, and took eleven days to complete. French oak barrels were used for aging, 25% of which were new, and the wine was bottled in August after spending almost 10 months in barrel. Only 110 cases were produced.

The 2009 Denison Cellars Kiff Vineyard Pinot Noir is unfined and unfiltered, and to prevent any incidence of cork taint, is bottled under a twist-off closure.