Fe Ciegaa year oF Pinot noir

Fe Ciegaa year oF Pinot noir

the LandTwenty million years ago, a violent geological shift caused a brutal match between the dense Pacific plate and the North American plate buckling the two and creating a north-south range of hills and valleys. The struggle continued, the land broke off and was twisted to form what is now the only east-west mountain range in California. As the temperature increases in the eastern valleys, the cool marine layer is drawn in from the west cooling the appellation now know as the Santa Rita Hills. During the summer months when the fruit is ripening, the temperature is 15 degrees cooler on average than the interior valley creating a perfect environment for the cool-climate varietals, and especially Pinot Noir.

In addition to it unique disposition, the tectonic collision milled the ideal soil type for viticulture. When the uplifted seabeds dried out, the small marine animals known as diatoms died off in a massive extinction and created the diatomaceous deposits found in the soil of the Santa Rita Hills. These deposits are made up of a combination of calcium and silica, which thickens the skins of the grapes building up the tannins in the fruit, and creating a rich concentration in the juice that is unique to this area.

Rick and Diana Longoria planted the Fe Ciega Vineyard in 1998 atop a small mesa in the western end of the Santa Rita Hills. The ten acre vineyard site is situated along a gentle, south facing slope and is planted to nine acres of Pinot Noir. The soil is comprised of clay-loam with fragments of Monterrey shale and is planted to three clones of Pinot Noir including Dijon 667, 115 and Pommard. The cool climate, southern exposure and soil composition help to create concentrated, yet balanced, Pinot Noirs reflective of a sense of place.

the graPePinot Noir. What’s there to say? She’s beautiful, sensitive and on occasion even seductive. She responds well to attention and care, but she will behave badly if left unprotected in extreme environments. She can be surprisingly sweet and lush, but may also be mysterious and austere. She exudes and eau de earth unlike any other grape, distinguishing her amongst a crowd of fruits. She’s the Queen of grapes, for no other varietal can take the stage and demand the respect that is rightfully hers.

Pinot Noir is considered to be one of the most difficult vines to grow, and accounts for far lower yields than her heftier red counterparts. As an early budder she’s susceptible to spring frost. Being a thin skinned grape she’s sensitive to wind. She needs sun, but not too much. She needs water, but only a little. In many respects, the grape is much like a delicate woman that must be handled with white gloves and care.

However, there is great reward when all has gone well both in the vineyard and in the cellar. For Pinot Noir has the potential to recreate Mozart in a glass. Sweet berry aromas laced with dirt create an intoxicating whirlwind that grabs the connoisseur and deters the uninformed. The silky texture caresses the palate like velvet on skin, but challenges it with spice and minerality. It’s a love affair that cannot be broken – a bond known only between a lover and their Pinot.

WinterOnce the last of the yellowed leaves have fallen, the winery’s resumed a more peaceful state, and the pressure of harvest is officially over, winter is cordially invited to attend.

This is the only grace period a vineyard manager can seek comfort in. Whether it be hail, rain or sleet, the vines have gone dormant and can no longer send one into Scotch sweat at 3 a.m.

One final matter of business remains: planting the cover crop. The soil needs to be renewed with nutrients, and since a vineyard cannot be rotated to new land, many choose to plant a cover crop that will later be composted back into the soil. The cover crop consists of a combination of nitrogen fixating legumes, such as clover and barley, as well as other perennials and grasses. Later in the year, the tall grasses will be tilled back into the ground to allow for decomposition, further enriching the soil. The cover crop assists in both preventing erosion, and improving the structure and water capacity of the soil.

SPringBud break. A fragile time. It’s also a moment of rebirth. Pinot Noir buds early making it susceptible to frost, and in the Santa Rita Hills, Spring has been known to take many victims. These tender little shoots (shown right) will grow up to produce and protect the ripe clusters that will be turned into wine. For now, our only protection lies in overhead sprinklers, fans and prayers to push the frost away and over to some other heathen site.

SummerIt’s hot, it’s gorgeous, and the fruit is getting plump. Flowering has come and gone. We’ve allowed for vegetative growth in the vineyard, and will now cut back the water to focus the vine’s energy on producing rich, intense fruit. Canopy management, or leaf pulling, is well under way to ensure that the vines are uniform making them better positioned for even ripening. Veraison, which refers to the color change in berries from green to purple signaling ripeness, has just started to set in. By mid-September, we should be ready to pick.

harveStWe’ve waited all year for this, and until the fruit is in the winery, we are fighting tooth and nail against nature and her thieves. A heat spike can make the difference between an elegant “Burgundian-style” wine and a heavy-metal fruit bomb. Freak storms may be enough to brush off the dirt or catalyze a mildew crisis. Timing is everything, and a good vineyard manager must ensure that the winery’s needs are met without compromising too much with nature.

When it’s time to pick, it’s all hands on deck, literally. Cold fruit is picked in the early morning to avoid spontaneous fermentation. Once the fruit is in, it’s all about quality control. The fruit is sorted in the vineyard, allowing unripe fruit and rotten clusters to be disgarded. Only sweet ripe clusters make the final cut.

the WineObjectively speaking, Pinot Noir may very well be the most complex red wine grape varietal in the world. No smoke! The grape itself has the potential to produce more esters than any other varietal. Esters are the chemical compounds that create many of the aromas associated with wine. From fruit-like aromas, such as cherry, to more floral scents, such as rose petal, these volatile compounds add layers to the primary fruit character and increase the wine’s complexity. During fermentation, esters are created as alcohol reacts with acids. High acid wines, such as Pinot Noir, encourage compounds to break down and new esters to form, thus accounting for the changes in the wine from bottle age.

PatienCeTime may be the greatest contribution to wine outside the vineyard. As a wine settles in barrel, the flavors mature and begin to meld together. Oak acts as a seasoning to create sweet flavors of vanilla, clove, and cola. Good fruit is like the perfect filet mignon, overwhelming the meat in sauce and salt is nearly sacrilegious. But samll amount of salt can accentuate the richness of the meat. Oak plays a similar role in wine.

Neutral oak, barrels that have been used at least twice, soften the bright fruit character of young wine without masking the potential of the fruit. New oak barrels play a heavy role in the flavor profile of the finished wine. The Pinot Noir from Fe Ciega vineyard is divided into 2 parts nuetral oak and one part new. After spending 11 to 15 months in barrel, the finished wine is blended togther, allowing for subtle hints of toasted oak to come through.

Fe Ciega: a year oF Pinot noir represents a year long project as we followed the story of Pinot Noir from Rick Longoria’s Fe Ciega Vineyard. This small, ten acre vineyard located in the southern part of the Santa Rita Hills represents Longoria’s lifelong passion to create Pinot Noir that is elegant, concentrated and reflective of the place from which it was grown. This site produces a wine that is both bright and lively when young, but balanced enough to age gracefully for years to come.

Visit www.LongoriaWine.com for more information.

photographs by Jeremy Ball book written & designed by Michelle Ball

Bottle Branding is a full service marketing and visual media creation company.

Our job is to assist wineries by telling their story, their philosophy, and showing the passion behind their product through photography, video, branding and design.

Visit us at www.BottleBranding.com