Croix Estate Bacigalupi Pinot Noir, Bacigalupi Vineyard, Middle Reach, Russian River Valley
WINEMAKER'S RECORD
A broader and concentrated style, the 2019 vintage is delightfully aromatic featuring wafty scents of Bing cherries, wild-picked raspberries, honeysuckle, baking spice, sassafras (sugary and sweet), and a dash of fresh oak. This is wonderful! A dark purple hue leads the way to a full-bodied beauty with impressive, balanced flavors of lush cherry reduction sauce, cola, chanterelle mushrooms and earth undertones, silky tannins and a long finish.
WAYPOINT GRAPE VARIETY(S): 100% Pinot Noir Wente Clone
The Vineyards | Bacigalupi Vineyard, Middle Reach
Located along the famed Russian River Valley corridor of Westside Road, in the Northwestern section of the Middle Reach sub-region, the Bacigalupi vineyard sits in one of the warmest pockets of the AVA. The roots in this vineyard are legendary, with a history of placing California winegrowing on the world stage.
The dream of owning a vineyard for Charles and Helen Bacigalupi became a realization in the early 1950s. Always possessing a love of the land the couple decided to move onto Westside Road in 1956, and purchased 121 acres. In a simple beginning, Charles began to care for the 16 acres of existing vineyards which included Zinfandel, Mission, Golden Chaslis and Muscat. Charles became friends with Paul Heck, who envisioned the demand for premium wine grapes growing gradually over the decades to come. He encouraged Charles to plant Chardonnay and Pinot Noir on the property as the environment and soil composition proved ideal for Burgundy varietied. In 1964, Charles began his plantings with six acres of each varietal. Eventually he obtained Pinot Noir bud wood from Karl Wente, the first well documented plantings of Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley. Charles remembers Wente telling him the stock had come from France via the family’s old vineyard in Livermore. Charles and his son, John worked alongside each other, perfecting their viticulture techniques and expanding the vineyards.
The Bacigalupi’s gained recognition as growers during the 1976 Paris tastingthe 1973 Chardonnay fromChâteau Montelenawith Bacigalupi fruit triumphed over many acclaimed French wines to be declared the undisputed winner. This event was to be the turning point in America’s global wine image. Today, the Bacigalupi’s continue to achieve benchmark success under their own label and through selling fruit to some of Russian River Valley’s most prominent wine producers.
PRODUCTION ESSENTIALS
Method | Open Top Fermentation, 5-day cold soak, 15% whole-cluster, 100% carbonic maceration with hand punch-downs, transfer via Gravity Flow to French Oak
Utilizing Utilizing 100% Native Yeast Primary and Secondary Fermentations.
Aging Regimen | 60% New French Oak
Aging | 16 Months | 5 Barrels