Croix Estate Floodgate Pinot Noir, Middle Reach, Russian River Valley
WINEMAKER'S RECORD
This is a classic, Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Fans of full-bodied, concentrated styles will absolutely love what this wine has to offer. Spicey aromas of cinnamon, cardamom, and anise mingle with dark cherry perfume, cola, sweet smoked tobacco leaf, and toasted vanillin. Compact, extracted, and viscous on the palate, the wine has substantial power and glide featuring dark black cherry, savory caramel, black plum pie, supported with balanced acidity to lift the wine into a harmonious balance of rich and racy. Look for this delicious Pinot to put on more mid-palate weight over the next three years. This is our second vintage under the caption of "Floodgate" and takes the place of our former blended designate AVA bottling, Narrow Gauge Pinot Noir.
WAYPOINT GRAPE VARIETY(S): 100% Pinot Noir Clone Martini
The Vineyards | Starscape Vineyard, Middle Reach | Bacigalpi Vineyard, Middle Reach | Eastside Vineyard, Middle Reach | Bucher Vineyard, Middle Reach | 5 Wells Vineyard, Sebastopol Hills | A Dash of Cinghiale Vineyard, Fort-Ross Seaview and A Splash of Platt Vineyard Summit 19, West Sonoma Coast |
We often refer to the Middle Reach location of the majority of this blended AVA as the Land of Giants as so many renowned growers are within the north-middle radius of the area, most notably Kistler Vineyards-Trenton, Ritchie Vineyard, Bacigalupi Vineyard, Rochioli Vineyards and Williams Selyem.
The Middle Reach sub-region is a north-south stretch on either side of the Russian River between Healdsburg and Forestville. The western boundary is roughly marked by Westside Road and the eastern limit by Eastside Road. The southern boundary extends to the Wohler Bridge of Westside Road and Wohler Road at the junction (we love stopping on the bridge in the late-night hours during heavy river runs to have a couple bottles of beer to experience the power of the river!) Some locals extend the sub-region further south on Westside Road to include Moshin, George and Gary Farrell wineries.
The first to plant Pinot Noir along Westside Road in the Middle Reach was Steve and Helen Bacigalupi in 1964. In 1968, shortly after his father passed away, Joe Rochioli Jr., in deference to his father’s wishes, planted Pinot Noir on Westside Road along the western banks of the Russian River. This became the now famous Rochioli East Block of Pinot Noir. West Block followed a year later. In 1973, Davis Bynum built the first winery on Westside Road and vinified Pinot Noir from Joe Rochioli Jr.’s first crop. The 1973 Davis Bynum Rochioli Vineyard Pinot Noir was the first Russian River Valley vineyard-designated wine. Gary Farrell was to establish his own label in 1982 while making wine for Davis Bynum, and that year Joe Rochioli Jr. and his son Tom launched the Rochioli label. The first Rochioli wines were made by Farrell at Davis Bynum. By 1985, Tom had become the full-time winemaker and Rochioli winery was built. In 1989, Williams Selyem Winery moved from their small garage winery in Fulton to a modest facility on the Allen Ranch property on Westside Road across the street from Rochioli. The Middle Reach, and Westside Road in particular, had become the crown jewel for Pinot Noir in the Russian River Valley.
PRODUCTION ESSENTIALS
Method | 100% Pellenc Destemmed, 5 Day Cold Soak, 100% Carbonic D254 Inoculation Open Top Fermentation With Hand Punch Down Cap Submersion
Utilizing Utilizing 100% Native Yeast Primary and Secondary Fermentations.
Aging Regimen | 50% New French Oak
Aging | 16 Months | 17 Barrels Produced