Seawind Wines
2007 Pinot Noir Sleepy Hollow Vineyard
Santa Lucia Highlands

Mellow aromas of dark fruit, earth and toasted oak, with a deep garnet color. The palate is rich and supple with lush flavors of black cherry, raspberry and plum, augmented by warm smoky oak, earthy notes and hints of spice. The dense, layered flavors are balanced by smooth, ripe tannins and solid underlying acidity to create excellent weight and a long, round finish. A big pinot with intensity, structure and balance to complement full-flavored foods now or to cellar for several years.

Seawind 2007 Sleepy Hollow Vineyard Pinot Noir is a rich, full-bodied wine made using small-lot artisan techniques. The ripe fruit was hand-sorted and 100% de-stemmed to minimize herbaceous notes. The whole berries were placed in small open-top fermenters for a 4-day cold soak. The must was then inoculated with yeast to enhance the natural yeast and initiate a clean and complete fermentation. Careful cap management and punch-downs during active fermentation controlled the temperature and assured optimum flavor and color extraction. The initial fermentation was complete in 10 days and the fresh wine was lightly pressed into French oak barrels (33% new) to age for 10 months with occasional stirring of the lees while malolactic fermentation completed. Barrels were blended and the wine was bottled with no fining to retain richness and complexity.