2012 Rivers-Marie Occidental Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir

For the first time ever, some of all three clones (115, 667, 777) from this site made the final blend.  As mentioned in previous mailers, this site once again carries the distinction of being the warmest but also the most acidic.  There’s great generosity to the entry of the wine but so much natural acidity that the wine quickly turns from juicy to mouthwatering.  We don’t like to think we are prone to drooling but it’s been known to happen after first sips of this wine.  This is also one of the sites where we are employing a small amount of whole cluster to add breadth and complexity to the mid-palate.  The juicy entry shows notes of pennyroyal mint, sassafras, white flowers, plum and a bit of graphite from the stem retention.  This bottling also always has the greatest amount of fruit tannin in the lineup.  Here it combines with a little stem tannin to add weight without heaviness.  Pomegranate, minerals and mint build on the finish.  We always think of Summa as our flagship site but this deserves similar recognition.