Lioco Mendocino County Pinot Noir 2023

WINERY NOTES:

In the spring of 2022 we signed a new grape contract that will elevate the quality of Mendo Pinot Noir significantly. After many years of petitioning, the township of Comptche on the far Mendocino Coast received its AVA status. There are just three vineyards in the entire AVA and two of them are now LIOCO monopole. This new partnership with grower John Peterson—whose family were homesteaders on this remote coastal rainforest in the 1800s—will provide LIOCO with +/-40 tons of pristine Pinot Noir each year. Most of it will go into Mendo Pinot Noir. The '23 installment is infused with this exciting new Comptche component, which brings a black & purple-fruited, coniferous element to wine. The Comptche lots were blended with stalwarts from the Anderson Valley, The Cole Ranch, and the Potter Valley. The AV component adds some characteristic floral notes. The Cole Ranch piece contributes some pleasing structure. And the Potter Valley piece brings lift and levity, care of some Beaujolais-clone Pinot Noir fruit historically sourced for Rosé programs. We feel this wine from disparate but essentially Mendocino ranches blend out to give a ‘wide aperture view’ of this wild, evergreen county and make an authentic expression of Mendocino Pinot Noir.

VINEYARDS: Peterson, Costa, Cole Ranch, Edmeades, Pauli, Redford, Blue Oaks

CLONES: 115, 667, 777, 2A, 838, Martini, Pommard, Mt. Eden, Swan

HARVEST DATES: First two weeks of October

FERMENTATION: Fruit was hand-harvested and sorted on Oct 4-15. All lots were fermented in open top tanks with 15% whole clusters. Manual cap management was performed during 14-16 day primary fermentations

WINEMAKER: Drew Huffine

AGING: 8 months in a mix of neutral oak and stainless steel barrels

BOTTLING: 7/1/24-7/3/24

ABV: 13.5%

OTHER: pH 3.7, RS 0.3 gL, TA 5.9 gL