2007 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Vineyards: 26% Thorn Ridge,  25% Horse Ridge, 18% Keefer, 16% O’Connor,  11% Connell and 4% Sexton
Fermentation: 5 day cold soak in open top fermenters, hand punched down 1 to 3 times per day, free run sent directly to barrel, press wine settled and barreled separately
Barrel Aging: 10 months in 100% French oak, 35% new, 21% one year old, and 44% two and three year old barrels
Bottled: July 2008
Production: 1,540 cases 750 ml, 23 cases 1.5L

The 2007 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is Freeman's fourth vintage with this appellation.  We came up with this blend to show off the ripeness and richness of the Russian River Valley, which surrounds the Freeman winery west of Sebastopol.  Though the appellation is a large one, the vineyards from which Freeman sources its grapes are all found within 5 miles of the winery.

There were 6 contributing vineyards in the 2007 Freeman Russian River Pinot.  The largest component was Ted Klopp’s Thorn Ridge Vineyard.  This is located on a sunny hillside in the Sebastopol Hills area south of the Bodega Highway.  The Horse Ridge Vineyard was next in terms of percentage of the blend.  2007 was the first year Freeman worked with this site.  It is only a 5 minute walk from Freeman and is found on Cherry Ridge Road.

Other than the barrels which went into the single vineyard wine from the same site, Keefer Ranch added 10 barrels to the Russian River blend this year.  Also, Jim and Mary O’Connor’s vineyard, Brian and Sally Connell’s vineyard and Jim Pratt’s Sexton Road vineyard rounded out the mix.  Each of these could stand on its own as a single vineyard wine.  However, at Freeman we like to achieve the perfect balance by blending the best that the appellation offers together in one harmonious cuvée.

This is without a doubt the most dark, complex and age-worthy expression of Freeman Russian River Valley Pinot Noir we have ever produced. Embodying the character of the monumental 2007 vintage (and not a shift in winemaking styles), this wine displays remarkable color that is significantly darker than past bottlings. The aroma offers an intriguing nose of earth, tar and oak, followed by a lush palate filled with an array of berry fruits.  Though still slightly backwards at this early stage in its development, this sophisticated wine is drinking remarkably well at a young age.  We are predicting a lifespan through 2014, and probably much longer.