2005 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

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Vineyards:	52% Keefer, 47% O'Connor, 1% Rayhill
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, 33% new, 32% one year old, and 35% two year old barrels
Bottled:	July 26, 2006
Production:	814 cases 750 ml, 17 cases 1.5L

The 2005 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is Freeman's second vintage using 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.

In our latest rendition of the Russian River Pinot Noir, we have chosen predominantly 2 vineyards to go into the wine. The largest contributor needs no introduction, as it is none other than the Keefer Ranch. Freeman's single vineyard bottling comes entirely from Marcy Keefer's famous site. Since we received more Pinot Noir from the Keefer Ranch in 2005 than we did from any other source, we had the chance to make the single vineyard wine as well as having enough to put into the Russian River blend.

The other main component of the '05 Russian River is the O'Connor Vineyard. Jim and Mary O'Connor planted their 4 acres of Pinot Noir and 2 acres of Chardonnay (which Paul Hobbs purchases) at their home on Barlow Lane, just north of the Freeman Winery in Sebastopol. The O'Connors selected 2 Pinot Noir clones, 115 and Pommard. We kept each clone separate in the fermenters and during the barrel aging. Akiko liked the 115 clone so much she chose 3 of those barrels for the 2005 Akiko's Cuvée.

The 2005 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir starts with a black cherry and cola nose with some toasty oak and Pinot spice that come out as the wine sits in the glass. The texture on the palate is lush, soft, and it appears to be lower in acidity that the rest of the '05 lineup. If you're faced with a choice of which 2005 Freeman Pinot Noir to open first, this might be the one to try.