For five generations, our family has been dedicated to the art of winemaking and to the philosophy that the quality of a wine originates in the vineyards. Our Single Vineyard Riva Ranch Pinot Noir is sourced exclusively from our family’s vineyard in Arroyo Seco, Monterey. Arroyo Seco is the ideal region to grow this Burgundian varietal because of the long, cool growing season, which allows the grapes to fully ripen and develop deep fruit flavors. The gravelly-loam soils found here, rich with shale and limestone deposits, impart desirable earthy and mineral qualities to the wine. We farm 8 clones of Pinot Noir (Pommard, Martini, 114, 115, 667, 777, 828, and 77), with each offering different flavors, textures and aromatics to the wine. This year’s blend is dominated by our heritage clones, Pommard and Martini. Pommard is especially fruit-driven providing bright lusciousness while Martini is more subtle with layered complexity on the nose and silky texture on the palate. Unlike late season rain and other challenges in 2011, we had nearly perfect weather conditions in 2012 with daily cycles of early morning fogs, warm 80+ degree afternoons, and cool nights which allowed the grapes to ripen, rest and the flavors to fully develop. A great year indeed.