HARVEST NOTES

Purchased by Barbara Banke and thoughtfully planted in 2001, the Maggy Hawk vineyard is located in between the towns of Philo and Navarro in what is considered the "Deep End" of Anderson Valley. Maggy Hawk is one of the most impressive examples of vineyard site diversity- not only with it's mix of Pinot Noir clones, but more so with the slope, aspect and soil variation you'll find within it's 58 planted acres of grapevines. The soils at Maggy Hawk are mostly sandstone (Wolfey) based, with varying levels of clay (Bearwallow). 

WINEMAKING

We source from just about every one of the 15 blocks within Maggy Hawk, and harvest usually happens over a 2-week stretch. We carefully monitor each section, with some having such diverse aspects that we harvest and ferment them separately back at the winery. In most cases, we will also further dissect each block into a tank that has completely destemmed fruit as well as a tank with a certain amount of stem inclusion/whole cluster. All fruit is hand-picked, in the early hours of the morning- to maintain the grape's acidity and flavors and keep the fruit cool during its transport to our cellar. We allow the grapes to cold soak for 5 days, after that we gradually and naturally bring up the temperature of the must. The juice begins its alcoholic fermentation and sits on the grape skins for about 14 days. During fermentation, we're utilizing pump overs for cap management. Close to the end of its primary fermentation, we taste each lot in tank for optimal color, tannin and flavor extraction- sometimes the wine will remain on skins for a bit longer than 14 days, sometimes less- each lot is different. The grapes are gently pressed- keeping the free run wine separate from the hard press- and racked down to barrels. The wines are allowed to go through malolactic fermentation on their own, without inoculation of a bacteria culture. This process takes longer but feel it's better for the overall development of the wine's aromatic, flavor, and textural character. 

TASTING NOTES

The 2022 Afleet Pinot Noir opens with a striking bouquet of blood orange, candied ginger, fresh fennel, kumquat, and black tea, layered with golden beet, dried violets, tamarind, marmalade, and a whisper of nutmeg. On the palate, the wine enters juicy and broad, quickly fanning out across the mouth. Firm, structured tannins frame the back, while vibrant acidity rises to a peak at the mid-palate.