Pinot Noir Blending- High Art!

Not for nothing do winemakers say that blending the final wine is the highest art in winemaking. Part aesthetics, part science and clearly part alchemy, I watched our winemaker Chris Nelson, fill vials and beakers with measured quantities of wine to be blended together into test batches. Butcher paper covered the table so notes could be taken as we tasted our way through various blends.

Spitting was mandatory- no way could the palate withstand such an assault otherwise. My acid test for the finished blend- if it was too good to spit then I thought we were getting very very close.

The basic process is to start with your base wine and note gaps or shortcomings in the wine that could be filled by blending in other wines. Since we were making single vineyard designates it was important that all or almost all come from the same vineyard and varietal (Pinot Noir). But for those prerequisites, we could mix and match and blend to our heart's content. Once the gaps in the base wine are noted- perhaps there is not much in the way of a finish or the aromatics are weak or the wine shows a hollow midpalate, then you set about figuring through trial and error tasting how to close the gaps to make a complete wine.

It is not pure trial and error. Chris knows his wines and barrels very well and where to go to help make a better wine.

For example, our Lone Oak was tasting really great just as the base wine made from 667 Dijon clone fruit aged in 50% new Francois Freres oak. We tried 8 or 9 blends, adding other Dijon clones such as 115, 777 and 828 with different barrel spice box notes but everything seemed to detract, not improve on our base wine. A further insult was that the additions detracted from the incredibly smooth and full mouthfeel of the Lone Oak 667.

At Chris's suggestion, we then added varying percentages of a heritage clone called Swan known for soaring aromatics- a very heady perfume of fruit and flowers that also adds some higher notes in the taste to balance the darker heavier fruit. WOW! We were in a very sweet spot at 5% Swan added to the 95% 667. This was our final blend on the Lone Oak, but it took us much trial and error to get there.

Over the course of a couple of days we did this for two additional single vineyard designate Pinot Noirs, Split Rock on the Sonoma Coast and La Encantada in Sta Rita Hills. Here the blends were considerably more complex, involving 4 to 6 Dijon clones and various barrel spice box notes.

Did I mention yet how fun this was to do? And to think that Chris gets paid to do this as a regular part of his job as a consulting winemaker for various small Pinot Noir brands! He did say he NEVER complains about his job!