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Steele Reds
STEELE PINOT NOIR
SANGIACOMO VINEYARD
CARNEROS
The Sangiacomo family farms the southern part of Sonoma
County in the area known as Carneros. For many years this
was just grazing land, thought to be too cold for the production
of fine quality wine grapes. To look at the land one would
agree that grapes should not do well here: the heavy Adobe
clay soil and the lack of sun seemed to contradict the
accepted viticultural wisdom. However for varieties which
do best in cooler conditions, especially Pinot Noir, this
is the place.
Since there are many different vineyard blocks we keep
each separate during fermentation and aging. For the single
vineyard wines we use the “Martini” clone fruit
from the “El Novillero” block, which is part
of the Donnell Ranch.
Look for the release of our 2004 vintage in April.
We have worked with the Pinot Noir from Sangiacomo since
our first vintage in 1991. Each year we choose the best
lots and produce a single vineyard bottling. We age these
lots for an additional 4-5 months and use a higher proportion
of new French oak barrels. These barrels are heavily toasted
during the bending of the staves. This toasting gives a
smoky aromatic backdrop to the wonderful cherry fruit aromas
and flavors. This is a beautiful, and consistent expression of Pinot Noir:
medium color and the pronounced aroma of “Bing” cherries,
combined with a smooth structure and perfect balance.
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