Verna’s Vineyard was originally planted by the Melville Family in early 2000. This vineyard has garnered extraordinary scores from the press year in and year out and produces amazing Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah. We were lucky enough in 2014 to get some of the 828 clone of Pinot Noir from a sandy, south facing hillside of this property. The site is located right outside the small town of Los Alamos and is much cooler than the Santa Ynez Valley but also warmer than Santa Rita Hills and Santa Maria. This makes for a delicious, fruit forward Pinot Noir with loads of black cherry, strawberry and red raspberry along with hints of vanilla and cranberry. It was fermented in a small 1-ton fermentor with 30% whole-clusters and 80% whole-berry. It was punched down by hand three to four times per day, basket pressed and aged in older French oak for 16 months prior to being bottled. 107 cases produced.
