On the nose, the 2017 Clos Pepe Pinot Noir features dark cherry, with hints of pomegranate and violets. The palate opens up beautifully and is full and lush with a bright minerality - a distinguishing characteristic of the Clos Pepe site. Flavors of dark berry coulis mingle with fresh earth and hints of smoked paprika and salinity. The wine is enhanced by oak, which brings length and a warm brown spice character to lead into a textured mineral finish. Producer Information WALT wines is a winery based in Sonoma County, which specializes in Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It makes wine from four Californian appellations and the Willamette Valley of Oregon; the portfolio is headed by a number of single-vineyard releases. The Californian vineyards are located in Anderson Valley, Central Coast, Sonoma County and Napa County. Of these, The Corners in Anderson Valley, Bob's Ranch in Sonoma Coast, and Clos Pepe in the Sta Rita Hills are estate-owned. The WALT signature wine is Bob's Ranch Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. The vineyard is close to the ocean and enjoys a microclimate heavily influenced by the Petaluma Wind Gap, with heavy morning fogs giving way to bright afternoon sun. Soils are sandy and free draining. There are 45 blocks over 72 acres (29ha) with an array of clones and field-propagated plantings. Vineyards are sited on cooler hillsides for low-vigor canopy growth and optimized wine quality. Long hang-times for fruit are key to WALT to achieve supple, silky wines which are also fresh and elegant with balanced acidity. Several clones are planted, which gives a myriad of winemaking and blending options. Grapes are picked at night or in early morning when the fruit is cool and firm. This helps achieve supple tannins in the wine via close control of skin contact during handling, transport and de-stemming. Harvest is undertaken by hand, avoiding unripe or damaged fruit. After harvest very berry is sorted by hand. Chardonnay is pressed as whole clusters and fermented with natural yeasts. Malolactic fermentation is extended. with weekly batonnage (stirring of lees) and topping off. Wines are aged in barrel on their lees to create more texture, richness and complexity. They are bottled without fining or filtration. Kathryn Walt Hall and her husband Craig Hall released the first WALT wines in 2010, having bought Roessler Cellars a year earlier. The Halls also own HALL Wines, established in 2003 and now with wineries in Rutherford and St Helena. This label focuses on Bordeaux grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sauvignon Blanc. BACA Wines, meanwhile, specializes in Zinfandel. WALT tasting rooms are located in Napa and Sonoma cities.
