Marimar Estate Cristina Pinot Noir, Russian River

Description

Marimar Estate Cristina Pinot Noir is made from 100% Pinot Noir grapes sourced from from Marimar Torres’ Don Miguel Vineyard in the Russian River.

Owner Marimar Torres is the sister of Miguel Torres, patriarch and CEO of the world-famous Torres Spanish wine company. Marimar Torres began planting vines in 1986 and it is the only Californian vineyards to be totally planted in the European style – the vines are planted on a south west facing vertical training system. The grafts are Phylloxera resistant and the planting density is 5000 vines per hectare, which is about four times more than the traditional Californian planting density. These characteristics favour competition among plants and roots, reducing yield in the plants. The vines live for longer in this way and develop more intense and elegant aromas, greater concentration of flavours and more balance. The winery was completed in 1992 and sits on a hill surrounded by the vineyards. The Don Miguel vineyard is a 56-acre property in a cool micro-climate ideally suited to Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Marimar Estate Cristina Pinot Noir is named after Marimar Torres’ daughter Cristina and is a special selection of 16 barrels of Pinot Noir, with a unique blend of Pinot Noir clones, that Marimar feels best represents the terroir of the Don Miguel vineyard.

The blend of Pinot Noir clones in this vintage is 60% Pommard and 40% Swan. The grapes undergo minimal pressing prior to fermentation in stainless steel. After fermentation, the wine was aged for four months in new French barrels, coopered by Remond from the forest of Bertranges, and Marchive from Tronçais. In January the blend was assembled and the wine went to 40% new, 60% 1-year-old barrels. It was bottled, unfined and unfiltered.

Suitable for vegans and vegetarians.