Keller Estate

2019 LA CRUZ VINEYARD PINOT NOIR, PETALUMA GAP

Over 30 years ago, our family began producing organically farmed Estate wine to capture the distinct soil, topography, and climate our property. This terroir-driven philosophy enables us to guide the process from vine to bottle, creating beautifully balanced and expressive wines with a true sense of place.

2019 LA CRUZ VINEYARD PINOT NOIR, PETALUMA GAP

VINTAGE – VINEYARD

The 2019 vintage was vastly characterized by a series of environmental challenges, putting vineyard crews and winemakers to the test. The season started with record-breaking rainfall and flooding leading to a relatively cool spring, slightly delaying bud break with harvest time trending well into September. Hefty rain in May luckily did not cause disruption in yields since flowering had not yet begun in the majority of the vineyards. Average, stable temperatures throughout the summer lead to a friendly, steady grape development with perfect balances of acid and sugar. Come harvest, we were met with a curveball of extreme spikes in temperature and fire hazards, calling for strategic and innovative picking decisions. This historic season, accompanied by our team’s intelligent decision-making, leads to incredibly complex, dynamic wines that, much like the season, are historical.

WINEMAKING

The fruit was harvest over several cold nights and arrived immediately at the winery where it is hand sorted and fully de- stemmed. The whole berries had a 5-day cold soak and then fermented using native yeast until dry. Afterward, it is transferred to barrels where it underwent secondary fermentation. Racked only once for bottling and filtered. The backbone of this wine is the Pommard clone and selected barrels of 667,777 and 828. We used a Nomacorc 300 closure with a specific medium oxygen ingress rate, allowing for a slow but steady aging in the bottle. It is a plant-based closure with a carbon neutral footprint, aligning with our mission.

TASTING NOTES

Keller Estate La Cruz Pinot Noir is characterized by a smoothly textured with flecks of allspice, chamomile tea and forest notes, this medium-bodied red is crisp in acidity and crunchy pomegranate, strawberry and a lasting tease of mint.

2020 ORO DE PLATA, PETALUMA GAP

Over 30 years ago, our family began producing organically farmed Estate wine to capture the distinct soil, topography, and climate our property. This terroir-driven philosophy enables us to guide the process from vine to bottle, creating beautifully balanced and expressive wines with a true sense of place.

2020 ORO DE PLATA, PETALUMA GAP

VINTAGE – VINEYARD

The 2020 vintage was vastly characterized by a series of environmental challenges, putting vineyard crews and winemakers to the test. The season started well, growing conditions were nearly ideal. Spring frost was an issue for some of our neighboring AVA’s, but our windy site was spared any frost. An August heat spell accelerated ripening, resulting in an early start to harvest and yielding a small crop. However, when the fire broke in Bodega bay on Sunday, August 24th the same wind-protected our site from frost brought days and days of smoke. Immediate sampling, analysis, and micro-fermentations allowed us to determine how to proceed.

WINEMAKING

Our 2020 Oro de Plata, comprised of 100% Old Wente Clone, was carefully hand-harvested over several cold autumn nights. The fruit was gently pressed and transferred to stainless steel tanks for slow fermentation under low temperatures. After four weeks, fermentation was complete, and the wine was left in the tanks to age on the lees for three months, never undergoing malolactic fermentation. After aging, the Oro de Plata Chardonnay was filtered, then bottled using a Nomacorc 100 closure, with a specific low oxygen ingress rate.

TASTING NOTES

Bright aromas of lemon curd, crisp green apple, and jasmine excite the senses, while notes of orchard fruit meld with creamy lees and mineral nuances on the palate. The elegant balance of fruit, acid, and rich mouthfeel leads to a long, rounded finish.