2006 SEGUE DUNAH VINEYARD PINOT NOIR

The 2006 Segue DuNah Vineyard Pinot Noir blend is Segue’s first single vineyard release. Dijon and Pommard grapes from selected blocks in this southern Russian River hillside vineyard are cooled in the morning and evening by ocean breezes and fog and gently warmed over a long growing season.

What all that means to a Pinot Noir lover is loads of dark fruit with layers of ripe cherry, plum, mocha, Indian spice and molasses. Thanks to the meticulous vineyard management of the DuNahs, Rick and Diane, who live on the hillside property, these grapes were nurtured to produce full flavor without high alcohol. In making the wine, I focused on extracting the velvety essence of Pinot while keeping all of these components in delicate balance.

That’s the ecstasy and agony of winemaking—to nurture premium grapes to deliver their full potential without imposing on them. For the DuNah, I cold-soaked the berries for 7 days to extract flavor and color, using only native wild yeast to ferment, then punched down gently by hand and aged into Francoise Freres, Remond and Seguin Moreau 50% new, medium light toasted oak for 14 months.

I believe that great wines exist to complement great food, and are enhanced by great food in return. To achieve that mouth-watering interplay of textures and flavors, my limited DuNah release—96 cases— is crafted to balance acidity and rich depth and made to improve with age over five or more years.

» Segue ’06 DuNah Vineyard Technical Sheet (pdf)