St. Francis 2015 Pinot Noir, Sonoma County

St. Francis is a Certified Sustainable, family-owned Winery founded in the 1970's producing consistently high quality Sonoma County wines. For this 2015 Pinot Noir they sourced fruit from vineyards located in the cooler areas of Sonoma County where fog from the Pacific Ocean rolls in at night during the summer, dropping temperatures substantially. This natural air-conditioning allows the grapes to develop deep flavors while retaining natural acidity. The grape lots were fermented separately starting with a five to ten day cold soak to extract optimal color and flavor. After a long, slow fermentation the wine was racked into French Oak barrels, 25% new, where it aged for 10 months. This Pinot received the highest award, "Best in Class" Double Gold at the Sonoma Harvest Festival Competition and James Suckling scored this 92 points saying "A riper style with orange peel and berry character. Full body, round and velvety tannins and a juicy finish. Plenty of fruit and firmness. Solid pinot noir. Drink in 2019." and Tasting Panel Magazine scored it 93 points saying "Alive with lyrical aromas of cherry-leather, tilled soil and cinnamon, the juicy texture and eloquent palate speak in vivid color and form. Cedar and violets are markedly integrated, along with cherry-toned saddle leather. A touch of ginger on the soft, finely grained tannins sparks up the finish. "