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'08 Pinot Noir Casteel Reserve

The Casteel Reserve Pinot Noir is a blend of barrels from different lots, selected by the winemaker to represent the best of the vintage. The blend is different from vintage to vintage. In 2008 the backbone structure of the wine comes from the South Block at Bethel Heights, planted in 1979 to the Pommard clone. The ripe berry fruit components come from younger Dijon clone vines at Zena Crown Vineyard (clone 667), planted in 2005 on early ripening rootstocks.
 

Harvest dates: October 12 – 17, 2008
Grapes at harvest:
Brix: 23, pH: 3.3, TA: 7.4 gr/liter
Finished wine: Alcohol 13.5 %, pH: 3.54, TA: 5.4 gr/liter
Barrel aged 16 months in French oak, 45% new barrels
619 cases bottled January 2010

The 2008 Vintage
2008 was a cool, classic vintage that kept us on our toes from beginning to end. A very cool spring led to a late budbreak as the vines struggled their way out of dormancy. Then, a very unusual heat event in May really got the vines rolling. Bloom came late in June, when a 102 degree day pushed all of the vines into full bloom, seemingly on the same day. Realizing that we were in for a cliff-hanger because of the late bloom, we ruthlessly thinned our vines in August. The rest of the vintage was magical, with an endless stream of sunny days stretching into late October. The 2008 vintage is a classic showcase of what Oregon wines can be under ideal conditions – wines with moderate alcohols and balancing acidity for ageabilty, yet with fruit concentration to please those who enjoy their wines young, or within the decade.