Wine Specs
Vintage
2019
Varietal
Pinot Noir
Appellation
Eola Amity Hills
Bottling Date
September 19-20, 2019
Alcohol %
13
Wine Enthusiast
92
2019 The Plow Pinot Noir
The fruit for The Plow 2019 comes from the best parts of Blocks 1 and 2, where Larry Stone planted a refined, moderately productive Pinot Noir PN777 on Gelderman-Jory soils, with a layer of large gravels that impart extra energy to the vines and create more complex flavors. Wines grown here are the most balanced of our estate, with floral notes, minerality, freshness, round tannins and length. In 2019 this translated into a richly layered wine, with aromatic complexity and deceptively soft accessibility that is underpinned by great structure.
Wine Profile
Tasting Notes
This is another classic release of The Plow, with deep, long flavors marked by the elegance of the nearly perfect 2019 vintage. As in 2017 and 2018, The Plow was composed of the finest lots of wine from the top of the Lingua Franca Estate Vineyard where Larry Stone planted a refined, moderately productive clone of Pinot Noir on the Gelderman-Jory soils that are the most expressive and nuanced portions of our vineyard site. The vine material chosen for these blocks was selected from a highly regarded vineyard in the Russian River with a history of having created great wines. The result is a compelling, complex wine with luscious texture and length, a wine of contemplation and nuance. The long flavors are a complex of black cherry, dried herbs, black plum, red currant, black tea, rose petal, violets and minerals, with a beautiful, long finish.
Vineyard Notes
The fruit for the 2019 The Plow Pinot Noir comes from the best parts of Blocks 1 and 2 in the Lingua Franca Estate Vineyard planted to clone PN777 on Gelderman-Jory soil complex, a type of shallow volcanic soil about 2-5 feet deep with a layer of large gravels that impart extra energy to the vines and create more complex and intense flavors in the finished wine.
Production Notes
In this dense vintage the whole cluster fruit was kept to 18%. Fermentation occurs with wild yeast strains in a combination of stainless steel and concrete tanks. The destemmed fruit is selected for whole berries by a special destemmer/sorter. No broken fruit goes into the cuvée. Cap management begins with gentle pump overs, followed by traditional pigeage by foot, as needed. After fermentation, the wines age in 23% new and 77% neutral French oak barriques for 12 months followed by an additional 5 months in stainless steel tank to bring the cuvée together prior to bottling.
Food Pairing Notes
This Plow is a wonderful partner with rib-eye, New York and sirloin steaks, lamb shoulder, leg of lamb, lamb loin, roasted duck, grilled duck breast, savory preparations of goose and duck liver, porchetta, sautéed or grilled pork loin, wood-grilled meats and BBQ brisket. This wine is delicious served alongside peking duck, shaking beef, and mushroom rich dishes such as vegetables with shitake mushrooms and oyster sauce, or a simple porcini risotto. It’s terrific with pepperoni pizza or spaghetti bolognese, too!
