Lucid Dream

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes

2021 Pinot Noir “Lucid Dream” Savory, and bursting with black pepper and allspice, this wine is dominated by spice, but the fruit is still in balance and filling in the spaces. Whole cluster fermentation stands tall, creating a structure abounding with soft tannin, seeming to coax out the fruit. Pencil shavings and strawberry are still on the pallet. 

Winegrowing Approach

The 2021 vintage was another great year for quality wine. We had a long growing season in Santa Barbara, which made for depth of flavor and balance in the grapes. We were able to pick exactly when we wanted. As we usually do, James Ontiveros, owner of Rancho Ontiveros, and I did some exhaustive tasting of the fruit before we nailed down what sections would work out best for a well-balanced, complete wine. After selecting our favorite sections of Swan and Benedict clones we harvested at midnight and I was on the road back to Napa by 2am.

Once in the winery, I decided to not destem any of the fruit, as it had great lignification and I just love the complexities that stems give to pinot noir. The grapes were allowed to spontaneously ferment. Once fermentation was complete we gently pressed the grapes directly to barrels where the wine finished fermentation. I left it in barrel for 15 months. Finally racked the wine for the first time just before bottling, and then it was bottled via gravity without filtration or fining.

Drink Now - 2035

Technical Information

• Slope and Aspect: relatively flat plateau above the valley floor at 760 ft

• Farming: all by hand, organic, low yields, minimal watering

• Fruit Selection: 60% Swan clone, 40% Benedict, 100% whole cluster

• Fermentation: 3-day cold soak, 6-day fermentation; pump overs, and punch down; followed by a very gentle pressing

• Aging: 15 months in 30% new French oak barrels, the rest neutral French oak barrel; never racked

• Production: 92 cases bottled April 19, 2023; neither fined nor filtered

• Alcohol: 13.2%