2021 Minus Tide Manchester Ridge Vineyard Pinot Noir
Tasting Notes: Displaying the bright, savory depth of character that we love from the Mendocino Ridge, this floral, earthy Pinot Noir has distinct notes of dried herbs, mushroom, black cherry, graphite, and a lovely hint of baking spice. The supple wine has beautiful purity of fruit, and is enveloped by chalky tannins and mouthwatering acidity that add to its lift and length. The duality of freshness and savoriness makes this another fascinating Pinot Noir from the coastal, high-elevation Manchester Ridge Vineyard.
Vineyard: Manchester Ridge Vineyard - Mendocino Ridge AVA, Mendocino
Perched on a ridgetop at 2,000 ft. in elevation and just 3.5 miles from the Pacific Ocean sits the stunning Manchester Ridge Vineyard. Standing at the edge of the site, with the vineyard behind you and the sea ahead, you can actually hear the waves rolling in and out down at the beach in the town of Manchester. Despite the close proximity to the coast, there is enough sun to ripen the grapes because the vineyard lies above the fog line. Yielding small clusters of approximately 2 tons per acre, this dry-farmed vineyard produces grapes with intense flavor and excellent natural acidity.
Winemaking: Native yeast. 40% whole-cluster fermentation in small, open-top fermenters. Aged in neutral French oak barrels for 11 months with early lees stirring. Unfined and unfiltered.
Vintage: 2021 was an excellent growing year with a mild spring and warm summer. The vintage overall showed lovely concentration and pronounced depth of flavor.
Technical Details:
Composition: 100% Pinot Noir
Vineyard: Manchester Ridge
Appellation: Mendocino Ridge
Clone: 115
pH: 3.6
TA: 6.1 g/L
Brix at harvest: 22
Alcohol: 13.5%
193 cases produced
95 Points - The Tasting Panel
"Juicy and bright, with brushy notes, notably white pepper, and oregano. Pomegranate and black cherry dig deep into an earthy layer. Acidity adds oomph, but its savory qualities are memorable. The vineyard lies at 2,000 feet in elevation and is part of the Mendocino Ridge appellation, the only non-contiguous AVA in the U.S."
94 Points, "Best Buy" - Wine & Spirits
"Manchester Ridge is an extreme site juxtaposing altitude with proximity to the coast: 3.5 miles inland and 2,000 feet above the Pacific. Winemakers and winery partners Kyle Jeffrey and Brad Jonas include whole clusters (40 percent) when they let this wine spontaneously ferment and, though they age it in neutral barrels, there’s a clear oak influence when the wine is first opened, with wood tannins and a piney scent. The floral notes and mushroom umami are there from the start, but give this a day to regroup with air and the wood tannins seem to have dissolved into that savory umami, and the floral length of flavor extends. A wine of delicate power, tightly wound, built for aging."
94 Points - Decanter
"Co-owners and co-winemakers Kyle Jeffrey and Brad Jonas source grapes from the Manchester Ridge Vineyard in the Mendocino Ridge AVA. Lively, with mineral-tinged red berry fruit, white pepper, and dried sage aromas. Wonderfully supple with ripe acidity framing tangy redcurrant and tart cherry fruits, turning savoury with cherry pit, flamed blood orange peel, and a beautifully floral persistence."
"Hidden Gem" - Wine Enthusiast
"This bottling is bright with ripe red and black fruit, jellied cranberry, black cherry, citrus rind, blood orange and talcum. It has a long finish. The Pinot Noir you didn’t know you needed."
Vinography
"While we’re on the subject of Pinot Noir, Minus Tide sent along their latest vintage of their Manchester Ridge bottling, which offered a really lovely combination of savory and fruit character, with the energy of the cooler reaches of Mendocino County. Light to medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of raspberry and raspberry leaf. In the mouth, bright raspberry and green herb flavors mix with a hint of road dust and a touch of red apple skin. Bright and juicy with a lovely faint tannic grip and lovely savory notes lingering in the finish. Excellent acidity."
"100% Pinot Noir from the Manchester Ridge Vineyard that is located at a 2,000 ft. elevation just 3.5 miles from the Pacific Ocean; dry farmed so produces small clusters with concentrated flavor and high acidity. A wildness to this wine that I love with aromas of forest floor, morels and wildflowers that dance in one's head with unbridled passion that is just mouthwateringly delicious with a stunning purity of red cherry flavor."