2018 Fáinne Pinot noir 1.5
Fáinne balances earthiness and elegance. A soft entry glides to a strong middle and back palate presence.
This 2018 compilation features expressive dark fruit flavors, clean minerality and velvety, fine-grained tannins.
On the nose wafting clove tobacco and dark molasses with black currant and layers of silky texture.
With refined structure and depth, this wine will evolve and age beautifully.
Vintage
The early months of the 2018 growing season were mild and drier thatn normal, followed by a cool and wet March.
Bud breat begain in mid-April with warm temperatures that accelerated growth.
We observed bloom in mid-June with véraison mid-August and the summer continued as one of the driest in recent history.
Harvest
Our early fall weather was ideal with rain waiting until October providing a prolonged harvest window. We harvested our select Pommard and Dijon blocks September 28, 2018 under blue skies.
Elevage
This barrel select Fáinne was barrel fermented in French oak sourced from the Billon, Sirugue, and Cadus cooperages with emphasis on the Troncais and Allier forests. Total elevage was ten months with 25% new French oak.
This wine was fermented in two-ton fermenters and then moved to barrels, 40% of which were new French oak. Toasted and spicier barrels are sourced for our Fáinne program from coopers Sirugue and Billon.
Aged in the barrel 16 months, this wine was bottled December 9, 2019. The final alcohol is 14.0%
Limited production of 105 cases / 12 magnums
With refined structure and depth, this wine will continue to evolve in the cellar.
| Vintage | 2018 |
| Varietal | Pinot noir |
| Varietal Composition | 25% Dijon 114
20% Dijon 777
25% Pommard
20% Dijon 667
10% Dijon 115
|
| Appellation | Yamhill-Carlton |
| Vineyard | Fairsing Vineyard |
| Harvest Date | 09/28/2018 |
| Acid | 6.5 |
| PH | 3.49 |
| Aging | 15 months, 25% new French Oak |
| Alcohol | 14.00% |
| Wine Style | Barrel select |
| Volume | 1.5 liter |
| Bottling Date | 12/09/2019 |
Fairsing Vineyard is managed sustainably in Oregon’s Yamhill- Carlton American Viticulture Area (AVA) with 38 acres of Pinot noir and five acres of Chardonnay in production.
Densely planted on south facing slopes in ancient marine sedimentary soils, Fairsing Vineyard is nestled inside an 80-acre Certified Family Forest distinguished by biodiversity, varied topography, and panoramic views of the Northern Willamette Valley.
Fairsing Vineyard is a certified member of the Low Input Viticulture and Enology (LIVE) Association, the Salmon Safe program, the American Tree Farm System and are original signatories of the Willamette Valley Oak Accord.
A veteran of the wine industry since the early 1970’s, Robert Brittan began his career in the Central Valley of California. Robert attended the University of California at Davis, graduating with a degree in Fermentation Science in 1981.
Robert has crafted wines for Far Niente Winery, St. Andrews Vineyard and served as general manager with Stags’ Leap Winery for 16 years. In addition to managing his own vineyard and crafting wines for Brittan Vineyards, Robert is the consulting winemaker for a few select vineyards in the Willamette Valley.
A firm believer that wines are much more compelling as they age, Robert is committed to a minimalist winemaking style and partners with exceptional vineyard sites to craft wines that cellar beautifully.
Since 2012, Robert and his team have been crafting wines for Fairsing that are expressive and distinctive to the property. Robert’s enthusiasm for the varied exposures, geology, micro-climates, and selections across Fairsing Vineyard is reflected in his site-driven wines.
