Diora "La Petite Grace" Pinot Noir 2023
(Monterey, California)

Notes from the Winemaker:
Named for the golden hills of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range that frames our family-owned San Bernabe Vineyard in Monterey, Diora is inspired from “d’Or,” the French phrase meaning “golden” and bestowed on beautiful, sun-filled regions. No effort has been spared along Diora’s 30-year journey from vineyard-to-bottle. The result is an expressive wine overflowing with flavor, depth and personality and a devotion to indulgence.

Viticulture:
About half of the fruit for this Pinot Noir comes from San Bernabe Vineyard and half from Santa Lucia Highlands. The prevailing afternoon winds that funnel down from the Monterey Bay allow for a fast cooling early in the afternoons. These sandy soils are free draining, allowing the vines to develop deep root systems, developing healthier vines. Our San Bernabe grapes contribute the red fruit complexity of our blend. The other half of the blend comes from Santa Lucia highlands which sees cooler maximum temperatures, it is a long narrow strip that runs down east south of the Santa Lucia Highlands Foothill with dense early fog, and breeze that burns off in the late morning. Darker fruit aromas, and tannins are obtained from Santa Lucia Highlands allowing us to add layers, and complexity to our final blend.

Winemaking:
Our veteran winemaker, James Ewart, oversees the team and the small-lot winery built in the vineyard. We picked when the fruit was fully ripe and showing dark berry flavors, saving about 10% of every lot to achieve higher concentrations of flavors, and cold soak up to 5 days for higher color extraction. Lots were kept separate as much as possible and fermented in small batches. These were punch downed and pumped over, over a course of 10-14 days before the fermenters were gently pressed to barrels. The winemaking yeast selection for this blend was a rough split between D254, and RC212. D254 helps with extracting color, smooth tannins, longer finish, and enhancing dark fruit aromas. RC212 that helps with structure, brighter fruit, and spiciness. After primary fermentation was completed the wines underwent a “secondary fermentation” which helps soften and round the palate. Following this the wines were “racked” out of barrels and returned to barrels to continue aging to round the tannins. The winemaking team tasted the individual lots periodically to ensure quality and select the best blocks for the final blend.

Tasting Notes:
Dark ruby in the glass, aromas of dark cherries and raspberry mingle with nuances of licorice. Soft and velvety, robust with a voluptuous and full-bodied mouthfeel, the palate unfolds with decadent layers of intense chocolate-covered dark red cherries, and a delicate hint of wild sage. A long, lingering finish instills a lasting impression of rich, concentrated flavors.

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