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As of 2025, the 2017 is the current release of this Pinot Noir, sourced from a small block within Hudson Vineyard. Bob Foley was particularly excited about this site for its naturally high acidity. The wine is a blend of Clone 5 (Davis Clone) and Clone 777, which ripen and are harvested at different times. Clone 5 ripens earlier, yields darker colour, and contributes generous fruit, while Clone 777 ripens about a week later, produces lower yields, and is planted to more acreage, ultimately resulting in roughly equal proportions in the final blend. Fermentation takes place in open-top vats with hand punchdowns, after which the wine is gently pressed. Clone 5 is matured in 100% new François Frères barrels, while Clone 777 is aged in Dargaud & Jaeglé barrels, known for their water-bent staves, a technique often seen in regions such as Fleurie, Moulin-à-Vent, and Pouilly-Fuissé. The wine rests on its lees for 12 months, with occasional stirring only when the wine ‘asks’ for it, and is blended just before bottling. The resulting Pinot Noir is one you want to keep nosing repeatedly, offering beguiling aromas of black tea, Earl Grey, rose petals, loamy earth, and savoury nuances. On the palate it is medium-bodied, with a graceful build of richness and intensity, layered with bright ruby-red and black fruit lifted by notes of white pepper. The tannins are exceptionally fine, light, and airy, leading to a long, mineral-driven finish. Balanced and sophisticated, the wine evokes the savoury, earthy elegance of a Côte de Nuits Pinot Noir while retaining the vivid purity of fruit that speaks unmistakably of California sunshine. The inaugural vintage was produced in 2010. Robert Foley has been making wine in Napa Valley since 1977, learning under Joe Heitz and André Tchelistcheff before shaping the styles at Markham and Pride Mountain, and founding his own Howell Mountain estate in 1998. Known for patient, long-lived reds, he insists that real winemaking begins in the vineyard.

Pinot Noir

Robert Foley Vineyards, Hudson Vineyard Pinot Noir, Napa Valley, California, USA, 2017

Robert-Foley-2017-Hudson-Pinot-Noir.gif

As of 2025, the 2017 is the current release of this Pinot Noir, sourced from a small block within Hudson Vineyard. Bob Foley was

Robert Foley Vineyards, Pinot Noir Hudson Vineyard, Los Carneros, Napa Valley, California, USA 2017

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