2006 Hawley, Magnum, signed by John Hawley Pinot Noir

This Pinot Noir shows complex aromas of coffee and vanilla to complement the deep cherry and raspberry flavors from the grapes. In the mouth, the wine is rich and opulent, with generous ripe fruit flavors and a long, silky-smooth finish. This wine will continue to improve for many years to come.

The grapes for this Hawley Pinot Noir came from Oehlman Vineyards located in vine hill in the Russian River Valley appellation. This steep Southeast-facing slope is planted with the Martini clone and farmed by Karl Oehlman and his family. The 2006 growing season began with a late, wet spring. September rains caused a lot of worry and botrytis mold damaged many vineyards. Hawley was lucky and had no problems. This slowed ripening and the additional “hang time” on the vine led to exceptional flavor development. In 2006, the Pinot Noir crop was less than two tons per acre, resulting in extremely concentrated flavors.