2023 Moret-Brealynn Lakeview Vineyard Pinot Noir

Description

Moret’s notes on this stunning wine:

The Vineyard: Let’s start broad and zoom in! This vineyard is nestled in Northern California’s Sonoma County, right in Sebastopol—also known as the Green Valley of Russian River Valley AVA. Positioned at the corner of Green Valley Road and Maddocks Road, it’s just a mile from the renowned Keefer Ranch, with some other impressive neighbors nearby.

From this special site, I get the 115 and 114 Pinot Noir clones, with the 115 yielding about three times more fruit than the 114. The first dozen rows of the 115 are planted on a different rootstock that ripens earlier, so it feels like I have three distinct sections within just over an acre of vines.

Every time I pull up to the gated entrance (keeping the deer out!), I’m greeted by my rows. I usually park by the 114 section and start weaving my way through the 115s, moving through each row like I’m browsing rows of cashmere—touching the vines, murmuring “hello, sweet babies! Grow big and strong!” These vines are around 20 years old, in their prime, and every season, they still have new lessons to teach me.

The Vintage: It was another different vintage than my first or second year of winemaking, no surprise there’s always surprises! Mother Nature is a creative one. It was much cooler. The first two harvests of this vineyard I picked end of August (26/28th). In 2023, I picked this fruit on September 25th! Here’s a little story about the fruit from this vineyard in this vintage if you have the time:

The 2023 vintage kicked off with a cold and wet start—a blessing after the drought of 2022. The chilly, rain-soaked earth kept the vines resting until mid-April (a long, restful nap I’d love too!). Adam and I discussed how best to handle this unusually late season. We decided to let the secondary, smaller clusters stay on the vines for a while, hoping it might slow the vines’ vigor.

Fast-forward to two weeks before harvest, with sugars (brix) hovering around 23. Walking the rows, I noticed that the secondary clusters were starting to purple—a rare sight since they usually stay a hard green. Meanwhile, the primary fruit looked full but lacked that flavor pop we wanted. So I spent over six hours that day, row by row, thinning out the secondary clusters along the front of each vine. If the vines had the energy to turn that secondary fruit purple, I wanted every bit of it focused on the primary fruit to really bring out the flavor.

Adam even called to check if I’d make a meeting that day, but honestly, fruit comes first—and luckily, he understood that! At the end of the week, I returned to see the progress, and just two berries in, I could tell: it worked! I texted Adam, thrilled, and headed back into the rows to catch any secondary clusters I missed on the backside. Those last 10-12 hours in the vineyard were worth it, pushing this vintage to produce something truly extraordinary.

The Wine: This wine is a celebration of our vineyard, the vintage, and everyone who shares in our passion for great wine. Creating it is a bit nerve-wracking—I’m always striving to honor the fruit, the season, and my commitment to making a wine that brings people together.

I want every bottle to feel authentic and approachable, reflecting not just my palate but also a shared sense of place and community. I craft wines that are expressive—true to the vineyard, varietal, and the natural beauty of each vintage. They’re balanced and vibrant, perfect for a meal or a memorable conversation.

My mom even helped pick the blend for this one, adding a personal touch! So, pour yourself a glass, maybe give it a good decant to unlock its full depth, and let it be part of your story too.