The wine has the same dark magenta, Indian ruby color as the 2005, but, is bigger in the mouth. The nose is shy and reminiscent of the 2005 vintage which is wonderful for consistency of place and powerful floral notes. The wine exhibits dark cherries and a smoky quality that is somewhat more reminiscent of Eola than Amity. The nose evolves with time in the glass. Upon opening, the nose offers more traditional mature Amity fruits with notes of fine French oak, smoke and hints of spice.
 
The wine enters the mouth with a silky feel. The attack on the palate is much more substantial than the 2005 vintage. The flavors explode due to the whole cluster fermentation which adds subtle peppery notes and length to the attack. The primary flavor on attack is powerful dark cherry fruit with smoky integrated support from the toasty new French oak barrels. This results in a complete full mouth supporting the classic “earthy” flavors of the soils in which the grapes were grown.
 
R. Gary Andrus – Winemaker

Nipple Hill is special small lot wine; the result of a wine making approach worthy of note, stepping back to a simpler time. After removing the tops from sixty-gallon, standard French Burgundy oak barrels, the six austere fermentation vessels were filled with the destemmed grapes. The small lots and wooden vessels created an optimal environment for the development of the wine; the wines developed slowly at their own pace with significantly lower heat and longer, gentler fermentations. This slow, gentle fermentation resulted in a more complex layering and wonderfully integrated flavors and tannins.

Spice and earth combine in this barrel fermented Pinot Noir. This wine represents a blend of the three Dijon clones, 113, 114 and 115 from ten year old vines. Fermented separately in French Oak barrels, the wine was then aged for 16 months, again in new French oak. Soft tannins combine with dense fruit for a complex structure and long finish. This wine will reward the patient.
Kelly Kidneigh, Winemaker
 

While deeper and more intense in color than the Alyssa, the color spectrum of the Thomas runs more in that of red than blue. The intensity of the color announces the warm earthy aromatics which are coupled with layers of dark chocolate, blackberry and blueberry mingling with notes of lavender and mace. The attack on the pallet is opulent fruit, bright acidity and silky tannins. The heavy toast of the French oak tames and smoothes the bold grape tannins resulting in a wine with the texture of a fine chocolate. This vintage of Thomas wants to rest in the glass or decanter and to be savored at room temperature and shows good aging potential.    

100 Cases