The winemaking process begins with the careful selection of grapes at the optimal level of sugar and acid, followed by a meticulous fermentation process that enhances the wine’s inherent characteristics. The wine is then aged in stainless steel to preserve its vibrant freshness and to maintain the delicate, aromatic fragrances that elevate its overall profile. This method ensures a clean, crisp finish while allowing the nuanced flavors to shine through.

Shone Farm is located right in the heart of Russian River Valley, benefitting from the river’s cool, foggy mornings, and warm afternoons. The farm has nutrient rich alluvial soil with excellent drainage to keep the roots healthy. This vineyard grows on gently rolling hills, providing great air circulation and minimizing frost risk.

With 2023 being a historically late year, 2024 was a complete 180° and ripening came on much quicker across all regions in the North Coast. Bloom, set, and veraison were all much more condensed with the warmer temperatures in May through July. High temps in the mid-90s and above in June reduced cluster sizing post-set, which resulted in a lighter crop entering harvest. October’s extreme heat abruptly ended the 2024 harvest.

As we experienced multiple stretches of heat waves throughout harvest, this led to yields gradually dropping, pushing us to harvest much earlier this past year. Our North Coast Pinot Noir fared average to above average this year. It ripened evenly and came on quickly, wrapping itself up by mid-September.

We were fortunate on rain events with nothing of significant impact. Canopy health was also in good standing as we had another wet winter and didn’t have any canopy stress during ripening. Rot/mold pressures were low, and the only real vineyard issue was rapid sugar accumulation with the hot weather. All wineries across the board couldn’t pick fast enough to keep up with the spiked brix levels. Overall, 2024 was a strong quality year and the cellar teams did a great job of processing a lot of fruit in a short period of time.