Planted in 1997 by Kevin McCarthy and Kathleen Quealy with predominantly MV6, the Musk Creek vineyard at Main Ridge is a considerably cooler and hence later-ripening site than Quealy’s Tussie Mussie or Seventeen Rows vineyards. As such, it’s a marginal place to ripen Pinot and low yields are a must (along with plenty of work with the canopy).
Fermentation took place in three batches with varying amounts of whole bunches. Very light hand plunging took place twice daily throughout the fermentation period allowing the whole bunches to ferment carbonically. The wine was pressed and left to settle before being transferred with light lees into a mixture of François Frères and Billon hogsheads and barriques (25% new).