2022 Direct From Barrel - Dirty to Barrel Pinot Noir
“The 2022 Pinot Noir Dirty to Barrel (DTB) is a dark, brooding effort that tempts the imagination with nuances of grilled sage, cherry sauce and black olives. Surprisingly juicy and fruit centric, it splashes across the palate, traversing both savory and sweet as an herbal thrust and salty minerals underscore its ripe red berry fruit. A tinge of spice lingers over edgy tannins, yet the mouth waters for more as a hint of black raspberry fades slowly. This was hand bottled following a process in which wine is poured into a barrel that is still in a phase of primary fermentation. It is incredibly unique and extremely fun to taste.”
~Eric Guido, Vinous, July 2025 93 Points
Drinking Window: 2026 - 2033
750ml Bottle
“The 2022 Pinot Noir Dirty to Barrel (DTB) is a dark, brooding effort that tempts the imagination with nuances of grilled sage, cherry sauce and black olives. Surprisingly juicy and fruit centric, it splashes across the palate, traversing both savory and sweet as an herbal thrust and salty minerals underscore its ripe red berry fruit. A tinge of spice lingers over edgy tannins, yet the mouth waters for more as a hint of black raspberry fades slowly. This was hand bottled following a process in which wine is poured into a barrel that is still in a phase of primary fermentation. It is incredibly unique and extremely fun to taste.”
~Eric Guido, Vinous, July 2025 93 Points
Drinking Window: 2026 - 2033
750ml Bottle
“The 2022 Pinot Noir Dirty to Barrel (DTB) is a dark, brooding effort that tempts the imagination with nuances of grilled sage, cherry sauce and black olives. Surprisingly juicy and fruit centric, it splashes across the palate, traversing both savory and sweet as an herbal thrust and salty minerals underscore its ripe red berry fruit. A tinge of spice lingers over edgy tannins, yet the mouth waters for more as a hint of black raspberry fades slowly. This was hand bottled following a process in which wine is poured into a barrel that is still in a phase of primary fermentation. It is incredibly unique and extremely fun to taste.”
~Eric Guido, Vinous, July 2025 93 Points
Drinking Window: 2026 - 2033
750ml Bottle
This is a winemaking technique where the wine is placed into the barrel while it is still undergoing primary fermentation. This results in a smoother, or plush mouthfeel, as if you fermented in a wooded fermenter, which you did, partially. Additional work is keeping that barrel topped up religiously on a tighter schedule than usual to mitigate bacterial risk. Not only does using this technique offer up a more luxurious mouthfeel as well as seemingly more fruit. You taste it and then let me know your thoughts.
What does that really mean? This means that the wine was moved from the barrel, directly into the bottle, via gravity, without any filtering, pumping, adjustments, or anything! Furthermore, it was bottled and corked by hand. This is wine in the purest sense. As such, it has risks, as do the better experiences in life, that is, if you have lived life…
How these barrels came about: Every person making wine comes across individual barrels within their cellar that are unique. It might be due to the fermentation style, the barrel’s cooper, the way the wine was introduced into the barrel or various other reasons. Nonetheless these individual barrels have personality; some of which are lovely, while other, quite obnoxious. I decided to bottle up four different barrels this vintage to show off what happens in the cellar. These four barrels are so interestingly unique, that I would recommend tasting them side-by-side. and all at the same time. Throw a tasting, a serious tasting. Invite those who you love and who are ALSO interested in wine and not just getting inebriated on your dime. This is a great educational and hopefully an enlightening experience.