Ancien, Pinot Noir, Thornton Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, California, 2021

Overview of the WineIn 1992, we harvested our first two tons of Pinot Noir from four rows atop a knoll in the southwest corner of Carneros. Producing but five barrels, this marked the beginning of Ancien Wines. In the years since, we have continued our pursuit of those rare and special plots where Pinot Noir can rise from great to sublime. Our Quest begins with the search for the highest quality sites in the range of terroirs in which we work - those we hope to be of “Grand Cru” stature in their separate Viticultural Areas (AVA). Ours has been a unique approach in that the majority of our vineyards were custom planted in partnership with small scale farmers. Ken’s background in viticultural and clonal research was utilized in a very practical way to optimize each of the planted sites. This has been a long term approach starting with the Mink Vineyard in 1995, then with Toyon Farm in 1998, and continued with our most recent plantings at Red Dog Vineyard. Our "long distance relationships