2021 Cuvee Constance

The Constance Cuvee debutes with this 2021 vintage. This wine combines small amounts of juice from several of our other pinots, creating a unique and powerful blend unlike any other wine produced by Lenne Estate.

• On the nose: Summer melon, ripe strawberry, boysenberry, walnut, oak.
• In the mouth: Dense, jammy, brambly, velvety, ripe blackberry, dark chocolate, mocha, vanilla.

Blend.  This wine was made by taking small amounts of the final blends (from the steel tanks before bottling) of several of our other 2021 pinot noirs. It aged in 14% new oak, and by volume is:

• 14.29% Eleanor's 114 Dijon clone
• 14.29% Jill's 115 Dijon clone
• 14.29% Karen's Pommard clone
• 14.29% Kill Hill
• 21.43% Lenné Estate
• 14.29% South Slope select
• 7.14% LeNez pinot noir

History. The initial Lenné sale in 2022 was just the vineyard, not the brand. The new owner Eugene Labunsky was going to create a new brand/label and start from scratch with the 2022 vintage. We wanted to have a 2021 to offer as well, so we commissioned Lenne's outgoing owner Steve Lutz to make this special blend. . In mid-2023 Eugene purchased the Lenne brand and back catalogue as well, so the brand stayed Lenné and we have all the Lenne back catalog wine as well, making this Constance Cuvee a one-off special blend.  It was bottled in October 2022 with all the other Lenne 2021 wines, and stored as a "shiner" until May 2024, when it was labeled and released at the same time as our 2022 pinots debuted.

Vintage. The 2021 vintage was long and hot, with a heavier than average fruit set that paired beautifully with the lengthy ripening season. Larger clusters of large berries produced wines with a bit lighter color, but bold fruit flavors. The wines have intense fruit notes and mouth-watering acidity, and we think they will age exceptiionally well. Give them 4-6 years if possible, to allow greater complexity and balanced fruits, acids, and tannins.