Bush-Field Pinot Noir

About The Proprietor

Alan Benfield Bush is recognized internationally as a motivational speaker, product innovator, artist, and educator in the fashion and beauty industry. He was also president and founder of ABBA Pure and Natural hair products. In 1997, Mr. Bush sold his product line, bought a ranch in Sonoma County, and pursued a dream he’d had since he was 19. He planted five acres of Pinot Noir vines and started Bush-Field Estate Vineyards & Winery.

Pinot Noir

"... pinnacle of Pinot Noir ... "

Pinot Noir is often described as being a "difficult" grape, to grow, to deal with in the winery.pinot noir grapes

Difficulties plague pinot noir at every step, from propagation to even its bottle-aging characteristics. Genetically unstable, the parent vine may produce offspring that bear fruit that is nothing like the parent's in the size and shape of the berry or cluster and will frequently even have different aromas, flavors, and levels of productivity. There are 46 recognized clones (genetic variants) of Pinot Noir in Dijon, France. Ampelographers estimate there are as many as 200 to possibly 11,000 clones of pinot noir worldwide. By comparison, cabernet sauvignon has only twelve identifiable clones.

Pinot Noir is also one of the more difficult wines to ferment. Partly due to the presence of 18 amino acids, which are naturally balanced in this variety, Pinot Noir ferments violently, often "boiling" up and out of its container, speeding the process out of control. Color retention is a major problem for the thin-skinned berries. Pinot is very prone to acetification and often loses the sometimes promising aromas and flavors it seems to display through fermentation and aging, as soon as it is bottled.

pinot noir wine