Harvest Date: September 25, 2009
Appellation: Finger Lakes
Bottled: 371 cases on July 10, 2010
Vegan

The Fournier vineyard is located on the east side of Keuka Lake, the y-shaped crooked lake of the Finger Lakes in upstate New York. The vineyard is named after the legendary Charles Fournier, an early vinifera pioneer in the Finger Lakes. Fournier planted our Leon Millot over fifty years ago on a site considered ideal for growing grapes. 

We net the Leon Millot vineyard in the weeks before harvest to limit snacking by wild turkeys and allow for richer flavors. The Leon Millot was fermented in small 1-ton bins and punched down by hand twice daily to achieve gentle extraction of flavor and tannin. Malolactic fermentation was completed in 14 barrels followed by 7 months cellar aging in neutral oak with weekly lees stirring in order to enhance mouthfeel. The 2009 Leon Millot is as dark as ink with blackberry and currant on the nose. A deep fruit flavor is matched with firm acidity and a smooth tannin finish.