Argot Pinot Noir Bastard Tongue 2018

100% Pinot Noir. Clones: 85% Swan, 15% Calera Six harvest passes—always by hand; always at night—over the 3 weeks spanning September 20 thru October 12. Once in the winery, the grapes are berry-by-berry hand-sorted, and fully de-stemmed, with no crushing employed to promote whole-berry fermentation.

7-day cold soaks, followed by native fermentation in open-top tanks.  Average time on the skins was 14 days. 20 months, French oak, 66% new.  Never racked prior to bottling.  Bottled unfined, unfiltered.
An all-time classic growing season, 2018 achieved rarely experienced heights. A mild summer gave way to extended Autumnal perfection, allowing the vines an enviable opportunity to ripen a perfectly consistent and intensely-flavored crop. What arrives in bottle is a knockout BT, delivering the profoundly rich flavors associated with long hang-times; balanced by the unparalleled elegance cooler vintages bestow upon their wines.