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Finest Vineyards
When winemaker David Rossi founded Fulcrum in 2005, he started by making cold calls to top Pinot Noir growers, working to persuade them into giving him access to small amounts of their fruit.
His goal, was to make wines from the finest vineyards, without being constrained by regions or boundaries. After years of earning their respect as a winemaker, today, top growers are happy to work with David.
The Fulcrum vineyard program now includes grand cru-caliber vineyards in the Anderson Valley, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Coast, Carneros and Chalone appellations. All vineyards are either organically or sustainably farmed.
To create luscious natural wines with the balance, complexity and depth of flavor for which Fulcrum is known, David generally selects slightly warmer sites, in very cool regions. These locations are warm enough to produce perfectly ripe fruit, but cool enough to allow the extended hangtime that builds the complex flavors David seeks. Because David believes in properly managing the fruit in the vineyards, as opposed to manipulating it after the fact in the winery, the viticultural practices of the growers is also key.
David selects vineyards that emphasize minimal inputs, vine balance and meticulous management practices that sustain the environment. All of David’s Pinot Noir comes from vines trained on a VSP (vertical shoot positioning) trellis systems, with vines pruned to reduce shading of the fruit and promote ripening, but with enough leaves remaining to keep the vine healthy for decades to come. Crop thinning is practiced to create even ripening and to intensify flavors.
When selecting vineyards, David also evaluates the clonal material to ensure that it is diverse enough to create the complexity he desires for his Pinot Noirs, and that the selected clones produce the most impressive wines from their particular vineyard.
To this end, he will select the blocks and rows with the clones he specifically wishes to work with.
Last, but perhaps most important, vineyards are selected because they have track records of excellence, and because they inspire David as a winemaker, with each one offering something distinctive and compelling for Fulcrum’s small portfolio of vineyards- and appellation-designated Pinot Noirs.
