The 2024 Clarice Pinot Noirs
Heading into harvest, 2024 looked destined to be an “immediate gratification” vintage—a year of Pinot Noirs to enjoy while the much-lauded 2023s slumbered in the cellar. The season was warmer overall than 2023 (though mercifully without the blistering heat spikes of 2022), marked by alternating stretches of warm-to-hot weather and cooler breaks. Conditions like these usually produce plush, fruit-forward Pinots with supple structure and easy, lingering finishes. In short: wines made to open now, not years from now.
But the vintage had other plans.
Winemaking Surprises
My first hint came during fermentations. The musts looked juicy—so juicy, in fact, that I decided to saignée (bleed off) anywhere from 20–25% of the juice before fermentation. I’ll admit, this is hardly a scientific calculation. My method is the same one I used when making oatmeal for my kids: if it looked too thin, I added more oats; if it looked too thick, I added more liquid. With wine, if the tank looks too loose, I bleed until it looks like “good oatmeal.”
Another surprise came with skin contact. Historically, Clarice Pinots have spent 17–21 days on skins. But in 2024, by day 14 they already showed a firm tannic backbone. To preserve balance, I pressed earlier than usual—15 days for Garys’ Vineyard and just 14 days for Rosella’s.
The Wines
I often joke that I’ve done things backwards with Clarice: when I was young, I made Pinot Noirs to drink young, and now that I’m older, I make Pinots that need time. The 2024s only prove I’m doubling down. Just before bottling, I tasted tank samples that had been open for 48 hours, and they were electric—better than when first opened. Now in bottle, I find the same thing: two or even three days open, the wines truly sing.
Time is your friend with the 2024 Clarice Pinot Noirs.
Vintage Reflections
In 31 years of winemaking, I’ve learned that some vintages make the decisions for you. But occasionally, you get to guide them—to raise a wine, as the French say, through its adolescence. With 2024, I chose the road less traveled, crafting Pinots built not just for the present but for the future.
I can’t wait to share them with you—whether after a long decant… or a good, long wait.
2024 Clarice Garys’ Vineyard Pinot Noir
2024 Clarice Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir
2024 Clarice Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir