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Twelve32 LIFT Pinot Noir
May you always lift each other up and may you always grow together...
Twelve 32 is a small lot focused wine brand headed by aerospace engineer turned winemaker Matt Lemons. It all started by helping a friend make wine in his garage. The address of his house and coincidentally ours was 1232. In 2020, after 8 years of home winemaking, Matt followed his passion into the wine industry and started Twelve 32 in Southern Oregon. Our wine is made using limited intervention, native fermentations, and no new oak to let the vineyards speak for themselves.
We believe sustainably grown fruit produces the best wines. In addition to the winery being LIVE certified, we source our fruit from vineyards practicing organic, LIVE certified, and salmon safe farming where possible. Our back labels starting with the 2021 vintage indicate the sustainability certifications applicable to each wine. While wine is no doubt an experience beyond simply what ends up your glass — heavy bottles, capsules, and their associated waste is just that, a waste you won’t find here.
Cellar 503 Tasting Notes
Twelve32, Rogue Valley, Oregon
LIFT Pinot Noir
The first red in the Twelve 32 Experimental Series, the idea was a Beaujolais-meets-Lambrusco take on Pinot Noir. Casual, fruity, with a little lift on the palate from the near semi-sparkling residual CO2 levels.
The Pinot Noir was sourced from Block 3 of the Kenyon Vineyard known for its gentler fruit driven profile. It was handpicked then sorted and destemmed directly into a stainless tank. After a couple days of cold soak, I opted to forgo the normal for Twelve 32 native starter approach, leaning instead on using two commercial yeasts to get a little extra complexity while keeping it as clean and fruity as possible. It was fermented at cool temperature, never above 70°F, to minimize tannin extraction. Similarly, it was pressed slightly before it was fully dry to limit further tannin extraction then allowed to complete fermentation off the skins. The wine was then chilled to hold on to as much of that naturally dissolved CO2 left over from fermentation.
On the nose, cranberry leads the way followed by potting soil and a kiss of cedar. The palate confirms the nose while bringing along pomegranate and a touch of graphite. The residual CO2 provides the lifted texture it’s named for. Enjoy chilled (45-50°F) with just about anything or all by itself.
A Cellar 503 selection in June 2024, Something Old, New, Borrrowed & Blue Applegate Valley | Pinot Noir
