Interestingly, open-top wood fermentors-although fairly new to Sonoma-have been used in France for centuries. However, California winemakers have traditionally abandoned open-top fermentors in favor of stainless-steel tanks on the belief that they would facilitate easy-to-control fermentations and predictable results. Greg LaFollette, the DeLoach Vineyards winemaker, prefers to live dangerously: "I don't practice safe winemaking," he says, choosing open-top fermentors and wild yeasts for his delicate Pinot Noirs, "so [the wine] goes to the limit of what it can be." By pushing the envelope, DeLoach Vineyards crafts terroir-driven, delicious wines that are a true expression of our vineyards, passion and expertise.
In 2004, DeLoach Vineyards purchased 15 French oak open-top fermentors specifically for Pinot Noir production. As Russian River Valley winemaking pioneers, DeLoach
Vineyards is often the first in the area to employ innovative winemaking techniques like the use of oak open-top fermentors. This innovative step has helped catalyze a movement of winemakers across the region that are employing traditional winemaking techniques like hand-punchdowns (pigage) and gravity-flow systems. During the 2004 vintage, all DeLoach Vineyards Russian River Valley, Vineyard Designate and OFS Pinot Noir were vinified using the open-top fermentors and were punched-down by hand.
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