Freeman Winery

Yu-ki Estate Pinot Noir

Ken and Akiko bought the land for Yu-ki Estate in 2007 and planted our favorite heritage, Dijon and Swiss clones of Pinot Noir there. It is located only five miles from the Pacific Ocean, 1,000 feet in elevation, above the town of Occidental. The vineyard is named after Akiko’s nephew, Yu-ki, who lives in Japan. Yu-ki can also be translated to mean courage or big tree. This is significant in that this site is surrounded by old growth redwood trees, 22 acres of which the Freemans have donated to the Bodega Land Trust.

2022 was the end of a four year period with less than normal rainfall. The season was typical for vineyards near Occidental with lots of cooling influence from the nearby Pacific Ocean. It appeared for a while we might not get to pick Pinot at Yu-ki until October, but then things warmed up in early September, which brought the fruit to the perfect ripeness levels.

We produced 53 barrels of Pinot Noir from Yu-ki in 2022, which comes out to a little under 2 tons per acre. Of those barrels, 21 went into the Yu-ki Estate, 17 went into Akiko’s Cuvée and 15 are found in the West Sonoma Coast Pinot. All of Yu-ki’s 7 clones of Pinot Noir are represented in the 2022: Calera, Mt. Eden, 2A Wadenswil, 23 Mariafeld, 114, 667 and 828.

As the Yu-ki Estate matures as a vineyard, the resulting wines get more complex and interesting each vintage. The 2022 Yu-ki has an intriguing nose which shows off something unique each time you pick up the glass. From subtle huckleberries, wet stones, rhubarb, to cranberries, plums and French oak, this wine has so much to offer. All of these aromas are exhibited on the palate which is framed by firm tannins and moderately high acidity. The finish goes on for several minutes, and this predicts a very long life in the cellar. Enjoy this from 2025 through 2038.