Precious Précoce | Introducing Three Feathers Pinot Madeleine 2020

Precious Précoce, as the name implies, has a unique attribute that it blooms almost two weeks earlier than other Pinot Noir and, as a consequence, the grapes are ripe two weeks earlier.  This is a plus at our high elevation when the harvest can coincide with fall rains and cooling temperatures.  When we planted 1 acre of Pinot Noir Précoce on our Torio Vineyard site in 2013, it was an experiment to see whether these attributes could enhance our wine production….

Pinot Noir Précoce : Variety or Clone?

We did some research on the Précoce clone and found interesting information about this fascinating “spontaneous mutuation” of Pinot Noir, officially recognized in Germany as a grape variety.

Known plantings in Germany (about 647 acres) – notably in the Ahr Valley, England, the Puget Sound and now the Willamette Valley (Three Feathers) give us additional insight into this elegant grape whose small dark berries with a greater skin to pulp ratio yield a dense, velvety Pinot with rich aromatics.

Pinot Noir Précoce, otherwise known as Pinot Madeleine, or Früburgunder, was introduced to Foundation Plant Service at UC Davis by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency on Vancouver Island, BC.  According to Nancy L. Sweet in her article Pinot: A Treasure House of Clonal Riches, the plants originated in France and were given the variety name Pinot Précoce FPS 01 to distinguish from standard Pinot Noir.

When we applied for a certificate of label approval (COLA) to bottle our first vintage Pinot Noir Précoce, the Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) did not accept “Précoce” as an additional term for Pinot Noir.  Nor did they recognize “Pommard” as a term for Pinot Noir, for that matter.  We ended up calling our first single-clone vintage Pinot Noir Précoce, “Pinot Madeleine”, instead.  We concluded that this early-ripening clone from the old world, popular in Germany as Früburgunder, or “early burgundy” is not commonly grown in the United States.

Pinot Noir Précoce growing at Three Feathers

Our growing notes confirm a shorter vegetative cycle for Précoce; the leaves change color before the rest of the vineyard and fall during harvest.  This variety does not require thinning, as yields tend to be low overall, and the site has to be cool to permit a long enough ripening period.  The grapes quickly become overripe if not picked in the right window. 

With experience behind us, it is evident that if there is not enough yield to produce its own wine, Précoce grapes cannot hold long enough to be harvested with other Pinots.  In previous years, before we had enough, we used it in our blends if we could hold it long enough before it dried up.  Now that we have enough to make its own wine this is less of an issue.  If we want to use it in a Cuvée or blend, then we must harvest, barrel it, and blend it later.

In 2020 in view of a significant yield and beautiful fruit, we harvested this block two weeks earlier than the rest of the Pinot Noir clones at Three Feathers.  Our first vintage 2020 Pinot Noir Précoce, or “Pinot Madeleine” has just been bottled; a single-clone, 25% whole cluster wine on neutral French oak.

Our 2020 vintage – smooth with a long finish – has notions of bramble-berry, elderberry and floral notes with a hint of wilderness.  With slightly less acidity and tannin, and well-developed aromas, this elegant wine is round and pleasant, ready to drink now.

Our Pinot Madeleine 2020 will make it’s debut at our Harvest Party on Sunday, October 17th from 12 noon to 5 pm. We look forward to sharing our production with you!