Chateau St. Jean Pinot Noir 2007

• Light & Fruity: Red wines that are more fruit-forward and lighter in tannin and body.
• Smooth & Supple: Medium bodied reds that go down easy, with smooth tannins and supple fruit.
• Earthy & Spicy: Wines where earthy and/or spicy dominate the flavors – typically medium to full body.
• Big & Bold: Full bodied wines that have concentrated fruit and are higher in alcohol and/or tannins. Some need age.

Pinot Noir is a grape that must be grown in the right place. The “right places” in Sonoma County are the Russian River Valley and the Carneros district. Both regions are ideal for Pinot Noir because of cool growing conditions. When making the blend for this Sonoma County Pinot Noir, we prefer the backbone of the wine to be predominately Carneros while we use fruit from the Russian River Valley to heighten the blend. The majority of the Pinot Noir for this 2007 offering came from the Carneros region – mostly from the Benoist Ranch and Durell Vineyard – while 15% is from the Russian River Valley.

Youthful and inviting, this Pinot Noir displays lovely aromas of raspberry, cherry and plum as well as hints of rose and leather. The palate offers jammy fruit flavors and round tannins that give a creamy texture and a long fruit-driven finish.