Winemaker Notes
In our still wine program, we aim to reflect the unique elements of Carneros. Starting with our highest quality fruit, we develop wines of complexity and intrigue that are rich and supple on the palate and exhibit a brightness of fruit. Prior to the 2000 vintage, these wines were available only at the winery. With the 2000 vintage, Domaine Chandon proudly introduces our still wines to selected fine dining establishments and fine wine retailers across the country.
The 2000 season was generally regarded as one of exceptional quality with cool evening growing conditions prevailing. Yields were slightly lower than normal, resulting in small berries with excellent fruit concentration. The Domaine Chandon Pinot Noir is deep plum red with cherry hues. The aromas reveal layers of cinnamon, fig, nutmeg and toffee with a note of spicy French oak. Flavors of brown spice, black cherry, caramel, and a subtle hint of truffle characterize the palate. The wine is powerful and intense, revealing complex layers of ripe fruit and a long, satisfying finish.
Domaine Chandon's Executive Chef Eric Torralba and Winemaker Wayne Donaldson suggest serving our Pinot Noir with roasted meats and poultry, duck confit, semi-hard cheeses such as Parmesan, and dishes rich in earthy flavors like those with wild mushrooms.
CHANDON is a global community of winemakers, rooted in a domain on which the sun never sets.
They have been crafting exceptional sparkling wines since our founding in 1959 in Mendoza, Argentina. In 60 years of excellence, the pioneering spirit that’s embedded in their DNA has taken them all over the globe to California, Brazil, Australia, China, and India.
CHANDON is now made up of six personalities under one identity, all making outstanding quality wines, united by their shared personality and values. The mission has always been to open a world of possibilities in sparkling wine. It is as relevant today as it was six decades ago.
In the late 1950s, Robert-Jean de Vogüé, a maverick and non-conformist, had the vision, courage, and stamina to redefine luxury sparkling wine. He was convinced that the road less traveled led to an exciting future for quality sparkling wine, so he set off on an epic journey to find unexpected new lands in Argentina. What he found there, in Mendoza–a high-altitude semi-desert in the Andean foothills – was the perfect terroir for pure, expressive, fruit-driven world-class fizz.
He decided his hunch – export the savoir-faire, not the bottles – was right.
And so, it began in 1959, when Maison CHANDON was founded on the tradition of innovation.
CHANDON Argentina, born of Robert-Jean de Vogüé’s original vision, broke ground in 1959 in Mendoza in the Andean foothills. From there, a world of unique sparkling wines opened up.
Napa, California was the next territory to beckon, after Robert-Jean became convinced of the potential of this region for quality sparkling. The idea was considered revolutionary both in France and in America. The United States had always been a minor market for wines and US demand for California sparkling wines even smaller.
CHANDON California was founded in 1973, betting the emergence of a sparkling-wine maker, and began producing under the direction of Dawnine Dyer in terroirs identified by John Wright.
That same year, 1973, Brazil’s Serra Gaúcha was pinpointed. Then in 1986, Yarra Vally was found for CHANDON Australia, and legendary winemaker Tony Jordan was tasked with producing there. CHANDON China arrived on the scene in 2013, in Ningxia, China, the country’s top premium winemaking region. The most recent member of the family is CHANDON India, founded in 2014, in Nashik, Maharashtra.
As early as the 1970s Carneros became known as a source of terrific Pinot Noir, and was one of the first California regions to gain such a reputation. The combination of sunny days, cooling fog and thin clay soils are tailor-made for the variety. Another factor in Pinot Noir’s prominent place here is vintners’ willingness to experiment widely. The history of the grape in Carneros is marked by continuous research into clonal variations, viticultural techniques and site selection. Careful evaluation over time has revealed a signature flavor profile as well. Complex aromas and flavors of cherry, red berry, spice, earth and cola appear time and again in Carneros Pinot Noir. To this day the appellation remains one of California’s standard bearers for the variety.