Winemaker Notes
The nose is very complex and fresh, with intense, forward fruit on cherry and raspberry mingled with gentle toasted almond notes. The wine has a very good attack, on elegant and succulent tannins. Fruit flavors emerge on the mid-palate, especially cherry, while the elegant finish combines the fullness of fresh fruit with the refinement of the Casablanca terroir.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A new pinot noir with aromas of sliced strawberries, lemongrass, stems and roses that follow through to a medium body with firm tannins and acidity that gives freshness and bright character on the palate. Peaches, too. 30% whole bunch fermentation. Made from clone 777 and Concha y Toro clone (Davis). Excellent value. Attractive to drink now but will improve with age. Drink or hold.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The 2023 Baron Philippe de Rothschild Escudo Rojo Pinot Noir evokes a rustic Chilean backroad, guided by clarity of fruit and varietal purity. Aromas and flavors lean toward candied cherry and ripe red berries, balanced by fresh acidity and an easy, natural charm. Its supple texture and bright finish make it an ideal match for classic Chilean parrilla fare—especially asado de tira a la parrilla, served hot off the grill with smoky char and a spoonful of vibrant pebre. (Tasted: December 25, 2025, San Francisco, CA)
Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”
A region that has become synonymous with some of the best whites of Chile, the Casablanca Valley is full of dozens of bodegas who either grow fruit here or come from outside to source from local growers for their own white wine programs. The valley runs from east to west, which means that its westernmost vineyards receive the most cooling influence from the reliable afternoon sea breezes. The soils also tend to be heavier in clay in the west, whereas the eastern end of the valley is warmer and its soils are predominantly granitic. Sauvignon blanc thrives here, Chardonnay does well and Pinot noir is not uncommon.