Winemaker Notes
The bouquet is filled with notes of dark berries and earthy notes. Mouth-coating tannins and flavors of coffee, black cherry, and blackberry dominate the brooding palate. It finishes round with chewy chocolaty tannins that accentuate a luxuriously long finish that offers promise for greater things to come. It drinks deliciously now, and if you can resist a little - years in the cellar will reveal ever-softening velvety layers to explore and enjoy.
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2018 Pinot Noir shoots from the glass with bold scents of juicy red plums, Bing cherries and raspberry leaves, plus hints of rhubarb, dried Provence herbs and damp soil. Medium-bodied, delicately styled and refreshing with fine-grained tannins, it has a spicy kick to the finish.
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.