Winemaker Notes
Pair with braised beef, duck, goose, pheasant, lamb tangine, osso bucco, plank-roasted salmon, semi-soft, herbed and smoked cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
This classy, polished Pinot Noir leans to the restrained, balanced side of the variety while still delivering a keenly focused look at ripe red cherries, hints of cocoa and rooty, dusty earth nuances. If it is perhaps a bit less dramatic than some of its upscale peers, it does come with a more accessible price and has fairly wide distribution in the market. Its tannic spine adds a French-like, sturdy quality, and, as much as we like this wine now, we expect that it will get better and better over time.
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.