Winemaker Notes
Heady aromas of raspberry, cherry and wild strawberry jump from the glass, tinged with notes of anise and coriander. Pure and vibrant, the wine delivers sweet red cherry and berry flavors that pick up spicy notes of clove and cinnamon and a hint of toffee on the finish. Fruit concentration, bright acidity and velvety tannins are the hallmarks of this estate-grown Pinot Noir.
Professional Ratings
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Connoisseurs' Guide
Starting off with focused red cherry aromas and following from there with nuances of dried spices hinting at nutmeg and a hint of cinnamon, the wine fully lives up to its fine aromatic start by delivering flavors that are at once reasonably deep yet vital and impeccably balanced and fairly long at the finish. Although not a wine of great sinew, it is firm and brisk at this point and has the stuff to age well for three to five years.
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Wine Spectator
Spicy and rich, with ripe plum, blackberry and black cherry flavors. There's good intensity and depth, with firm tannins and a tight focus. Finishes with a dash of smoky notes. Drink now through 2019. 4,028 cases made.
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.