Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
A fragrant nose of strawberries, cherries, grilled herbs, mushrooms and spice box. It’s medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and crisp acidity. Fresh, juicy and crunchy. Drink
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Wine Enthusiast
Fruity and robust, this full-bodied wine is packed with black cherries, blackberries and light oak spices, while moderate tannins give the texture some grip. It has good concentration and structure for hearty food pairings.
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Wine Spectator
This is nicely rendered—compact and energetic, without being too dense or overly fruity—offering juicy red currant and raspberry notes mixed with black tea and savory hints, with everything knitting nicely through the finish.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2019 Bouchaine Carneros Pinot Noir is bright, aromatic, and alive. TASTING NOTES: This wine shines with aromas and flavors of wild strawberries, some black fruits, and chalky notes. Pair it with grilled salmon fillets. (Tasted: July 18, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
Bouchaine Vineyards is established in the site of the oldest continually operated winery in Carneros in the southern end of the Napa Valley. Bouchaine is dedicated to the pursuit of enticing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, whose grapes are best suited to the climate and soils of our beautiful 100-acre estate vineyard. Located just north of the San Pablo and San Francisco Bays, the vineyard climate is directly influenced by the fog that rolls in each night, and the shallow, clay loam soils are perfectly suited to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Undoubtedly proving its merit over and over, Napa Valley is a now a leading force in the world of prestigious red wine regions. Though Cabernet Sauvignon dominates Napa Valley, other red varieties certainly thrive here. Important but often overlooked include Merlot and other Bordeaux varieties well-regarded on their own as well as for their blending capacities. Very old vine Zinfandel represents an important historical stronghold for the region and Pinot noir is produced in the cooler southern parts, close to the San Pablo Bay.
Perfectly situated running north to south, the valley acts as a corridor, pulling cool, moist air up from the San Pablo Bay in the evenings during the hot days of the growing season, which leads to even and slow grape ripening. Furthermore the valley claims over 100 soil variations including layers of volcanic, gravel, sand and silt—a combination excellent for world-class red wine production.