Winemaker Notes
A tangy fresh cherry nose opens to cocoa, cola, and notes of nutmeg. The juicy lip smacking entry shows lovely cherry and wild strawberry flavors with gorgeous rose petal and baking spices in the background. Smooth tannin and vibrant acidity make this a perfect wine for food pairings.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Balanced on a high level, this intense and concentrated wine is memorable now and sure to improve with further age. Focused black currant and black cherry flavors race across the palate, driven by nervy acidity and muscular tannins. The wine is great to pair with roast duck or pheasant. Best from 2027.
-
James Suckling
Aromas of strawberries and raspberries with dried blood orange, savory herbs and dry earth. Creamy and textured with a medium body and chalky tannins. Flavorful finish.
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.
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.