Winemaker Notes
The Carneros Pinot Noir shows an enticing red burgundy color and offers beautiful bright red fruit aromas of Queen Anne cherry and cranberry with notes of white pepper, cardamom and molasses. This is a smooth wine with elegant flavors of bright raspberry and strawberry that culminate in a long, lingering finish.
?The Carneros Pinot Noir grapes were handpicked at night and hand-sorted twice before being gently destemmed. Each lot was cold soaked for a minimum of five days to maximize color and flavor extraction. The must was then fermented in small open-top fermenters to broaden the texture and complexity of the wine. After an average of 14 days on the skins, the wine was pressed gently and aged for nine months in 12% new French & Hungarian oak, with the balance in one to two-year-old barrels.
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.