Winemaker Notes
Carpe Diem wines are crafted by two world-renowned winemaking teams, using select grapes from two distinct California appellations: Anderson Valley for pinot noir and chardonnay, and Napa Valley for cabernet sauvignon.
Vinified under the meticulous supervision of the Roederer winemaking team, the philosophy behind Carpe Diem’s Pinot Noir and Chardonnay is to offer the best of two worlds: the richness of California fruit and the elegance of a French wine.
Carpe Diem launched its Napa Cabernet Sauvignon with the 2005 vintage, vinified by Christian Moueix‘s expert winemaking team in Yountville, California. Carpe Diem Cabernet embodies the essence of finely balanced Napa Valley classic cabernet sauvignon made in a traditional style.
Surrounded by redwood forests and often blanketed in chilly, ocean fog, the Anderson Valley is one of California’s most picturesque appellations. During the growing season, moist, cool, late afternoon air flows in from the Pacific Ocean along the Navarro River and over the valley's golden, oak-studded hills. High and low temperatures can vary as much as 40 or 50 degrees within a single day, allowing for slow and gentle ripening of grapes, which will in turn create elegantly balanced wines.
The Anderson Valley is best known for Pinot Noir made in a range of styles from delicate and floral to powerful and concentrated. Chardonnay also shines here, and both varieties are often utilized for the production of some of California’s best traditional method sparkling wines. The region also draws inspiration from Alsace and produces excellent Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.