Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wine & Spirits
This has the black-cherry richness of Carneros pinot noir, feeling saturated with flavor without being sweet. The wealth of fruit creates a soft, velvet texture, its subtle complexity lasting as the flavors brighten. A generous pinot noir for roast duck.
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Wine Enthusiast
A festive, elegant Pinot for drinking now with fine fare, such as lamb, steak, salmon or tuna. It’s crisp, silky and dry, yet there’s a core of ripe raspberry and cherry essence enriched with toasty oak.
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.