Winemaker Notes
This lusciously juicy Pinot Noir is redolent with raspberry and black cherry aromas and flavors enhanced with hints of smoke and exotic spice. It is medium-bodied with bright acidity and a broad richness of even-tempered tannin that stretches into a long finish.
This dynamic wine can be enjoyed alone as an aperitif or matched with a diverse group of dishes such as beef, poultry, pork or grilled salmon, prepared in a variety of culinary styles.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of blackberries, blueberries, baking spices, leather and dried herbs. The palate is medium-bodied with firmly framed tannins, bright acidity and a creamy texture, giving flavors of dark cherries, cocoa beans and tobacco leaves. Very pure and expressive. Drink or hold.
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Wine Enthusiast
Black currants, blueberries, thyme,and sage lift from the glass and continue into flavorsaccented by dried tobacco, creating a hearty Pinot Noir.Succulent tannins and a full wash of mouthwateringacidity keep the wine poised and fresh in the mouth.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
A hint of scorched coffee accentuates ripe cherries on the nose of the 2023 Pinot Noir Estate, a silky-textured, medium-bodied effort. A blend of numerous clones, aged 10 months in 30% new French oak, it's bright and balanced, gently oaky, with those coffee notes echoing on the finish.
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.