Winemaker Notes
Floral aromatics on the nose, with notes of red fruit, cran-raspberry, black fruit and candied violets. The palate offers a juicy, fruit-forward entry, followed by a round and lively middle full of huckleberries and red fruit, followed by a hint of jasmine. Silky soft and lingering tannins add to the balanced and lengthy finish.
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
This is one of the producer’s larger production offerings and an outstanding representation of both the site and the vintage. Spicy, fresh and lively, it has an ethereal elegance that appeals, with underlying power and structure. Black tea, citrus and dark cherry combine effortlessly to provide subtle richness.
-
James Suckling
Lots of cherries and strawberries with stems and flowers. Violets and light toast. Medium-bodied with very pure fruit and mineral and flint character underneath. Lovely length and drinkability. Drink or hold.
-
Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The 2019 Pinot Noir Three Hills has a medium ruby color and a nose of cranberry sauce and rhubarb with nuances of cinnamon, underbrush and citrus peel. The medium-bodied palate offers intense red fruits to counter its gregarious new oak spices, a grainy, fresh frame and long, flavorful finish. Best After 2022
-
Wine Spectator
The inviting core of kirsch and plum preserve flavors are laced with red licorice and given a kiss of red tea accents through the caressing, lightly-toasted finish of this Pinot Noir. Crowd pleaser. Drink now
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.