Winemaker Notes
Saturated boysenberry and blueberry aromas mingle with hints of truffle and creamy oak spice on the nose of the 2007 Deer Camp Pinot Noir. The wine has a sweet, dense fruit entry that leads to a juicy palate filled with ripe plum and boysenberry confiture. The finish is long with hints of orange zest and sweet spice. This is a powerful and serious Pinot Noir with great depth of fruit, supple tannins and vitality.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This has been one of Etude's best bottlings, and 2007 was a great year. If you enjoy sheer, decadent deliciousness in your Pinot Noirs, this is one for you. The palate first is struck by the rich waves of cherry pie filling, raspberry essence and sweet, vanilla-tinged, smoky oak. Then it discovers the soft silkiness, and finally the firm, fine tannins kick in, providing structure. Just beguiling, and should develop in the bottle over the next 5–6 years.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
The richest effort is the 2007 Pinot Noir Deer Camp. Lots of minerality buttresses the wine’s full-bodied, black cherry, cranberry, and strawberry flavors. It possesses excellent texture, power, depth, and richness as well as moderate tannin. One to two years of cellaring is warranted, and it should evolve for at least a decade.
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.