Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Spectator
Ripe but sports a cool profile (temperature-wise), with blueberry and açaí berry peeking in on the core of raspberry and plum fruit flavors, while sleek acidity is nicely embedded throughout. Pretty spice and violet hints gild the finish.
-
Wine Enthusiast
A full-bodied expression of the famous site, long a source for this producer, this inn his spicy, earthy and tannic, with a concentration of lush, richly layered red fruit.
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.