Winemaker Notes
This iconic site consistently delivers one of the most elegant and refined Pinots in our portfolio. Black tea, licorice, dried rose petal and five spice powder weaves through strikingly vivid kaleidoscopic impressions of fresh red cherry, blackberry, pomegranate and kirsch. Crisp, fresh acidity flows and supports the energetic but rich palate resolving to an array of finely grained tannin. Firm and structured in its youth, this superb wine has the balance, the fruit and the finesse and texture to reward many years of patient cellaring.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Dark, deep and brooding, this muscular but agile wine is rich in aromas of cloves, cedar, cinnamon and cooked cherries before blueberries, vanilla and black currants flood the palate. Firm but soothing tannins are seamlessly integrated with the complex fruit and spice elements. Best from 2027–2033.
Cellar Selection -
Wine Spectator
Offers singed apple wood and wood spice notes, with a nicely coiled core of dark cherry and blackberry flavors held in check for now by racy acidity. The frame is toasty, but the fruit core is pure and solid. This just needs a little bottle age to round fully into form.
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.