Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Soft and juicy with beautiful mouth feel and intensity. Layered and gorgeous. Full body. A voluptuous finish. Gorgeous. 93-94 points
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Pinot Noir Hyde Vineyard has crushed cherries and red currants on the nose with underlying violets, charcoal and black soil notes. Medium-bodied and firmly structured, with chewy tannins and lively acid, it offers well-defined red berry and earth flavors in the mouth and great length.
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.