Winemaker Notes
-Wine Enthusiast
"Medium red. Complex nose combines red raspberry, cola, game, licorice and chocolatey oak. Initially seemed a bit hard-edged, but with aeration the wine revealed a creamy sweetness. Subtly spicy flavors of sweet/tart red berries, licorice and game. Finishes firmly tannic, subtle and long. Rather sophisticated California pinot."
-IWC
Like a great date, this wine is attractive at first glance, but as the date evolves into a relationship, layers of complexity are discovered. Bright fruit, reminiscent of raspberries or wild strawberries, draw you in, then undercurrents of minerals, earth and spice intrigue you to delve deeper. Balance allows alluring details to come to fore and structure speaks of the power underlying its soft-spoken charms. Given time, good food and good friends, this wine, like a good conversationalist, will slowly reveal its secrets while keeping your senses engaged.
Professional Ratings
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.