Winemaker Notes
The two clones were picked and vinified separately. The grapes were natively fermented in open top fermenters with 50% whole cluster in the Gamay Beaujolais clone. The wine was pressed to neutral barrels for 11 months and blended prior to bottling.
Professional Ratings
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Vinous
The 2023 Pinot Noir Las Brisas Vineyard is one of the most elegant, refined wines I have tasted from Ryme. Intensely aromatic and seamless on the palate, the 2023 is all class. Crushed flowers, red/purplish fruit, blood orange and exotic spice notes build effortlessly. The 20% stems are not especially evident.
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.