Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
The Lee Vineyard—a longtime stalwart Pinot Noir site on the Napa side of the Carneros District—continues to perform admirably year after year. The 2014 Saintsbury shows richness without sacrificing elegance. The wine's bright red fruit and satisfying textures pair it nicely with a crown roast of lamb. Drinks quite well now. (Tasted: September 8, 2016, San Francisco, CA)
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Wine Enthusiast
Velvety and brooding, this vineyard-designate is complex and well structured, memorable in its combination of savory earth, black tea and cranberry-rhubarb. It has a dense body and concentrated texture, which present as voluptuous on the palate.
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Wine Spectator
Combines richness with texture, as the supple core of cherry, plum and wild berry reveals backbone and focus. Picks up floral aromas, with violet, jasmine and licorice details.
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.