Winemaker Notes
The historic ranch of Judge Stanly greets visitors to the Napa Valley as they drive up Highway 29 towards the city of Napa and anchors the southeastern corner of the Carneros. The fourth incarnation of grape vines on this property began in 2001 with the development of 350 acres of vines using modern clones, spacing and vertical trellising on the property's clay-loam soils and gently rolling hills. Saintsbury has purchased Stanly Ranch fruit since the 1984 vintage and during the last 20 years it has been a significant source for the Carneros Pinot Noir and Reserve bottlings. We have now come full circle with the Vineyard Series Stanly Ranch one of the successors of the Reserve Pinot Noir in our Pinot Noir lineup.
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.