Winemaker Notes
Professional Ratings
-
Wine Enthusiast
Juicy and stemmy, this is a big, bold wine, explosive in highlights of huckleberry, dark cherry and forest floor. With firm tannins for days, it offers enviable length and spice along a smooth grippy texture and forceful complexity.
-
James Suckling
Quite an exotic nose with some fresh blueberry character below, but morello cherries are predominating. Fresh and fruity on the palate with a red-berry finish.
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.