Winemaker Notes
Schug Carneros Pinot Noir offers a wide range of flavors and aromas, in the tradition of the finest red Burgundies of France. "Clonal diversity" is achieved by carefully blending several vineyard lots, each retaining its own unique clonal signature in the blend. The result is a complex wine with a rich bouquet of cherries, berries, and hints of spicy new oak. It has flavors reminiscent of black cherry, currant, and strawberry, followed by a rich, spicy texture and a long silky finish.
Professional Ratings
-
Tasting Panel
-
James Suckling
Violets, raspberries, cloves, orange zest and spice box on the nose. Creamy and layered with a medium to full body and rounded tannins. I like the vibrant spiciness. Delicious now.
-
Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2021 Schug Carneros Pinot Noir is racy as it explodes with excellent purity of fruit. TASTING NOTES: This wine excels with aromas and flavors of dried leaves, savory spices, wild strawberries, and other racy red fruits. Pair it with grilled, wild salmon fillets. (Tasted: November 24, 2022, San Francisco, CA)
-
Wine Enthusiast
Brawny and full bodied, this Pinot Noir is bigger in structure than most, strapping its ample strawberry, cedar and cinnamon flavors in nicely firm tannins and good acidity. Pair it like a Cabernet with steaks, roasts and BBQ.
Schug Winery was founded in 1980 with unwavering dedication to Pinot Noir excellence—a specialization that spans 45 years and sets them apart from generalist wineries. Walter Schug, the legendary winemaker who created Joseph Phelps' iconic Insignia, established his legacy in Carneros, where low-intervention Old World winemaking meets California terroir.
Today, 5th-generation German winemaker Johannes Scheid continues this authentic heritage with wines that consistently score 90+ points across their entire portfolio. Johannes trained at Walter's alma mater in Germany, bringing multi-generational European winemaking expertise to their sustainable California practices.
What makes Schug exceptional is their genuine commitment to specialization and authenticity. While others spread their focus across multiple varietals, they've perfected their craft with nearly half a century devoted to exceptional Pinot Noir. This deep expertise, combined with their European winemaking tradition and compelling value proposition, has driven their national expansion and established Schug as a trusted name among wine enthusiasts who appreciate both heritage and quality.
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.