Winemaker Notes
This classic Carneros region Pinot Noir offers a wide range of flavors and aromas thanks to its clonal diversity. The individual clones from several vineyard lots are vinified separately and then carefully selected and blended, each retaining its unique clonal signature. The result is a complex wine with a rich bouquet of dusty warm berries, and hints of floral notes and baking spices. It is bursting with juicy flavors of black cherry and plum, wrapped in a silky and elegant texture, and ending with a long, flavorful finish.
This wine pairs nicely with lamb, duck, and grilled fish.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
This aromatically bombastic Pinot Noir jumps from the glass with aromas of fresh Bing cherry, cranberry, cedar, rose petals and black tea. The palate delivers more cherry fruit, with flavors of salted plum, orange peel, cocoa powder, flowers and cinnamon that dance and evolve along the finish. Captivating stuff!!
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James Suckling
A nicely dense, woodsy, savory red that's dry, deep and complex on the palate. A full body and light tannins support flavors of black cherries, sour cherries, black tea, forest floor and mushrooms. Not heavy, but serious and generous.
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Tasting Panel
The nose displays tilled earth, with an underlying mineral tone. Dark and dramatic, with cigar leaf, leather, and black tea. Plum and new leather maintain a paradigm of ripe fruit and soil-rich, savory undertones.
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Wine Spectator
Gently warmed plum and blackberry fruit is relatively open-knit in feel, with a juicy finish that lets in anise and rosehip hints. Drink now through 2030.
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Jeb Dunnuck
Pouring a bright ruby red hue, the 2023 Pinot Noir Carneros is bright with notes of cranberry cocktail, cinnamon, beet root, and wildflowers. It’s medium-bodied, has a nicely balanced, refreshing spine of ripe acidity, fine tannins, and a fruity but well-managed feel.
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.