Carneros Pinot Noir
Three pedigree Pinots express our Carneros terroir in distinctively delicious ways: fresh pomegranate and red raspberry in 2021 Avant-Garde; silky red and darker berry flavors in 2021 Estate Pinot Noir; and sweet Bing cherry, black tea and sassafras in the 2022 Famous Gate. Give us a call when you've received your shipment to make your appointment for a personal half hour zoom session with one of our wine educators. Reach us at 707.257.0101 ext 182 for more information or to make your appointment.
2021 Avant-Garde Pinot Noir: It was created to be the vanguard of the vintage, heralding the distinctive bright berry qualities of the Carneros Region. The fruit for this wine is sourced from all six Domaine Carneros vineyards in the rolling hills of Carneros. The wine is fermented in small open-topped tanks and then aged for 8 months in Burgundian French oak barrels from cooperages that are specially selected to complement the aroma and flavor profile of this wine.
2021 Estate Pinot Noir: This wine begins packs a range of delicious fruit and savory flavors. Beginning with the nose one encounters subtle red fruits, coastal fern, and tobacco leaf. The palate delivers vibrant red fruits including cranberry and raspberry intertwined with silky creamy texture, followed by notes of spice and forest floor on the warming finish. 10 months of barrel age lends a sweetness that balances the supple tannin from this exceptional vintage producing an intense full bodied Pinot Noir. The hallmark of Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir is the texture and this wine, as noted above, delivers with a supple, rich mouthfeel, and warming finish.
2022 The Famous Gate Pinot Noir: The “Famous Gate” pays homage to our deep commitment to Pinot Noir. For the past thirty years, we have carefully cultivated three old-vine blocks of the historic Swan selection of Pinot Noir. Each small block is located at a different vineyard; two are in Napa, and one on the western Sonoma side of Carneros. In this wine, Swan takes center stage, with two supporting characters – “Hanzell” selection and “Dijon 115” to create the highest expression of our estate-grown Carneros terroir.