Domaine
Carneros
 |
Pinot Noir
by Taittinger |
Completely committed to the Carneros appellation, Domaine Carneros takes advantage
of the appellation's ideal microclimate and terroir for Pinot Noir. The Domaine
Carneros estate of 217 acres is situated in the heart of the Carneros, the first
American viticultural zone to be defined according to microclimate rather than
along political lines. It is characterized by a long, cool growing season tempered
by the maritime breezes and persistent fogs of the San Pablo Bay just to its south.
This environment provides the optimum conditions for slow, even ripening, perfect
acidic balance and full, harmonious evolution of the organic elements in the fruit.
Carneros' soils are poor and shallow, and rainfall scant, resulting in low yield
per vine and superb fruit concentration. Of the principal estate's total area,
105 acres are planted in vines, of which approximately half are in five clones
of Chardonnay and half in seven clones of Pinot Noir. The balance are in small
plots of Pinot Blanc. In 1999 and 2001, two additional vineyards were acquired
to supplement fruit from the principal estate. The La Rocaille vineyard, in far
eastern Carneros, was first planted in 1997 and supports 28 acres of Pinot Noir
vines which contribute primarily to Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir. The Pompadour
vineyard, in western Carneros, covers 57 acres in Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines
planted in 1991, and is a source of fruit for both the sparkling and still wine
cuvées. Since its establishment in 1987, Domaine Carneros has consistently refined
its Pinot Noir plandings, choosing Heritage clones and select Dijon clones which
bring unique qualities the final blend.
Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir was first produced in the 1992 vintage from estate
grapes, and has been so in every vintage since. Following four years' experience
with the estate sparkling wines, of which a primary component is Pinot Noir, it
was evident that the superb quality of the fruit produced from the estate's vines
was worthy of its own recognition. Esclusive reliance on estate fruit allows the
winery to completely control management of the vineyard and make all qualitative
decisions. Harvest begins in mid-to late August, at the point when the Pinot Noir
grapes have achieved a level of maturity at which intensity of flavor is at its
peak. The fog which descends on the area at dusk reduces air temperature by as
much as 20°F, cooling the fruit by the middle of the night, creating a complex
spectrum of flavors in the grapes.
The harvest takes place during the early morning hours; the grapes are hand-harvested
into shallow receptacles to avoid any bruising and immediately brought to the
cellar. The presses used for production of the sparkling wines are also used for
the Pinot Noir, and press the grapes very delicately to yield juice of exceptional
quality and ultimately a wine with very soft tannins and a silky finish. The clones
are maintained separately and the must fermented in small, open-op fermenting
tanks with two cooling jackets pecifically designed for Pinot Noir. Eight feet
wide by eight feet high, these tanks maximize skin to juice contact for optimum
color and flavor extraction. The double jacketed cooling system allows the tank
temperature to be controlled from top to bottom at all times, a critical element
during fermentation.
Alcoholic fermentation takes place at a maximum temperature of 34°C (93F°) over
a period of ten to 14 days, and the caps are punched down daily by hand. Skin
contact following fermentation is maintained for three to four days, after which
the wine is drawn off directly into small French oak barriques. The final blend
is composed of seven different clones and matured in several types of French oak,
each of which imparts a distinctive quality to the wine. Selected from four different
French forests and sourced from highly respected coopers, the barrels enhance
complexity yet their influece remains in the background, evoking all the wine's
nuances. The wine spends ten months in barrels, 45% of which are new. A full malolactic
fermentation occurs, undisturbed, in barrel, where the wine remains for an additional
ten months. Several rackings are carried out during the latter part of the aging
period.
Domaine Carneros is deeply passionate about every wine it produces, demanding
consistency and quality from every bottle. This distinctive Pinot Noir is an intensely
fragrant, elegant expression of the varietal, with an deep cherry red color and
powerful, classic Carneros aromas of blackberry and spice offset by notes of toast
and vanilla from its time in oak. On the palate the wine is full, generously fruity
and perfectly balanced, with superb harmony of lushness and sustaining acidity
set in a structure marked by supple tannins and a silky texture. The finish is
long and aristocratic, confirming the impressions of dark fruit and spice.
Suggested retail price: $27
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