2021 The Estates Pinot Noir, Carneros

THE VINEYARD: We select fruit from the renowned Carneros region, where windswept hills prove to be the ideal home for the notoriously challenging and delicate Pinot Noir varietal. The cool nights, foggy mornings, and afternoon breezes that blow in from San Pablo Bay allow for the slow, even ripening needed for the development of key flavors and aromas.

THE VINTAGE: The 2021 growing season was excellent and mild. After rains in January and February, the season remained dry. The weather was optimal at budbreak in April, bloom in May and through the summer into harvest. A lower-than-average yield resulted in small, deeply concentrated grapes. The fruit was harvested by hand and was fermented in stainless open-top tanks. The wine spent 25 days on skins before aging in French oak barrels (67% new).