94pts James Suckling

Vivid flavors of fresh strawberries and orange peel with some wet earth and hints of hazelnut. Medium to full body. Fine and creamy tannins and a beautiful finish. A thoroughly lovely 2021 pinot. One of the best I have tasted from here.

91pts Wine Spectator

An engaging style, with a nice burst of gently steeped raspberry and strawberry notes backed by red licorice and red tea. This extroverted crowd-pleaser's structure is on the brambly side and helps drive the finish along nicely. Drink now through 2028. 4,194 cases made.

Winemaker's Notes

The 2021 edition of Domaine Carneros Estate Pinot Noir 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 of cranberry and raspberry intertwined with silky creamy texture, followed by notes of spice and forest floor on the warming finish. Ten 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 delivers with a supple and rich mouthfeel.

Winery Notes

A joint venture between Champagne Taittinger and Kobrand Corporation, partners who are perfectionists in their fields, Domaine Carneros has established itself since its inception in 1987 as one of California's finest producers of premium quality, methode traditionelle sparkling wines. The inspiration for Domaine Carneros belongs to Champagne Taittinger; the first glimmerings of the concept were shaped in the mind of Claude Taittinger in 1947. The 138 acre estate is situated in the Carneros appellation of Northern California, a 36,900 acre viticultural area which straddles the border between the Napa and Sonoma counties at their southern extremity. The estate's vineyards extend up a slope rising to a crest overlooking San Francisco and San Pablo Bay, with an elevation of 120 to 260 feet above sea level.