Bouchaine’s 100-acre estate vineyard lies on the southern border of Napa Valley’s Carneros district, overlooking the San Francisco bay with the financial district in the distance. Fog, wind, and the cold night time temperatures of this unique geographical area lend a distinctive regional identity to our Pinot Noir.

Growing Season
The growing season of 2022 will ultimately be defined by the 5-day heat wave we experienced in early September. Thankfully, our crop was ready to be harvested. The heat condensed the time frame of harvest and the winery filled up quickly. Prior to the heat, the growing season in Carneros was highlighted only by its cool breezes and morning fog. With all of these factors combined, Bouchaine was able to capture the fresh acidity we know and love, while also extracting velvety structure and depth of flavor in the wines.

Vinification
All fruit is hand-harvested at night, preserving berry integrity. After a 7-day cold soak, fruit is fermented using native yeast in open-top tanks. Post-fermentation, the wine is drawn off and the must placed into a basket press for gentle pressing. The vineyard blocks are kept separate and allowed to evolve in French oak barrels, with the most intriguing barrels set aside to assemble the finest expression of the Swan Clone from our estate. The wine is kept on primary lees right up until bottling for added nuance and depth.

Tasting Notes
Each sip of this wine brings a word association game to mind. Swan Clone . . . Swan Lake . . . Ballet . . . Ballet Dancers . . . Graceful. And like the ballet dancers themselves, this wine has a gracefulness to the palate with the structure to support it. A wine that is light on its feet, evoking flavors and aromas of just-ripe strawberry, fresh cherry, and cinnamon. Each time you open a bottle is an opening-night not to be missed.