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 2023 growing season was a lesson in patience. The winery was set and ready to go at the end of August, when we typically begin harvest, but Mother Nature hit the brakes and forced us to relax until the end of September when our grapes were finally ready to pick. Conditions over spring and summer were beautiful in the vineyard but the typical heat we experience over Labor Day eluded us, leading to slower ripening on the vine. We all know “patience is a virtue” though, and our efforts were eventually rewarded with some phenomenal grapes that had been given a bit more time to develop. That extra time, coupled with the bountiful Carneros sunshine during the fall, helped produce wines of vibrant flavor and excellent texture. Patience may not always be our strongpoint since we’re always excited to share our wines with you, but in the end it was well worth the wait.

Vinification
All grapes are hand harvested at night, preserving berry integrity and low temperatures for cold soak. After a 5–7 day cold soak in both open and closed top tanks, only native yeast is used to ferment our Pinot Noir. The wine is drawn off at the end of fermentation and the must placed into a basket press for gentle pressing. All wines complete malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels. The vineyard blocks are kept separate for evaluation with the most intriguing racked together in late Spring to assemble the finest expression of Carneros. Wine is then returned to barrel to allow the blend to marry before the August bottling.

Tasting Notes
A tangy fresh cherry nose opens to cocoa, cola, and notes of nutmeg. The juicy lip smacking entry shows lovely cherry and wild strawberry flavors with gorgeous rose petal and baking spices in the background. Smooth tannin and vibrant acidity make this a perfect wine for food pairings.