Carneros Pinot Noir Tasting: Artesa, Donum, Etude, Hyde de Villaine (HDV), Renteria
Recently, I had the pleasure to attend an event that focused solely on Pinot Noir from the Carneros AVA of Napa Valley, also known as Los Carneros. It was hosted at Artesa and led by Kelli White of GuildSomm. You might be wondering what that is and why you should care. Let me set the stage for you.
“GuildSomm is a nonprofit international membership organization for sommeliers and wine professionals that promotes education, collaboration, and healthy debate while maintaining the key values of the sommelier profession: integrity, humility, and hospitality. We’re here to help you expand your knowledge of the wine world, network, and stay up-to-date on industry news and trends.”
Now you might say, “I am not a sommelier.” True, yet what I have found is that people who are interested in and enjoy exploring the world of wine are bright and curious. They love to learn, and this is an organization whose website you can use to gain more information.
Kelli White, a senior staff writer at GuildSomm, moderated the event. Kelli “began her wine writing career while working as a sommelier in New York. In 2010, she moved to Napa to run the wine program at PRESS and make wine. Her 2015 book Napa Valley, Then & Now offers an unparalleled look at Napa Valley’s history and winemakers.”
Artesa provided a gorgeous setting for the day. The room was filled with attendees from various aspects of the wine business, and one could not have asked for a more picturesque setting. This winery sits on a hill overlooking the bottom of Napa Valley, looking out to the San Pablo Bay. If you are in the valley and want a glorious view of the wine country, Artesa is a good place to get a taste of the beauty of Napa Valley along with well-crafted wines.
The tasting of Pinot Noir was simply wonderful. We were presented with wines from each of the represented wineries, highlighting their appreciation of the varietal and best efforts to showcase the aroma, flavors and characteristics that distinguish Pinot. The coolest part was that the individuals who guided the tasting experiences of each wine were the winemakers themselves. The conversation, led by Kelli, allowed the winemakers to provide profiles and share their process to showcase the similarities and differences of each wine.
The event was intended to highlight the attributes and qualities that distinguish the Carneros AVA (American Viticulture Area). AVA is a federally recognized geographic designation. Similar features such as soil, wind, water and temperature distinguish each AVA. Napa Valley has 16 distinct AVAs. The Carneros AVA is distinguished by a cooler, windier climate influenced by the moist, cooler winds off the Bay. Also being further south in the Napa Valley, it is the one most suited for cooler loving varietals such as chardonnay and Pinot Noir. It also is the only AVA that spans two counties, Napa and Sonoma. This link will take you to the Napa Valley Vintners website which will display the map of the 16 AVAs and denote the key characteristics of each of them.
Pinot Noir is said to best represent the terroir it is grown in, and these wines were all excellent examples of this cool growing climate — bright fruit, aromatic, plush on the palate, and earthy. The wines were well crafted and very enjoyable. My particular favorites on this day were from Donum and Etude.
To try these wines where you live, please search the wineries’ websites to see stores that have their wine or restaurants that carry their bottles. It is worth your while to explore and taste this distinctive AVA Los Carneros.
Enjoy!