2004 Elyse Wildhorse Valley Pinot Noir

Elyse is a Napa Valley winery founded in 1987 by Ray and Nancy Coursen. Ray grew up on a New Jersey dairy farm and attended agricultural college before moving to the Napa Valley to pursue winemaking. Nancy is a third-generation Californian who met Ray and joined him in establishing their own winery. Ray worked for several Napa producers before starting his own label, which is named after the couple’s daughter. The Coursens source grapes from Napa Valley growers. In 1998 they started a second label, Jacob Franklin, named for their son. Robert M. Parker Jr. notes that "these wines are at least very good, and often outstanding, as Coursen knows how to coax high quality out of Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvignon..."

Wild Horse Valley AVA is the smallest and least well-known appellation in the Napa Valley. Though it has been an official AVA since 1988, its location on the eastern border of Napa County due east of Coombsville makes it very off the beaten track for wine tourism and almost everything else. Compounding confusion about the AVA is that parts of it lie in Solano County. Due to its elevation and proximity to San Pablo Bay, it is Napa Valley’s coolest AVA. Some of its land is as high as 2,130 feet above sea level. Of the 3,300 acres within the appellation, about 70 acres are planted to vineyards. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the principal grapes here. Lake Heron Vineyard and Winery, which produces Olivia Brion wines, is one of the few producers located here.

This red wine is relatively light and can pair with a wide variety of foods. The grape prefers cooler climates and the wine is most often associated with Burgundy, Champagne and the U.S. west coast. Regional differences make it nearly as fickle as it is flexible.