2018 Davis Estates Pinot Noir

Davis Estates was founded in 2011 when the Davis family purchased an early 20th century winery in Calistoga. Mike Davis grew up in San Mateo County and had long wanted to own a historic estate. He and his family restored and refurbished the estate and today have 155 acres in Calistoga, 20 acres in Howell Mountain and 1.5 acres in Rutherford. Davis estates produces Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, Chardonnay, Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc.

Carneros AVA, also known as Los Carneros, is at the southern end of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys at the top of the San Francisco Bay. The 8,000 vineyard acres are mostly planted to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, both of which thrive in the district’s cool, marine climate. Carneros became an AVA in 1983 and it has attracted foreign wine companies along with local producers. It has been especially appealing to European producers of sparkling wines including the giant Spanish cava producers Codorniu and Frexinet, and the French Champagne house Taittinger. Codorniu in Carneros is called Artesa, and Frexinet’s Carneros brand is Gloria Ferrer. Taittinger calls its Carneros winery Domaine Carneros. The European producers also make still wines in Carneros.

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.