2005 Etude Wines Carneros Estate Pinot Noir

Mission Codename: Att-Etude!

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Infiltrate the Etude Winery and recover an ample quantity of their fabled 2005 Carneros Pinot Noir

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery:Etude Winery

Wine Subject: 2005 Pinot Noir Carneros Estate

Winemaker: John Priest

Backgrounder: The Carneros region, which straddles Napa and Sonoma Counties, is famous for producing incredible wines. Particularly Pinot Noir. Today’s Etude Carneros Pinot is the best we have tried from them! Agent Red was dispatched to investigate today’s wine and you can read his tasting profile and mission report to learn what makes today’s wine so special

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – This pretty wine has the appearance of dark pomegranate juice, changing color from ruby red to slightly pinkish only at the edges of the wine. When swirled, the surface of the wine appears tight and springy but settles quickly, leaving behind a unique staircase of evenly-spaced, skinny legs that emerge slowly and then streak down the glass

Smell – An opulent and lush rush of layered raspberry, strawberry, and cherry, with earthen oak, soft spice and soft minerals

Feel – Plush and soft with a velvety roundness, across the entire palate. After a moment, the wine grips in at the tip of the tongue as medium tannins emerge, also drying the inside the cheeks and lips with a soft minerality

Taste – Complex and delicious, presenting a Burgindian character with, dark cherry, black tea, smoky raspberry, earth, soft spice and softer oak

Finish – Ultra long, starting slightly tart and dry – then, sweet dark-flavors and a gentle minerality emerges as flavors tail off slowly

Conclusion – Etude declares that this wine is styled Burgundy, but with California roots. This is an apt description, but its not the complete story. This wine is lush and delicious, with a ton of character that is a great wine for those in search of a serious french-stlye Pinot Noir – without sacrificing the delicious fruit of a Cali. This wine show a beautiful balance between the two, with lush flavors that are complimented by the bright Carneros fruit of Etude’s estate vineyards. With enough character to drink on its own, this wine also possesses a bright acidity that makes it a great compliment to most fine meals.

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of the Etude Estate vineyards and winery can be seen in this satellite photo.