Domaine Carneros Winery

Domaine Carneros Winery
Domaine Carneros Winery from Gourmet Food Plaza
Domaine Carneros Winery.....you'll find more on our series of Wineries and Vineyards

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Domaine Carneros Winery
Domaine Carneros is most well known for its Champagne Taittinger. Domaine Carneros is located near the southern boundaries of the Napa and Sonoma Valleys. The cool microclimate and long growing season are ideal for the cultivation of grapes grown for their Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

In the heart of the Carneros appellation stands the majestic chateau which houses Domaine Carneros winery. Claude Taittinger, president of Champagne Taittinger, traveled in the Carneros as a young man and recognized the potential of this beautiful area to produce world class sparkling wines. With the completion of Domaine Carneros in 1989, his dream of a California prestige winery became a reality. Domaine Carneros stands as testimony to Champagne Taittinger's devotion to the creation of fine sparkling wines, and is considered the landmark of the region.

The chateau at Domaine Carneros is considered one of the most beautiful wineries in North America. Visitors approach the winery via a grand staircase, passing chardonnay and pinot noir vineyards and planters bursting with seasonal flowers. The grand staircase delivers guests to the main entrance of the Visitors’ Center, where you are

invited to enjoy Domaine Carneros wines either in their elegant Louis XV style salon, or in their stunning terrace overlooking the hills and vineyards of Carneros. Domaine Carneros’ wines are sold by the glass or bottle, and are served with complimentary hors d'oeuvres. In the winter months, a crackling fire awaits within, and in the spring, summer and fall, their sunny terrace beckons guests to pause and soak up the splendor of the wine country.

Complimentary guided tours are conducted daily. The tours focuses on the history, production of sparkling wines and pinot noir, and the exceptional qualities of the Carneros Appellation.

Domaine Carneros is only an hour from San Francisco and is conveniently located on the highway connecting Napa and Sonoma Valleys. Include them on your Northern California wine country itinerary. It will be a visit you won't soon forget!

The Vineyards

Located in the heart of the Carneros region, Domaine Carneros stands alone as the only sparkling wine producer using exclusively Carneros grapes. The Carneros Appellation is the first American Viticultural appellation to be defined according to climate rather than along political lines. The appellation is characterized by a long, moderately cool growing season tempered by the maritime breezes and lingering fog off the San Pablo Bay just to the south. These are optimum growing conditions for pinot noir and chardonnay, the two primary grape varieties used in Domaine Carneros wines.

Domaine Carneros farms 195 planted acres of vineyards on three different Carneros vineyard sites. There are 35 different blocks within the three vineyards. Each block is unique either because of the scion/rootstock combination (this is the grape variety grafted onto a pest-resistant

rootstock) or because of the terrain of the block (i.e. slope, direction of rows, soil, sun exposure, etc.) Similar to an artist having many colors in a palette, this provides a variety of components from which our winemakers can create their blends each vintage. To add to this, they have thirteen different clonal selections (six chardonnay and seven pinot noir) all of which were selected for their flavor and intensity.

Almost all of the grapes for Domaine Carneros’ wines come from their own estate vineyards. This is important for two reasons. First it allows the winery to control and direct the production from the vineyard to the bottle, and secondly it allows for continuity in their product resulting in a consistency in their wines. Their vineyards are farmed with the point of view that quality and not tonnage is the primary goal. All of our clones have small-to-medium sized clusters, allowing greater flavor concentration. They also prune each block, during the spring, to remove weak shoots that would add tonnage but would bring down the quality of the fruit because of lack of maturity.

At Domaine Carneros, they know that to maintain the longevity of their vineyards and to protect the surrounding wildlife, they need to farm responsibly in a way that preserves the soils, eliminates erosion and preserves the local ecology. They have made several changes with these efforts in mind. They have moved to the use of mechanical weed removers to reduce herbicides and use chemicals that are either organic or environmentally safe. They have been able to do this by understanding life cycles of diseases and pests by careful observation in the vineyards. They are also introducing more cover crops, which are planted between the vine rows to stabilize the soils in the wet seasons and provide nutrients and organic matter to their soils. In addition, they work with the Napa Resource Conservation

District (NRCD), an organization put together by the growers along Huichica Creek a sensitive water and wildlife area.

The Cellar

Visitors to Domaine Carneros are often impressed by the grand and lovely chateau, but what many do not realize is that the entire rear half of the building and all of the first and second floor house a state of the art winemaking and aging facility. While receiving guests is a large part of what they do, to fully understand the magic of Domaine Carneros sparkling wine, a closer look into our cellar is in order.

The process of making a traditional methodé champenôise sparkling wine begins during harvest. First, 100% Carneros-grown grapes, primarily from their own estate, are delivered to the press pad on the south side of the chateau. They use large Willmes membrane presses

to gently release the fresh grape juice from the fruit. The juice is transferred immediately into stainless steel tanks where the first of two fermentation's take place. At this time, the juice from the different grape varieties and clones are kept separate, so that the winemaker has a full palette of flavors from which to blend the final cuvées for the sparkling wine.

The process of fermentation creates three products. As the yeast consumes the natural sugars in the grape juice, heat, alcohol and carbon dioxide gas are produced. Because this is only the first of two fermentation's, at this stage they are not concerned with trapping any of the CO2, so their tanks have valves that allow the gas to escape. They control the heat with cooling jackets built into the tanks walls. The alcohol remains and is essential to the balance of the wines. When primary fermentation is complete, we have a dry, still wine. . . this is when the magic and artistry of blending comes into play.

Their winemaker, Eileen Crane, and her winemaking team blend the separate lots of these specially made still wines into what is called the cuvée (or blend) for that vintage. The blending of the cuvée is perhaps the most critical step in the sparkling winemaking process, as the winemaker has the opportunity to show her skill in assembling the different component wines into a complete, elegant wine. When the blends have been decided upon and assembled in the stainless steel tanks, sugar and proprietary yeast are added, and the wine is bottled in the very same bottle that is eventually uncorked by the consumer. From here on out, everything that happens to the wine happens in that bottle.

The added yeast's soon set to work on the sugar in the wine, and in no time, the second fermentation is underway. This time, with nowhere to go, the CO2 builds up pressure in the bottle and creates the bubbles in the wine. As the wine continues to interact with the yeast's, subtle flavors and aromas develop. Here at Domaine Carneros, they allow their sparkling wines to age on the yeast (or "lees") for three to six years, resting in the relative quiet of our aging cellar to mature into an outstanding sparkling wine.

When Eileen determines that the wine is ready for release, the yeast is coaxed into the neck of the bottle through a centuries-old process called riddling, and the spent yeast is removed

(or disgorged). The result is a perfectly clear, properly aged, naturally effervescent and delicious sparkling wine. Their commitment to produce only the highest quality wines means that the aging process is never rushed. When founding Domaine Carneros, the intent was to focus specifically on sparkling wines. However, the pinot noir fruit from their vineyards and the delicious wines made by their Carneros neighbors tempted them to make a red pinot noir as well. Since its inaugural 1992 vintage, their highly acclaimed Famous Gate Pinot Noir continues to impress and delight those lucky enough to taste it. With very limited production, Domaine Carneros sells The Famous Gate Pinot Noir only at the winery and in a few export markets such as France, England and Japan. If a visit to the winery is not in your immediate future, they also produce another wonderful pinot noir simply called the Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir that may be available in your area's fine wine shops. Fermented in traditional open topped fermentors, both of our pinots are full, rich red wines with lots of ripe fruit and complex flavors. They are a lovely complement to our selection of sparkling wines.

The Wines

1997 Brut Vintage Sparkling Wine

Their 1997 Brut Vintage comes from a classically great year. The resultant wine reflects the outstanding quality of the vintage. Luscious aromas of cherry, melon, citrus, honey and toasted nuts are present in this luxurious blend. The blend of this wine is 62% Pinot Noir 4% Pinot Meunier and 34% Chardonnay. This Brut was aged on the yeast for three years and will age gracefully for up to ten years or longer

Outstanding. A wine of such remarkable character and quality as to be in a class by itself. Best of Show! Shoppers Guide to California Méthode Champenoise, The Quarterly Review of Wines, Winter 2001/2002

Brut Rosé Sparkling Wine

Their Brut Rosé is redolent with aromas of bright fruit including apricots, wild strawberries and cherries with hints of rose petals and a very distinctive spiciness. The blend of this wine is 60% pinot noir and 40% chardonnay. Their Rosé is made strictly according to the traditional champagne method and due to very limited production, it is reserved only for our winery guests and our Chateau Society members.

“This marriage of French philosophy and California fruit is an
excellent introduction to sparkling Rosé.” Thom Elker, Appellation Magazine

1995 Le Rêve Blanc de Blancs Sparkling Wine

Their 1995 Le Rêve is the fourth in a highly distinguished line of blanc de blancs. Its predecessors have repeatedly been rated "the best Sparkling Wine in America". This current release is a worthy successor to these wines and exemplifies the best of our estate-grown chardonnay. This is a voluptuous wine, round and full-bodied with a long luxurious finish. The aromas are once again of exotic fruit (passion fruit, litchi nut, pineapple and guava) with floral notes of honeysuckle. The scents of fruits and flowers are enhanced by notes of toastiness, cream and citrus creating rich body and complexity. The tiny bubbles create a silky texture. The blend of the 1995 Le Rêve is 99% chardonnay selected from our six different estate-

grown clones and 1% pinot blanc. It is drinking beautifully now but will continue to age and develop for many years.

Top Sparkler for the Holidays! Wonderfully fragrant with aromas of crystalline lemon and green apple that float across the palate to a long sustained finish. The Wine Gazette, Holiday 2001

Exceptional! 93 points. Beverage Testing Institute 2001 Tastings.

1999 The Famous Gate Pinot Noir

The 1999 Famous Gate is created exclusively from their Carneros estate pinot noir. It is fermented according to the age-old fashion in small open-topped vats, giving this prestige pinot noir great fruit intensity. Aromas of plum, dark cherry, raspberry and orange peel are complemented with aromas of toast, smoke and coffee. It has an opulent, velvety-soft texture. Aged for 10 months in French oak, it is perfect for enjoyment right now, or may be aged for 3-5 years. It is extremely limited in production and is available only at the winery and for Chateau Society members.

1999 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir

Their 1999 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir is complex and multilayered with rich fruit tones of black cherry, plum and strawberry overlaid with spices of cinnamon, cola and clove. Round forward fruit follows through on the palate adding richness and body. The grapes for this Pinot Noir consist of seven clonal selections from three different Domaine Carneros vineyards. This wine is available primarily in the marketplace at finer restaurants and retail establishments.

Three and a half stars! A complex pinot, with a refreshing cranberry quench. Pretty aromas...a soft lingering finish. The Santa Rosa Press Democrat's Wine of the Week

Fleshy and complex, this is an intensely flavored Pinot Noir tasting of ripe strawberry jam, herbs, new oak and toast.
Four Stars! Restaurant Wine, December 2001

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