Pinot Noir 2017

92 points, “Many will find the crisp tannins and liveliness surprising for a Napa Valley red.” – James Suckling

Cuvaison’s Pinot Noir 2017 is a startling wine that almost never was, because they picked just days before a fire swept through Napa, Sonoma and Solano counties engulfing some 54,000 acres. With all that going on they created a refreshing, cherry-scented Pinot Noir with real finesse. Kirsch, fresh cherries, plums, rose petals, wild berries, toasted oak and chocolate all dance merrily together in a crisp, lively and summery red. Break this out for al fresco dining, pink duck or roasted aubergine.

Established in 1969 by a fourth-generation winemaking family from Switzerland, Cuvaison was one of the pioneers that shaped a new era of winemaking in Napa Valley, one that focuses on vibrancy and vineyard terroir. Their winemaker Steven Rogstad has had a long and illustrious career that has seen him cross paths with Saintsbury, La Crema, Clos Pegase, Rombauer, Dominus, Duckhorn, Spottswoode and Viader in various capacities, so this Carneros estate is in the safe hands of a cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir expert.