The 2021 Barrel Selection Pinot Noir is pure and elegant with notes of crushed wild berries and plum, along with black tea followed by forest floor. This wine has a complex structure, incorporating layers of dark fruit that linger on the palate. It has an underlying acidity that intensifies on the finish.

We came into the 2021 vintage with severe drought, once again. Warm weather in the beginning of the year caused buds to swell. Temperatures dropped and delayed bud break until the second week of March. The lack of rain caused the shoot growth to be stunted and forced us to pare back the yields to balance the vines. The irrigation water we purchased from the city served to keep the vines going and helped ripen the small crops. Towards harvest, nighttime temperatures dropped and fog lingered late into the mornings, which is what we are accustomed to here in Carneros. Harvest started in mid-August, without major heat spikes. Though yields were the smallest we have harvested in history, the fruit was fully mature and the resulting wines are exceptional.