New Winery Launches Two Pinot Noirs - Carneros della Notte Releases Wines from Its Artisan Vineyard in Napa Valley
First Glow-in-the Dark Label Brings Unique Twist to Wine Labeling
Napa Valley, CA (PRWEB) April 17, 2005 -- Carneros della Notte winery today
announced their debut release, consisting of two pinot noirs vintage 2003 now
available at www.carnerosdellanotte.com. This new producer is created in
partnership by three men of diverse backgrounds and is producing ultra-premium
pinot noir wines from three different clones and three different rootstocks. The
grapes are harvested by hand and exclusively at night while the juice chemistry
is more stable. The winery’s name reflects this practice and translates to
"Carneros of the Night". Carneros della Notte is also the first producer to use
a glow-in-the-dark wine label to further articulate the winery’s unique approach
to pinot noir production.
The premier releases are the Los Carneros Pinot
Noir, a 100% Pinot Noir from the Carneros region of Napa and Sonoma Valleys,
which retails at $48.00 per bottle, and the Napa Valley DIII Vineyard Pinot
Noir, which is produced with grapes grown exclusively from David Harmon's
Carneros-Napa Valley vineyard and is offered at $150.00 per bottle.
Carneros della Notte’s founders are Dave Harmon, a former founder of
wine.com and past chauffeur to Robert Mondavi and Winemaker Sal Godinez who has
been a vintner in the Carneros area for more than twenty years and Darin
Applebury, a United Airlines pilot.
Winemaking Philosophy
During his
nearly twenty year career Winemaker Sal Godinez has focused on research and
experimentation with pinot noir clones that contribute to the complexity and
intensity of these wines. Sal favors using French clones rather than classic
American clones like Martini or Swan. Recognizing the importance of the impact
of new clonal selections on wine aroma, texture and quality, Sal continuously
works with clones to produce mature elegance and exceptional complexity.
Each year Sal begins in the vineyard. Engaged in viticulture and
hands-on farming, he commits himself to the vines throughout the growing season,
overseeing labor-intensive management such as shoot positioning to insure proper
fruit exposure, rigorous crop thinning, precise irrigation and timely harvest.
“I focus on preserving the flavors born in the vineyard,” said Sal. “I spend
more and more of my time walking the vine rows — measuring, evaluating, tasting
and planning the future of each individual lot.”
In the winery, Sal
chooses his techniques to produce balanced, “fruit and spice based” wines with
the structure and depth to age gracefully. His objective is to enhance, but not
overshadow, the qualities of the grapes. “Each vineyard has its own personality,
and I bring that to light.” Sal’s winemaking techniques vary on a lot-by-lot
basis. Sal cold soaks his pinot noir, chilling the must prior to inoculation. He
favors gentle handling, direct barreling after fermentation and racking the
wines once to separate out the gross lees. Drawing from his favorite coopers,
Sal frames the fruit character with complementary French oak barrels. Each year
he purchases a large percentage of new French cooperage, replacing his barrels
after two vintages. Both of these new releases are filtered using a cross flow
filter system which he believes enhances the mouth feel of the wine.
About The Company
Founded in 2003, Carneros della Notte is a boutique
winery owned and operated in the Carneros region of Napa Valley, California. The
founding partners are Dave Harmon, Sal Godinez and Darin Applebury. The winery
is dedicated to the production of ultra-premium pinot noir wines which are
available on the Web at www.carnerosdellanotte.com.
For more information,
please contact David Harmon, Partner, 707-312-1202.
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Source : http://www.prweb.com/releases/2005/4/prweb229939.htm