Cartlidge and Browne, Pinot Noir, North Coast, California, USA, 2022

Producer Profile

In 1980, the same year Ronald Reagan came to power and JR was shot in 'Dallas', with no money to buy vineyards and seeing no reason to, Tony Cartlidge started his winery in an undistinguished Napa Valley garage.

Possibly the original Californian 'garagiste' he set out to source the best possible grapes to handcraft his wines in this unassuming home. Nearly 40 years later, still sourcing from vineyards as wide ranging as Sonoma to the Sierra foothills, continuing to produce high quality wines, Cartlidge & Browne has become a byword for varietally pure Californian wines, whilst sticking to their garagiste roots of taking a different path.

Viticulture

These wines are made from multiple vineyard sites all within the North Coast region, mostly Mendocino and Lake County. Yields and practices vary by site, but growers and vineyards are selected for low to moderate yields and high quality fruit. Typical yields from the growers are 4-6 tons/acre, although a few sites are less.

Winemaking

Fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks and macerated with using 2-3 pumpovers per day for 2-3 weeks and fermented to dryness. Wines were aged in French oak for a minimum of 10 months.

Oak Ageing

Time: 10 months
Type: French and American
% wine oaked: 100
% new oak: 30

Tasting Note

This ruby-purple Pinot is no pushover. Bold cherries, raspberries and blackberries purr with vanilla meringue and toasty oak notes. Warming on the tongue, baking spice and stone-like minerality round into a juicy, firm finish.

Food Matching

Delicious with a variety of meats such as lamb, roast chicken, veal and venison and particularly splendid with salmon.