The Carneros region straddles both Napa and Sonoma, with its cool foggy climate and prevailing marine winds from the nearby San Pablo Bay providing ideal growing conditions for Pinot grapes. Lot 704 comes to us from a small family-owned winery located on its Napa side. Planted to east-facing hillside vineyards that receive morning sun as well as shade from the afternoon heat, these 20-40 year-old vines are the source for smooth, elegant wines vintage after vintage. Produced entirely from estate-grown fruit and barreled in French oak for just under a year, this is an eminently drinkable Pinot that’s an immediate candidate to be everyone’s favorite house pour. $35 under its original label.
Lot 704 greets you with a harmonious blend of black cherry and plum wrapped in cinnamon spice underpinned by rose petals. On the palate, lush, ripe berries and cola integrate well with toasty oak, dried herbs, and balanced acidity. The quick, dry finish is redolent with tobacco leaf and dried mushrooms, making for an incredibly quaffable, elegant Carneros gem.