Wine Recommendation
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Wine Recommendation

Wine:Bouchaine Vineyards 2005 Pinot Noir  (Carneros ~ Los Carneros)

Bouchaine Vineyards

2005 Pinot Noir
(Carneros ~ Los Carneros)



Planted originally to vines and orchards by pioneer Boon Fly, this property was then sold to Italian immigrant Johnny Garetto. After Repeal he opened what is believed to be the first winery/tasting room in Carneros. In 1951 he sold to Beringer Brothers, who then sold in 1981 to Gerret and Tatiana Copeland. Thus began the current era of Bouchaine Vineyards. In 1995 they completed a massive renovation and most recently hired winemaker and General Manager Michael Richmond, the founder of Acacia Winery also located in Los Carneros.

Bright, lightly saturated ruby with crimson highlights and fairly viscous, this highly-perfumed wine intoxicates the senses with sultry berry-patch, countryside, sea spray, deep forest, scrub, and garrigue notes. It is classic Pinot Noir on the nose and on the palate. Round and smooth, the fruit is ripe, as in height of season raspberries and cherries. A back note of oak kicks in towards the finish, as does a streak of tar. The winery recommends pairing the wine with “anything grilled or smoked, blackened salmon, pork tenderloin braised with herbs, pan seared chicken, or mushroom risotto accented with truffle oil.”

Reviewed August 3, 2007 by Catherine Fallis.

The Wine

Winery: Bouchaine Vineyards
Vintage: 2005
Wine: Pinot Noir
Appellation: Carneros ~ Los Carneros
Grape: Pinot Noir
Price: 750ml $30.00

Review Date: 8/3/2007

The Reviewer

Catherine Fallis

Founder and President of Planet Grape LLC, a company committed to bringing the joy of wine, food, and good living into the lives of everyday people, Catherine is creator of the “grape goddess guides to good living,” a series of books, television presentations, seminars, and e-learning programs. The fifth woman in the world to become a Master Sommelier, grape goddess Catherine Fallis is still very much down-to-earth.