New 30% Off In Cart
1 1

2023 Heirloom Pinot Noir

2023 Heirloom Pinot Noir

Carneros750mL14.4
$95.00
$95.00

Are you a Wine Club Member?

Login or Sign up to receive 15% off your order & more!

Specifications

  • Vintage: 2023
  • Appelation: Carneros
  • ABV: 14.4
  • Varietal: Pinot Noir
  • pH: 3.59

Tasting Notes

Radiant in its rich ruby garnet hue, this wine opens with a vivid and alluring nose - red currant, wild strawberry, and cranberry weave together with hints of red berry compote, black rooibos tea and a graceful touch of rose petal. On the palate, the red fruit profile deepens with layers of ripe plum, subtle earth, and warm baking spices. Vibrant acidity brings lift and freshness, while finely balanced tannins provide structure without overpowering. Still in its early stages, this wine exudes youthful energy and elegance, with the promise of further depth and complexity as it continues to evolve.

View full details
Winemaker Jon Priest walking between rows of grapevines in a vineyard.

Grace Benoist Ranch

Etude’s Heirloom Pinot Noir, produced from several heirloom selections of the variety, is dedicated to the celebration and preservation of plant diversity. It exemplifies the singular, superior wines – unusually expressive, concentrated, and pure – that issue from original varieties or vine selections chosen for the inherent wine quality they produce.

vintage

In 2023, Grace Benoist Ranch, situated in the cool, maritime-swept Carneros region of Sonoma, benefited from a classic growing season defined by moderation and persistence. A wet and cool winter segued into a foggy "June gloom," delaying bud break and pushing veraison late into the season. Throughout summer, temperatures remained mild, with daytime highs generally between the low to mid-70°F range, which allowed fruit to ripen evenly and maintain vibrant natural acidity. Harvest was unusually late; this extended hang time permitted development of excellent flavor and structural depth without loss of finesse. The resulting wines display hallmark traits of Grace Benoist Ranch: clarity of fruit, refined minerality and bright acidity. Age-worthy, they are beautifully balanced - structured yet elegant - with vivid aromatics that reflect the cool-climate precision of this remarkable 2023 vintage.

Winemaker Jon Priest holding up harvested grapes near stainless steel fermentation tanks.

Crafted Excellence

Winemaking

The grapes for this wine were handpicked at night to preserve freshness and acidity. They were placed in open-top fermenters for 3-5 days of cold maceration followed by fermentation. A small percent of the fruit was kept whole cluster during fermentation to add further complexity, buoyancy of aromatics and an element of structure and refinement. Punch downs were performed during the early stages of fermentation with the extraction becoming gentler as the wine became dry and followed with a quiet extended maceration to help enhance the richness and mouthfeel of the wine. Lightly pressed, the wine was transferred to small French oak barrels where it rested for 14 months.