Artesa, Los Carneros (California) Pinot Noir 2017

 If you have seen Amy Poehler’s movie Wine Country, you may recall that she and her friends visited a gorgeous winery perched on a hillside with lush green lawns and what looked like acres of fountains.  It was built in the early 1990s in the Carneros area of Napa Valley by the Codorníu Raventós family from Spain.  That family’s winemaking history dates from the 1550s.  At the time they were famous for their sparkling wine called Cava.  Their idea was to make a California sparkling wine, but they realized that their Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes were better suited for still wines.  So, in 1998 they changed the name of the winery to Artesa.  I was particularly taken with this Pinot Noir because it has the delicious aromas and flavors of cool climate Carneros fruit, red cherries, raspberries, and dried rose petals.  It is tightly structured, with racy acidity and sleek tannins.  It is a complex Pinot Noir that expresses the family’s aim of blending old and new-world techniques.  Its subtle yet distinctive flavors will pair well with grilled salmon or an onion tart.