2023 Pinot Clair

Domaine Carneros Pinot Clair is a white wine made from ‘black’ skinned Pinot Noir grapes. We start by picking grapes at a maturity level that is greater than those used for sparkling wines, but not as high as those destined for still Pinot Noir. Night picking is a critical step so we can press the grapes early in the morning while they are still cool. A gentle pressing allows us to extract only 90-95 gallons of juice per ton of grapes before the pigments start to bleed out from the skins. This year’s edition features 54% Pommard clone combined with 46% Dijon 115 selection. The juice components were fermented primarily in neutral oak, with the notable addition of a concrete egg tank. A modest amount, one-quarter, of new water-bent French oak was employed to lift the spice. In total, the wine spent 14 months resting on the lees (sur lie) and 6 months aging in bottle. Only 281 cases produced, winery exclusive.