Mission Codename: The music of the night

Operative: Agent Red

Objective: Conduct a night raid on the Carneros Della Notte Winery – and return with a great Pinot Noir

Mission Status: Accomplished!

Current Winery: Carneros Della Notte

Wine Subject: 2004 Pinot Noir

Winemaker: Sal Godinez

Backgrounder:

The Wine Spies are always ear-to-the-vineyards, seeking out special wines from the best wine producers in the world. We have been fortunate enough to uncover some incredible wines for our Operatives (that’s you, dear reader). Along the way we have discovered the people and the secrets that make great wines such a pleasure to drink. When one of our ‘Assets’ discovered a winery that picked its grapes exclusively by the light of the moon, Agent Red was sent to investigate. Read his mission report below.

Wine Spies Tasting Profile:

Look – Deep ruby red at the center, with edges that fade to pink. Thick and tightly spaced legs that crawl slowly down the glass

Smell – Ripe cherry with hot blueberry pie, cinnamon, roasted espresso beans and a wonderful earthiness and very subtle floral banana

Feel – Round and smooth in the mouth with strong tannins that bite down around the edges of the tongue

Taste – Complex layers with blackberry, dark cherry, blueberry and plum with a subtle spiciness

Finish -This wine has an interesting finish; The flavors and mouth feel fall off but then spring back in your mouth as flavors return and tannins take over, biting the back of the tongue and delivering a tartness that tapers off slowly

Conclusion -This is a wonderfully complex Pinot Noir from one of our best-loved winemaking regions in Northern California. Carneros rarely fails to thrill and satisfy our wine-lust and this wine from Carneros Della Notte comes through for us in a big way. This is a wine which delivers layers of complexity and flavor while also maintaining an elegance and refinement that we would expect from a mid-priced Pinot Noir.

Mission Brief:

Agent Red reporting

Pre-briefing: As you know, we Wine Spies rely on our Assets in the field. These informants keep a keen eye out for great wines, interesting wineries and intriguing winemakers. What we rarely hear about from our Assets are unique winemaking techniques. My Carneros Asset, Stella, recently alerted me to a winery that ‘conducts unusual activity’ at night. After a quick background check on the winery, Carneros Della Notte, it was clear that a covert operation was in order. Following are the mission details:

Mission Time: 2200 Hours, Local

Mission Report: I began my mission by outfitting my pack with my night vision scope, portable GPS, corkscrew and collapsible drinking glass. Parking a quarter-mile away at a neighboring vineyard, I was afforded safe passage through the vineyards of a winery we had worked with before. This winery had been hearing strange noises on recent nights and they reported an odd glowing from the far corner of the Carneros Della Notte vineyards. As I neared the boundary between the two vineyards, I heard hushed voices. Straining to hear what they were saying I could only make out the occasional word; “Ready…. perfect… balanced…” were among the words I could discern.

Edging closer, I pulled out my night scope. Scanning the vineyards from my vantage point – on a rise at the edge of the vineyard – I could make out the figures of three men. They were sampling the berries from the Pinot Noir vines while nodding and gesturing animatedly with their hands. I edged closer still doing my best to remain concealed. The three men were now in plain site. A twig broke beneath my feet and I froze. So did they. They were silent for a moment and then one of the men reached into his pocket and pulled out a walkie-talkie. He keyed the button on the side and spoke plainly and clearly, “Bring out the crew. It’s time.”

Fearing that my cover had been blown, I sank to the vineyard floor. As I bellied my way through the mulchy vineyard row, shouts in Spanish rang out around me. Heart pumping now, I made my way to the edge of the vineyard where all was quiet. I brought my night scope up to my eyes and scanned the vineyards. At least 10 men were now walking through the rows, flashlights in hand. Their shouts made me wish that I had paid better attention in Spanish class. Alas. My scope settled on a small outbuilding about 10 meters away. I made my way toward it. Voices behind me were growing louder. Noticing that a door to the building was ajar, I held my scope up to my eyes. Pushing the door open slightly, I peered inside… and was met with a blinding flash that knocked me backward!

Hitting my head on the door frame, I fell – and was caught by a large, kind-faced man with a quizzical look on his face. Looking over his shoulder he shouted, “David, ven aqui”.

Moments later, ‘David’ arrived and, pulling my to my feet, declared, “Agent Red, I presume?”. Noting the vacant look on my face, he continued, “You’re just in time. Tonight is first harvest! Next time you make an appointment to see us, you know that you are welcome to drive down our driveway, right?” Sheepishly, I replied, “But that would take away some of the fun, now wouldn’t it?”

Winery partner David Harmon and winemaker Sal Godinez were kind enough to let me observe their harvest under the stars. Sal explained that nighttime, while not the easiest time to be picking grapes, was the perfect time for these grapes. Sal found that harvesting at night assured him of fruit that was in perfect balance and the chemistry is most stable. Picking went on late into the wee hours and when at last they were done, they ushered my back to the little building where I had bumped my head. As I entered the darkened room inside, I noticed an eery glow emanating from the back wall. As the lights came on, the glow was replaced by rows of wine bottles. I looked at David.

“Do you like our glowing labels?”, he asked?

“Ahhh. So that’s what dazzled me earlier!”

We all shared a laugh (at least I think they were laughing with me and not at me), and then a bottle of their great 2004 Pinot Noir!

Wine Spies Vineyard Check:

The location of Carneros Della Notte and the entire Carneros AVA can be seen in this satellite photo

Wine Spies Technical Wine Analysis

Cases Produced: 400

Alcohol By Volume: 14.5%

Aging: 3-5 yrs (can be aged for up to ten years)

Cooperage: 100% French Oak – 50% New