James has not been able to travel back to Napa Valley since the beginning of this year, but he has had many fruitful Zoom tastings with winemakers from the region. He recently had an early morning tasting with Jon Priest, Senior Winemaker and General Manager of Etude. Jon dialled in from Beringer's Hudson House (where James normally tastes in USA).
Etude Estate Vineyards produces pinot noirs and a small production of pinot gris, pinot blanc, rosé of pinot noir and chardonnay. They're probably best known for their cabernet sauvignons. During the call, they tasted a range of wines from the 2017 and 2018 vintages. They talked about the drinkability and balance of the 2017 vintage for cabernets despite the hot and dry growing season, as well as the balance and freshness for the 2018 pinots and chardonnays. Watch the video to hear them discuss the differences between the vintages and hear what they thought of the wines.
Read the full Napa report here: NEW NAPA VALLEY WINES HIGHLIGHT HARMONY AND REFINEMENT WITH 2018 VINTAGE (1,093 WINES RATED)
Below are the wines that were tasted during the call. Click the links to see the tasting notes and scores (subscribers only).
Etude Chardonnay Napa Valley Carneros Grace Benoist Ranch 2018
Etude Santa Barbara County Rosé 2019
Etude Pinot Noir Sonoma County Carneros Grace Benoist Ranch 2018
Etude Pinot Noir Sonoma County Carneros Grace Benoist Ranch Deer Camp Vineyard 2018
Etude Pinot Noir Napa Valley Carneros Grace Benoist Ranch Laniger Vineyard 2018
Etude Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2017
Etude Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Coombsville 2017
Etude Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Rutherford 2017
Etude Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Oakville 2017
