Estate Pinot Noir

The Wine

The 2006 Pinot Noir displays beautiful aromas of freshly picked strawberries, raspberry jam, and rhubarb accented with hints of fresh fall leaves, clove, nutmeg, cinnamon, cream soda, and wood smoke. Bright and juicy, the palate bursts with flavors of cherry and strawberry with a creamy vanilla character. The tannins are ripe and supple, leading to a long, soft finish with a kiss of toasted oak and sassafras.

The 2006 Vintage

One of the longest growing seasons in our 35 years in Napa Valley began with a New Year’s flood and continued with an unusually cool, wet spring, then segued into a very mild summer punctuated by a record July heat wave. August and September were ideal with morning fog, mild afternoons and cool, crisp evenings, while October was dominated by unseasonably cool weather which slowed ripening, elongated the harvest and tried our patience.

Food Affinities

Our Pinot Noir’s fruity, spicy flavors are enhanced by adding a little cinnamon and/or star anise to seafood, pork, poultry, red meat and game dishes, especially those incorporating root vegetables, almonds and mushrooms.

Our Estate Vineyard

Our primary estate vineyard is located in the heart of the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley AVA, which occupies an ideal climate zone between Napa’s warmer up-valley districts and its cool southern tip. The marine influence of nearby San Pablo Bay provides ideal conditions for the cultivation of our two distinctive clones of Pinot Noir, which are grown in one of the coolest sections of the vineyard.

About Trefethen

In 1968, our family purchased seven farms surrounding a magnificent, but run-down, 19th-century winery in southern Napa Valley and created Trefethen Family Vineyards. At the time, there were fewer than 30 working wineries in Napa Valley. True to our original vision of creating a classic wine estate, we have never purchased a single outside grape. Instead, we lavish extraordinary care on our two sustainably farmed estate vineyards in the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley. Controlling all viticultural practices allows us to produce grapes with pure, intense flavors beautifully reflecting our unique terroir.