Strong aromas of baking spices, from vanilla to nutmeg to cinnamon, dominate the nose of this bottling. That spice rack plays up against plusher flavors of poached cherry and strawberry on the palate. Producer Information Etude is a premium wine producert, based in the Carneros region of the Napa Valley. It is well-known for its focus on Pinot Noir from different growing regions. The name Etude refers to a musical piece with a technical focus allowing the musician to practice and perfect a particular technique – although here it is applied to winemaking. This is applied to winemaking at Etude, principally the extensive range of Pinot Noir. The home of Etude estate vineyards – Grace Benoist Ranch is planted to 158 acres (64 hectares) of Pinot Noir, including 6 acres (2.4 ha) of heirloom selections. While Napa Valley is famous for its Cabernet Sauvignon, the Carneros AVA (American Viticultural Area) has significantly cooler temperatures due to its proximity to the San Pablo Bay, making it possible to grow cooler climate varieties. What makes Grace Benoist particularly unique, however, is that the soil is volcanic as opposed to clay-based, like the rest of Carneros. The Pinot Noir wine range is famous for their bright, plush, and balanced style. The AVA Series of the portfolio is a collection of varying expressions of Pinot-producing regions including the Sonoma Coast, Santa Maria Valley and Oregon amoungst others. Etude also produces a fair amount of Cabernet Sauvignon, but not in Carneros. Instead, it is sourced from warmer AVAs within Napa Valley like Rutherford and St Helena. A small portion of Grace Benoist is planted to white grapes, including Chardonnay, but the most well-known white is the Pinot Blanc, a vivacious wine brimming with citrus and honeysuckle. The estate was established in the early 1980s by Pinot Noir vintner Tony Soter. It is now owned by Treasury Wine Estates.
