About Domaine Carneros
The family that founded Champagne Taittinger wanted a partner in the USA to carry on its legacy. Claude Taittinger's search for his US partner started in the late 1970s. By the late 1980s, he knew he had made the right choice when he spotted the 138-acre vineyard in one of the premium wine-producing regions in the USA, Napa Valley. Located in Carneros, this small parcel is owned by Eileen Crane, who is considered the doyenne of sparkling wine of America.
Last year, in 2020, Crane passed on the ownership of Domaine Carneros to Remi Cohen. The Taittinger style of winemaking is still followed here with a lot of precision of passion. While sparkling wines were always the flagship wines of this label, they also made different styles of vintages and cuvees. About twenty years ago, they added Pinot Noir to their wine range, and there has been no looking back ever since.
The 6 estate vineyards are spread across 400 acres, and more than 95% of the fruit comes from these vineyards. Out of these 400 acres, close to 275 are dedicated to growing Pinot Noir and the remaining 125 acres are dedicated to growing Chardonnay varietals. The details of the vineyards are:
Entre Amis – These vineyards look out to the beautiful San Pablo Bay, and they are equally divided into plots for planting Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.
Tula Vista – Located close to the Donum Estate, this vineyard is dominated by clay soils that make the fruits highly acidic.
Le Ciel Serein – Located on the Carneros Highway, this vineyard contains Pinot Noir vines.
La Rocaille - A tiny vineyard located towards the south of the Carneros Highway, this plot is famous for light soils that are ideal for growing Pinot Noir clones for making sparkling wines.
Pompadour - Located towards the south of the Old Napa Road, this vineyard contains Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines' clones.
Domaine Carneros Estate - The first vineyard of the Carneros Estate
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