2018 Pinot Noir Escolle Vineyard

The Caraccioli family, which is now in its fourth generation farming in the Salinas Valley, made their name by producing some of the most complex, elegant sparkling wines in the United States. These wines were made by former Roederer Estate winemaker Michel Salgues until his passing in late 2017. Given what the Caracciolis have accomplished with their Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs in the 2017 and 2018 vintages, I have every reason to believe that the quality of the bubblies will continue to be very high. The Caracciolis’ 124-acre Escolle vineyard, which was planted in 2008 in the northern Santa Lucia Highlands, produces extremely high-quality fruit, most of which is sold to other wineries for single-site bottlings, though a bit is kept back to make the family’s own wines, which are marked by finesse and detail, especially in the outstanding 2018 vintage.