2016 Cattleya Pinot Noir Donum Vineyard

From the oldest vines in the vineyard, the 2016 Pinot Noir Donum Vineyard comes from a site in Carneros and spent 15 months in 65% new French oak. Beautiful black raspberry, sous bois, decayed flowers, and savory notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied, seamless Pinot Noir that has ripe tannin, a seamless texture, and a great, great finish. It’s another world-class effort from this estate that will compete with the best out there. Cattleya is the personal label of superstar winemaker Bibiana González Rave. Hailing from Medellín, Colombia, where she achieved a degree in chemical engineering (her father was an electrical engineer and her mother was in finance), Bibiana then earned a Technician of Viticulture and Oenology diploma in Angoulême, France, followed by a diploma of Oenology from the University of Bordeaux. She worked harvests in Bordeaux – at none other than Château Haut-Brion – as well as with Stéphane Ogier in Côte Rôtie and Domaine du Devevey in Burgundy. In addition, she worked in South Africa and with the likes of Peay, Au Bon Climat, Qupé and Lynmar in California. In addition to these Cattleya releases, Bibiana is also responsible for the Alma de Cattleya, Shared Notes (along with her husband, Jeff Pisoni), Wayfarer, and Luli wines in this report.