Subtle red fruits, Italian herbs, and rose petals define a delicate nature. Earthy undertones of fallen leaves and cherry skins leave a trace on the juicy finish.
A bouquet reminiscent of juicy dark cherries, blood orange, and strawberry leads to savory flavors of plum, pomegranate, and raspberry, finishing with hints of earthy notes and balanced, spicy oak. This wine is perfect for the collector’s cellar and will continue to age gracefully for a decade or more.
Fermentation: 10 to 12 days in stainless steel punch-down fermenters, with cap submersion at 6 to 24 hour intervals
Aging/Cooperage: Aged 16 months in 35% new French oak barrels, and 65% in 1 to 3-year-old French oak barrels
Alcohol: 14.2%
Total Acidity: 6.0 g/L;
pH: 3.63
Production: 750 cases
Winemaker Notes
The Schug Estate vineyard sits at the base of a high ridge on the windy western edge of the Carneros AVA in Sonoma County. This bottling highlights several clones of Pinot Noir grown on individual blocks, each vinified and aged separately. The weighty earthiness and dark fruit characteristics of the Pommard clones in Block 8 (planted in 1989) and Block 9 (planted in 2003) are enhanced by soft, ripe and mineral-driven notes from the Martini Clone in Block 4 (planted in 1994). Bright fruit components from the Dijon clones in Block 10 (planted in 1997) and Block P (planted in 1999) and Block C (planted in 2002) round out the final wine. Strong afternoon winds affect these sites, resulting in small berries and slower ripening with a great concentration of aroma and flavor.
Founded in 1980, Schug Carneros Estate Winery is the showcase and life-long dream of one of California’s most celebrated winemakers, Walter Schug. Family-owned and operated, the winery is a reflection of many decades of Schug family involvement in the production of fine wines in Europe and California; both Walter and his wife, Gertrud, came from distinguished winemaking families in Germany.
After creating many of the industry’s fine wine benchmarks at Joseph Phelps Vineyards, Walter Schug went on to pursue his lifelong passion; the fragile Pinot Noir grape. In order to capture the distinctive character of the finest French Burgundies, he chose the Carneros Appellation for the establishment of a 50-acre Estate vineyard and winery.
Nestled on a hilltop in the midst of their Estate Vineyard in Carneros, the winery exhibits the rich European heritage of the Schug family. The Post and Beam architecture reminiscent of the Rhine River Valley, and underground barrel-aging caves provide a uniquely European setting for the tasting of Schug’s fine Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. The experience is enhanced by sweeping views of the Sonoma Valley and the San Francisco Bay.
The unique style of Schug Pinot Noir and Chardonnay captures traditional European values, where wine and food go hand in hand. Schug Carneros Estate Winery combines old-world understanding and tradition with the most advanced winemaking technology available today. By using only the finest grapes available in California, and maintaining traditional European winemaking values, these wines have gained acceptance worldwide as true contemporary classics. Today, the Schug legacy is carried on through children; Axel, Claudia and Andrea.
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY
Schug Estate Grown Pinot Noir Mini Vertical
4 bottles for $99.99 $25/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $219.99 $18.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Schug Estate Grown Pinot Noir Mini Vertical - $80 = 26.65%
So I’m one of the lab rats for this and it literally just arrived yesterday. I had some of the wine with dinner tonight and I only have preliminary notes.
I thought tonight was going to be a 24hr imported wine offer and the Schug offer would go live tomorrow night. Clearly I was mistaken. I’m already in bed for the night, but I’ll revisit the wine in the morning and gather my notes in order to post a more formal review.
The CliffsNotes version is this is a very enjoyable wine and the Casemates price makes this a no brainer.
Schug makes absolutely incredible wines for the money. Add on top that this is their estate fruit, and it’s heavily, heavily discounted and this is a ridiculous steal. Don’t walk, RUN, to click the buy button.
@losthighwayz Carneros not hit as hard, and the Glass fire broke out Sept 27 or thereabouts, the '20 here says picking ended Sept 14. Unless there was another fire of concern
Tasting Panel Magazine on the 2019:
94 points. This wine possesses down-pillow weight and mouth-filling notes of peony and rose dusted with powdered cocoa and baking spices. Tobacco leaf deepens the flavor profile, augmenting acidity, finely grained tannins and juicy cherry on the finish. Nov/Dec 2022
Wine Spectator also contemplated the 2019:
Shows a lightly mulled edge, with raspberry and blood orange fruit laced with wood spice, tea and savory notes. A subtle sandalwood edge on the finish provides a hint of maturity. Drink now through 2023. 750 cases made. Web only 2022 James Molesworth
@kaolis I just noticed on the main page under the heading of “Carnerosaur TASTING NOTES” it stated the2019 will gracefully age for a decade or more." Do you think the Wine Spectator errored on their “Drink now through 2023”?? That’s only a 4 year window from the vintage year.
@Boatman72
I wondered as well, seems kind of odd. New winemaker with the 2019 vintage, he’d been with the winery for a few years before being promoted. I’m a Schug fan, travel may not work out on shipping.
Per usual, I recruited a friend to have another person’s opinion and we used a De Long tasting note sheet as a framework to form the following notes.
Color depth: Dark
Color hue: Garner
Clarity: Clear
Aroma intensity: Moderate
Development: Some age (due to smoothness)
Aromas: Dark red fruit, cola, black cherry, and there’s an herbal spice element.
Dry/Sweet: Dry
Body: Medium-full
Acidity: Fresh
Tannins: Medium and soft
Balance: Good (great honestly)
Flavor intensity: Flavorful
Flavors: Black cherry, raspberry, black pepper, and something herbal that I couldn’t pinpoint.
Finish: Medium
Side note: The cork was incredibly squeaky while twisting in the corkscrew and the cork nearly broke during removal. That was a surprise since this wine is so young. However, it doesn’t seem to have any negative impact on the wine itself.
Dinner consisted of coho salmon on a bed mushroom risotto. It was a perfect pairing. The wine held its own and complimented the meal.
For comparison I opened a 2014 Windrun PN purchased from the old site. Despite the differences (age, fruit source, and winemaker) these two wines are quite similar. So if you’ve had the Windrun and liked it, you’ll like the Schug also (if not more). Both wines have the same flavor profile, but the Windrun is noticeably more tanic. Between the two, my friend and I both thought the Schug was a step above.
Day 2:
It’s Friday morning as I type this and I’m sipping a small pour. Impressions are quite similar. There are some subtle changes though. It seems more aromatic today and there’s more earthiness going on, but the fruit is still present. I’m noticing a dusty/chalky texture (in a good way) that I didn’t notice last night.
Conclusion:
This is a fantastic wine. It’s dynamic, elegant, incredibly smooth and very easy to drink. Enjoyable with food, as well as on its own. It certainly has the structure to stash it away and forget about it for a long while (as many of us do), but I honestly don’t see the need to. I’d say go for it and enjoy these now since they’re already so balanced, delicious, and refined.
Many thanks to @schugwinery1 , @winedavid49 , @wccwinegirl and the entire Casemates crew for all the work you do. It’s much appreciated, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a Lab Rat. Cheers!
For anyone interested, here’s a link to the wine tasting note form that can be downloaded for free.
I had a wonderful surprise awaiting me – an unexpected box with an awesome @Casemates wine glass ~and~ the 2019 Schug Pinot Noir inside!
On the pop and pour,
Visual: This wine is a light and crystal clear red. So far – looking like a classic pinot noir.
Nose: The aromas are strongly of cocoa and cranberry, with a little bit of leather. I could enjoy sniffing this wine all evening!
Palate: The palate is full of lovely sour cherry and fresh thyme. Maybe a little black pepper on the mid-palate. It’s fruit forward on the spectrum. There are woodsy elements that tended to be more “leaves and stems” than “bark and twigs”. Hopefully that makes sense. Big flavors in the glass for such a “lightweight” varietal. Tending toward a gentle and lingering finish.
(I have photos, but I’m clueless about how to post them here! Dang it! Just look at the awesome photos that @kawichris650 posted, and pretend they are mine also…)
Now that I’ve written my review, I’m seeing what has been posted. I’m shocked that my notes so closely match the ones @kaolis posted from Tasting Panel Magazine. Ha!
@cjsiege
Here’s the trick! You you need to rotate your phone so you’re holding it sideways. Then tap on the photo icon (circled in red) to upload and insert images into your post.
Just picked this 2019 up from UPS today (it arrived while we were out of town over Thanksgiving). It took a bit of time for it to open up, so I would recommend opening an hour before drinking. We had this with an Italian sausage orzo pasta dish (an old HelloFresh recipe that we still make on our own). By the end of the meal, we were both really liking this combo. We started drinking it 15 minutes after I opened it, and we both thought it was fairly meh, until it opened up.
2020 Schug Estate Grown Pinot Noir, Carneros
92 points ~ The TastingPanel Magazine
Tasting Notes
Specs
2019 Schug Estate Grown Pinot Noir, Carneros
94 points ~ The TastingPanel Magazine
93 points ~ JamesSuckling.com
Tasting Notes
Specs
Winemaker Notes
What’s Included
4-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale on winery website, $672/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AZ, CA, CO, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Thursday, Dec 7 - Monday, Dec 11
Schug Estate Grown Pinot Noir Mini Vertical
4 bottles for $99.99 $25/bottle + $2/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $219.99 $18.33/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
2019 Schug Estate Grown Pinot Noir, Carneros
2020 Schug Estate Grown Pinot Noir, Carneros
@ilCesare Hi Cesare! I think the right link for the 2019 is this one.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: tax and shipping are not included in savings calculations).
Schug Estate Grown Pinot Noir Mini Vertical - $80 = 26.65%
So I’m one of the lab rats for this and it literally just arrived yesterday. I had some of the wine with dinner tonight and I only have preliminary notes.
I thought tonight was going to be a 24hr imported wine offer and the Schug offer would go live tomorrow night. Clearly I was mistaken. I’m already in bed for the night, but I’ll revisit the wine in the morning and gather my notes in order to post a more formal review.
The CliffsNotes version is this is a very enjoyable wine and the Casemates price makes this a no brainer.
@jmdavidson?
Schug makes absolutely incredible wines for the money. Add on top that this is their estate fruit, and it’s heavily, heavily discounted and this is a ridiculous steal. Don’t walk, RUN, to click the buy button.
Schug is a nice Pinot house. This is an easy decision: 1 case = Boom!
Don’t miss out…,!
@ttboy23 I bought this, so you can have some if you want. Could. Not. Resist.
Wildfires in Sonoma and Napa in 2020
Curious about smoke taint
The 19 is on their website but not the 20
@losthighwayz Carneros not hit as hard, and the Glass fire broke out Sept 27 or thereabouts, the '20 here says picking ended Sept 14. Unless there was another fire of concern
@losthighwayz
I can assure you the 2020 has no smoke taint whatsoever.
@kaolis thanks for the information!
Sounds interesting. In for a case
Dam you Connecticut and your hate for out of state alcohol!
Tasting Panel Magazine on the 2019:
94 points. This wine possesses down-pillow weight and mouth-filling notes of peony and rose dusted with powdered cocoa and baking spices. Tobacco leaf deepens the flavor profile, augmenting acidity, finely grained tannins and juicy cherry on the finish. Nov/Dec 2022
Wine Spectator also contemplated the 2019:
Shows a lightly mulled edge, with raspberry and blood orange fruit laced with wood spice, tea and savory notes. A subtle sandalwood edge on the finish provides a hint of maturity. Drink now through 2023. 750 cases made. Web only 2022 James Molesworth
fwiw
@kaolis I just noticed on the main page under the heading of “Carnerosaur TASTING NOTES” it stated the2019 will gracefully age for a decade or more." Do you think the Wine Spectator errored on their “Drink now through 2023”?? That’s only a 4 year window from the vintage year.
@Boatman72
I wondered as well, seems kind of odd. New winemaker with the 2019 vintage, he’d been with the winery for a few years before being promoted. I’m a Schug fan, travel may not work out on shipping.
@Boatman72 and new winemaker was just a note, nothing to do with thought of longevity
@kaolis Thanks for your responses!
@Winedavid49 …thinking about this, any idea of when this might ship?
@kaolis
A lot of variables. Thanksgiving, q4 volumes
Bit wine is right here in Sonoma.
My guess is you’ll get it just before thanksgiving
@Winedavid49 Thank you sir
2020 Schug Estate Grown Pinot Noir, Carneros
Per usual, I recruited a friend to have another person’s opinion and we used a De Long tasting note sheet as a framework to form the following notes.
Color depth: Dark
Color hue: Garner
Clarity: Clear
Aroma intensity: Moderate
Development: Some age (due to smoothness)
Aromas: Dark red fruit, cola, black cherry, and there’s an herbal spice element.
Dry/Sweet: Dry
Body: Medium-full
Acidity: Fresh
Tannins: Medium and soft
Balance: Good (great honestly)
Flavor intensity: Flavorful
Flavors: Black cherry, raspberry, black pepper, and something herbal that I couldn’t pinpoint.
Finish: Medium
Side note: The cork was incredibly squeaky while twisting in the corkscrew and the cork nearly broke during removal. That was a surprise since this wine is so young. However, it doesn’t seem to have any negative impact on the wine itself.
Dinner consisted of coho salmon on a bed mushroom risotto. It was a perfect pairing. The wine held its own and complimented the meal.
For comparison I opened a 2014 Windrun PN purchased from the old site. Despite the differences (age, fruit source, and winemaker) these two wines are quite similar. So if you’ve had the Windrun and liked it, you’ll like the Schug also (if not more). Both wines have the same flavor profile, but the Windrun is noticeably more tanic. Between the two, my friend and I both thought the Schug was a step above.
Day 2:
It’s Friday morning as I type this and I’m sipping a small pour. Impressions are quite similar. There are some subtle changes though. It seems more aromatic today and there’s more earthiness going on, but the fruit is still present. I’m noticing a dusty/chalky texture (in a good way) that I didn’t notice last night.
Conclusion:
This is a fantastic wine. It’s dynamic, elegant, incredibly smooth and very easy to drink. Enjoyable with food, as well as on its own. It certainly has the structure to stash it away and forget about it for a long while (as many of us do), but I honestly don’t see the need to. I’d say go for it and enjoy these now since they’re already so balanced, delicious, and refined.
Many thanks to @schugwinery1 , @winedavid49 , @wccwinegirl and the entire Casemates crew for all the work you do. It’s much appreciated, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to be a Lab Rat. Cheers!
For anyone interested, here’s a link to the wine tasting note form that can be downloaded for free.
https://www.delongwine.com/products/wine-tasting-note-form
“This wine is perfect for the collector’s cellar …” As anyone who has seen it will note - definitely a “collector’s” cellar.
Even though we’ve been buying more than we’ve been drinking recently, this looks too interesting to pass on.
/giphy literate-garrulous-smoke
2019 Schug Estate Grown Pinot Noir, Carneros
I had a wonderful surprise awaiting me – an unexpected box with an awesome @Casemates wine glass ~and~ the 2019 Schug Pinot Noir inside!
On the pop and pour,
Visual: This wine is a light and crystal clear red. So far – looking like a classic pinot noir.
Nose: The aromas are strongly of cocoa and cranberry, with a little bit of leather. I could enjoy sniffing this wine all evening!
Palate: The palate is full of lovely sour cherry and fresh thyme. Maybe a little black pepper on the mid-palate. It’s fruit forward on the spectrum. There are woodsy elements that tended to be more “leaves and stems” than “bark and twigs”. Hopefully that makes sense. Big flavors in the glass for such a “lightweight” varietal. Tending toward a gentle and lingering finish.
(I have photos, but I’m clueless about how to post them here! Dang it! Just look at the awesome photos that @kawichris650 posted, and pretend they are mine also…)
Now that I’ve written my review, I’m seeing what has been posted. I’m shocked that my notes so closely match the ones @kaolis posted from Tasting Panel Magazine. Ha!
Many, many thanks to @schugwinery1, @casemates, @Winedavid49, @wccwinegirl, and the entire Casemates Team for the opportunity!
POPSOCKETS! SPROCKETS! DAVY CROCKETT! AWESOME!
@cjsiege
Here’s the trick! You you need to rotate your phone so you’re holding it sideways. Then tap on the photo icon (circled in red) to upload and insert images into your post.
Nice reviews, picked up a 4-pack.
/giphy minuscule-minor-garlic
@InFrom @kaolis
enablers
So many have such good things to say about this wine…hard to pass up a case, even if I did wait until the last minute.
/giphy relished-fit-panther
@TimW I was waiting and then missed it!
Just opened a ‘19 right off the UPS truck. Excellent wine!! Beautiful.
@wnance we just opened the 2019, too! See notes below.
Just picked this 2019 up from UPS today (it arrived while we were out of town over Thanksgiving). It took a bit of time for it to open up, so I would recommend opening an hour before drinking. We had this with an Italian sausage orzo pasta dish (an old HelloFresh recipe that we still make on our own). By the end of the meal, we were both really liking this combo. We started drinking it 15 minutes after I opened it, and we both thought it was fairly meh, until it opened up.
@TimW Which vintage did you open?
@InFrom we opened the 2019. I should have specified that!