A Tradition of Exploration and Innovation Since 1972.
Using Carneros vineyards as his laboratory, Francis, along with a team from U.C. Davis, began a tedious clonal research project to better understand the intricacies of the more successful clonal selections. Over the course of that twelve-year research project, it became evident that the best Pinot Noir was not to be found within a single clonal selection. Each of the clones had unique flavor, structure, and aromatic characteristics and each had its own preference for vineyard location, pruning techniques, water tolerance, soil type, sun exposure, barrel, and bottle aging.
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Brands of Carneros Wine
Company
The Showcase of California
Pinot Noir and Chardonnay
In the early 1970s, ``Rincon de Los Carneros`` was the name of a place that only existed on outdated maps and in historical society records. Today Rincon de Los Carneros is known worldwide as the Carneros Appellation. This wind-swept and fog-blanked region located in the southern portion of Napa and Sonoma Valleys is quite literally the gateway to wine country. San Francisco native Francis Mahoney came to the Carneros region in pursuit of a dream - to grow wines that would rival those he admired from France's Burgundy region...
Vineyard Geography
The Carneros region spans the southern reaches of Napa and Sonoma Valleys, on rolling hills overlooking San Pablo Bay. The AVA was established in 1983 as a region defined by the cooling influence of fog and wind from San Francisco Bay to the south and the Pacific Ocean to the west.
Climate
Carneros is reliably cooler than the heart of the Napa Valley to the north, with fog that often lingers late into the morning, and strong breezes that start blowing in the afternoon to provide additional cooling. Summers are warm and dry, with daytime temperatures most often between 70 and 90 degrees, and nighttime lows in the 50’s. These conditions promote slow ripening, good flavor development, and preservation of acidity in the grapes.
Soils
Carneros has a diverse group of soil profiles that range from shale to Diablo clays, clay-loam mixtures, or gravelly, sandy deposits. Our Mahoney Ranch has a mix of shale and clay, where Las Brisas Vineyard is largely gravelly loam deposited by a meandering stream.
Grapes
Our plantings consist primarily of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Vermentino, with small blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Montepulciano, as well as Albariño, Pinot Blanc and Riesling.
Sustainability
In our vineyards, cellars, and offices, Carneros Wine Company | Mahoney Vineyards focuses on stewardship of the lands that provide for us. From the energy efficient tractors and owl boxes in our vineyards, to the solar arrays and recycle programs in our offices, we try to minimize our carbon footprint whenever and wherever we can. In fact, because we are in the agriculture business, our goal is to produce less CO2 than our vineyards offset.
Winemaking
We believe that winemaking should aim to express the terroir of the vineyard sites. Toward that end, we pick at moderate sugar levels, ferment at cooler temperatures, and exercise restraint in the extraction of tannins, maintaining a fruit forward, balanced style with nice acidity and a smooth, supple feel . While most of our wines mature in barrel, we aim for a subtle oak profile, never dominating the fruit.
