Wine Maker Notes the series: appellation series, limited releaseOur Appellation Series was built upon the concept of terroir—capturing a varietal’s individual expression in a particular growing region or vineyard site. As part of this ongoing exploration, our winemaking team hand crafts small bottlings of intriguing lots each vintage. Selected from exceptional Sonoma County vineyards, these special releases are available in very limited amounts.the place: carneros hillsStraddling the Napa/Sonoma County line, the Carneros hills roll up from the shores of the San Pablo Bay. The unique factor here is wind—a relentless cooling force that charges up the rolling hillsides. Our estate Pinot Noir blocks—Ahmann, Huichica and Haarstad—are found in the hills of Carneros just two miles from the bay. Here on the sloping hillsides, the cooling influence of wind and fog allow the fruit ample time on the vine to develop full, concentrated flavors and velvety texture. For this smallbottling, we selected just a few blocks higher up on the estate that displayed particularly intense, concentrated character.