Pinot Noir Clone 777
⏳ Drinking Window
2023 - 2028
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, wild mushroom risotto, grilled salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
Scheid Vineyards' Clone 777 Pinot Noir is a focused exploration of one of Burgundy's most celebrated Dijon clones, thriving in the cool, wind-swept microclimates of Monterey County. Originating from the Pinot Noir nurseries of the University of Dijon in France, Clone 777 is highly prized by winemakers for its small berries, which yield an intense concentration of color, complex dark fruit aromas, and velvety tannins. Sourced from Scheid's estate vineyards along the Salinas Valley—where the daily maritime fog and chilly winds from the Monterey Bay slow the ripening process—this single-clone bottling showcases the dramatic influence of terroir. The grapes are carefully harvested and fermented to preserve the clone's signature lush black cherry and spicy undertones, followed by aging in French oak barrels to add structure and a touch of warm vanilla.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1972 by pioneer Al Scheid, Scheid Vineyards began as an ambitious viticultural venture in southern Monterey County, initially supplying fruit to major California wineries before evolving into a vertically integrated estate wine producer. Spanning more than 3,000 acres across a 70-mile expanse of the Salinas Valley—encompassing microclimates across the Monterey, Arroyo Seco, and Hames Valley AVAs—the estate leverages thermal diurnal shifts driven by maritime winds off Monterey Bay. Viticulture balances alluvial gravel, decomposed granite, and clay-loam soils across twelve distinct ranch sites, farmed under SIP Certified and Certified California Sustainable standards, with the winery fully powered by an onsite wind turbine. Winemaking prioritizes varietal clarity, tension, and texture across an eclectic portfolio, celebrated for vibrant Sauvignon Blanc Reserve, aromatic Viognier, racy Dry Riesling, and rare regional white bottlings such as Petit Manseng and Roussanne.
🍇 Grapes
Pinot Noir