Pinot Noir Reserve
⏳ Drinking Window
2024 - 2030
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted duck, wild mushroom risotto, seared salmon
✨ Technical Specifications
Hailing from the wind-swept corridors of Monterey County, Scheid Vineyards Reserve Pinot Noir is a masterful expression of cool-climate viticulture. The Salinas Valley is defined by the 'Blue Grand Canyon' of Monterey Bay, an underwater canyon that funnels chilly marine air and fog down the valley every afternoon. This natural air conditioning slows grape ripening, allowing the Pinot Noir grapes to develop deep, complex flavors while retaining their crucial bright acidity. The Reserve bottling represents a meticulous selection of the estate's finest vineyard blocks, typically aged in French oak barrels to add structure, warmth, and subtle spice to the vibrant red fruit character. It stands as a tribute to the Scheid family's decades of pioneering work in unlocking the potential of this unique Californian terroir.
🍾 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