2019 Hundred Knot Pinot Noir Carneros 750 ml

Tim Milos came up through some of the most demanding cellars in Napa—interning at Stag’s Leap, working as a research enologist at Opus One—before going on to build a reputation as one of the Valley’s most quietly celebrated consulting winemakers. His focus has always been on wines that express a specific place, and the 2019 Hundred Knot is no exception.

That place is Truchard Vineyards, a historic ranch in the heart of Carneros that Tony Truchard began planting in the early 1970s, when the appellation was still largely uncharted territory for fine wine. The clay shale soils here are ideal for Pinot Noir—they retain just enough moisture to keep the vines from stressing during the growing season, while their density naturally limits yields and concentrates flavor.

Truchard is one of the most important estates in the appellation’s history. Long before Carneros became a recognized AVA, Tony Truchard was farming these rolling hills, planting Pinot Noir and Chardonnay on land that most of Napa had written off as too cool and too windy for serious viticulture. The estate has been supplying fruit to some of California’s most acclaimed producers ever since.

The 2019 vintage played right into Carneros’s strengths. A cool, wet winter gave way to a long, mild summer with minimal heat spikes—exactly the kind of slow, even ripening that lets Pinot Noir develop aromatic complexity without sacrificing freshness or structure. Harvest came late and unhurried, with growers able to pick at optimal maturity across the board. It’s widely regarded as an exceptionally strong vintage for cool-climate varieties, and Carneros was among the biggest beneficiaries.

In the cellar, Milos kept his touch light: 11 months in 20% new French oak, with the wood influence restrained enough that the vineyard remains the star. The result is a wine of genuine finesse—aromatically expressive, beautifully textured, and classically California.