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SONOMA COUNTY | WINE COUNTRY THIS WEEKTasting Room of the Week:SCHUG CARNEROS ESTATEby Abigail P. ZimmermanFor 30 years, Schug Carneros EstateWinery has showcased the passion of one ofCalifornia’s most celebrated winemakers andpioneers, Walter Schug.Founded in 1980, Schug Winery hasproved a bastion of fine Pinot Noir andChardonnay, two Burgundian varietalsproduced in old-world understanding andwinemaking traditions with today’s cuttingedgetechnologies.Drawing on his long experience in theproduction of fine wines in both Europe andCalifornia, Walter Schug established hisnamesake winery 30 years ago this year withhis wife Gertrud. In the early years the Schugsleased facilities in Napa before purchasing a50 acre parcel in 1989 in the cool, temperateregion of Carneros AVA where the winery iscurrently situated. Here, he could focus onPinot Noir and Chardonnay, two varietals thathave always been close to his heart.To celebrate Schug Winery’s 30th Birthday,Walter Schug and his team are pleased toannounce the release of two special wines:2008 Schug Carneros Estate Reserve54Pinot Noir: Pulled from free run juices only,this estate grown and produced Pinot Noirdisplays elegant elements of earth and smoke,spicy pepper and warm notes of red fruits.Gorgeous in a striking garnet color, the 2008Estate Pinot is a perfect blend from Blocks 9and 10 (Pommard and Dijon clone respectively).Aged for 16 months in one year oldFrench oak barrels in the gentle environmentof the winery’s extensive underground cavesthis wine was limited to only 228 cases ofproduction. $40 per bottle.2008 Schug Carneros Estate ReserveChardonnay, Block 1: An exceptionalChardonnay that will never be made again.Fermented and aged entirely in neutral casksthe 2008 Estate Chardonnay is provingmagnificent. Delicious white fruits and citrusnotes give way to white flowers and a hint ofminerality. Estate grown from the originalvines, this Chardonnay is in grand salute tothe original plantings. These vines have sincebeen removed and the ground allowed to restbefore replanting – a fitting tribute to thesteady, nourishing soils and world-class winemakingtraditions of this Carneros winery.Only 34 cases produced! $35 per bottle.Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grow exceedinglywell in the cool, marine climate ofSonoma Carneros. Unique soils and strongcoastal influence provide an ideal growingmicroclimate for Schug’s favorite varietals. Inthe afternoons, strong blustery breezes canpositively stress the vines, resulting in fruitswith thicker skins that translate later intostronger, richer, more complex wines. It is nowonder Schug estate wines are perhaps someof the consistently preferred and sought afterwines in all Wine Country.Walter Schug established his reputation asone of the premier winemakers in all of California– in fact one could say his reputationis set in platinum plated concrete. Schug setthe bar for generations of winemaking as theFounding Winemaker for Joseph PhelpsVineyards in the 1970s where he made California’sfirst proprietary Bordeaux-style blend(Insignia) and legendary vineyard designatedCabernets (Backus and Eisele Vineyards.)In 1995, Sonoma-born WinemakerMichael Cox came on board and within ayear, was in charge of day-to-day winemakingduties. Today, Schug Carneros Estate Wineryproduces fine wines from the best grapeswww.WineCountryThisWeek.com