2022 Truchard Vineyards Pinot Noir – A Great Surprise!
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Background
Admittedly I don’t stock a lot of Pinot Noir wines in the cellar. It is not because I don’t like the varietal, but contrary, I am enthralled with its allure of fragrance, coloring and taste. Unfortunately, Pinot in my opinion is one of the most difficult grapes to produce with its finicky development cycle, thin skins, tight clusters and extreme sensitivity to weather conditions. Add to this low crop yields and as my good friend states “Pinot Noir is either very good or skunky!”. Over the years I have tasted, both in wine competitions and with friends, more skunky ones than exceptional ones. That said, I asked a waiter for a recommendation at a restaurant for a good Pinot Noir, and this was his recommendation. It was a solid everyday Pinot Noir without breaking the bank. After that evening, I went to the wine store and picked up a couple of bottles as we enjoyed Pinot Noir with selected dinner dishes.
A footnote that while I have been visiting Napa Valley and have visited close to a thousand wineries, Truchard Vineyards has always eluded my visit.
The Wine – “Wine if bottled Poetry” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Photo ©Michael Kelly
First on the eyes, this wine held a majestic semi-translucent maroon coloring. No Omega Purple dye here! On the nose both red and black cherries along with ripe plums. In the palate, smooth, refreshing juice flowing gently in the mouth with balance acidity and caressing tannins. On the finish just a hint of cranberries and strawberries rounded out with a gentle vanilla conclusion.
2022 vintage came in with 14.1% of alcohol. The current vintage is 2023 on their website and showing a price of $38/bottle.
The Food and Wine Pairing – “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners” – Andre Simon
Photo ©Michael Kelly
One of the key meals we enjoy a good Pinot Noir wine with is pork tenderloin. With the temperature reaching 115 degrees yesterday, scraped our normal BBQ-ing and went with a small baked pork tenderloin. The rub used was a new one consisting of brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic powder, sea salt, pepper, chili powder and Flatiron “Dark & Smoky” pepper. The pork slices were served with a drizzle of peach & pepper sauce. Accompanying the meal was a chicken rice blend, sauteed baby asparagus and a fresh garden salad with crumbled Blue cheese.
The Pinot Noir surrounded each morsel of the seasoned pork tenderloin with a refreshing liquid to provide a great balance of fruit (wine) and spice (food). A very good complimentary or Yin-Yang pairing. A very solid and good wine and will be looking to pick up a few more bottles for selected foods.
While not making my Best Wines Tasted in 2026, this is one to keep in the cellar for your everyday enjoyement.
The Winery
Not having visited the winery, only picked up a few key points on their website and reading:
- Tony & Jo Ann Truchard began buying up land in Carneros region from 1974 (20 acres) and today they have 400 acres with 280 acres planted. They opened the winery officially in 1989.
- They are a Sustainable & Certified Winery.
- It is a family run business with son Anthony Truchard II serving as General Manager. His background is diverse with degrees in philosophy and biology. He further went on to get his law degree in New York City and practiced intellectual property law before being asked to return to run the winery.
- The winemaker is Sal De Ianni also with an interesting background in Chemistry and later completing his MS in Enology at Cal Davis.
- They are located at 3234 Old Sonoma Road in Napa.
Look forward to obtaining a better understanding of the winery and their offerings on my next visit to Napa Valley.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly