Le Caprice

‘Le Caprice, as in “Capricious,” is an ode to the fickle nature of the Pinot Noir grape. Situated above sea level on steep mountain slopes, some exceeding 50 percent in grade, the vineyard faces east and northeast. It benefits from both the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean to the west and the mild, sunny mountain climate. The soil of the vineyard is a composite of clay, silt, and volcanic gravels, which help the wine display polished tannins, body, and a hint of mineral graphite. ‘Le Caprice’ delivers the most pronounced profile of red fruit of our three estate Pinot Noir wines.

Vintage Notes

The Seaview Estate experienced an exceptionally wet winter with well above average rainfall and cooler-than-average temperatures into March which delayed budbreak by nearly a month. The weather during flowering was uneven and cool, giving rise to less fruit setting—slightly better than in 2022 but still only about 60% of a normal crop. Overall, the growing season was cooler than usual which continued through harvest. Harvest began a full month later than 2022 with the final blocks coming in on October 26th. The wines maintained a vibrant acidity with several blocks producing lower than average alcohol levels.

Winegrowing Notes

Situated over 1,000 feet above sea level on steep mountain slopes, some exceeding 50 percent in grade, the vineyard site faces east and northeast. It benefits from both the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean, just on the other side of the coastal ridge, and the mild, sunny mountain climate. The soil of the vineyard is a composite of clay, silt, and volcanic gravels, which produces a wine with polished tannins, body, and a hint of graphite minerality. Le Caprice presents the most fruit-driven style among the trio of estate Pinot Noirs.

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes

A brilliant mélange of red rose petals, black and red cherry, dried orange peel, candied plum, and blackberry soar from the glass of the 2023 'Le Caprice', embodying the terroir from the steepest vineyard blocks of our Seaview Estate. The lifted nose is framed by hints of baking spices and wild strawberries. The round, supple entry leads to a focused, juicy mid-palate with a long, smooth finish. The 2023 vintage is a seamless, classy, and harmonious expression of 'Le Caprice'.

Vintage Notes

At Seaview, less rainfall than usual led to a drier-than-normal 2022 growing season and an early budbreak. The weather during bloom was highly variable which caused extremely low fruit set resulting in yields of less than half the normal crop at Seaview. Although the majority of the ripening season was moderate, as harvest approached temperatures increased with unusually high heat compressing the range of picking dates to just over one week from September 9-16.

Winegrowing Notes

Situated over 1,000 feet above sea level on steep mountain slopes, some exceeding 50 percent in grade, the vineyard site faces east and northeast. It benefits from both the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean, just on the other side of the coastal ridge, and the mild, sunny mountain climate. The soil of the vineyard is a composite of clay, silt, and volcanic gravels, which produces a wine with polished tannins, body, and a hint of graphite minerality. Le Caprice presents the most fruit-driven style among the trio of estate Pinot Noirs.

Winemaker’s Tasting Notes

A beautiful medium-garnet hue, the 2022 'Le Caprice' is highly floral with a core of rose petals, wild strawberry, red plum, and black cherry with flourishes of baking spices and vanilla. The red fruit-driven palate of strawberry, raspberry, and cherry is supported by juicy tannins, a creamy mouthfeel, and an elegant, lengthy finish. The 2022 'Le Caprice' is a harmonious, bright expression of the steepest blocks from the Seaview Estate.

Vintage Notes

Situated over 1,000 feet above sea level on steep mountain slopes, some exceeding 50 percent in grade, the vineyard site faces east and northeast. It benefits from both the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean, just on the other side of the coastal ridge, and the mild, sunny mountain climate. The soil of the vineyard is a composite of clay, silt, and volcanic gravels, which produces a wine with polished tannins, body, and a hint of graphite minerality. Le Caprice presents the most fruit-driven style among the trio of estate Pinot Noirs.

Winegrowing Notes

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

The lovely, deep garnet 2021 ‘Le Caprice’ offers a stunning array of blackberry, ripe raspberry, violets, and black cherry in an exuberantly expressive nose. The refreshingly fruit-driven palate delivers a smooth, seamless texture and plush mouthfeel supported by sandalwood and black truffle notes. Delicious to enjoy now, the 2021 ‘Le Caprice’ will reward two to ten years of cellaring.

Vintage Notes

The 2019 growing season began with abundant rainfalls during the course of the month of February. The climate remained cool through spring, allowing the vines to produce a proper canopy but without excess of vigor. Bloom was delayed by two weeks and as a result, the veraison was able to develop evenly and the harvest occurred late. During the summer, we managed the canopy with two simple edging passes. In addition, we omitted the de-leafing of the canopy to aid in preserving the natural acidity of this special vintage that nature presented to us. Pinot Noir is among the most fastidious varietals; therefore, very special care is devoted in the vineyard and in the cellars to this noble Pinot Fins selection. The fruit across the three vineyards—Clos du Ciel, Le Caprice, and Ma Danseuse—was harvested crunchy and fully ripe, a rare goal to achieve. Without a doubt, the 2019 is a stunning, classic vintage.

Winegrowing Notes

Situated over 1,000 feet above sea level on steep mountain slopes, some exceeding 50 percent in grade, the vineyard site faces east and northeast. It benefits from both the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean, just on the other side of the coastal ridge, and the mild, sunny mountain climate. The soil of the vineyard is a composite of clay, silt, and volcanic gravels, which produces a wine with polished tannins, body, and a hint of graphite minerality. Le Caprice presents the most fruit-driven style among the trio of estate Pinot Noirs.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

The 2019 ‘Le Caprice’ shows the typicity of Pinot Noir from this coastal, sunny site, exhibiting a deep ruby color with crimson highlights and lofty aromatics of Griotte cherry, a touch of raspberry and sweet plum framed by savory rosewood, baking clove, and cedar. Abundant flavors of dark, morello cherry and briary blackberry meld with the essence of black tea and earthy notes of forest floor. Expressive while young, the 2019 ‘Le Caprice’ will continue to develop for a decade.

Vintage Notes

The 2017 growing season began with abundant rainfall, ending California’s long drought. Spring weather was cool, but dry, resulting in an extended blooming period. The vines were vigorous thanks to the winter rains. Aggressive canopy management and fruit thinning brought the crop into optimal balance. Warmer than normal conditions after veraison accelerated ripening and required careful irrigation to mitigate dehydration. A return of cooler conditions allowed our Pinot Noir to slowly reach perfect ripeness. Picking was gradual and methodical, yielding a slightly larger than normal harvest. The vintage produced rich, forward Pinot Noirs that will show well young, but possess the structure to age.

Winegrowing Notes

The name ‘Le Caprice,’ as in capricious, is an ode to the fickle nature of the Pinot Noir grape. Situated between 1,025 and 1,450 feet above sea level on steep mountain slopes, some exceeding fifty percent in grade, the vineyard faces East and North-East. It benefits from both the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean and the mild sunny mountain climate. The soil of the vineyard is a composite of clay, silt and volcanic gravels, which help the wine display polished tannins, body and a hint of graphite-minerality. Le Caprice is the fruitiest of our trio of estate Pinot Noir vineyards.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

To the eye, the 2017 Le Caprice offers a red ruby color with bright crimson highlights. The wine shows intense aromas of raspberry liqueur, red cherry and blackberry mixed with Russian leather, violet and graphite. The palate is expressive and delivers Griotte cherry, sandalwood, raspberry, wild strawberry, forest floor, hazelnut, and leather, with a background of raspberry liqueur. The texture is fresh, round, and mineral driven. The wine is already expressive and will continue to develop for at least a decade.

Vintage Notes

The near perfect 2016 growing season started with a warm February and early bud break. While California’s drought continued, rains were sufficient to meet the vineyard’s needs. Cool damp conditions at blooming resulted in a well formed, but smaller than average clusters. After veraison, a single pass of thinning brought the crop into optimal balance. Overall, the vintage gave us ideal ripening conditions, maintaining excellent balance between sugar, acidity and the tannin development. Moderate temperatures at harvest allowed gradual picking as each block achieved perfection, providing excellent flavor development. The vintage produced classically styled Pinot Noirs with great intensity and uncommon ageability.

Winegrowing Notes

The name “Le Caprice,” as in capricious, is an ode to the fickle nature of the Pinot Noir grape. Situated between 1,025 and 1,450 feet above sea level on steep mountain slopes, some exceeding fifty percent in grade, the vineyard faces East and North-East. It benefits from both the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean and the mild sunny mountain climate. The soil of the vineyard is a composite of clay, silt and volcanic gravels, which help the wine display polished tannins, body and a hint of graphite-minerality. Le Caprice is the fruitiest of our trio of estate Pinot Noir vineyards.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

Le Caprice is easily identifiable by its deep ruby color and bright crimson tinge. It shows intense aromas of raspberry liqueur, red cherry and blackberry mixed with Russian leather, violet and graphite. The palate is expressive and delivers Grillottes cherry, sandalwood, raspberry, wild strawberry, forest floor, hazelnut, mussels and leather, with a background of black truffle and raspberry liqueur. The texture is round, tactile and mineral driven. Approachable now, the wine will handsomely reward two years of patience, and will continue to develop for a decade or more.

Vintage Notes

The winter was dry with only 70% of normal rainfall, continuing three years of drought. Unseasonably warm temperatures in early spring accelerated bud break by four weeks. The growing season, bloom through veraison, benefited from moderate temperatures, resulting in a very even fruit set. However, early use of drip irrigation was critical for the health of the vines. Hand thinning balanced the crop at 2 tons per acre. Ideal Indian summer conditions allowed us to calmly harvest each block as it achieved optimal ripeness. The vintage yielded wine of exceptional balance and concentration.

Winegrowing Notes

The name “Le Caprice,” as in capricious, is an ode to the fickle nature of the Pinot Noir grape. Situated between 1,025 and 1,450 feet above sea level on steep mountain slopes, some exceeding fifty percent in grade, the vineyard faces East and North-East. It benefits from both the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean and the mild sunny mountain climate. The soil of the vineyard is a composite of clay, silt and volcanic gravels, which help the wine display polished tannins, body and a hint of graphite-minerality. Le Caprice is the fruitiest of our trio of estate Pinot Noir vineyards.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

Deep red ruby color and a bright crimson tinge is the identifier of Le Caprice. The wine shows intense aromas of raspberry liqueur, red cherry and blackberry mixed with Russian leather and graphite. The palate is expressive and delivers Grillottes cherry, sandalwood, raspberry, wild strawberry, pheasant fur, forest floor, hazelnut, mussels and leather, with a background of raspberry liqueur. The texture is round, tactile and mineral driven. The wine is already expressive and will continue to develop for at least a decade.

Vintage Notes

The 2013 growing season began with a dry spring and mild temperatures, very similar to the previous vintage. Bloom occurred evenly under excellent weather conditions, setting a small crop. We worked slowly and meticulously on canopy management and crop thinning, reducing yields further by adjusting each block to one cluster per shoot. From veraison to the harvest, a long Indian summer contributed to the exceptional quality of the vintage.Sunny days, followed by cool evenings allowed for even, slow ripening. Dry conditions coupled with only minor heat spikes made for berries with amazing fruit intensity and a classic varietal profile.

Winegrowing Notes

The name “Le Caprice,” as in capricious, is an ode to the fickle nature of the Pinot Noir grape. Situated between 1,025 and 1,450 feet above sea level on steep mountain slopes, some exceeding fifty percent in grade, the vineyard faces east and northeast. It benefits from both the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean to the west and the mild sunny mountain climate. The soil of the vineyard is a composite of clay, silt and volcanic gravels, which help the wine display polished tannins, body and a hint of graphite-minerality. Le Caprice is the fruitiest of our trio of estate Pinot Noir vineyards.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

Le Caprice is easily identifiable by its deep ruby color and bright crimson tinge. Its shows intense aromas of raspberry liqueur, red cherry and blackberry mixed with Russian leather and graphite. The palate is expressive and delivers Grillottes cherry, sandalwood, raspberry, wild strawberry, pheasant fur, forest floor, hazelnut, mussels and leather, with a background of raspberry liqueur. The texture is round, tactile and mineral driven. The wine is already expressive and will continue to develop for at least two decades.

Vintage Notes

The 2012 growing season began with a dry spring and mild temperatures. Fog in the morning had little effect on our vineyards in their high altitude microclimate. Sunshine-filled days, followed by cool evenings allowed for even, slow ripening. No rain or severe heat spikes made for berries with amazing fruit intensity and a classic varietal profile. Typical for our Seaview Vineyard, we worked slowly and meticulously on canopy management and crop thinning. This diligent, hard work by our vineyard crew ensured a balanced, elegant structure with concentrated, tasty berries.

Winegrowing Notes

Le Caprice, French for “The Freak,” as in “of nature,” aptly describes this rough vineyard terroir. The name is also an ode to the fickle nature of the Pinot Noir grape. Situated between 1,025 and 1,450 feet above sea level on steep mountain slopes, some exceeding fifty percent in grade, the vineyard faces east and northeast. It benefits from both the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean over the ridges to the west and the mild sunny mountain climate. The soil of the vineyard is a composite of clay, silt and volcanic gravels, which help the wine display polished tannin, body and a hint of graphite-minerality. Le Caprice is the fruitiest of our trio of Pinot Noir vineyards.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

Le Caprice has a deep ruby color with a bright crimson tinge. Its shows intense aromas of raspberry liqueur, red cherry and blackberry mixed with Russian leather and graphite. The palate is expressive and delivers Grillottes cherry, sandalwood, raspberry, wild strawberry, pheasant fur, forest floor and leather. The texture is round, tactile, mineral and fragrant. The wine is already expressive and will continue to develop for at least two decades.

Vintage Notes

The 2011 growing season started with a cool wet spring. While our Seaview vineyards did not experience any frost, the temperatures delayed bud break. The weather from fruit set through harvest stayed even, cool and mild without any damaging heat spikes. This coupled with the ample spring rains allowed us to dry farm in this vintage. To ensure proper ripening, we worked diligently on canopy management and crop thinning. This attention to detail allowed the fruit to ripen evenly and resulted in wines that are more “European” in style. For Pinot Noir, 2011 will be remembered as a vintage that yielded wines exhibiting gorgeous structure and elegance.

Winegrowing Notes

Le Caprice, French for “The Freak”, as in “of nature”, aptly describes this rough vineyard terroir. The name is also an ode to the fickle nature of the Pinot Noir grape. Situated between 1,025 and 1,450 feet above sea level on steep mountain slopes, some exceeding fifty percent in grade, the vineyard faces East and North-East. It benefits from both the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean over the ridges to the west and the mild sunny mountain climate. The soil of the vineyard is a composite of clay, silt and volcanic gravels, which help the wine display polished tannin, body and a hint of graphite-minerality. Le Caprice is the fruitiest of our trio of estate Pinot Noir bottlings.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

Le Caprice is easily identifiable by its deep ruby color and bright crimson tinge. It shows aromas of raspberry, currant, red cherry, strawberry, fresh leather and graphite. On the palate, the 2011 Le Caprice expresses a wonderful concentration of red forest fruit, which has a subtle way of lingering into a long lasting finish.

Vintage Notes

The 2010 growing season was exceptionally cool. A mild, wet spring resulted in late bud break, and the fruit set was lighter than normal. Balancing our vines to one cluster per shoot further reduced the yields to about one ton per acre. From veraison until harvest, we enjoyed sunny and mostly mild conditions. A few hot days in August accelerated maturation, giving us an ideal ripening season. The high altitude microclimate of our vineyard prevented the fog from further slowing ripening. Harvest occurred a few weeks later than normal, and the grapes from our Seaview estate were beautiful, compact clusters with petite concentrated tasty berries. Low yields resulted in intense densely flavored wines.

Winegrowing Notes

Le Caprice, French for “The Freak,” as in “of nature,” aptly describes this rough vineyard terroir, and is also an ode to the fickle nature of the Pinot Noir grape. Situated between 1,025 and 1,450 feet above sea level on steep mountain slopes, the vineyard faces east and northeast, benefiting from both the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean and the mild sunny mountain climate. The soil is a composite of clay, silt and volcanic gravels, which help the wine display polished tannin, body and a hint of graphite. Le Caprice is the most fruit forward of our trio of Pinot Noir vineyards.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

Deep red ruby color and bright crimson tinge is the clear identifier for Le Caprice. The vineyard shows its signature characteristics of red forest fruit coupled with aromas of red cherry liqueur, currant, raspberry, strawberry, fresh leather and graphite. The 2010 vintage is refined and expressive with intense concentration in the mouth. The finish lingers both aromatically and subtly on the palate. The wine will age gracefully for a decade.

Vintage Notes

The 2009 growing season began with an average amount of rainfall, but with significant spring precipitation. Conditions were windy and cool for the blooming period, so the fruit set was lighter than normal. Balancing our vines to one cluster per shoot further reduced the yields, ultimately netting about one ton per acre. From veraison until harvest, we welcomed sunny and mild conditions: an ideal ripening season. The high altitude microclimate of our vineyard prevented the fog from affecting the vintage. Harvest occurred very early, in the first week of September. The Pinot Noir grapes from our vineyard were beautiful, small, compact clusters with petite concentrated tasty berries.

Winegrowing Notes

Le Caprice, French for “The Freak,” as in “of nature,” aptly describes this rough vineyard terroir, and is also an ode to the fickle nature of the Pinot Noir grape. Situated between 1,025 and 1,450 feet above sea level on steep mountain slopes, the vineyard faces East and North-East, benefiting from both the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean and the mild sunny mountain climate. The soil is a composite of clay, silt and volcanic gravels, which help the wine display polished tannin, body and a hint of graphite. Le Caprice is the most fruit forward of our trio of Pinot Noir vineyards.

Winemaker's Tasting Notes

Le Caprice can be identified by its deep red ruby color and bright crimson tinge. Delicate red forest fruit is the signature of this vineyard, with aromas of raspberry, currant, red cherry, strawberry, fresh leather and graphite. Refined and intense, 2009 Le Caprice expresses in the palate a wonderful concentration of red fruits with subtle notes of leather and graphite supported by a silky texture and a lingering aromatic finish.