Rico Chelini grew up around winemaking. His family has been in the Napa Valley wine business since 1969. In 2014, Rico and his wife Lindsey accomplished their dream of creating a wine under their own Chelini Family label.

Winemaker Rico Chelini was born and raised in St. Helena, in the heart of the Napa Valley where his family has been making wine since 1969. Rico’s childhood was filled with days of following his father, legendary Stony Hill winemaker Mike Chelini, around the vineyard and watching the winemaking process up close and as part of his daily life. It was an easy decision for Rico to follow in his father’s footsteps. After studying Wine and Viticulture at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Rico worked in the vineyards and cellar at Linne Calodo Winery in Paso Robles for three years where he really learned what it took to make the best wines possible. Armed with a solid winemaking foundation, Rico returned to his Napa Valley roots where he met up with longtime Napa Valley winemaker Bob Pepi. After eight years working with Pepi, making wine for numerous premier Napa Valley producers, Rico and his wife Lindsey decided to finally pursue their lifelong dream of creating a wine of their own under the Chelini family name. With access to fruit from the beautiful Rosa Garcia Vineyard in Carneros, one of the premier Pinot Noir appellations, A.D. Chelini Pinot Noir was created. The goal was to make a food-friendly wine that could be enjoyed for family gatherings and shared amongst friends. We hope you enjoy it as much as we enjoy sharing it.

2014 A.D. Chelini Carneros Pinot Noir Winemaker: Rico Chelini Three day cold soak, followed by 14 day fermentation using Assmannhausen yeast strain. Alternating pump overs/punch downs daily until fermentation was complete. Gentle press up to 1.3 bars, then straight to barrels. Sur Lie stirring was done daily for two months until malo-lactic fermentation was completed. Aged for 10 months in 30% new French Burgundy barrels (Cadus, Francois Frères).

Winemaker notes: The 2014 Pinot Noir bursts with aromas of violets and dark stone fruit. On the palate the stone fruit carries over with flavors of dark plum along with bing cherry and raspberry with hints of warm spices, black tea, tobacco and sage. The dark fruit is well balanced with bright acidity and subtle tannins, making this a perfect wine to pair with fine cuisine. Alcohol: 14.44.