Domaine Carneros: Beat the Clock Clone Challenge

How to Complete

4 steps curated by Wine Memories

1. 🍷 1

   Book the Pinot Clone Flight (Request Blind)

   wine $$

   Book a Daily Tasting ($45-65) via exploretock.com/domainecarneros or call 800-716-2788, requesting their Pinot Noir flight featuring single-clone wines. Drive to the château (1240 Duhig Rd, Napa, GPS: 38.2316, -122.3537) that sits on a hilltop overlooking Carneros vineyards. CRITICAL: Ask for the wines to be poured BLIND with glasses unmarked — the sommelier should know which is which but not reveal until you guess.

   🔄 BACKUP: If clone-specific flight isn't available, order their Famous Gate Pinot Noir ($92) which showcases Swan, Hanzell, and Dijon 115 - ask the server to explain each clone's contribution.

   🍷 Log Memory
2. 🍷 2

   The 8-Minute 777 Challenge

   wine Free

   Identify Dijon 777 blind before time runs out.

   THE CHALLENGE: You have 8 minutes from first sip to final answer. Set your phone timer. WHAT TO LOOK FOR: Dijon 777 is THE MOST DISTINCTIVE - cola spice, black tea, clove, darkest color, concentrated tannins. It's early-ripening with tiny berries = intense flavor. HOW TO APPROACH: Swirl each glass. 777 shows the deepest ruby-purple color. Nose all four - 777 has the most pronounced black pepper and dried tea. Taste - 777 is the spiciest, most tannic. Compare to 115 (balanced, subtle sassafras), 667 (dark cherry, bramble), Pommard (earthy, structured). WRITE YOUR GUESS on your napkin before revealing. THE STAKES: Correct = ask the sommelier to initial your tasting note as proof. Wrong = you buy a bottle of the clone you missed.

   🔄 BACKUP: If you finish early, try to rank all four in order of spiciness.

   🍷 Log Memory
3. 📜 3

   Find the 1987 Story in the Château

   history Free

   Look for historical materials about when the Dijon clones arrived in America — the key date is 1987, the year that changed American Pinot forever. Inside the château ground floor near the retail area, ask your server: 'When did the Dijon clones first arrive, and who brought them?' Before 1987, Pommard (imported 1956 by UC Davis) dominated California, but French research cooperation changed everything. The château itself is modeled after Taittinger's Château de la Marquetterie in Champagne.

   🔄 BACKUP: If staff is busy, the view from the terrace tells the story - you're looking at vines that include pre-1987 heritage plantings AND post-1987 Dijon blocks.

   🍷 Log Memory
4. ⛰️ 4

   Photograph the Clone Championship

   Optional

   adventure Free

   Document your clone challenge victory (or defeat) from the terrace overlooking 138 acres of estate vineyard stretching toward the bay. Position yourself at the railing (GPS: 38.2316, -122.3537) with your tasting flight visible and vineyard behind, including your marked-up tasting notes showing your guess. Late afternoon (3-5pm) offers the best light — golden hour hits the vineyard rows and makes the château glow, while morning is too stark.

   🔄 BACKUP: If terrace is crowded, the entrance steps with the château facade work equally well - the French-style architecture photographs beautifully.

   🍷 Log Memory

Insider Tips

• ✦

  The 777 is ALWAYS the spiciest - it stands out like a beacon in any blind tasting. Look for cola and black tea.

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  Pommard was called the 'workhorse' of California Pinot before Dijon arrived - it's earthier, more structured, less fruit-forward.

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  Most great Pinot Noirs are BLENDS of multiple clones - 777 for spice, 115 for balance, Pommard for structure.

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  The château was modeled after Taittinger's Château de la Marquetterie - Taittinger owns 50% of Domaine Carneros.

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  No one under 21 allowed on property - this is an adults-only experience.