The insides of expensive French oak barrels are charred over oak fires so a smoky quality is imparted to wines aged in barrels. Over 2,000 forest wildfires contributed to smoky skies over most of California in summer 2008. Grapevines are living organisms and what happens in their environment matters. For a complete discussion of this issue and how Navarro dealt with the travails of the 2008 vintage see www.navarrowine.com/vintage2008.

Pinot Noir's name is derived from the French words for "pine" and "black"; the tight clusters are in the shape of a pine cone and the dark purple fruit almost looks black.

Here's a barrel's eye view of a winemaker. Several vineyards that normally are part of our Méthode à l'Ancienne cuvée, are included in this 2008 Mendocino bottling; consequently, the wine was aged with a higher percentage in new French oak barrels than normal.