Auteur concentrates on just two varietals, but produces them stunningly: Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from California and Oregon. Winemaker and owner Kenneth Juhasz and his wife and partner, Laura, believe that their success stems from selecting vineyards situated in cool climates as well as focusing on the masculine and feminine personalities of these two varietals. Auteur sources fruit from Willamette Valley, Sonoma Coast, Los Carneros, and Mendocino Ridge. Auteur is the only producer to share the famed Shea Vineyard "Back Block," with the grower, a source which produces stellar Pinot Noir. Some outstanding Auteur vintages include the groundbreaking 2004 Donum Vineyard Chardonnay from Carneros - the first release from California vines - and the 2005 Shea Pinot Noir, Vinfolio's Wine of the Year 2006, which currently sells for more than double its release price. Auteur (French for "author" or "composer") explains that the deep orange color of their label represents their "adventurous spirit combined with the organic nature |