After graduating from UC Davis in 1987, Bill Hunter spent time working at Rombauer Winery in St. Helena and Bonny Doon Winery in Santa Cruz. In 1989, he began making wine for Chauffe-Eau Cellars in Geyersville. After gaining some valuable experience, he had a strong desire to express his own style. So in 1994, he began making his own wine on the side - opting to use the brand name 'Chasseur' (as 'Hunter' had already been registered by someone else) which is simply French for Hunter. Since that time, Chasseur Wines has been dedicated to small lot, hand-crafted wines in the old French tradition with an emphasis on "pursuing Pinot Noir and Chardonnay's final and possibly finest frontier" through vineyard designate bottlings from throughout western Sonoma County.
From the winery: "From its pristine cherry color to its focused, sophisticated aromas, the 2007 Sonoma Coast is a Pinot Noir of refinement. The nose carries scents of sweet red cherry, red raspberry, fresh pomegranate, pink peppercorn, powdered sumac and roasted grain, all of which fan out gracefully and gain in richness. Youthful fruitiness is a bit more obvious on the palate, where the roasted grain, coriander seed and dried orange notes are subordinate to the wines deeper core of raspberry, pomegranate and peppery spice. The finish is flavorful, lingering and never less than polishing, and will surely become grander over the next several years."
