Winemaker Notes
The 2021 vintage opens with a nose of mandarin orange, white blossoms, and lychee fruit. On the palate it enters with zesty acidity and freshness displaying Rainier Cherry, strawberry, and guava accented by more savory notes of herbs de Provence and an attractive and cooling sea spray finish, reminiscent of the fog that blankets Sonoma County's vineyards. A lively and crowd-pleasing easy sipper, this wine will show at its best when youthful and chilled.
Professional Ratings
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James Suckling
Aromas of sliced lemons, lilies and green strawberries. Medium-bodied with tight structure and bright acidity. Tasty. Drink now.
Whether it’s playful and fun or savory and serious, most rosé today is not your grandmother’s White Zinfandel, though that category remains strong. Pink wine has recently become quite trendy, and this time around it’s commonly quite dry. Since the pigment in red wines comes from keeping fermenting juice in contact with the grape skins for an extended period, it follows that a pink wine can be made using just a brief period of skin contact—usually just a couple of days. The resulting color depends on grape variety and winemaking style, ranging from pale salmon to deep magenta.
Home to a diverse array of smaller AVAs with varied microclimates and soil types, Sonoma County has something for every wine lover. Physically twice as large as Napa Valley, the region only produces about half the amount of wine but boasts both tremendous quality and variety. With its laid-back atmosphere and down-to-earth attitude, the wineries of Sonoma are appreciated by wine tourists for their friendliness and approachability. The entire county intends to become a 100% sustainable winegrowing region by 2019.
Sonoma County wines are produced with carefully selected grape varieties to reflect the best attributes of their sites—Dry Creek Valley’s consistent sunshine is ideal for Zinfandel, while the warm Alexander Valley is responsible for rich, voluptuous red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are important throughout the county, most notably in the cooler AVAs of Russian River, Sonoma Coast and Carneros. Sauvignon Blanc, Merlot and Syrah have also found a firm footing here.