Winemaker Notes
This wine pairs perfectly with salmon, fowl and meat entrées like beef bourguignon or rack of lamb. During the holidays, pair our Pinot Noir with an herb-roasted turkey, gravy and cranberry sauce dinner, or other dishes like a fall harvest salad with butternut squash, pumpkin seeds, pecans and greens, sweet potatoes with walnuts, bread stuffing with herbs, sage, wild rice and giblets, and even roasted goose.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Just-picked strawberries in tilled soil greet the nose in this expressive and sumptuous wine. Milk chocolate swathes the palate, further enhanced by cranberries and deep notes of crushed blueberries. The balance between acid and a buoyant mouthfeel make this red a sensual experience. Spice and sassafras lead to a long finish, where graphite makes an appearance.
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Wine Enthusiast
Gorgeous in aroma and satisfying in flavor, this full-bodied wine shows great fruit concentration. Layers of dark berries and spice fill out the firm structure and give it depth. Editors’ Choice.
Anderson Valley, located in Mendocino County just above Sonoma County, is one of California’s coolest AVAs, allowing it a long growing season. Only 15 miles long, the region makes a slice eastward through the mountains, from the frigid Pacific Ocean. Dramatic diurnal temperature variations here preserve grape acidity and thus freshness in the finished wines. These are prime conditions for growing Pinot Noir, and the valley produces many fine versions. Characteristics of Anderson Valley Pinot Noir typically include crisp acidity, cranberry and strawberry notes as well as earthy notes of forest floor and mushroom.
Still Pinot Noir, however, is only part of the story. Pinot Noir, along with Chardonnay, are also grown for Anderson Valley’s exceptional sparkling wines. Produced via the traditional method, these offer a classic toasty note from lees aging, bright, complex fruit notes and a clean, refreshing character.