Winemaker Notes
Vibrant purple-garnet in color with enticing aromas of cherry, raspberry and plum, and a faint violet hint surrounded by subtle spice from integrated French oak barrel aging. Well balanced palate with refreshing acidity and luscious tannins yielding a plush weight and a soft, silky mouth feel.
Enjoy with grilled and roasted meats such as lamb, pork or chicken and dishes made with light sauces. A match for medium aged cheeses.
Professional Ratings
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Wine Enthusiast
Fruity and well structured, this affordable wine offers generous blackcherry and baking-spice flavors and an appetizing texture that lightly grips the palate. Rhubarb and tea notes come out with further time in the glass.
Leading U.S. wine & spirits importer Palm Bay International is pleased to present an exciting new range of California wines called Mon Frère. French for ‘my brother’, Mon Frère is a celebration of our connections to each other, to those special people with whom we choose to share life’s triumphs and tribulations. The range includes three expressions: a fresh Chardonnay with moderate, well-integrated oak, a Pinot Noir that delivers ripe, rich fruit flavors, and a Cabernet Sauvignon that expresses concentrated, ripe fruit and firm structure while remaining smooth and approachable.
Developed and vinified by an exceptional team led by Tom Hinde, chief winemaker for the celebrated Au Contraire Wines, Mon Frère Winery champions the very best in quality California sourcing and winemaking. The Mon Frère packaging playfully celebrates friendship in its many shapes and sizes through hand-drawn custom illustrations and lighthearted copy.
Celebrating 42 years in 2019, Palm Bay International is a progressive, family-owned wine & spirits organization that is a proven industry leader. Palm Bay has its roots in Italian wine and now offers one of the most comprehensive portfolios in the U.S., comprising prestigious estates, distilleries and popular brands from 17 countries. In recent years, under the leadership of third generation family member and CEO Marc D. Taub, Palm Bay has been developing a growing cache of domestic wines.
Internationally recognized for gorgeous, pure fruit combined with great elegance, California Pinot noir thrives among the state’s cooler, coastal zones. Characterized by eclectic flavors and aromas of strawberry, black cherry, plum and potpourri with notes of forest floor, mushroom or black tea, the best California Pinot noir boast a supple texture and good acidity, giving them the ability to improve with age.
Credited with the beginning of Pinot noir’s glory in California, two growers, Joe Rochioli and Joseph Swan in the late 1960s independently planted Pinot noir vineyards in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County. Today Sonoma County remains the leading producer of Pinot noir in the state, and Pinot noir is the leading red grape in the county, achieving its highest potential, in the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast.
Other coastal appellations where Pinot noir flourishes include Carneros, Anderson Valley and most of the Central Coast.