Winemaker Notes
The versatile, delicate flavors of this Rosé of Pinot Noir pairs perfectly with rich goat cheeses, bright citrus flavors, grilled seafoods and spicy sauces.
Professional Ratings
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Tasting Panel
Beautiful pink color; dry, tangy, and luscious with crisp raspberry and citrus notes; bright and long
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Wine Enthusiast
This is a well-integrated wine made from whole-cluster grapes pressed directly into a stainless steel tank. Raspberry and citrus tones mingle with bright acidity, resulting in a refreshingly bright nature that's hard to resist.
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Wilfred Wong of Wine.com
COMMENTARY: The 2018 Sonoma-Cutrer Rosé of Pinot Noir is delectable and well-balanced. TASTING NOTES: This wine is bright and jazzy. Enjoy its brisk red fruit aromas and flavors with fresh salmon sashimi. (Tasted: September 17, 2019, Windsor, CA)
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.
A standout region for its decidedly Californian take on Burgundian varieties, the Russian River Valley is named for the eponymous river that flows through it. While there are warm pockets of the AVA, it is mostly a cool-climate growing region thanks to breezes and fog from the nearby Pacific Ocean.
Chardonnay and Pinot Noir reign supreme in Russian River, with the best examples demonstrating a unique combination of richness and restraint. The cool weather makes Russian River an ideal AVA for sparkling wine production, utilizing the aforementioned varieties. Zinfandel also performs exceptionally well here. Within the Russian River Valley lie the smaller appellations of Chalk Hill and Green Valley. The former, farther from the ocean, is relatively warm, with a focus on red and white Bordeaux varieties. The latter is the coolest, foggiest parcel of the Russian River Valley and is responsible for outstanding Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.