Winemaker Greg Stach has spent the last 17 years honing his craft at Landmark Vineyards, and while he is fond of saying, “I like the idea that I only get one shot a year at making great wine”, there is something to be said for really getting to know the vineyards where his wines are born. Today’s wine is a truly elegant and delectable wine, with plenty of intriguing - and even inpressive - character.

This Pinot Noir is a gorgeous blood red with stellar color consistency through to the edge. For a Pinot, there’s a surprising amount of fig, bramble, and rhubarb. There’s some maraschino cherry and savory herb notes there as well. Delicate red fruit is on display, with the coastal influences extracting some bold, rich flavor of fresh earth, pipe tobacco, cherries, and allspice. It’s just one of those wines that’s held in perfect balance with acid, sugar, alcohol, tannin, and fruit all playing the same tune. Lovely! Hmmm… What to pair with? Did someone say chicken cordon bleu? Yes, please!

Rooted in a rich history of agriculture, Landmark Vineyards was founded in 1974 by a group that includes Damaris Deere Ford, the great-great-granddaughter of John Deere, the inventor of the first steel plow. In 1993, the winery hired wine maven Helen Turley to aid in raising the winery to new heights. The winery is one of the most accoladed, with innumerable 90+ point scores and plenty of Top List awards. Today, the winery continues its tradition of making wines slowly and with incomparable attention to detail. That care shines through on today’s delicious offering.

Enjoy!

Here’s what the wine press has to say:

91 Points - Wine Enthusiast - “There’s a potent smoky character on the nose of this bottling, with hickory, and oak aromas wrapped around the strawberry and plum flavors. The palate is fresher in a note of red plum, yet smoke, salt, peppercorn, and oregano tones pervade. It’s savory without being rich, showing a strong backbone of acidity.”