Curated from the best regions, vineyards and vintages, the Fine Wine Collection is meant to celebrate winemaking at its finest. This wine represents our commitment to excellence, to exploration and to you.
2020 Pinot Noir Sonoma County, California
Our vines sprung to life early in March, seemingly eager to begin the season. This head start proved vital, as 2020 presented a challenging year for Sonoma County. Summer saw dry weather and uncharacteristic heat, which accelerated ripening. Daily fog and coastal breezes controlled the pace, but grapes were still plump and ready ahead of schedule. Nature had spoken, and we listened by harvesting early in mid-August. This turned out to be fortuitous timing, avoiding extreme temperatures and wildfires that followed.
Sonoma County boasts an even greater variety of microclimates than the neighboring Napa Valley. With 60 scenic miles of coastline, the Pacific Ocean’s influence is felt throughout the region. Rolling hills and fog-covered valley floors offer optimal conditions for thin-skinned Pinot Noir, allowing grapes to ripen slowly while natural cooling influences protect delicate aromas and textures. These world-class wines offer incredible diversity, from Sonoma Coast’s fresh, aromatic examples to the rich, deeply colored, and structured wines of Russian River Valley.
Our Pinot Noir offers delightful freshness, balance and rich fruit. Savory notes of pine resin, pencil shavings and cedar join hints of strawberry cola for a warm and woodsy aromatic introduction. The palate is bright and focused as your senses stumble upon bushels of ripe raspberry flavors, joined by layers of earthiness. Vibrant acidity and gentle tannins keep the overall mouthfeel light before each sip concludes with a refreshing finish.
Pine resin, pencil shavings, cedar, strawberry, cola, raspberry, earth
Profile
Body:
Acidity: Fruit: Tannin:
This Pinot Noir’s medium body, bright acidity and mild tannins make it excellent for food pairing. The best dishes will play into its balance of fruit, earth and oak-driven notes. Mirror the wine’s softness and highlight fruit notes with tender, buttery fish like salmon or tuna. Fatty chicken or turkey thighs will also emphasize these traits. Select earthy vegetables like roasted potatoes, turnips or squash to harmonize with the wine’s earthy characteristics, seasoned with warm spices like cinnamon and nutmeg.
Menu suggestions
• Sage and butternut squash baked dish
• Brown butter risotto
• Potatoes roasted with olive oil and bay leaves
• Cedar plank salmon
• Blackened tuna steaks with garlic and herbs
• Red wine braised turkey legs
Temperature: Lightly chilled red (55–60°F)
Decanting time: 30 minutes
Glassware: Burgundy glass
Though yields were low, quality was high, with healthy grapes that required little sorting after such a dry summer. We honored nature’s intent for this vintage with each winemaking decision, favoring gentle techniques to highlight Pinot Noir’s natural complexity and varietal nuance. Fermentation temperatures were kept cool, followed by limited oak contact to soften textures without adding too much flavor. With this approach, we found elegance in a year of extremes, bottling a magnificent example of practice and patience.
Fermenting Pinot Noir at lower temperatures preserves delicate aromas. Oak allows oxygen to smooth the wine’s texture.
Morning and evening fog slow ripening, preserving the grape’s natural acidity. Low yields increase grape’s flavor concentration.
2020 Thistle & Quail Pinot Noir Sonoma County, California
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It has aromas of aroma 1 , aroma 2 , and aroma 3 .
It is dry - off-dry - sweet with low - medium - high acidity and tastes like flavor 1 , flavor 2 , and flavor 3 . It has no - low - medium - high tannins and a light - medium - full body with a short - medium - long finish.
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