La Rochelle, Sonoma Coast (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Meunier 2010

Winemaker Tom Stutz, after a long and distinguished career at Mirassou, is beginning to hit on all cylinders at La Rochelle, the winery he opened with Steve Mirassou shortly after E&J Gallo purchased the Mirassou label. Stutz enjoys working with quirky grapes, so it’s no surprise that he has embraced Pinot Meunier, a red grape typically used in sparkling wine production (you may remember Mirassou once made sparkling wine). The ’09 La Rochelle Pinot Meunier was superb, but this latest vintage is perhaps even better. It is lightly colored but intensely flavored, with aromas of plum and raspberry, supported by firm acidity. While anything but overly oaked, it does indeed show hints of spice from its time spent in French and American barrels. This is a wine that will improve in the cellar over the next five to seven years, but it will deliver immediate pleasure if that’s what the occasion calls for.