This is the third consecutive vintage of Ladera’s Pillow Road Vineyard Pinot Noir that gets a great score from me. It’s showing classic cherry cola notes of the Russian River Valley, with well folded wood spice and freshening acidity from start to finish. A mild earthy minerality encapsulates the fruit and spice through a lively finish, making food pairing possibilities a fairly open field. I would lean toward roast chicken or turkey, but that’s just me.
Ladera Vineyards, Russian River Valley (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir 2017
By Rich Cook