I hope you are ready for another wine day celebration, because Pinot Noir Day (#PinotNoirDay) is right around the corner on August 18. We want to make sure you have Pinot Noir in your glass so, to that end, today we have a recommendation for you: 2017 Theopolis Vineyards Pinot Noir, Yorkville Highlands, Mendocino County.
Theodora R. Lee is the force behind Theopolis Vineyards. By day she is a busy law firm partner and trial lawyer in San Francisco. She also sits on multiple boards of directors in the Bay Area and somehow still finds time to run a 5-acre vineyard in Mendocino County’s Yorkville Highlands AVA.
Estate grown Petite Sirah is the wine Ms. Lee is best known for and she makes a delightful rosé of Petite Sirah, which we shared with our readers in June, but she also makes Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley, Santa Lucia Highlands and Yorkville Highlands) and Yorkville Highlands Symphony. Naturally I was curious about the Pinot Noir in addition to the Petite Sirah, which is yet to come.
2017 Theopolis Vineyards Pinot Noir, Yorkville Highlands, Mendocino County — translucent ruby in the glass with generous aromas of red cherries, earthy berry bramble, and alfalfa hay. Flavors lead with tart red cherries, ripe blackberries, ripe cranberries along with dried mushrooms, dusty earth and oat hay. The body is on the light side of medium with smooth, well-integrated tannins. The finish is moderate+ in length. 14.4% abv. $42 direct from the winery.
These flavors in a relatively light-bodied red wine are why Pinot Noir is my favorite red varietal wine and Theodora’s interpretation is elegant and interesting without being overpowering. The fruit flavors are on full display in this wine without too much influence from oak. Lovely to sip or pair with a meal. And, it’s also very nice slightly chilled.
Pizza is my favorite weeknight pairing with Pinot Noir, so we indulged and I made a pizza for our pairing. Absolutely delicious.
Cheers!
