I should not have been surprised that the Tobiano Pinot Noir would become such a favorite with our customers, especially restaurants, for its price-to-quality ratio and combination of drinkability with a little “seriousness.” This is the kind of wine that I like to drink every day—affordable, tasty, but not simple. Like I often say, it’s a wine less for contemplation and more for enjoyment. But if you pause to consider this wine, you will find some interesting things. I’ve made wine for more than 20 years and over the years have found that often the hardest wine to make is an inexpensive wine that tastes like an expensive one. That the Tobiano is such a wine every year speaks well of our winemaking team as well as the quality of the grapes that come off our vineyard.

The 2007 vintage of the Tobiano Pinot Noir, like all our 2007 reds, is deeply colored and intense. It actually is slightly more tannic and “big” than the Alazan but is less complex, more straightforward. It’s loaded with dark fruits and spice and should be given a little air before drinking—you can decant, or simply pour into a big glass, and give it a few good swirls before consuming.