With the New Year upon us we are excited to announce the 2018 Wine Destinations Wine of the Year. During 2018 we once again had the opportunity to visit one of our favorite wine destinations, the beautiful Sonoma County. This time around we were fortunate to visit the historic Hanzell Vineyards. Nestled at the toe of the Mayacamas Mountains, this family farm is home to the oldest Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines in the Western Hemisphere. Hanzell is fully committed to the land they own and it shows with their bio farming practices. From sheep acting as lawn mowers to pigs acting as tillers, Hanzell takes great pride in making sure the terroir they tend to is helping produce the best wines possible. 

As you can imagine they specialize in small lots of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and they are making some of the best wines we have ever had. Focused on highlighting the fruit that grows in their meticulously cared for vineyards, their wines are fresh, structured, and showcase beautifully the fruit they are growing. 

This 2014 Sonoma Valley Pinot Noir is the creation of winemaker, Michael McNeill. The fruit for this wine was sourced from the de Brye, Sessions and Ambassador’s 1953 Vineyards with an average vine age of 26 years. With notes of red fruit and a beautiful silky finish through the palate we found this Pinot Noir to be extremely elegant. This is a wine that you can cellar or drink now.

We hope that your wine adventures of 2018 were as fun as ours and that you found a wine that captivated you the way this Hanzell Vineyards Pinot Noir captivated us.

Cheers to a 2018 filled of great memories and to a Happy New Year! 🍷