HAPPY 2026 OPS!

What a banner year 2025 was…

Records of all kinds broken. Deals that redefine what we’ve seen grace the site over the years. And we owe a huge THANK YOU for all the continued love and support. Without you, we would not be hunting down the next big thing.

But before we go big, let’s keep it light, bright, airy. We EASE into the New Year with a chill PINK Day, a perfect Rosé new beginning to a year that’s guaranteed to be filled with countless marvelous reds and magnificent whites.

So put your rose-tinted glasses on with us and check this one out.

In Rutherford, home to the big shot Cabs like Staglin, Quintessa, Scarecrow and others it’s a rare sight to see a rosé. Let alone one made entirely from Sangiovese. Nerd fact, the only other producers in Rutherford that make a Rosé of Sangiovese are Round Pond, Saddleback, Staglin Family…. They found good reason to keep those vines around in this pricey territory.

And so did Pestoni. Pestoni’s Rutherford home base, where this Rosé hails from, is surrounded by prominent neighbors, too, such as Whitehall Lane, Pine Ridge, and Provenance, which begin to explain why this Rosé drinks like a dream. There are other, more obvious reasons why the brilliant color, the bursting red berries, and crisp acidity reminiscent of the best Provençal examples. Cassis, raspberry, hints of orange peel only begin to explain the deliciousness…

And of course, the 2023 factor plays a role. A vintage for the history books! Hot off the press, Jeb Dunnuck raves, “I believed 2023 would be a truly exceptional and singular vintage, and that assessment was clearly borne out in my tastings this year. Across the board, the 2023s stand out for their purity, vibrancy, and elegance, yet they still deliver depth, richness, and concentration.”

Next, the Pott factor: Yes, that Aaron Pott. He joined Pestoni Family as Consulting Winemaker shortly after this wine was harvested. What led him there, beyond the newly instilled commitment to quality, is the brilliant wines like this that winemaker Jeremiah Moore makes, who has worked with Pott at Blackbird since 2017. Small world indeed, and with that dynamic duo, the scores are coming in BIG already. This tiny production Rutherford Estate Rosé never gets reviewed, though, as the mailing list drinks it up.

The Pestoni family, since the rebranding from Rutherford Grove in 2017, has been steadily climbing the ladder, elevating this legacy winery dating back to the 19th century to new heights. A recent spotlight by San Francisco Chronicle points out that “It’s a story made for Hallmark Channel: Tired of the hustle in Hollywood, a screenwriter returns to his sleepy hometown, realizes the story of his career was right in front of him all along, and decides to tell it through the revitalization of his family’s historic wine business. It sounds scripted, but that’s exactly what Greg Pestoni has spent the past decade doing. Now, the transformation of St. Helena’s charming Pestoni Family Estate Winery is ready for its premiere.”

And we say, this Rosé is the ultimate opening scene!

We can add to our New Year’s resolutions a hope to find a better Rosé offer than this. But at $17, the odds are slim. Round out your Lockers with reckless abandon, as there is precious little.