HOOK AND LADDER.

More like hook and sinker because this one reeled us in with all its warm, lush, EXPANSIVE richness.

You already know what to do. How many of their wines have we sold over the years? So many. Every single one vanishes in a new record time. And this one? A powerful little fruit bomb of a Pinot at nearly half price - inventory already dropping at a rapid pace.

You might recognize the DeLoach name. They sold their winery years ago. But they couldn’t shake that winemaking itch, so they started a label named after the fire station where Cecil DeLoach was stationed in San Francisco. If you have been around, you know they have a stronghold in the Russian River Valley.

This wine is shining proof of their utter commitment to making some seriously high-quality juice. A proper ALPHA Pinot that will crush bottles 2x the price. It’s a BIG BOY style. We’re talking well-endowed with ripe fruit, a deep core of raspberry and cola, emanating with flashes of sweet toasty baking spices from your mom’s best Fall pies. The palate is robust with more red and black fruits, a bramble edge, and complexity peeking throughout with a sappy grip towards the prolonged finish. This one calls for a roast bird, from the simple whole chicken to game, dressed in a bold marinade with citrus, garlic, fresh herbs.

We don’t know exactly how they manage it, but Hook & Ladder, with a near-cult underground following keep off the radar of the wine press, which helps us secure these insane deals for you. One thing to say though is how OPULENT the 2019 vintage is for Sonoma Pinot Noirs, rated in a preliminary 94-97 points range by Wine Spectator and acutely described as “structured wines of power and finesse” just as this example shows.

This has huge crowd-pleasing potential and will satisfy the most discriminating Pinotphiles. Grab a few - you won’t regret it.