Earlier this year we featured another lovely wine from our new friends at Laughinghouse Wines. That Laughinghouse wine was so well-loved by our Operatives that you wrote in to ask for another. We opted for their best, today’s delicious, balanced and downright gorgeous 2013 Sonoma County Pinot Noir.

This 93 point wine hails from some of the most important Pinot vineyard sources in Sonoma County, including the Rodger’s Creek, Gap’s Crown, Sangiacomo, Wollner and Bottoms vineyards. Any lover of Sonoma County Pinot Noir’s will know these names - and the quality that is associated with them.

Raspberry, rose petals, black cherry and sweet spice are the first to jump from the glass and kiss you on the nose. As the wine breathes, it begins to unveil subtle aromas of forest floor, wild mushroom, cherry cola and berry bush.

On the palate, Bing cherry, Alpine strawberry, spiced raspberry candy and blackberry provide the primary notes in this delicious wine. As the wine opens up, additional flavors of cedar, pomegranate, baker’s chocolate, cherry cola and sweet spice appear.

This Pinot Noir is one of the most pleasing that we’ve featured in recent months and we hope that you take advantage of today’s special pricing. This deal won’t be seen again.

Enjoy!

“In case you didn’t get the memo, wine lovers are going nuts for Pinot Noir. Known for its delicate skin, bright flavors and vibrant acidity, the grape variety is now being grown in premiere coastal regions of the West Coast. With that being said, most of the charming wines from the top vineyard are priced at $45 or above. For that reason, it’s even more special when you come across a brand that can produce a high-quality wine at an amiable price.

Claire Silver of Laughinghouse Vintners had this in mind when she began sourcing a few small barrels from some of the most prestigious vineyards in Sonoma County. By doing so, she’s been able to capture a tasty fusion of the Sonoma Coast and Russian River Valley appellations inside each bottle of the Laughinghouse Pinot Noir she produced from the outstanding 2013 vintage.

None of the barrels were new, so the fresh aromas immediately rise from the glass with hints of delicate rose petals, ripe red fruits, earth and natural spices. On the palate, the generous flavors expand with notes of red cherry, strawberry preserves, pomegranate, cranberry, tree bark, cocoa and citrus rind. From there, the soft and silky texture is further complimented by a burst of bright acidity in the mid-palate and a long dry finish.

Overall, this is a fantastic medium-body wine to sip by itself or to pair with a wide range of appetizers, soups, salads, Chinese take-out, Udon noodles with wild mushrooms, grilled salmon, pork chops and Southern style fried chicken.” Score: 93 points - “Sommelier to the Stars” Christopher Sawyer, @sawyersommelier