May 6, 2025 – Mother’s Day kicks off the season of weddings, graduations, anniversaries and brunch. Now is the time to stock up on sparkling, rosé and Pinot Noir, and we’ve got a few ideas, both local and imports you can find fairly easily.
Odonata 2020 Blanc de Blanc, Escolle Vineyard, $46 – This wildflower and citrus blossom scented sparkler sports a creamy body and a superfine mousse. Meyer lemon meringue dances on the tongue and the impression of lemon pie and lemon-iced biscotti lingers. So satisfying and round in the mouth. Having a picnic here would be a great gift for Mom or a fun party setting.
2022 Private Property Brut Rosé, Santa Lucia Highlands, $40 – Equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from 5 different vineyards, this rhubarb-scented wine delivers vivacious red apple, pomegranate, red grapefruit, cherry candy and red cherry turnover. Lip-smacking and beautiful, the 1% still wine addition pre-tirage is pure Pinot Noir.
2022 Scratch Blanc de Blanc, San Saba Vineyard, Monterey, $55 – Made by Sabrine Rodems, this creamy palate-pleasing sparkling of entirely Clone 17 Chardonnay from San Saba Vineyard, rested en tirage for 11 months. Precise on its feet, this is lush with lemon cream mousse, yet as feathery light as meringue. “Scratch” means multiple things: original (from scratch), money (slang), scratch baker, scratch golfer, chicken scratch, etc.
Louis Pommery England Brut, $40 – Climate change has rendered the chilly maritimes of England’s southern cliffs arable for grapes, and several of France’s Champagne houses have ventured across the Channel to explore the chalky soils of their largest export market. Louis Pommery England Brut hails from Hampshire, and is made using the traditional methods, offering lively citrus, raspberry and strawberry aromas, and a poised, refined palate. It feels fancy and festive, especially for the price point of under $40.
2021 Iron Horse 2021 Spring Brut Rosé, Green Valley, Sonoma County, $75 – Vibrant and filled with tempting aromas of strawberry fields, rose petals and lime blossoms, this pale pink beauty bursts with notes of wild strawberry, orange zest, raspberry and finish of tangelo. Divine. This is a pretty wine to serve with brunch any time. Better yet, buy Mom, or yourself, a gift membership in the Iron Horse Bubbles Club.
NV Nicolas Feuillatte Réserve Exclusive Rosé, Champagne, France, $60 – The so called “pink label” from this wildly popular French producer delivers a beautiful bouquet of red currant, blueberry, raspberry, and sweet strawberry. A dosage of mostly white wine amps up the perfumey fruit and wild strawberry, but 16 to 18% red wine dosage imparts an impressive body and depth. Pairs with everything you might ponder for brunch or lunch. Versatility is its middle name, and again, it overdelivers for the price.
POSH PINKS
2023 Cuvaison Grenache Rosé, Napa Valley, Los Carneros, $45 – From 100% Carneros-grown Grenache, this svelte and truly captivating wine was stainless-fermented and aged for 6 months on the lees. Attractive aromas of pink grapefruit, jasmine, Alpine strawberries and fresh ginger are a great tee-up for the complex flavors of summer peach, nectarine, Cara Cara orange, a hint of thyme and lime zest on the palate. More on the brisk side with a pH of 3.15 and TA of 7, but plenty mouth-pleasing, classy and delicious.
2023 Talbott Sleepy Hollow Rosé of Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, $32 – This picture- and color-perfect Sleepy Hollow Rosé of Pinot Noir from one of the SLH’s favorite vineyards, encapsulates everything that is appealing about the grape, from sweet strawberry and gladiolus aromas to the bright, yet graceful palate, edged by vivid red cranberry and raspberry. Even the finish is precise.
2024 J. Lohr Stairway Vineyard Grenache Rosé, Adelaida District, $28 – Winemaker Brenden Wood is pretty proud of this exuberant and enticing wine that leads with aromas of Asian pear, ripe grapefruit and strawberry. It flows gently onto the palate with a juicy mix of guava, strawberry candy, tangelo, mandarin and bright acidity. This special vineyard block is terraced into a hillside in western Paso Robles, hence the name Stairway. Think of it as the conduit to a memorable meal, whether it’s a cheese and fruit platter, an endive and radicchio salad with goat cheese and mandarins, or a berry-topped Dutch Baby pancake.
PINOT PANACHE
2023 Chloe x Lele Pinot Noir, Monterey, $25 – This is not just a beguiling bottle reminiscent of perfume, accented by a silken Chloe designer bow, but the juice inside is pleasant enough, if you like it sweet. Lush ripe cherry, strawberry jam and sweet vanilla dominate. Smells perfumey, too. This is a collaboration between luxury accessories designer Lele Sadoughi and The Wine Group’s Andrea Brambila, director of winemaking at CHLOE. The Chloe Wine Collection features a limited-edition Chloe x Lele Pinot Grigio from Italy and a Pinot Noir from Monterey County.
2022 Morgan Double L Pinot Noir, Clone 667, Santa Lucia Highlands, $75 – The only organically certified vineyard in the SLH from the very beginning of its life, Double L is famous for its fantastic mélange of Pinot Noir clones, and the ability to deliver an outstanding product, year after year. This 2022 is solely Clone 667 of Pinot Noir, and was poured for the VIP portion of the SLH Gala, where it was a big hit. It’s a Club Exclusive and well worth it.
2023 Rustiqué Estate Pinot Noir, Monterey County, $43 – Bright, sassy and loaded with vibrant red fruits like cherry candy and ripe strawberry, this Pinot Noir made by winemaker Chad Silacci is edged with a twang of herbs and very appealing baking spice. With a juicy long finish and polished oak, my friend Susan loved this wine.
2022 Goldeneye Gowan Creek Vineyard Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley, $90 – After a long day of tasting a myriad of wines from all over Monterey and beyond at the Sun, Wind and Wine Gala at Mer Soleil, we settled in to enjoy this plush, dark raspberry ganache-edged Pinot Noir made by winemaker Kristen McMahan. The combination of pleasing herbal aromas, a hint of sage and tobacco leaf, and warm summer berry bushes ripening in the coastal hills, was music to our nostrils. We were rewarded by a bold flood of ripe blackberry and boysenberry pie, coupled with an edge of elegant red fruit, wrapped in chocolatey tannins tempered by well-mannered acidity. All in all, this wine is a magnificent way to accompany a fancy lunch or dinner or to end an evening.
About the author
Laura Ness is a longtime wine journalist, columnist and judge who contributes regularly to Edible Monterey Bay, Spirited, WineOh.Tv, Los Gatos Magazine and Wine Industry Network, and a variety of consumer publications. Her passion is telling stories about the intriguing characters who inhabit the fascinating world of wine and food.
