The Princess & The Peasant Signal Ridge Vineyard Mendocino Pinot Noir 2016

The 2016 Princess & The Peasant Signal Ridge Pinot Noir marries several of the finest Pinot Noir clones (Dijon 115, Wadenswil 2A, and Mariafeld 23) into a sophisticated, intense Burgundian style wine. Hauntingly aromatic with the savory scents of mountain berries, lavender and violets, the bouquet alone of this Pinot Noir is worth the price of admission. In the mouth, the wine’s bold aromatics explode on the palate, offering rich dark fruit flavors, floral notes, mineral and spice all carried on the silkiest of tannins. Wow! Balanced, beautiful and well-endowed, the 2016 Princess & The Peasant Signal Ridge Pinot Noir is quite a find. Enjoy this seductive Pinot Noir now at cool room temperature (60° F) and for as long as you can keep it in your mouth and flowing down your throat. Enjoy!

The 2016 Princess & The Peasant Signal Ridge Pinot Noir marries several of the finest Pinot Noir clones (Dijon 115, Wadenswil 2A, and Mariafeld 23) into a sophisticated, intense Burgundian style wine. Hauntingly aromatic with the savory scents of mountain berries, lavender and violets, the bouquet alone of this Pinot Noir is worth the price of admission. In the mouth, the wine’s bold aromatics explode on the palate, offering rich dark fruit flavors, floral notes, mineral and spice all carried on the silkiest of tannins. Wow! Balanced, beautiful and well-endowed, the 2016 Princess & The Peasant Signal Ridge Pinot Noir is quite a find. Enjoy this seductive Pinot Noir now at cool room temperature (60° F) and for as long as you can keep it in your mouth and flowing down your throat. Enjoy!

Roger Scommegna is a renowned California winemaker and hotelier in Boonville, California where he runs the Boonville Hotel and Table 128 restaurant. He also has a penchant for Pinot Noir, which sent him in search of the ideal locale for growing Pinot Noir, the world’s most renowned grape variety… and the most persnickety.

Roger Scommegna discovered Signal Ridge Vineyard on a mountaintop high above Anderson Valley in California’s Mendocino County. At an elevation of 2,742 feet, Signal Ridge Vineyard claims to be the loftiest vineyard in all of Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino Counties. Here, Signal Ridge’s unique geography just 9 miles from the Pacific Ocean results in extreme variations in diurnal temperature, sometimes accounting for swings of as much 40-50 degrees Fahrenheit in less than a 12 hour period. This challenging terroir provides the ideal environment for growing cool weather grapes such as Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, which Roger and his winemaking team, Stephanie and Dan Rivin, fashion into their outstanding The Princess & The Peasant Signal Ridge Pinot Noir and Méthode Traditionnelle sparkling wines.

In addition to Signal Ridge Vineyard, Roger has been teamed up with Charles Bieler and the much lauded Joel Gott to make wine. The trio named their wine company “Three Thieves,” a name that is not only memorable but also synonymous with quality and value as “Three Thieves” has fast became one of the wine industry’s fastest growing brands.

“Brought up worlds apart, they met at the junction of love and wine. Dan arrived in America as a peasant with pockets full of nothing but dreams and ambition. He met spirited and soulful Stephanie and knew he had found his princess. Together they toil in the vineyard and cellar to make this singular wine… This is their happily ever after.”

Pinot Noir stands at the pinnacle of all of the world’s grape varieties, but it is not because the planet’s other favored varietals (Chardonnay, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Sangiovese, and Tempranillo, to name a few) are incapable of greatness; rather Pinot Noir is the rare grape variety that is capable of being transformed annually into the planet’s most complex red wines as well as the most exquisite rosé, still, and sparkling wines. Although born in Burgundy a millennium before Cabernet Sauvignon made its appearance in Bordeaux, Pinot Noir now thrives in Champagne, California, Oregon, and a few other hallowed parcels across the planet in addition to its native Burgundy. However, the difficult to grow, often unforgiving Pinot Noir varietal demands attention, a cool temperate climate, and a deft hand in the cellar. When all stars align, Pinot Noir yields light to full-bodied wines of stunning aromatics, depth, and length of flavor. Moreover, good Pinot Noir can age gracefully for as long as any wine when stored properly. Not surprisingly, it is also the world’s most expensive wine on average, which makes it all the more attractive to collectors and a growing legion of admirers.

The 2016 The Princess & The Peasant Pinot Noir provides a thrilling companion to many of the world’s finest cheeses. Brie, Camembert, Gruyere, Pont L’Eveque and a host of creamy cow’s milk cheeses complement superb Pinot Noir. To learn more about gourmet chesses and wine and cheese pairings, contact us at www.cheesemonthclub.com.