Buena Vista California Pinot Noir

Buena Vista is California's first premium winery, founded in 1857 by the self-styled "Count" Agoston Haraszthy, who pioneered hillside planting and dry farming long before they were fashionable. This is the house's broadest Pinot Noir - fruit drawn from cool-climate pockets across the state, where Pacific fog tempers the afternoon sun and keeps the wine fresh. The winemaking is deliberately light-handed: gentle extraction and a spell in French oak that frames the fruit rather than covering it. The aim is vibrancy and varietal purity, not weight. In the glass it's bright and approachable - wild strawberry and Bing cherry, a savoury hint of forest floor, supple fine-grained tannins and a smooth finish. Medium-bodied and unfussy, it's a Pinot for pouring rather than studying. Serve lightly chilled, around 14-16°C.