Strala Vineyards, Rose Russian River Valley, 2021

Pale salmon in the glass, shimmering with the cool Pacific glamour of RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY. Crushed strawberry and watermelon rind arrive first, followed by white peach, pink grapefruit zest, and the faintest whisper of dried rose petal. The finish is clean, saline, and absolutely maddening in the best possible way. ​ STRALA VINEYARDS quietly does things their own way out in Sonoma, and this 2021 Rosé is exactly the sort of wine that makes you wonder why you ever bothered with anything else on a warm evening. Pinot Noir grown on some of California's most sought-after fog-cooled land, picked at precisely the right moment, then handled with a restraint that most producers simply don't bother with. The result is a rosé of genuine finesse — delicate without being thin, vibrant without shouting about it. ​ This is the bottle you didn't know you were looking for. Now you do.