Vivier Rosé of Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 2022

Stéphane Vivier was born and raised in Meloisey, Burgundy, where he learned his laissez-faire method of winemaking while growing up at the feet of an elderly neighbor whose family had been making wine for centuries. His skills were then cultivated in the vineyards and cellars of Pommard, Meursault, and Chassagne-Montrachet. After obtaining degrees in viticulture and enology from the Université de Bourgogne in Dijon, he moved on to work harvests in Switzerland, Sonoma, and New Zealand. In 2002 he moved to Napa to become the winemaker at Hyde de Villaine in Carneros, under the tutelage of the great Burgundian winemaker Aubert de Villaine, the co-owner of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (which is considered to be one of the world's greatest Pinot Noir producers as well as the world's most expensive). Stéphane’s wife Dana, whose love for wine began in eastern Washington’s emerging wine country while attending college in Walla Walla, spent a year studying at La Sorbonne in Paris, which gave her fluency in French and a deep appreciation for leisurely meals with friends and great wine. After her postgraduate study at UC Davis, Dana landed a job working for an investment management company specializing in high-end vineyards, which relocated her to Napa. Shortly thereafter, she met Stéphane, and it wasn’t long before the two realized that they belonged together. Today, Stéphane still makes the wine for Hyde de Villaine, and despite his busy day job, he and Dana have slowly and steadily grown their own family brand, Vivier. They launched the brand in 2009, right after the two married. Dana suggested that Stéphane make Pinot Noir, considering that he had grown up literally running through the vineyards of Burgundy. He asked her, “Where will the money come from?” And she told him, “Don’t worry. This is America.” That same year they started their own label with a handful of maxed-out credit cards and just 30 cases of wine. Today, still incredibly small in production, Vivier’s bottlings have grown to become sought after and cherished by sommeliers and wine lovers looking for joyful, food-friendly wines made from the heart. 

Coming from three vineyards within Petaluma Gap, Sonoma Coast, and Sonoma Mountains AVAs, this dry rosé is bright and lively with notes of red rose, red cherry, cranberry, plum, and stone fruit. The label depicts a famed 1906 balloon race over the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris. Picnickers gathered in the garden, and diners filled the neighborhood terraces, eager to watch this inaugural overseas race launch - a perfect moment of joy and anticipation, exactly how you should feel when you enjoy a fine rosé. 190 cases produced.