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Sam Lando started his career working for some of the large global wine producers, and soon identified his true love of working with and enjoying Pinot Noir.
While his emphasis was sales and marketing, he realized early on the need to understand as much as possible about differing winemaking and viticulture techniques. After working with and becoming friends with some of the best new world wine producers, it was a natural evolution to begin hobby winemaking.
After working for five years with one of the most sought after Russian River Valley Pinot Noir producers, he departed at the end of 2012. His work with dear friends was a deeply rewarding experience…personally and professionally. They worked (and played) so well together because of a love and passion for what they did. In addition to their shared affliction for Pinot, they enjoyed the company of great people and food.
In the middle of the 2012 vintage, Sam and his wife Jennifer decided to take the leap and take the winemaking hobby to the next level. They borrowed against their savings and began building the foundation to develop a small Pinot Noir focused winery. The goal is to make intense, yet elegant and balanced wines from the Russian River Valley and Sonoma Coast appellations. They push themselves to make great wines they enjoy drinking and take great pride in sharing with their dear friends.
Thanks for taking the time to learn about us and we hope to share our Pinot’s with you soon.
— Sam, Jennifer, Henry, and Emma Lando
We believe in producing intensely flavored and yet balanced wines. Our definition of balance relates to beautiful and lush aromatics, a sensuous and saturating mid palate, and a lengthy captivating finish – a complete wine from start to finish. These are the wines we enjoy drinking and sharing with friends and family. The majority of our wines are offered to our mailing list friends. Please sign up and join the mailing list to acquire an allocation of our next release of Pinot Noirs & Chardonnays.
For the calendar year of 2024, we will offer five very limited and special pinot noirs and three limited production chardonnays to our mailing list friends from the 2022 vintage. We release our Russian River Valley wines in the spring release and Sonoma Coast wines in the fall release. True to our form, these wines are intense, yet elegant, and delicious. Our mailing list friends will receive full details and updates in the release newsletter (emailed with the Save the Date reminder & the Start of the Release email) and via email reminders during the release periods. Thank you for the interest in our wines. As a small family winery, your support means the world to us and we couldn’t do it without you!
2022 SONOMA COAST PINOT NOIR
Release Date: October 2024
Cases Produced: 500
Cases Available to the Mailing List: 350
Alcohol: 14.3%
Time in French Oak Barrels: 17 months, 45% new, 35% once used, and 20% neutral
Recommended Drinking Time: Now to 10 years from release. Should you open a bottle early, please decant or allow to breathe for an hour for maximum enjoyment.
Tasting Notes: The early season warmth and dry conditions ushered the grapes to phenolic ripeness (some before the heat wave and some after). The resulting wines are deep and intense. Fresh crushed dark berries dominate the aromatics. The midpalate is laced with briary black and blue fruit with minerality and richness. All of which leads to a long, creamy finish with overlapping blue fruit, and savory spices. This is an intense, yet complex wine, fresh, and elegant. Truly delicious and we hope you enjoy it as much as we do.
2022 FLORA MARIE VINEYARD CHARDONNAY, RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Release Date: October 2024
Cases Produced: 93
Cases Available to the Mailing List: 65
Alcohol: 14.7%
Time in French Oak Barrels: 11 months, 75% new barrels & 25% once used barrels
Recommended Drinking Time: 6 months to 5 years from release. Should you wish to open a bottle early, please decant or allow to breathe for an hour for maximum enjoyment.
Tasting Notes: This vineyard was one of the last plantings by the late and great Ulysses Valdez Sr., one of Sonoma’s most renowned vineyard managers. Our little block is about 1/2 of an acre and it routinely yields a whopping 1-1.5 tons of tiny, delicate, and intensely flavored (Montrachet clone) chardonnay grapes. Aromatics of honeysuckle blend with fresh baked croissant and hazelnut. This wine is creamy and more decadent than our other Chardonnays. But not too much, just the right amount with a kiss of oak & minerality. It is unfiltered and unfined, which adds to the mouth feel and viscosity. Notes of citrus blossoms and honey/drawn butter round out the lengthy finish. It’s unctuous and firm, and caressing – a delicious Chardonnay.
2022 RESILIENCE PROPRIETARY BLEND PINOT NOIR, STA. RITA HILLS
Release Date: October 2024
Cases Produced: 182
Cases Available to the Mailing List: 125
Alcohol: 14.4%
Time in Barrel: 18 months, 50% new, 25% once used, and 25% neutral
Recommended Drinking Time: Now to 10 years from release. Should you open a bottle early, please decant or allow to breathe for an hour for maximum enjoyment.
Tasting Notes: Curvaceous and sultry. Hints of wild raspberry dominate the aromatics. The midpalate is awash with a wave of rich strawberry and notes of cream…reminiscent of a decadent strawberry shortcake with homemade whip cream and a hint of orange zest. Unfiltered and unfined, the silky fruit textures soak in, caress, and slide effortlessly to the back of the palate. Pound cake comes to mind with hints of vanilla, and subtle baking spices that meld with the beautiful fresh, wild strawberry fruit into a lengthy finish. Stunning and delicious.
2022 TRUTH & VALOR PROPRIETARY BLEND PINOT NOIR, SONOMA COAST
Release Date: March 2024
Cases Produced: 260
Cases Available to the Mailing List: 205
Alcohol: 14.3%
Time in Barrel: 18 months, 45% new, 30% once used, and 25% neutral
Recommended Drinking Time: Now to 10 years from release. Should you open a bottle early, please decant or allow to breathe for an hour for maximum enjoyment.
Tasting Notes: Pure and focused. It’s a laser beam of delicious flavor. While the Sonoma Coast appellation pinot noir is more complex, this bottling is from two high altitude vineyards and is more focused (one in the far east Petaluma Gap and the other just into the true Sonoma Coast). A bit more tannin, but an expansive mouthful of fruit. It’s big and yet delicate. The overwhelming flavors of blueberry are undeniable. Pure and blue, with a touch of boysenberry…and selenity. It’s unfiltered and unfined. The intensity of flavors unites and delivers a silky/lengthy finish that lingers on…and on…
This vintage will consist of eight wines. In the spring, our 2022 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – $55 per bottle, the 2022 Heintz Vineyard Chardonnay, Russian River Valley – $55 per bottle, 2022 HALO Proprietary Blend Chardonnay, Russian River Valley – $55 per bottle and the 2022 Sauvés La Vie Proprietary Blend Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley – $65 per bottle. The fall release will feature our 2022 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir – $55 per bottle, the 2022 Flora Marie Vineyard Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast – $55 per bottle, the 2022 Resilience Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills – $59 per bottle, and the 2022 Truth & Valor Proprietary Blend Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast – $65 per bottle. Again, in a typical year, the Russian River Valley wines are released in February and the Sonoma Coast wines in October. We will continue to grow our production slightly and with great care as we’re able to partner with exceptional growers. All orders will take place within the secure website ordering system during the release period (we’ll notify you of the details via email in advance). Please complete the sign up form to be added to the mailing list for our next release.
The majority of our wines are offered to our mailing list friends. Due to our limited production, we will do our best to offer the majority of them an allocation of each wine. However, that will be determined by each mailing list friends length of time on the list and purchase history. As well as the total amount of available bottles Mother Nature has graced us with for said vintage. Details will be emailed to each active mailing list member a few weeks prior to each release in the spring and fall.