Illahe’s goal is to make wines as naturally as possible from soil to bottle employing age-old techniques. Their focus is to grow and make quality pinot noir and white wines that express the vintage and varietal characteristics. Of course, quality wine starts with quality fruit in the vineyard. Their grapes are hand-picked, dry farmed, basket pressed, and fermented with native yeasts from small south-facing lots. As wine lovers, it’s great that they adhere to these practices. But, as we all know, it’s how the wine tastes that will be the final way you and I judge a wine. Well, I’ve tasted and judged, and I love this wine. Aromas of wild strawberry, raspberry, Bing cherry, biscuit, dry leaves, and black pepper fill the nose. On the palate, the wine is medium bodied with flavors of rich and complex red fruits and autumnal spices, with perfectly balanced acidity leaving you thirsting for more. Since it’s the holidays, I also picked this because it’s such a perfect food wine, ranging from roasted mushroom dishes and curried squash soup to herbed turkey, duck, or pork loin with a crispy, rendered fat cap. ‘Tis the season to break bread and share will all you hold dear. Cheers all! -Spirits Buyer, Zach Rouillard