Our Wine Of The Week is 2013 Hope & Grace Santa Lucia Highlands Doctor’s Vineyard Pinot Noir. This is a very full bodied Pinot with deep cherry and floral aromas and a smooth cherry finish. I like it as a sipping wine, though it pairs well with chicken, fish and lighter beef recipes. 100% Pinot Noir aged 16 months in French Oak.

Grapes are sourced from the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA in Monterey County, a strip of land along the western edge of the Salinas Valley that receives a steady dose of cool breezes from the Pacific Ocean. This area is known for producing intense fruit, primarily Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, that is sought after by many Napa Valley wine makers. Local producers along the River Road wine trail (worth a visit) also make very good wines from several varietals grown in this AVA.

I found the 2013 Hope & Grace Pinot Noir in their Yountville tasting room (6540 Washington Street), where it retails for $55 (may be sold out by the time you read this). H&G wines are moderately priced from about $32 to 85, so stop in on your next Napa Valley wine adventure.