2016 Complicated Pinot Noir

Complicated likes to keep it simple: it’s all about making wine from Monterey County that over delivers. Approachable and food-friendly, these wines are designed to look and taste great.

Thin-skinned, finicky and temperamental, Pinot Noir is also one of the most rewarding grapes to grow and remains a labor of love for some of the greatest vignerons in Burgundy. Fairly adaptable but highly reflective of the environment in which it is grown, Pinot Noir prefers a cool climate and requires low yields to achieve high quality. Outside of France, outstanding examples come from in Oregon, California and throughout specific locations in wine-producing world. Somm Secret—André Tchelistcheff, California’s most influential post-Prohibition winemaker decidedly stayed away from the grape, claiming “God made Cabernet. The Devil made Pinot Noir.”

Sonoma County is in Northern California. It’s known for the Sonoma Valley wine region, as well as other notable winemaking areas such as the Dry Creek and Alexander valleys. The city of Sonoma is home to the 19th-century Mission San Francisco Solano and the central, colonial-era Sonoma Plaza. Near Glen Ellen, Jack London State Historic Park contains the gravesite and cottage of the American author, plus many trails. 

Monterey County is a great winegrowing region and is known for its cool climate, long, coastal growing season and spirit of innovation. Warm days, minimal rain and moderate temperatures create intense flavors, offering a true taste of the region and is an ideal area to grow bright, balanced, food-friendly Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Red Blends.