Pinot Noir Gifts
The Russian River Valley in Sonoma is one of California's best places for Pinot Noir, which makes it a natural Pinot Noir gift. These are our five from 2021, each from a single vineyard. The most-given are Two Forces (95 points, Wine Enthusiast) and Red Barn Block (98 points, The Tasting Panel). The Pinot Noir Collector puts three in one box.
The wines: pinot noir gifts
Our most-given Pinot Noir
2021 Two Forces Pinot Noir
95 points, Wine Enthusiast; Double Gold, American Fine Wine Competition
98 points, The Tasting Panel
2021 Red Barn Block Pinot Noir
98 points, The Tasting Panel; Best of Class, San Francisco Chronicle
For a special dinner
2021 Heritage Block Pinot Noir
95 points, Cristaldi Report; Gold, San Francisco Chronicle
From our stretch of the river
2021 Middle Reach Vineyards Pinot Noir
94 points and a Cellar Selection, Wine Enthusiast
For the steak lover
2021 El Diablo Vineyard Pinot Noir
Double Gold and Best of Class, San Francisco Chronicle
Sets and magnums
Is Pinot Noir a good wine to give as a gift?
It's the safest red to give. Pinot Noir is lighter and softer than Cabernet, so people who say they don't like red often like it, and it goes with more food than any other red: salmon, roast chicken, mushrooms, Thanksgiving turkey. Serious drinkers prize it too, which is why a good one works for nearly everyone.
Why Russian River Valley Pinot Noir?
Fog. Cool air from the Pacific fills the valley most nights and burns off by late morning, so the grapes ripen slowly and keep their acidity. The result is Pinot Noir with dark cherry and spice that stays fresh. Our vineyards are in the Middle Reach, the stretch of the river between southern Healdsburg and Forestville, an area known for Pinot Noir for decades.
Which of our Pinot Noirs should you give?
Two Forces is our signature estate Pinot Noir, named for the fog and sun that shape the Middle Reach: black cherry and rose petal, silky (2021: 95 points, Wine Enthusiast). Red Barn Block is structured and savory, built for the cellar (2021: 98 points, The Tasting Panel; Best of Class, San Francisco Chronicle). Heritage Block, from our oldest plantings, is the most complete (2021: No. 66 of the Cristaldi Report's Top 100 Wines of 2025). Middle Reach is raspberry and dried herb, concentrated and age-worthy (2021: 94 points and a Cellar Selection, Wine Enthusiast). El Diablo, from a steep hillside, is the darkest, with firm tannin for lamb and steak.
Looking for a local Sonoma gift?
Every bottle here is grown and made in Sonoma County by a family that lives with the vineyard. If you're sending a piece of wine country to someone who has visited, or someone who should, it's as local as it gets.
Good to know
What is a good Pinot Noir to give as a gift?
A single-vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. Domaine de la Rivière's 2021 Two Forces Pinot Noir (95 points, Wine Enthusiast) and 2021 Red Barn Block Pinot Noir (98 points, The Tasting Panel) are its most-given bottles.
How much does a good Pinot Noir gift cost?
Domaine de la Rivière's single-vineyard Pinot Noirs run about $78 to $110 a bottle, and The Pinot Noir Collector set holds three.
Should Pinot Noir be chilled?
Slightly. Serve it at 55–60°F, about 20 minutes in the refrigerator if it's been at room temperature.
Can you ship Pinot Noir as a gift?
We ship to most U.S. states through Vinoshipper, which handles wine-shipping compliance. An adult 21 or older signs for the delivery, and wine can't go to a P.O. box.