Pinot Noir

Founding winemaker Milla Handley was the first woman in the US to start a wine label with her own name. Now she’s passed the torch to her daughter Lulu, who runs the winery, and head winemaker Randy Schock, who is putting his spin on Handley’s award-winning, environmentally sustainable wines.

This pinot noir was made with the can in mind; bright acidity and limited oak; bursting with fruit but not heavy or overwhelming. Its long, lingering finish, balanced tannins, and bright acidity leave you craving another sip. Equal parts elegant, complex, and absolutely mouth watering. It’s a playful yet premium pinot that works well at room temperature or with a little chill - in a glass or straight outta the can.

The red rolling hills on the can reflect the unique topography of Anderson Valley and the cherry, cranberry flavors of this wine. Randy and Lulu printed “Come Hither” on the bottom of the can, as a nod to one of Milla's favorite phrases to describe her ideal wine. A wine with a “Come Hither” quality continues inviting you in for a little bit more. As Lulu says, “it’s a wine that beckons you from across the room. It’s not the big bombastic personality, it’s the quiet magnetic person that you are drawn to, a truly memorable, nuanced wine.”

Think earthy, creamy, rich — melted brie and cranberries, mushroom risotto, roasted chicken, or salmon.

These blocks were planted in 1990 with clone 2A Wadenswil and an unknown Roederer field selection with sparkling wine production in mind. They provide fruit forward wines with very little tannin, lighter bodied, and good acidity due to ripening at lower brix than newer selections.

All the grapes were picked by hand and fermented in small lots in open top tank tanks. After three days of cold soaking ferments were inoculated and punched down twice a day. Only organic nutrients were used during fermentation. When dry, the wine was pressed to barrels for weekly stirring until completion of malolactic fermentation.

Why he loves it “This wine is Milla — it’s OG early California Pinot Noir, and we are finally coming back to appreciating it. This project was really rewarding because the process of designing a new style of wine for the can brought me back full circle to the roots of California Pinot Noir when wines were transparent, restrained, and balanced.” — Randy