'The Wild Coast Auteur Collection' Gift Box Now Available

by Andrew Chalk

Auteur is celebrating the season this year with a limited-edition Holiday Gift Box, ’The Wild Coast Auteur Collection’  honoring the bounty of the Russian River Valley.

The keepsake holiday gift box includes: 

- Auteur 2023 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay and Auteur 2023 Russian River Pinot Noir

- Locally grown Chandler walnuts from certified-organic Double A Walnuts, which nods towards the Russian River Valley's agricultural roots

- An heirloom nutcracker 

- A house-made walnut pesto recipe to complete the pairing

The boxes are available now online here, as well as at the Sonoma and Russian River tasting rooms. The gift is priced at $169 ($135 for members, with complimentary shipping).

Below is my tasting note on the delicious 2023 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir in this gift box.

NAME:	Auteur 2023 Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Co., CA ($60)
	COMMENTS
APPEARANCE
Clarity	clear
Intensity	medium
Color	ruby
NOSE
Condition	clean
Intensity	medium plus
Aroma Characteristics	Cherry, herbaciousness, sage, thyme, leather, sawdust
PALATE
Sweetness	dry
Acidity	Medium
Tannin	medium, ripe
Alcohol	medium
Body	medium
Flavor intensity	pronounced
Flavor characterstics	Soft textured-tannins back an equally herbacious and fruity wine on the palate. Adjectives like elegant and graceful spring to mind.
Other observations
Finish	medium-long
Quality Assessment	Very good.
Bottle aging	Suitable.

Sample.