Fleur de Lys California Pinot Noir 2024

Fleur de Lys is a medium-bodied red with rose petal-accented aromas of ripe cherries, strawberries and raspberries. The palate offers similar flavors layered with notes of vanilla, cranberry and pomegranate, framed by soft tannins.

Salmon, tuna steak, roast chicken or duck, burgers, barbecue, charcuterie, mushrooms, soft and creamy cheeses.

In the 1100s, King Louis VII began to use a fleur de lys (a stylized, three-petal lily) to symbolize French heritage and ceremony. Today, you can find the same mark on Fleur de Lys Pinot Noir, an expressive, red-fruited pour from Burgundy-born Jean-Charles Boisset and his Russian River estate, DeLoach Vineyards.

The winery’s founders—Cecil and Christine DeLoach—adopted the symbol in 1975 as a nod to their Huguenot lineage and their trio of varieties, Chardonnay, Pinot and Zinfandel. But what a perfect emblem for Jean-Charles, who purchased their estate in 2003 and brought his French sensibilities to the already impressive operation.

Doubling down on the property’s sustainability efforts, he elevated its reputation to record heights and helped make Pinot Noir (Burgundy’s flagship grape) the most prized wine of the range. Today, DeLoach winemaker Katie Carter crafts several unique expressions of the grape, but this one is our favorite for its outstanding quality-to-price ratio.

Made with grapes from a Certified Sustainable grower-partner in the Delta region, where the Sacramento River’s cooling influence creates ideal growing conditions, the wine is a beautiful marriage of California ripeness and French restraint. After opening with expressive red fruit and rose petal aromas, its palate offers layers of cranberry and pomegranate framed by soft tannins. A final touch of vanilla adds depth through the elegant finish.