One of the best days of the wine year is when the first Rosé from the recent vintage shows up. Along with pitchers and catchers reporting to camp for their respective teams it’s a sign that Spring is coming. This year Toad Hollow Vineyards 2017 Pinot Noir of Rosé was the first to cross my desk. This Sonoma County winery produces a number of fairly priced and widely available wines; they are however likely best known for Pinot Noir.

Toad Hollow Vineyards 2017 Dry Rosé of Pinot Noir ($14)

This Rosé is composed entirely of Pinot Noir. All of the fruit was sourced in the Carneros Region. “Eye of the Toad” as this wine is called is made from press juice. The fruit is picked at lower brix resulting in a higher acid, lower alcohol (11.5%) wine. In the glass it has the perfect light salmon hue. Bits of citrus emanate from the nose along with a wallop of red fruit. Strawberry and cherry flavors are joined by wisps of orchard fruit and spice. The finish is long and crisp. The moment it’s gone you’ll want another sip, probably best to chill two bottles.

This Rosé which is loaded with freshness; it’ll pair with a truly astounding array of foods. I had it alongside a homemade pizza that I topped with tomato sauce, smoked mozzarella, and a blend of mushrooms. It worked phenomenally well and it’s also quite delicious all by itself. So while it’s the first new Rosé I’ve had in 2018 I plan to drink more of it as the year goes on. At an SRP of $14 it’s a really good value, and with nearly 10,000 cases produced it’ll be easy to find.