Chalone Vineyard Pinot Noir Gavilan 2014

The luscious wild cherry, cranberry, rose petal and sweet dried-spice notes of the Gavilan Pinot Noir go perfectly with Moroccan lamb stew over couscous. The stew's North African spices echo the wine's inherent cinnamon and high-mountain sage expression. While this wine was made to be more fruit-driven than the terroir-focused Chalone Estate wines, it shows the intriguing minerality that is the signature of the mountaintop Chalone appellation.

The nose of this wine is quite shy at first, and it takes patience to pull out aromas of plum, crushed berries and a touch of charcoal. The palate opens up more quickly, showing elderberries and elderflowers, plus rose hips and a touch of fennel.