He Loved the Pinot. The Rosé Didn’t Disappoint.

We were delighted to see wine reviewer Russ Johnson recently feature our 2023 Kristof Rosé of Pinot Noir in a short Instagram story. What made it especially meaningful? He first praised our Pinot Noir.

“I poured a ton of Willamette Valley Pinots throughout 2024,” Russ said, “and I honestly thought that Kristof Pinot was one of the best we tried. It was actually less expensive than some of the others, but it was way better than most of them.”

So when the Rosé arrived, he was curious.

Russ Johnson describing why he likes Kristof Rosé wine

“I was very excited to try it… I think it’s pretty excellent.”

Russ noted the color right away — slightly deeper than many Pinot Noir rosés — and described the nose as having “lots of watermelon… almost watermelon rind, with that little green edge.”

On the palate? “Super fruity. Very in-your-face — but balanced. You almost get cherry pie, cherry compote. There are hints of vanilla on the finish.”

And perhaps our favorite line: “It’s a pretty full-bodied rosé, so if you don’t like a watery, weak rosé, this is probably the bottle for you.”

We’ll take that.

The 2023 Rosé is made from Pinot Noir grown here on our Yamhill-Carlton vineyard — bright, expressive, structured enough to stand up to food, and not afraid to show personality. If you’re looking for a Rosé with depth (and a little swagger), this may be your bottle.