2021 Toad Hollow Vineyards Dry Rosé of Pinot Noir “Eye of the Toad”, Sonoma County
In the last 5 out of 6 vintages, Wine Enthusiast has awarded our Rosé an “Editor’s Choice,” “Best Buy,” or a 90 Score!
Frankie’s Notes
“In 2022 you can find a Rosé everywhere, from fine-wine shops to corner liquor stores, and even in airport gift shops - Rosés made from everything from Carignan to Cabernet. Still, our Eye of the Toad Dry Rosé over delivers among the clutter of labels! The 2021 is our 26th vintage of Rosé and our style continues to please with refreshing honied tropical fruit flavors. Made always from Pinot Noir grown in some of California’s best sparkling wine vineyards and of course, completely dry! In those racks and racks of Rosés look for our little toad under the leaf - that’s a sure sign you’ve found the very thing!”
Aromatics & Flavors
A cameo-hued beauty, our French-style Dry Rosé shows off the concentration of flavors that are a signature of the 2021 vintage. The aromatics come with a flush of crushed rose petals followed by honeydew melon, orange blossoms, and a slight, fresh, rain-on-stone note. Juicy flavors of Golden Delicious apple and rich key-lime pie fill the mouth. A honied and creamy texture is in play with fresh acidity in the finish.
Vintage
Vintage 2021 is being touted as one of the best vintages in recent history! There were no major disruptive weather events, however, the ongoing drought did affect yields a bit. The Pinot Noir for our Rosé was picked in mid-September with lower yields but the spectacular concentration of flavor. This wine is a model of our preferred quality and style.
Vineyards
We’ve selected the Carneros region in Sonoma County as the source for the Pinot Noir fruit used to make our Dry Rosé. In close proximity to San Francisco Bay, the region benefits from the maritime climate with frequent fog ensuring a gentle ripening of this legendarily fastidious grape variety.
Pairs well with grilled salmon, spicy dishes, roasted poultry, and even hot buffalo wings. Very versatile! Serve chilled.
Specs
Varietal: 100% Pinot Noir
Alcohol: 10.2%
Fermented in stainless steel and tanks at cool temperatures to preserve bright fruit characteristics.
TA: 0.62 g/100 ml
pH: 3.416
RS: 0.034%
What’s Included
6-bottles:
6x 2021 Toad Hollow Vineyards Dry Rosé of Pinot Noir “Eye of the Toad”, Sonoma County Case:
12x 2021 Toad Hollow Vineyards Dry Rosé of Pinot Noir “Eye of the Toad”, Sonoma County
At Toad Hollow Vineyards, our mission is to produce quality wines that are delicious, interesting and accessible. We’re an amazing and friendly bunch and believe drinking wine should be as FUN as the whimsical art on our wine labels. Family owned and operated since 1994.
Available States
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
It’s been a week. In theory, this arrived plenty early for a planned comprehensive tasting with some others. Unfortunately our youngest ended up in the hospital a few hours after the UPS man dropped it off back on Wed. Thankfully the little one seems to be doing just fine, but that’s obviously turned this into an abbreviated tasting. So with all that out of the way…
At first glance, it’s a slightly lighter rose than some we’ve quaffed over the years. My internal Pantone guide would call it a lighter shade of salmon. On the nose, I initially picked up some peach and minerality.
The first sip left me with these notes: dry, somewhat subtle overall flavor that lead me to believe it’s from a moderate climate, a bit of sour cherry, and a very clean finish.
Given my time constraints and general chaos of the past week, the pairings were a smattering of leftovers I wouldn’t usually consume alongside a rose. Cheese bread brought out more citrus flavors. A slice of pepperoni pizza gave me some watermelon and I felt the wine cut nicely through the mild spice of the meat. It also cut extremely well through the creaminess of roasted fingerling potatoes, finishing clean. I even pulled out some spicy garlic buffalo sauce to test the label’s claim it goes nicely with spicy foods - and based on that very limited data point, I’d agree.
Overall I’d say this is a very versatile wine. It’s not one I would necessarily label a summer sipper, as I found the flavors somewhat muted on its own. However, I think it’s a solid option to have on hand for a wide variety of summer dinners.
Certainly worth a pickup if you’re in need of anything that’ll do well, well-chilled, with a wide variety of fare.
This rose was the main driving factor for me become a wine club member at Toad Hollow for about a decade (with a little help from their Amplexus sparkling wine). We dropped the membership a few years back as we haven’t been able to travel out to Sonoma county as often, but it’s amazing to have the opportunity to snag this online now. In for a case! Maybe another in the morning if the impulse control doesn’t kick in.
What sayeth the cloud? Well I’m on the road and the cloud is giving up a bit of snow…boo!
Anywho the Wine Enthusiast chimed in on this offering in October '22:
88 Points. Editors’ Choice. A perennially great value wine with great flavor and likability, this has a lovely nose of melon, rose and strawberry. A crowd-pleaser, it is balanced and crisp, with a delicate elegance that appeals. VB
Gus Clemens, Gus Clemens On Wine(?) had this to say:
Toad Hollow Vineyards Dry Rosé of Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, Eye of the Toad 2021
Posted on June 6, 2022 by gusclemens
Medium copper color; melon, orange zest, rose petals, wet rock on the nose; raspberry, strawberry, watermelon, tropical fruits, yellow apple, lime on the palate.
Dry; creamy with a hint of honey; good acidity (3.46 pH). Concentrated fruit—excellent vintage but reduced yield thanks to the ongoing drought in Sonoma; 100% pinot noir. The ripe fruit delivers a hint of sweetness, which sets this vintage apart from the 2019, which was Mohave Desert bone dry. Still, this falls into the French Provence style of rosé, which is a wonderful thing. The alcohol content tracks that, too—10.2% ABV.
@InFrom@kaolis@Mark_L@rjquillin
I distinctly remember Gus. The video is no longer available on YouTube. I can’t decide if I am disappointed or relieved.
Hi there! Frankie from Toad Hollow here. Just checking in to let you know I just love dry roses - and Toad Hollow’s in particular. But of course I am biased. Such a good hot weather wine - such a good food wine. We like to feature it for Valentine’s Day and Easter (pretty in pink!) - but now that you’ve missed those two occasions, make sure you have it for Mother’s Day. And after that, it’s an absolute must for Thanksgiving - which will be here before you know it. Time seems to be flying by these days for sure. If anyone out there is purchasing the wine - and you might know me - please join the discussion. Haven’t been traveling since Covid - and I am busy helping to care for my 97 year old mom - so sticking close to home these days. I miss my travels and getting to know all the Toad Hollow fans. Let’s chat!
@Toadhollow great to have you here! Many wineries send their marketing person rather than somebody who can talk in depth about the wine. You’re doing this right! Welcome!
@Toadhollow
Hi Frankie. Thanks for jumping on board. Much appreciated. Three (or four) questions: what vineyards in Carneros were sourced for this vintage? Were the grapes sourced with rose in mind? What method did you use to make this bottling, I.e. free run? Finally, how many cases were produced? Thank you in advance!
@losthighwayz We source the Pinot Noir for our Rose from vineyards owned by one of the top sparkling wine producers in the Carneros region. We want the flavors from Pinot Noir grown for sparkling wine specifically because it is picked at lower sugar resulting in lower alcohol and bright and lively flavors. We use the fresh juice directly from the pressing of Pinot Noir grown for champagne. Number of cases produced was 3875.
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
2021 Toad Hollow Vineyards Dry Rosé of Pinot Noir - $25 = 19.23%
Hello! Another lab rat chiming in. I’m on vacation at the moment and don’t have access to any of the pictures I took, or the lab rat logo, or my pre-written review that I put together “just in case” this went up while I was away and then completely forgot about it. Because of course I’m jusssst organized enough to sabotage future me with my squirrel brain.
Not going to lie, I’d buy this wine on label alone. It fits right in with my goblincore aesthetic. But it turns out I really liked this wine. The bottle said to have it with hot wings, so I took that suggestion to heart. They weren’t wrong. This is a great and easy wine to drink. I didn’t find it overly dry, as the label suggests, rather more acidic- strawberry tang.
I don’t feel like this is a ‘rosé all day’ type wine either. One glass was good for me, and I’m looking forward to having the rest when I’m back home and relaxing on my couch. I’m probably going to try it with some chili since this seems to be a wine that can stand up to spice.
I TOADally recommend it!!
(Promise my next review will be better and include the traditional cats sniffing wine pics I usually post.)
Vintner participation, the need for some summer wines and wanting to light up Missouri put me over the edge. Now i just need to figure out why I have only had one chance ever to be a labrat….
2021 Toad Hollow Vineyards Dry Rosé of Pinot Noir “Eye of the Toad”, Sonoma County
In the last 5 out of 6 vintages, Wine Enthusiast has awarded our Rosé an “Editor’s Choice,” “Best Buy,” or a 90 Score!
Frankie’s Notes
Aromatics & Flavors
Vintage
Vineyards
Specs
What’s Included
6-bottles:
Case:
Price Comparison
Not for sale online, $180/case MSRP
About The Winery
Available States
AL, AZ, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY
Estimated Delivery
Monday, May 8 - Tuesday, May 9
2021 Toad Hollow Vineyards Dry Rosé of Pinot Noir
6 bottles for $64.99 $10.83/bottle + $1.33/bottle shipping
Case of 12 for $104.99 $8.75/bottle + $1/bottle shipping
It’s been a week. In theory, this arrived plenty early for a planned comprehensive tasting with some others. Unfortunately our youngest ended up in the hospital a few hours after the UPS man dropped it off back on Wed. Thankfully the little one seems to be doing just fine, but that’s obviously turned this into an abbreviated tasting. So with all that out of the way…
At first glance, it’s a slightly lighter rose than some we’ve quaffed over the years. My internal Pantone guide would call it a lighter shade of salmon. On the nose, I initially picked up some peach and minerality.
The first sip left me with these notes: dry, somewhat subtle overall flavor that lead me to believe it’s from a moderate climate, a bit of sour cherry, and a very clean finish.
Given my time constraints and general chaos of the past week, the pairings were a smattering of leftovers I wouldn’t usually consume alongside a rose. Cheese bread brought out more citrus flavors. A slice of pepperoni pizza gave me some watermelon and I felt the wine cut nicely through the mild spice of the meat. It also cut extremely well through the creaminess of roasted fingerling potatoes, finishing clean. I even pulled out some spicy garlic buffalo sauce to test the label’s claim it goes nicely with spicy foods - and based on that very limited data point, I’d agree.
Overall I’d say this is a very versatile wine. It’s not one I would necessarily label a summer sipper, as I found the flavors somewhat muted on its own. However, I think it’s a solid option to have on hand for a wide variety of summer dinners.
Certainly worth a pickup if you’re in need of anything that’ll do well, well-chilled, with a wide variety of fare.
This rose was the main driving factor for me become a wine club member at Toad Hollow for about a decade (with a little help from their Amplexus sparkling wine). We dropped the membership a few years back as we haven’t been able to travel out to Sonoma county as often, but it’s amazing to have the opportunity to snag this online now. In for a case! Maybe another in the morning if the impulse control doesn’t kick in.
What sayeth the cloud? Well I’m on the road and the cloud is giving up a bit of snow…boo!
Anywho the Wine Enthusiast chimed in on this offering in October '22:
88 Points. Editors’ Choice. A perennially great value wine with great flavor and likability, this has a lovely nose of melon, rose and strawberry. A crowd-pleaser, it is balanced and crisp, with a delicate elegance that appeals. VB
Gus Clemens, Gus Clemens On Wine(?) had this to say:
Toad Hollow Vineyards Dry Rosé of Pinot Noir, Sonoma County, Eye of the Toad 2021
Posted on June 6, 2022 by gusclemens
Medium copper color; melon, orange zest, rose petals, wet rock on the nose; raspberry, strawberry, watermelon, tropical fruits, yellow apple, lime on the palate.
Dry; creamy with a hint of honey; good acidity (3.46 pH). Concentrated fruit—excellent vintage but reduced yield thanks to the ongoing drought in Sonoma; 100% pinot noir. The ripe fruit delivers a hint of sweetness, which sets this vintage apart from the 2019, which was Mohave Desert bone dry. Still, this falls into the French Provence style of rosé, which is a wonderful thing. The alcohol content tracks that, too—10.2% ABV.
fwiw
@kaolis Gus
visions of the past I still can’t un-see
@rjquillin hmmm… doesn’t ring a bell, maybe that’s a good thing?
@kaolis @rjquillin
@kaolis @Mark_L @rjquillin Lol, different Gus. I know just who rjq means! I don’t suppose that video is still floating around somewhere.
@InFrom @kaolis @Mark_L @rjquillin
I distinctly remember Gus. The video is no longer available on YouTube. I can’t decide if I am disappointed or relieved.
@InFrom @kaolis @karenhynes @Mark_L
By request,
Visit the pub…
/giphy sturdy-purring-omelette
Hi there! Frankie from Toad Hollow here. Just checking in to let you know I just love dry roses - and Toad Hollow’s in particular. But of course I am biased. Such a good hot weather wine - such a good food wine. We like to feature it for Valentine’s Day and Easter (pretty in pink!) - but now that you’ve missed those two occasions, make sure you have it for Mother’s Day. And after that, it’s an absolute must for Thanksgiving - which will be here before you know it. Time seems to be flying by these days for sure. If anyone out there is purchasing the wine - and you might know me - please join the discussion. Haven’t been traveling since Covid - and I am busy helping to care for my 97 year old mom - so sticking close to home these days. I miss my travels and getting to know all the Toad Hollow fans. Let’s chat!
@Toadhollow What’s your role with the winery?
Also see below that losthiwayz asked a question about the wine…
@klezman @Toadhollow going to assume Frankie is the Commander of the operation - https://toadhollow.com/our-team/
@klezman I am the President and Founder of Toad Hollow. Since we are a very small company, it means I do whatever needs to be done.
@Toadhollow great to have you here! Many wineries send their marketing person rather than somebody who can talk in depth about the wine. You’re doing this right! Welcome!
@Toadhollow
Hi Frankie. Thanks for jumping on board. Much appreciated. Three (or four) questions: what vineyards in Carneros were sourced for this vintage? Were the grapes sourced with rose in mind? What method did you use to make this bottling, I.e. free run? Finally, how many cases were produced? Thank you in advance!
@losthighwayz We source the Pinot Noir for our Rose from vineyards owned by one of the top sparkling wine producers in the Carneros region. We want the flavors from Pinot Noir grown for sparkling wine specifically because it is picked at lower sugar resulting in lower alcohol and bright and lively flavors. We use the fresh juice directly from the pressing of Pinot Noir grown for champagne. Number of cases produced was 3875.
I’ve been buying this for about 20 years and I always like it. This is an Instant Buy for me.
/giphy moving-hilarious-sky
How much more are you saving by buying a full case?
(Note: Tax & Shipping not included in savings calculations).
2021 Toad Hollow Vineyards Dry Rosé of Pinot Noir - $25 = 19.23%
@chipgreen You save over $2/bottle if you do the case.
It’s Frankie again! Time to order your wine before time runs out. Summer in a bottle. Get some.
Hello! Another lab rat chiming in. I’m on vacation at the moment and don’t have access to any of the pictures I took, or the lab rat logo, or my pre-written review that I put together “just in case” this went up while I was away and then completely forgot about it. Because of course I’m jusssst organized enough to sabotage future me with my squirrel brain.
Not going to lie, I’d buy this wine on label alone. It fits right in with my goblincore aesthetic. But it turns out I really liked this wine. The bottle said to have it with hot wings, so I took that suggestion to heart. They weren’t wrong. This is a great and easy wine to drink. I didn’t find it overly dry, as the label suggests, rather more acidic- strawberry tang.
I don’t feel like this is a ‘rosé all day’ type wine either. One glass was good for me, and I’m looking forward to having the rest when I’m back home and relaxing on my couch. I’m probably going to try it with some chili since this seems to be a wine that can stand up to spice.
I TOADally recommend it!!
(Promise my next review will be better and include the traditional cats sniffing wine pics I usually post.)
Glad to hear someone is having a vacation. Hope you are having a great time. And thanks for chiming in. Tip some Toad!!! Frankie @ToadHollow
@Toadhollow Thank you for participating. It makes a huge difference.
/giphy musical-dry-corsaire
Vintner participation, the need for some summer wines and wanting to light up Missouri put me over the edge. Now i just need to figure out why I have only had one chance ever to be a labrat….
/giphy complex-unanswered-pear
