2022 Rubus Pinot Noir Reserve Carneros Napa Valley 750 ml

He inherited an interest in wine from his father, one of the top collectors in the country. He became a Master Sommelier in 1989, and Robert Parker himself has called him “one of the finest palates and selectors of top wine, whether it be an inexpensive Muscadet or a top of the line Burgundy."

Now, with over four decades in the wine business, Fran Kysela’s name is pure gold—but some of his most impressive work doesn’t have his name anywhere near it. That project is called Rubus, a brand he created to capture estate-grown but NDA-protected wines and offer them at incredibly fair prices.

For the 2022 Reserve Pinot, Kysela turned to some of his A+ vineyard sources in Carneros, whose names are protected by strict NDAs. This is on the chilly edge of San Pablo Bay, where the wine whips and cools the vines. We can’t share any more than that, but honestly, at this point, we don’t care: Rubus is one of those brands that never makes a false move, and we know the secrecy is a part of the deal.

From the instant our noses dipped into the glass, we could not resist this brilliantly fruit-driven Pinot Noir, blooming with aromas of cocoa-dusted cherries, black tea, and wet earth and built on rounded, silky tannins that lead to a crisp finish. It’s a Pinot lover’s dream, a wine equally at home with no-sauce pork-back ribs, porcini risotto, or a weeknight cheeseburger.