The American Vine Rating
Drink Window
2024–2028
Maryland's boldest hybrid red — Clyopatra's Noiret delivers dark fruit and a peppery punch that makes a compelling case for what the state's hybrid reds can do.
Tasting Notes
Appearance: Deep ruby-purple with a dense, nearly opaque core and a narrow violet rim.
Aroma: Dark cherry, blackberry, and a distinctive peppery spice that is the Noiret signature — layered with cocoa, dried herbs, and a subtle earthy undercurrent.
Palate: Medium-to-full bodied with firm but approachable tannins — dark fruit at the center, black pepper and dried sage woven through, and the bright acidity that hybrid reds from Maryland tend to carry.
Finish: Medium-long, dry, and spiced — dark berry, cracked pepper, and a savory herbal note that lingers..
Food Pairings
Smoked brisket, grilled lamb chops, sharp cheddar, mushroom-based pasta
About the Wine
Oby's Boldness is Clyopatra Winery & Vineyard's showcase for Noiret, a cold-hardy red hybrid developed at Cornell University that has found a natural home in the Mid-Atlantic. The 2022 vintage gave the grape a warm, even growing season, ripening the fruit fully while the variety's characteristic pepper and spice notes remained intact.
About Clyopatra Winery & Vineyard
Clyopatra Winery & Vineyard is a Maryland estate winery committed to showcasing what the state's soils and climate can produce — including the cold-hardy hybrid varieties that thrive where vinifera struggles. Part of a growing generation of Maryland producers pushing the conversation about what American wine can be.
The American Vine's Take
I believe that Noiret does not get the attention it deserves, and Oby's Boldness is a good argument for why that should change. The pepper and dark fruit combination is genuinely distinctive — not a vinifera imitation, but a wine with its own identity. For anyone curious about what Maryland's hybrid reds are capable of, this is a strong starting point.
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