Gorgeous aromatics of white pepper spice, dark berry fruit, and quite spicy with a lot of bright woodsy notes, black tea, and black truffle nuances. Medium-to-full-bodied, boasting loamy earth and a rich palate supported by chewy, earthy tannins. For all its richness, it builds with driving energy and tension.

This wine is always so enticing and so delicious. Because it's held back, your first experience reveals a sumptuously earthy red, here, offering the hallmarks of the 2019 vintage: Beautifully sweet and fine tannins frame loads of plush black fruit, nuanced with tobacco spices, black truffle, and wet slate. Positively addictive and long on the full-bodied finish. What a hedonistic and yet beautifully balanced wine.

Always a lovely Chardonnay. Crisp lemon and lime notes, like blossoms. Lovely silky-satiny fruit and textured on the medium-bodied palate, framed by crystalline acidity and candied ginger and lemon peel notes. Crushed almonds and vanilla on the finish. Chardonnay lots are kept separate by clone and soil selection (alluvial, volcanic, and clay). Fermented with Montrachet yeasts and aged 11 months in French oak barrels. Vineyards were planted in 1970 and 1980. Celebrating 25 vintages in 2026, Karin and Justin Warnelius Miller are second-generation Swedish-American winegrowers and makers.

This wine shows a beautifully unctuous character, with salted lemon peel and bright, fragrant lemon oil leading the way. Crushed Marcona almonds add a savory-salty nuance, while a hint of buttered brioche builds richness. The texture is velvety and sleek, balanced by a firm spine of acidity. Zesty and gently spicy. Vineyard sources include: Heintz and Lancel Creek Vineyards (Mark Aubert leases some of this). Native yeast fermented, aged for 15 months in fine French oak, including in Marcel Cadet barrels. ($100) 14.2% alcohol. 135 cases produced.

Super-perfumed with candied ginger and lemon peel, underscored by oyster shell minerality. There is a medium-bodied richness that may well stem from the Montrachet clone at Bootleggers Hill Vineyard, lending the wine added depth and a velvety suaveness. Crisp acidity carries through to a long, lemon-bright finish with excellent persistence. Vineyard sources include: Heintz and Bootleggers Hill. Native yeast fermented, with full malolactic, aged for 15 months in fine French oak, including in Marcel Cadet barrels. ($100) 14.3% alcohol. 220 cases produced.

The depth of flavor in the 2022 is off-the-charts impressive—rich and expansive, bursting with wildflower honey, tangerine oil, buttered brioche, and crème brûlée notes. Enticing crushed almonds and hazelnuts add breadth and texture without heaviness. Citrus and orchard fruit mingle with slate-like minerality. Complex and downright delicious. Vineyard sources include: Heintz and Bootleggers Hill. Native yeast fermented, with full malolactic, aged for 12 months in fine French oak, including in Marcel Cadet barrels. 272 cases produced. ($100)

Sourced from Heintz Vineyard and Bootleggers Hill Vineyard. Aged 12 months sur lie in 30% new Marcel Cadet, Tonnellerie Ô, and François Frères barrels. Unfined and Unfiltered. 263 cases produced. The wine is lifted and bright, offering wildflowers and crushed almonds with a subtle hint of vanilla. Fleshy orchard fruit brings generosity to the mid-palate, while saline acidity and wet river-rock minerality frame a taut, energetic wine. The long, cool growing season proved challenging for Chardonnay, though it favored Pinot Noir and Cabernet Sauvignon. I’d suggest enjoying the hell out of the 2023 Chardonnay now, while holding the 2022 and 2021—begin pulling corks on those starting in 2027 or 2028. ($100)

Sourced from Bell Summe Vineyard and Martinelli Zia Gia Vineyard. Native ferments, aged 12 months sur lie in 30% new French oak from Marcel Cadet, Tonnellerie Ô, and François Frères. Unfined and Unfiltered. The Bell Summe vineyard is pronounced like “Yummy”, and this wine blends Old Wente Clone with Montrachet Clone from Martinelli’s Zio Gia Vineyard. In the glass, it shows a bold, yummy richness and a sleek texture. Ripe orchard fruit mingles with candied lemon peel, while slick tangerine oil is brightened by oyster shell minerality. A firm spine of acidity helps support all that generous character, coming into focus on the leaner, focused finish. 107 cases produced ($100)

Entirely from Bacigalupi Vineyard, native yeast fermented in barrel with malolactic prohibited. Barrel-aged sur lie in neural Marcel Cadet Barrels. The Acoustic Sunrise shows a juicy pear and peach-driven acidity, with plenty of pure fruit expression—apple and fresh pear at the core. A buttery, creamy leesy note adds textural silkiness, yet the wine remains vibrant and taut, thanks to scintillating acid tension from the lack of extended aging. The finish carries impressive fruit length and bright, energetic minerality. 93 cases made. ($75).

Sourced from the Hyland Vineyard in Oregon. Native yeast, whole-cluster pressed, fermented, and aged sur lie in concrete. Malolactic conversion is inhibited. Aged eight months in concrete amphora, bottled unfined and unfiltered. This own-rooted Riesling was planted in 1973 on red volcanic soils southwest of McMinnville, near the Van Duzer Corridor. Bob Cabrall notes that the vines now have trunks the size of small trees. "I walked the site myself and ended up buying a couple of tons." The wine builds in the glass with classic petrol tones alongside white flowers, Kaffir lime, and lemon drop. The acidity is positively bracing, which makes sense given the numbers: pH 3.09 and TA of 8 g/L. A touch of residual sugar balances that electric brightness. Long and mouthwateringly crisp. 119 cases produced ($60).

Sourced from the Hyland Vineyard in Oregon. Native yeast, whole-cluster pressed, fermented, and aged sur lie in concrete. Malolactic conversion is inhibited. Aged eight months in concrete amphora, bottled unfined and unfiltered. The 2021 is right in the same pocket as the 2020, super expressive of fresh Kaffir Lime, white flowers and honeysuckle with flinty mineral character, resonating on the palate. Excellent fruit weight and depth of flavors, but about as bright and tension-filled as it gets with a pH of 3.02 and TA of 8.2 g/L. 117 cases produced ($60).

Sourced from the Hyland Vineyard in Oregon. Native yeast, whole-cluster pressed, fermented, and aged sur lie in concrete. Malolactic conversion is inhibited. Aged eight months in concrete amphora, bottled unfined and unfiltered. Perfumed herbs recall Yellow Chartreuse, crushed dill, and even a touch of bacon fat, layered over a flinty mineral core and crushed sea salt. On the palate, silky and lush poached pear is balanced by mouth-puckering acidity and tension. Notes of oyster shell carry through the lengthy, savory-spiced finish. What a complex and thoroughly delicious wine. 125 cases produced, $60.

Sourced from Heintz and Freestone vineyards. Heintz Vineyard was planted in 1982 to Clone 4 on AXR1—the large-berried selection developed by Harold Olmo at UC Davis. It forms the backbone of this wine. A distinctive element of the élevage is the barrels crafted by Marcel Cadet, who produces roughly 2,000 each year. Each barrel is submerged in water for about 20 minutes before toasting, effectively steaming and toasting simultaneously. This technique encourages greater expression of vanillin and crème brûlée notes, while the harsher tannins are leached out early in the toasting process. The result is a more perfumed, refined oak profile. Winemaker Bob Cabrall also ages some of the wine in heavier-toast François Frères barrels, adding depth and a marked contrast. In the glass, the wine is super-expressive, with oyster-shell minerality, ripe orchard fruit, and nuances of wildflowers, with a subtle beeswax note. It builds with impressive mouthfeel, yet finishes focused, carried by salty acidity and lingering baking-spice complexity. A pop of salted French butter on warm brioche is about as far as the oak character goes, and is perfectly integrated. Vineyard sources include: Goldrock Estate, Campbell, and Heintz. Native yeast fermented, aged for 15 months in that fancy French oak. ($100) 14.4% alcohol. 183 cases produced.

Compared to 2018, the 2019 release is crisper and more focused, showing lifted wet-stone and flinty-mineral character. White floral notes and tangerine oil add further lift while the medium-bodied palate is entirely fresh with grippy acid tension. Crushed Marcona almonds add nuance to the lengthy pressed-wildflower finish. Vineyard sources include: Heintz and Freestone. Native yeast fermented, aged for 15 months in fine French oak, including in Marcel Cadet barrels. ($100) 14.1% alcohol. 183 cases produced.

This wine is produced using a minimal-intervention approach, beginning with meticulous hand-sorting and destemming into whole berries, with each clone fermented separately using native yeasts and daily punchdowns. After 18 days on the skins, the wine is gently pressed and aged 17 months in French oak before a single racking prior to bottling. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur. Intriguing in its super savory core of dark, candied cherry fruit, hoisin, espresso bean, loamy earth, and flamed orange peel. Quite delicious, velvety, and layered with more umami spice and richness, made fleshier by plump tannins and gentle acidity. Long and juicy.

Grapes are hand-sorted and destemmed, and whole berries are native yeast fermented with daily punchdowns. After 18 days on the skins, the wine is gently pressed and undergoes native malolactic fermentation before a single racking prior to bottling. It is aged 17 months in French oak (20% new, 20% once-used, 60% two+ year) and bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur. The wine is quite savory, with a black truffle umami richness and high-toned Asian spice notes of soy and white miso. Earl Grey tea tannins are firm, yet inviting. A cascade of darker umami-laced fruit glides across the palate. The finish is medium-length and dry.

This wine is crafted using a minimal-intervention approach, beginning with meticulous hand-sorting and destemming into whole berries, with each clone fermented separately using native yeasts and daily punchdowns. After 18 days on the skins, the wine is gently pressed and undergoes native malolactic fermentation before a single racking prior to bottling. Aged in French oak (38% new, 62% two-year) from cooperages including Cadus, Damy, Billon, François Frères, and Seguin Moreau, it is bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal SO₂ (13.5% ABV). Plenty to love about this Pinot Noir, from its medium-bodied appeal to its velvety-silky textures, bolstered by good firm, yet plump and juicy tannin. The softness is surely from the time ageing, as this is a 2021 release, hitting the market some five years after harvest. It's really quite a pleasant and easy-drinking sipper finishing with some Graham cracker crust spice and grapefruit and blood orange zest.

Grapes are hand-sorted and destemmed, and whole berries are native yeast fermented with daily punchdowns. After 18 days on the skins, the wine is gently pressed and undergoes native malolactic fermentation before a single racking prior to bottling. It is aged 17 months in 13% new French oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulfur. Quite shy on the nose, offering crunchy red berry fruit, crisp apple skin tannins, tangy, blood orange acidity, and subtle sea salt and wet slate notes resonating throughout this medium-bodied, zesty Pinot Noir.

This rosé is crafted from grapes sourced from the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. Gently destemmed berries are macerated overnight before pressing, combined with a saignée portion, drawn from Pinot Noir fermentations after 12–24 hours. The juices ferment separately to dryness in stainless steel with carefully selected yeasts, with malolactic fermentation suppressed to preserve freshness and vibrancy. Bottled unfined with minimal sulfur. As such, there is a nice, dark color, almost the color of Aperol, and very lovely notes of blood orange, grapefruit, and tangerine, with white peach. A silky mid-palate is balanced by a firm spine of saline acidity through the bone-dry finish, nuanced by sagebrush and rose petal florals.

This medium-bodied Pinot Noir shows wonderfully bright, crunchy red fruit layered with blackberry and hints of sassafras. Nuances of white pepper add lift while black-tea-like tannins are beautifully resolved, underscored by saline minerality and blood orange acidity. Fresh and lifted. Vineyard sources include: Kanzler, Schell Estate (Paul Hobb's estate), Little Boot, and Graham Vineyards. Average of 35% whole cluster fermented with native yeast in open top tanks, aged 16 months in fine French oak. ($150) 13.8% alcohol.

Wonderfully fragrant, fresh, and inviting, with notes of rose petal and incense layered over blackberry and blood orange. Medium-bodied on the palate, it carries a terrific thread of saline acidity, staying beautifully focused and juicy through a lengthy, brown-baking-spice finish. The fine tannins in Troubadour often show a black tea quality. Vineyard sources include: Kanzler, Schell Estate, Little Boot, and Bush Crispo Vineyards. Roughly one-third is whole-cluster fermented with native yeast in open-top tanks, aged for 16 months in fine French oak. ($125) 13.9% alcohol.

The 2020 is bold, offering ripe darkberry fruit, Hibiscus, dried fennel, and black licorice, layered over rich cherry fruit. Deeply concentrated mid-palate, with ultra-fine tannins framing a focused, acid-driven and mineral-scented finish. Vineyard sources include: Kanzler, Schell Estate, Little Boot, and Bush Crispo Vineyards. Roughly one-third is whole-cluster fermented with native yeast in open-top tanks, aged for 16 months in fine French oak. ($125) 13.8% alcohol.

The 2021 Troubadour is bright with a vivid carbonic character that gives the aromatics lift. Whole-cluster fermentation brings structure, shaping tea-like tannins with nuances of white pepper and fresh morels. As in previous releases, a consistent thread of saline acidity runs throughout, framed by compact, ripe tannins. Delicious upfront, it nonetheless needs time for those tannins to fully settle. Vineyard sources include: Kanzler, Schell Estate, Little Boot, and Bush Crispo Vineyards. Roughly one-third is whole-cluster fermented with native yeast in open-top tanks, aged for 16 months in fine French oak. ($125) 13.9% alcohol.

The 2022 builds in the glass, with blackberry and cherry nuanced by incense and English Breakfast tea notes. Bold and expressive, it carries red and black licorice tones, a touch of tar, and wet slate minerality. Medium-bodied with a supple richness and softer tannins, a reflection of the warmer vintage, making this an unusually early-drinking expression of Troubadour. That approachability will be welcome for consumers, as several of the surrounding vintages still require time for their structures to fully settle. Vineyard sources include: Kanzler, Schell Estate, Little Boot, and Heintz. Roughly one-third is whole-cluster fermented with native yeast in open-top tanks, aged for 16 months in fine French oak. ($125) 14.1% alcohol.

This wine carries the energy and finesse of the 2023 vintage. Bright and expressive with a coiled-up sense of energy. Pure black cherry and blackberry fruit are dusted with cocoa powder. Wound up, exuberant, and in need of some time in the bottle for the tannin to fully knit together. So, best to pop corks after 2027 when the wine exhibits its more unctuous self. Vineyard sources include: Kanzler, Schell Estate, Little Boot, and Heintz. Roughly one-third is whole-cluster fermented with native yeast in open-top tanks, aged for 16 months in fine French oak. ($125) 14.2% alcohol.

The base of this wine largely comes from Paul Hobbs’ Goldrock Estate, perched on the first ridge rising off the Pacific Ocean. It opens with dark fruit and sassafras notes, backed by zippy, zingy, electric acidity that will mellow with time. Incredibly perfumed, it offers wild berry fruits layered with violets, wild herbs, white and black pepper. There is building tannic tension through the mid-palate, supported by a saline thread of acidity that carries the wine to a firm, lasting finish. Vineyard sources include: Goldrock Estate, Campbell, and Heintz. Roughly one-third is whole-cluster fermented with native yeast in open-top tanks, aged for 16 months in fine French oak. ($125) 13.9% alcohol.

The 2023 Electric Hippy is robust and richly styled, bold and generous yet framed by zippy, zesty acidity. A pop of cocoa powder freshness lifts the darker fruit tones, while earthy black tea tannins and fresh morel notes add savory depth, but the overall impression remains focused and precise. Vineyard sources include: Goldrock Estate, Campbell, and Heintz. Native yeast fermented, one-third whole cluster, aged for 16 months in fine French oak. ($125) 13.9% alcohol.

Farmed by Brian Gruber, the Grenache produces small berries with loose clusters, leading to excellent concentration in 2021. Aged 18 months in French Oak. Two barrels produced. Quite spicy on the nose, filling the senses with sagebrush, cinnamon, and black tea. Great fruit weight with a velvety texture, dark-berry fruit is rich and succulent, and the finish is long, earthy, and enticing.

This single clone of Tempranillo underwent a gentle maceration and was aged 18 months in French Oak. It's downright delicious. Great velvety texture, fine-grained tannins, loads of cherry and dried strawberry fruits, dark chocolate, fragrant and sweet-spiced oak notes, great mid-palate concentration, and a long, balanced, satisfying finish.

Beautifully lean and focused in this vintage, with chalky mineral notes underscoring honeysuckle, a hint of vanilla, and notes of green apple, apricot, white peach, and finishing with fragrant white florals. From the Five Tails Vineyard in Oregon's Applegate Valley. Stainless fermentation, limited skin contact. About 500 bottles were produced.

Beautifully expressive, layered, richly textured, yet vibrant and mineral-rich. Super fresh aromatics of citrus peel, lime blossoms, jasmine, and honeysuckle find their footing on the palate, as slick, lemon-oil, balanced by oyster shell minerality and richer notes of apricot, candied ginger, and quince. This 100% Chardonnay was made by Winemaker Shane Finley from grapes grown in a Certified California Sustainable vineyard, located in the Petaluma Gap AVA on the rolling hillsides of southern Sonoma County and overlooking the north shore of San Francisco Bay. It was aged for 15 months in 100% new French Oak.

Lemon, limes, sea spray, and lime blossoms. Medium bodied with luscious citrus and orchard fruit. Positively vibrant acidity that is saline-laced, finishing with beeswax and apple blossoms. Fragrant, energetic, silky, and focused with scintillating tension. All the things! This 100% Albariño was made by Winemaker Shane Finley from grapes grown in a Certified California Sustainable vineyard, located in the Petaluma Gap AVA on the rolling hillsides of southern Sonoma County, overlooking the north shore of San Francisco Bay. It was aged for 10 months in 60% concrete egg, 40% neutral French oak.

Wonderfully bright and medium to full-bodied Pinot Noir with a fabulously creamy texture. Wet river stone. Rose petals, cherry, and cherry pit. Beautiful fine tannins that are polished and infused with cedar wood spices and a dusting of cocoa powder. Juicy, fragrant, and with an irresistibly succulent finish that is so perfumed. This 100% Pinot Noir was made by Winemaker Shane Finley from grapes grown in a Certified California Sustainable vineyard, located in the Petaluma Gap AVA on the rolling hillsides of southern Sonoma County and overlooking the north shore of San Francisco Bay. It was aged for 10 months in 100% neutral French oak.

A full-flavored and expressive Grenache with real gorgeous perfumed violet interlaced with raspberries and vanilla. Red fruit leather. Brown spices and super fine velvety tannins. Long and lovely. This 100% Grenache was made by Winemaker Shane Finley from grapes grown in a Certified California Sustainable vineyard, located in the Petaluma Gap AVA on the rolling hillsides of southern Sonoma County and overlooking the north shore of San Francisco Bay. It was aged for 15 months in 33% new French oak.

A delicate, yet delicious Pinot framed by cherry, raspberry, and strawberry panna cotta notes, luscious and creamy with warm pie spice notes layering complexity into this otherwise pure-fruited, bright, and decadent wine. This 100% Pinot Noir was made by Winemaker Shane Finley from grapes grown in a Certified California Sustainable vineyard, located in the Petaluma Gap AVA on the rolling hillsides of southern Sonoma County and overlooking the north shore of San Francisco Bay. It was aged for 15 months in 100% French oak (50% new).

Gorgeous and full-flavored. Violets. White pepper and mulberry. Dusty red rock minerality. Stunning concentration. Blue-black fruit notes, warm Asian spices. Ultra-fine tannins with some mineral intensity. Ultra compact. Wet slate and petrichor. Impressive length. Fresh and lifted from a firm spine of acid tension. This 100% Malbec was made by Winemaker Shane Finley from grapes grown in a Certified California Sustainable vineyard, located in the Petaluma Gap AVA on the rolling hillsides of southern Sonoma County and overlooking the north shore of San Francisco Bay. It was aged for 20 months in 100% new French oak.

Winemaker Shalini Sekhar crafts this Chardonnay using a minimal-intervention approach, beginning with gentle whole-cluster pressing and fermentation in French oak with carefully selected yeasts. Each Chardonnay clone is vinified and aged separately, with partial malolactic fermentation for balance between depth and freshness. Aged 10 months in French oak and stainless steel and bottled with minimal SO₂, the wine comes from certified sustainably farmed vineyards. Wonderfully high-toned, offering lemony-bright notes, hints of baking spice, lime zest, and lemon cream. Focused, energetic, with zesty acidity, wet river stone minerality, crushed sea salt, and a crisp, bone-dry finish.

Winemaker Shalini Sekhar produced this Chardonnay from a single vineyard block of Dijon Clone 76 using a minimal-intervention approach, beginning with gentle whole-cluster pressing. Fermented in mostly neutral French oak with carefully selected yeasts and no malolactic fermentation. Aged 10 months in French oak and stainless steel and bottled with minimal sulfur. This is one serious Chardonnay, satiny through and through, balanced by crisp apple and pear notes, a firm spine of ultra-juicy acidity, and beautifully pure and vivid citrus and orchard fruits, leaning into stone from the bouquet through the slightly salty finish. Lush and supple mid-core, with excellent fruit weight.

This wine is crafted using a minimal-intervention approach beginning with meticulous hand-sorting and destemming into whole berries, with each clone fermented separately using native yeasts and daily punchdowns. After 18 days on the skins, the wine is gently pressed and aged 17 months in French oak, undergoing native malolactic fermentation and minimal handling before bottling. Bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal SO₂ (13.5% ABV). Nicely suave, velvety, with red berry fruits and elegant notes of cedarwood, rose hip, and crushed cocoa nibs, with tart blood orange acidity on the lengthy, perfumed, medium-bodied finish.

Partial whole cluster fermentation, aged 18 months in French oak. Red and blackberry fruit, dusty minerals, and dried cherry lift from the glass. Medium-to-full-bodied with dried figs, red floral notes, and supple tannins, creating a satiny palate expression. Pair with salads loaded with dried fruit or charcuterie-rich pizza.

Such an interesting rendition of Zinfandel, and unlikely to be re-created. The fruit was left on vine, due to fire evacuation, and winemaker Ben Grable ended up harvesting 'raisins', which, with careful work in the cellar, led to this 126-case production of deeply-concentrated red, with dried cherry, fig, and plum fruits, sweet brown spices, and a spicy finish. It's a bold, full-flavored, full-bodied red at 16.7% alcohol, so I suggest enjoying a glass chilled, and marinating pulled pork in the rest. If you're into bold-flavoured, high-octaine Zin, just keep drinking.

Blue fruits and violets, hints of jasmine or honeysuckle, building with apricot, plum, and grippy Roobios tea tannins, building to a full-bodied sweet-spiced finish. Totally crushable. Grapes are grown at Narra Vineyards in the Texas High Plains. Aged 15 months in 50% new French oak.

Climate warming is making this variety more difficult to produce on the estate, and production is reducing in favor of utilizing the best fruit. Wood, tobacco smoke, grilled orange peel, and quite darkly concentrated black plums on the nose, along with singed wild herbs. The nose might suggest dark flavors ahead, but the palate has its own ideas in mind, and it's full of bright, chewy, and energetic red plum flavors, augmented with cherry and intense blood orange acidity. The finish is the only thing betraying any age, with slightly stewed red plum action combining with cedar and savory black olive. A surprising and truly elegant Tuscan red. Santa Maria Merlot is drawn from a dedicated parcel within the Petriolo zone, an area shaped like a shallow basin where soils shift from lighter, Lamole-like compositions at higher points to more clay-heavy sections downslope. The Santa Maria vineyard itself is nearing thirty years of age. Aging is carried out in French oak barriques for approximately 18 to 24 months.

Black olive, black plums, clay, graphite, and fresh wild herbs (including fennel and mint) all mark the nose on this delicious Merlot. This is really in a great drinking window right now, with the palate wonderfully balancing rich, plummy fruit, baking spice nuances, dusty bramble notes, and buoyant acidity. As the long finish fades, a pleasant astringency of blood orange peel joins with cedar and red plum. A really fine, balanced effort here, this is a Merlot that only Tuscany could make. Sourced from the Santa Maria parcel within the Petriolo area, this wine reflects a site that transitions from the lighter, Lamole-influenced soils at higher elevations to more clay-rich compositions lower down the slope. The vineyard itself is approaching three decades of age. Maturation takes place in French oak barriques over an extended period of roughly 18 to 24 months.

They don't really consider these Bordeaux varieties as “foreign” at this point, given how long they’ve been established in the area. Blackcurrant, black cherry, and red plum waft from the glass, along with oak notes and plenty of fresh and dried, dusty herbal spice notes. The concentration is evident immediately in the mouth, with plenty of those dark red fruit flavors on a texturally complex presentation: the palate moves from plush and polished to structured and chewy, with the cherry skin tannins vying for attention against the orange zest acidity. Orange peel, dried herbs, and redcurrant spiral on the long finish. Despite having some age, this one is built for a longer haul and is still coming together; in a few more years, it's going to be a knockout. The fruit comes from the Solatìo vineyard, where older vines—some dating back to the 1960s and rediscovered in the 1990s, now exceed forty years of age. The site is defined by lean, rocky soils with a strong clay component, conditions that tend to limit vigor and concentrate the fruit. The wine is aged in French oak barriques for roughly 18 to 24 months before release.

Leafing is performed that they credit with significantly reducing the pyrazine notes that Cabernet Franc can often carry, and whatever they are doing in this regard seems to be working. Oak, cedar, ripe black plums and blackcurrant, dried herbs, dried orange peel, and hints of saline all appear on the balanced and elegant (but as yet still quite young and reserved) nose. The palate also feels young, with good structure acting as scaffolding underneath the bright red plum and juicy black cherry fruit flavors in the mouth. It might be exuberant and excited in its youthful state, but make no mistake, there is power behind this red, and an incredibly long finish that hints at a great future ahead (think well-integrated toasty oak, blood orange, plenty of dried herbs, and even more chewy red fruits). The fruit is sourced from the Solatìo vineyard, where mature vines—many originally planted in the 1960s and identified again in the 1990s—now exceed forty years of age. The site is marked by sparse, rocky soils with a strong clay presence, conditions that naturally curb vigor and tend to yield more concentrated fruit. Aging takes place in French oak barriques over a period of roughly 18 to 24 months before release.

Apparently there is some evidence that the woman who modeled for the famous namesake painting spent some time on the estate. Drawn from a selection of estate parcels including Vitigliano, Prato, and Querceto, this wine is reserved for stronger vintages. The vineyards lie on the left bank of the Greve River, where a mix of Sillano-derived soils—generally low in clay and limestone but rich in stones—provides good drainage and variability across sites. Pockets of pietraforte and galestro add further complexity to the growing conditions. Élevage is split between smaller French oak barriques and larger-format casks, with the wine spending close to two years in wood. It is then held back for additional maturation, including time in bottle, bringing the total aging period to around two and a half years before release. "2016 was the last vintage that we had as a normal, regular vintage. In 2018 the vines were recovering from the shock of 2017. We had some rain during Spring. In 2018, the emotion of the vintage [in the bottle] is more relaxed," notes Lucia Minoggio, head of Press for Vignamaggio. There's more wood and herbal nuance to the nose here than to be found on their Terre di Prenzano Classico offering, along with more concentrated black cherry and blue plum fruits, topped with grilled orange peel and tobacco notes. The palate is polished, elegant, and fresh; while there's no denying those ripe, bursting cherry and redcurrant flavors, the blood orange acidity and dusty tannins really bring the mouthfeel into excellent focus. The finish is outstanding, lasting well over a minute and never once losing freshness for a second.

Sourced entirely from Sangiovese (vines averaging 20 years old) grown in the Prenzano parcel and nearby estate vineyards, the fruit reflects a mix of sites clustered around the historic villa. Prenzano sits at the upper reaches of the property, where lighter, sand-influenced soils—similar in character to those found in Lamole—tend to yield more aromatic, finely structured wines. Juicy and delicious, with cedar, vanilla, and orange peel notes sitting atop ample and ripe cherry and red plum fruits. The black cherry flavor on the vibrant palate is immediately appealing, and the structure in the mid-palate is surprising, giving this red focus to balance out the fruitiness and acidity. The finish stays chewy and refreshing, inviting another (or several) sips. This one will add a touch of class to pasta night, for sure. Matured in a combination of oak, with roughly equal portions of new barrels, second-use barrels, and older, more neutral casks contributing to the final blend.

Whoa. A black-fruited cornucopia is going on here, with intense, dark graphite notes among red and black currants. There are also warm baking spices, toast, grilled and dried herbs, and just a ton of hedonistic, opulent complexity happening up front on the nose. The palate is delightful, chewy, delicious, and BIG on everything: red and black plum juiciness, structure, acidity, and power. It feels like a picture-perfect match for grilled flank steak and potatoes. Aged in 50% new French Oak barrels.

Keith Emerson (of Vineyard 29 and AtLarge) notes that "we've been working with these vineyards since 2016. I just love it, everytime we get there you just are in awe of how different it is to St. Helena. The soil is just... rocks. I love working with the fruit." The plantings for this Cabernet are situated at up to 2,300 feet, from the Block 3D Crimson Ridge, and Amber Knolls west block 1C. The fruits are bright, red and blue on the nose, accentuated by ample laurel, rosepetal, and baking spice notes. Similar to other Amber Knolls reds, there’s an herbal and savory component that is prominent while also being well-integrated. The palate is a total crowd-pleaser, balancing buoyant, plummy fruits with bright acidity. It's a bit of a masterclass in mountain Cab tannin management, too. Delicious, it’s a near-perfect introduction to the AVA's luxury tier. Aged 20 months in 60% new and 40% once-used French oak.

This showcase red, sourced from Block 1B planted in 1999 to Clone 337, is meant only as a demonstration of the site’s potential and is not made available for general sale. It spends 17 months in 100% French oak, and it’s wonderful stuff. Cola, black cherry, pencil lead, dried and very savory herbs, sage, blackberry compote, and hints of mint all appear on the expressive and complex nose. On the palate, this EXPLODES with black cherry juiciness, later showing black plum, cassis, and notes of leather, licorice, and toast. Powerful and voluptuous in the mouth, it does a great job of balancing upfront fruit with its more structural elements, like its cherry skin tannins and ultra-bright acidity.

With just 200 cases produced, this Dry Riesling is thoroughly charming and highly aromatic, bursting from the glass with honeysuckle richness infusing yellow apple and tangerine blossom notes. Medium-bodied, it reveals a splendidly silky, orchard-fruit-driven profile, supported by a firm spine of zesty, chalky acidity. The finish is long and gently resonant, marked by delicate baking spice nuances.

I greatly admired the 2023, and this 2024 stands shoulder to shoulder with it. It offers bright red berry fruit layered with elegant earthy and tobacco spice, cedarwood accents and lifted violet florals. The tannins are softer than in the previous vintage, yet they quietly assert themselves, building through the earthy, floral-driven finish with gentle persistence and poise. The 2024 Cabernet Franc is sourced from vineyards on Seneca Lake. Each lot was vinified separately in one-ton bins, with 20% saignée prior to fermentation, 10% whole-cluster inclusion and native yeast ferments. Aged for 12 months in neutral French oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Sumptuously earthy, with rich blackberry fruit interlaced with leather and dried violets. Medium-bodied, it is shaped by gentle tannins and a streak of zesty acidity that brings real juiciness and lift. The finish gathers intensity, marked by bright wild herbs reminiscent of dill and thyme. Refreshing and thoroughly appealing.

Bold and creamy, bursting with fleshy Bing cherry fruit, a pop of espresso bean and toasty oak richness, a dusting of brown sugar, and a touch of sandalwood, all make this a ripe and succulent Pinot Noir that is good for solo sipping or to enjoy along hearty pastas or rotisserie chicken.

This wine is so delicious. It’s like a bowl of just-picked, slightly overripe raspberries, strawberries, and cherries, muddled together, or culled into fruit leather, supported by robes of velvety tannins, all building with momentum and energy until the balanced, fruity, and fairly dry finish.

There it is—your childhood in a glass. That candied red-berry fruit, licorice, and Sweetart candy we'd buy on the walk home from middle school, liquified, positively irresistible on the palate, supported by a granular, almost chalky texture, or like ultra-fine sand, that resolves through a bright, juicy, and fragrant finish.

One sniff, one sip, and you’ll be singing ‘Hello, darkness my old friend,’ because this wine will come for you again and again, with its positively dark, brooding black cherry fruit laced with umami-rich Hoisin sauce, building with a brightness of muddled strawberry fruit, candied violets, and fine brown baking spices on the full-bodied finish.

Lifted and fragrant, reminiscent of walking through a field of sweet grass on a Spring afternoon. The first sip reveals a zesty Sauvignon Blanc, layered with ripe apple and pear, drizzled with wildflower acacia honey. That off-dry quality balances out the zesty acid tension.

The name says it all—a glassful of lemon and lime zest, fragrant honeysuckle blossoms, and sweet summer cantaloupe frame this creamy and silky wine, layered with juicy citrus, orchard, stone, and tropical fruit notes, finishing quite dry.

If you love Italian Pinot Grigio, this light-bodied Californian counterpoint delivers the same zippy, citrusy, easy-going quality, but imbued with riper-tasting citrus and orchard fruit grown under a canopy of bright California sunshine. A touch of baking spice and wet river stone finish brings complexity.

Quite a fabulous, light to medium-bodied white wine, oozing out of the glass with lemony-yuzu notes, crisp green apple, velvety acidity, and a finish marked by tangerine oil and pear sorbet. Mind you, this is bone-dry and dangerously quaffable.

Alright, someone told you about Moscato once, and you never looked back. And why would you, if you love a white wine that gives the impression of walking through a park dotted with honeysuckle bushes, jasmine, or Magnolias. That’s this wine. On the palate, it bears a balanced sweetness, never overpowering, but redolent of lemons, limes, and poached pears, and always that fragrant sweet white floral note lingering through the slightest joyful effervescence.

Made from 100% Melon de Bourgogne grown on soils of schist, quartz, and flint, producing a medium-bodied, fragrant, crisp, and energetic white wine redolent of mango, passion fruit, and blood orange, lifted by lemon and grapefruit peel nuances and imbued with the flinty, stony minerality reflective of its vineyard origins. A must-have for shellfish and seafood dishes, and equally perfect as a crunchy, low-alcohol aperitif when you want something refreshing without reaching for a higher-octane G&T.

Entirely barrel-fermented in large-format neutral oak, with partial malolactic fermentation to round out the acid bite. The result is a full-bodied, silky, satiny, and downright seductive white. All that palate texture comes from the oak aging, yet there’s no overt oak character. The wine remains bright, zippy, and zesty, layered with floral and citrus notes, creamy orchard fruit, and a long, saline-mineral, crushed-almond finish. Grab as much as you can.

This red is sourced from their most shaded, coolest, and latest-harvested Modigliana vineyard. The Sangiovese clones planted there are believed to be unique to the site, and are lower-yielding. It's got a gorgeous nose of black cherry, red plum, orange rind and roses, tinged with underbrush hints. The palate is extremely focused in its elegant red fruit flavor, vibrant acidity, and linear minerality. Lovely stuff, it needs some time in bottle to resolve its linear tannins. - J.R.

What a lovely nose: blossoms, quince, ripe lemons... A delight to sniff. Good minerality balances an ample body that carries a good bit of structure to it, augmented by notes of honey and herbs, and ripe citrus flavors. - J.R.

An incredibly juicy red that's dark and plummy and still a bit young. You can really sense the structure in the dryness of the mid-palate, amid the flavors of black cherry and hints of leather. Grab a burger to tame it and enjoy. - J.R.

Sourced from Brisighella, this is a take-no-prisoners Sangiovese that offers lots of dark currant and cherry fruit aromas, along with prominent dried herb spice notes. Fleshy, fruity, and full of body, it's a mouthful that has impressive structure throughout, and needs some time (or lots of protein). - J.R.

An organic red produced in Castrocaro Terme from fruit sourced from 15-year-old Sangiovese vineyards, this spends 12 months in oak. A very nice nose of herbal spices, leather, wild berries, florals, and red and black fruits is on offer here. The mouthfeel is almost burly in its structure, but there is great minerality and dark fruit flavor to balance it all out. The finish is long and herbal, and the entire palate is absolutely packed with tannins by Sangiovese standards. - J.R.

Dried herbs, rose petal, and savory black olive notes offer support to a nose of black plums, red currants, and wild raspberries. Sultry on entry, the mouthfeel then becomes grippy and at turns energetic and then powerful in this exceptional young red that is just finding its footing. It's very young, very finely textured, very elegant, and very, very good! - J.R.

Sourced from a single vineyard with extrmely thin, slate subsoils, this Cab Franc sees 11 months aging in large format oak and 6 months in concrete. Tons of herbal spice notes kick it off, with citrus peel, lavender, and a fantastic purity of dark plummy fruit. The palate is gorgeous—spice, tension, dusty but elegant tannins, black fruit depth, and blood orange acidity. Irresistibly pretty, mineral, energetic, rich, and delicious. - J.R.

From 30+ year old, bush-trained vines comes this intriguing and mineral Sauvignon, aged 12 months in used French oak barrels. Peach blossom and tropical fruit notes mingle with ripe grapefruit and a touch of hay on the nose. In the mouth it starts quite rounded, with developed citrus, grilled orange peel, ripe yelow apple, and mandarin orange flavors. A saline hint adds complexity and nuance. - J.R.

There's a lot to like about this white, sourced from a steep, riverside vineyard. A perky nose is abundant with white flowers, ripe citrus, jasmine, underripe pineapple, pear, and yellow and green apples. 9 months in new and second-use French oak lend a hint of toast tro the racy palate, which shows flavors of ripe lemons and a chalky minerality, leading to a long citrus-peel finish. - J.R.

This site, named "hole of the priest", refers to land previously belonging to the church, with a vineyard planted at the base of two adjoining steep hillsiodes. It leaeds with very dark cherry and dried roses, then presents aromas of vibrant red fruits. The palate is earthy, funky, chewy, and structured, leading to a mineral-tinged finish. - J.R.

Sourced from a Sangiovese clone that produces thicker-skinned berries, planted on east-facing slopes at 440m a.s.l. The name refers to a local legend involving an American soldier stationed in Modigliana during WWII, who supposedly decided to settle in the region along with (for some reason) a pet monkey. When the monkey died, he apparently buried it near a well in the ronco (which I am assuming would now violate some regulations?), which is considered to be a “mystical” place. It starts with earth, dried orange peel, dried herbs, sour black cherry, plums, redcurrant, dried rose petal, and a rather serious nature all around. The elegant nose belies a powerful, forceful palate, with leathery tannins, and deep red fruit flavors. This has got serious stuffing in its structure; even the acidity feels serious! - J.R.

This flagship red's grapes are manually selected, with about 20% whole cluster and agewd 6 months in cement tanks and 12 months in large oak barrels. Incense spices, red fruits, and greener herb notes with licorice hints lead the nose. The palate is chewy with black fruit, abundant spices, and more structure than in previous vintages. Great stuff. - J.R.

Aged 18 months in a mix of new and used Hungarian oak, this 2021 estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Los Amigos Ranch in the Chalk Hill AVA is dark, muscular, and brooding. It boasts notes of black mulberry and dried violet, with black olive and rich cassis and cherry fruit building on the palate. Velvety, well-framed tannins form a plush carpet across the mid-palate. Always a strong value Cabernet Sauvignon, it is especially well suited to weeknight drinking.

Aged for 4 months in stainless steel and cement tanks on the fine lees, this is a foodie's rose. Grapefruit, rose petal, wild strawberry, and white pepper aromas lead into a lively, saline-kissed palate with flavors of mandarin orange, red berries, and a pithy structure. - J.R.

Citrus, apricot, dried acacia flower, saline, and tropical fruit all grace the nose here. Even with age, this has ample freshness, with a palate still full of high-toned tropical fruit flavors, and just a touch of toasted nuts. - J.R.

Still clearly a young pup, this Grenache (locally called Gamay del Trasimeno) offers a nose of violets, ocean spray, raspberries, pepper, and currants.The palate deep with plummy fruitiness, but manages to stay light on its feet with perky acidity through a spicy, earthy finish. - J.R.

This flagship red's grapes are manually selected, with about 20% whole cluster and agewd 6 months in cement tanks and 12 months in large oak barrels. The 2021 offering is a savory, complex sipper with dried violets, blackberry, currants, and raspberry on the nose. The palate has a soft entry, then bursts with vibrant red fruits, a hit of herbs and black pepper spice, and shows power on an impressive finish. - J.R.

This flagship red's grapes are manually selected, with about 20% whole cluster and agewd 6 months in cement tanks and 12 months in large oak barrels. Succulent red fruit kicks it off, all of it deep and savory. The palate shows the same, with spices acting as background to the pure, abundantly fruity mouthfeel. - J.R.

Labyrinth Vineyard lies near the town of Forestville and is planted entirely to Pommard clone, organically farmed with tight vine spacing and low yields achieved through careful thinning. The wine builds in the glass with classic Pommard character—rich cherry and spiced plum fruit layered with deep, woodsy, almost truffle-like notes and loamy earth tones. Dark cherry flavors carry across the palate, joined by earthy humus nuances in a full-bodied wine with a rich mid-palate and exceptional length. I love this wine—it’s so delicious and full-flavored.

Kenneth Juhasz says he had first choice of this vineyard, blending some parcels but sourcing most of the fruit from what he calls the “Bolt Block,” a super-rocky section of the site. Made entirely from Dijon Clone 667, the wine builds in the glass with dark-fruit and cocoa nib intensity accented by elegant cedarwood notes. The texture is off the charts—velvety, silky, and satiny, nearly luscious yet still pure-fruited—finishing with an earthy richness and fruit-driven depth that complements the wine’s dark, brooding profile. Quite exceptional.

Made by Adam Lee of Siduri fame, this wine comes from Bucher Vineyard in the Middle Reach of the Russian River Valley. It builds beautifully in the glass with vivid red fruits—raspberry and macerated cherry—alongside elegant cedarwood notes and smoky mineral nuances. Crunchy, apple-skin tannins provide attractive grip on the palate, revealing flashes of blood orange. A creamy mid-palate core makes the wine especially inviting. This is a complete, polished, and exceptionally well-built wine.

With Durell Vineyard, Kenneth Juhasz works with the flatter section of the site near the riverbed, close to the town of Sonoma. He began working with Durell in 2008, initially producing Pinot Noir from the vineyard. This wine is whole-cluster pressed, allowing for gentler extraction from the intact clusters and resulting in greater finesse. Fermentations are native and carried out cold, with no malolactic fermentation, followed by 15 months of ageing in neutral, tight-grained, light-toast French oak. The nose is supremely elegant, offering notes of lemon, anise, and sea-spray minerality. On the palate, a lovely creamy mid-palate is supported by a core of citrus-kissed acid tension, finishing with crushed-rock minerality. The wine is both generous and refined, yet remains focused, vibrant, and precise. It is a beautiful expression of this exceptional site, owned by Three Sticks Wines founder Bill Price.

The Green Acres Vineyard bottling builds with gorgeous richness and fragrance, marked by zesty lemon and ginger, lemon oil, and a chamomile-like depth on the medium-bodied palate. A saline-driven acidity runs through the wine, carrying a subtle white pepper note and lending palpable tension throughout. The grape clusters here are notably small, likely contributing to the wine’s concentration and energy. Aged for 15 months in 30% new French oak, the oak is beautifully integrated, allowing the wine to remain balanced, focused, and vibrant from start to finish. The site, located near the town of Sonoma and owned by the Sangiacomo family, was planted in 2001 and is now more than 20 years old.

The Bacigalupi Vineyard is planted entirely to Old Wente clone, making it an easy sourcing choice for Kenneth. He notes that the site is warmer and typically the first fruit to come in—sometimes as early as late August. In 2023, he was especially pleased with the results, having picked a bit earlier. The fruit was pressed in the crush, using whole clusters with multiple press cycles, followed by a barrel selection of the native-fermented wine, which was aged for 15 months in 25–30% new French oak. The wine shows lovely, bright lemon-driven aromatics with excellent weight and tension. There’s perhaps a hint of lychee, but the profile is predominantly saline, layered with rich lemon and lime notes. Crisp orchard fruit carries through the palate, finishing long and expressive with loads of saline mineral character and vibrant freshness.

The Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir ages in 30% new French oak for 15 months, racked just once prior to bottling, with no fining or filtration. The resulting wine is robust yet balanced, marrying power and elegance with bright, crunchy red fruit layered with brown baking spices, a hint of caramel, and deep forest bark and spicebush notes. Tension builds across a luscious core of red berry fruit framed by grippy apple-skin tannins. Long and flavor-packed, the wine maintains impressive focus and energy despite its breadth and generosity on the palate. A blend of fruit from Labyrinth, Gap’s Crown, Starkey, and Balinard vineyards.

Kenneth Juhasz’s ideal approach is to pick individual Pinot Noir clones separately and co-ferment them. At Wendling Vineyard, the mix includes Calera, La Tâche, and Vosne-Romanée suitcase selections, all rooted in the far northern reaches of Anderson Valley, near the Pacific Ocean, where the Navarro River empties into the sea. The vineyard is owned by Paul Ardzrooney, who also serves as the site’s vineyard manager. The resulting wine is powerful yet refined, built around rich, dark cherry fruit and elegant brown baking-spice notes. Fresh spicebush and redwood forest nuances add aromatic depth, while the palate shows greater dimension, supported by velvety tannins and delicate floral tones that weave seamlessly through the wine. The finish is long and fruit-driven, marked by blood orange oil and expressive acid tension. It’s a big wine, but delivered with poise, elegance, and restraint.

The Savoy Vineyard bottling opens with fragrant forest berry aromatics and dark berry fruit, building on a foundation of very ripe, structured tannins. A saline-driven acid tension carries notes of blood orange and cherry, underscored by a distinct wet-slate mineral character. The site itself is rugged, and that ruggedness shows in the wine—but it remains remarkably delicious and expressive, anchored by a solid core of juicy dark berry fruit and spice. Long, layered, and generous, this was perhaps the most powerful and tannin-driven wine I tasted during my visit, yet still balanced and compelling. Aged in 60% new French oak for 15 months.

Hydra Red Wine is a blend of 85% Grenache and 15% Syrah, sourced from Brosseau Vineyard in the Chalone AVA. Fermentation includes 70% whole cluster and 30% destemmed whole berries, using native yeasts, followed by 10 months of ageing in neutral 500-litre oak puncheons. The wine is super-juicy, easy-drinking, vibrant, and energetic, bursting with blue fruit and exotic brown spice—what Rob Fischer aptly calls a “Christmas spice” character. Hydra is the bottling that allows Fischer to experiment freely each year, a true winemaker’s blend driven by instinct and creativity. In this vintage, the wine shows an almost carbonic lift, incredibly bright and juicy, layered with pastille-like fruit, a dusting of white pepper, and a generous, easy-going texture. Inspired by trips to Spain and the culture of effortlessly drinkable reds meant to be enjoyed over long meals—and more than one bottle—he absolutely nailed it here.

Sourced from the old-block vines of Brosseau Vineyard in the Chalone AVA, these vines are roughly 30+ years old and planted to the Alban clone 877 and a so-called “Samsonite” clone, which may or may not be related to Chave material. This is a true clonal field blend, picked all together and fermented with 60% whole cluster in stainless steel. After a gentle overnight draining and very light pressing, the wine is transferred to two used 500-litre puncheons, where it ages for 11 months before racking and bottling. The nose is stunning, lifted with violets and crushed iris notes, black macerated cherry, and a savoury edge of white truffle and charcuterie. On the palate, the wine is medium- to full-bodied, showing beautiful blood-orange notes layered with black cherry. A strong underpinning of energy and tension drives the wine, supported by impressive concentration and tannins that build steadily through the long, full-bodied finish.

This wine is representative of Sonoma County in a broader sense, combining fruit from the Marine Layer Vineyard with a distinctly Russian River lens. Winemaker Rob Fischer says he’s aiming to push ripeness just a touch while still retaining the lively acidity and brightness associated with Sonoma Coast fruit, with the intention of making a wine that appeals to a broader audience. To that end, the wine shows a pleasing richness from barrel fermentation and lees stirring, layered with bright citrus and underripe pineapple fruit, sweet spice, candied ginger, and lovely toasty oak notes. All of this is framed by the saline-driven acid tension typical of the Sonoma Coast, balanced by the lusher, richer fruit profile of the Russian River Valley. It’s quite delicious for the price point, especially given the quality of the vineyard sources, which include Gap’s Crown Vineyard, Heintz Vineyard, Durell Vineyard, Bohemian Vineyard, and Hawk Hill Vineyard—all top-tier sites.

The Valravn Pinot Noir opens with a sweet core of dark berry fruit, layered with subtle briary notes and forest-berry aromas that evoke the feeling of walking through a wet redwood grove. Violet florals and pops of blue fruit add aromatic lift. On the palate, there’s a welcome fruit sweetness, with the wine remaining medium-bodied, juicy, and energizing. Lifted baking spice notes, a hint of clove, and loamy earth add real complexity and depth—especially impressive for a wine that typically retails under $25.

In general, Kenneth Juhasz's Chardonnay wines do not undergo malolactic fermentation. He works primarily with Old Wente Clone—virus-infected, low-yielding, and later-ripening, true Old Wente material. The grapes are night-harvested and hand-picked. Kenneth explains that it’s less about stem inclusion and more about solids and trace amounts of sulfides, which he likes. Some lots see stem inclusion, while others do not. All fermentations are carried out in barrel using tight-grained, lighter-toast oak, with roughly 20% new oak for the Sonoma Coast bottling; some single-vineyard wines see no new oak at all. Ferments are native, long, and cool, generally topping out at 55–60°F, with a bit of lees stirring. As soon as the wines are dry, he keeps them cold to inhibit malolactic conversion. He believes that when working with great sites, a great clone, and exceptional fruit, this approach yields the best results. The Sonoma Coast is a blend of several single-vineyard sites, including Durell, Green Acres, and Bacigalupi. The wine is aged for 15 months in oak prior to bottling. Because it does not undergo malolactic fermentation, he uses cross-flow filtration. The finished wine is lemony-bright, packed with energy and tension. Expressive cedarwood notes mingle with lemon and lime, alongside hints of Parmesan rind that become more embedded on the palate. Orchard fruit and citrus fruit intertwine, carried by bright crushed almond and white floral notes through the finish.

In 2023, the fruit was destemmed before pressing and crushed, followed by native fermentations carried out cold, with no malolactic fermentation. The wine was aged for 15 months in neutral oak. It is strikingly aromatic and fresh, driven by floral, fragrant notes and a distinct sea-spray character. On the palate, there’s a wonderful lemon oil richness—something Kenneth attributes to the pressing style—building alongside beautifully smooth, velvety tannins. Layers of lemon zest, orange essence, and orchard fruit unfold through the mid-palate, finishing with lingering brightness and crispness from the wine’s highly expressive acidity. Importantly, that acidity is fully integrated—never sharp or jagged—resulting in a wine that feels seamless, elegant, and refined.

Sourced from Bohemian Vineyard, a 7-acre Pinot Noir site in the Freestone of the Sonoma Coast, this vineyard is planted to a mix of Dijon clones in classic Goldridge soils and exposed to the full spectrum of cool-climate conditions the area is known for. The fruit is hand-picked at night and fermented with 20% whole cluster, followed by a cool native fermentation and 16 days on the skins. The wine is gravity-drained and lightly pressed, then aged for 11 months in 25% new French oak. In 2023, the wine is distinctly red-fruit driven, layered with savory spice and marked by beautiful linearity and focus. There’s a firm, tactile grip from the tannins—shaped by skins that contend with the site’s extreme cold and wind—alongside sumptuous earth notes, white truffle, and white pepper interlaced with crunchy red fruit. Bright acidity provides strong structural bones, while the tannins build with a delicate yet persistent intensity. Complex, heady, and deeply site-expressive.

Grand Vent Vineyard lies about six miles west of the town of Petaluma, a cool, wind-swept site. That exposure brings a distinctive tannic grip to the wine. It builds steadily in the glass with smoky clove notes, cherry fruit, and blood orange, all melding seamlessly on the medium-bodied palate. Ultra-fine, velvety tannins support a very juicy mid-palate, carrying through to a long finish marked by wet-slate minerality and gently building tannin. The overall impression is one of generosity and freshness, underpinned by layered, finely tuned textural complexity.

The Whistler Vineyard—a former Banshee site—sits above the fog line at roughly 800–1,000 feet in elevation. The soils are primarily Goldridge sandy loam with uplifted marine sediment. Berry size is small, with tight clusters from a mix of Swan, Pommard, and Dijon clones 667, 777, and 115, resulting in notable concentration and extract. Rob Fischer is particularly fond of incorporating some whole cluster here, which shows up as white pepper, clove, and subtle black tea aromatics. On the palate, the wine delivers loads of crunchy red fruit—strawberry, raspberry, and cherry—balanced by a strong earthy drive. There’s impressive mid-palate richness and an expansive, creamy texture, layered with savoury notes of chanterelle mushroom and white pepper. The finish is long and expressive, framed by apple-skin tannins that add grip and persistence without sacrificing energy or freshness.

River Camp Vineyard sits in Anderson Valley on the northern side of the Navarro River and is planted entirely to a single Pinot Noir selection, Clone 828. In the glass, the wine shows blue-black fruit, forest berry, and pine forest earth notes, layered with brown spice. The palate is juicy and generous, building through the mid-palate with white-pepper-dusted earth, crushed clove, and a supple richness that carries through the finish.

Dutton-Upp Road Vineyard is a three-acre, southwest-facing hillside site in the heart of Green Valley, within the broader Dutton Ranch holdings. Rob Fischer holds an acreage contract here, allowing for close control over the farming of Clone 943. The clone tends to deliver a dark-fruited, juicy profile from very small berries, often with more chicks than hens, resulting in natural concentration. Whole cluster inclusion is pushed to upwards of 60% in this wine. In the glass, the wine is dynamically earthy, marked by damp forest floor and black truffle notes, framed by black tea–like tannins that bring bite and tension. Layers of black cherry, spiced plum, and brambly blackberry unfold alongside refined cedarwood, with a hint of redwood bark emerging on the long, lingering finish. Red-spice accents and vibrant red fruit carry through the close, giving the wine both power and precision.

Rob Fischer’s sourcing from Gap’s Crown Vineyard includes primarily mid-slope fruit, along with a smaller portion from near the top of the site, close to the crown. That upper-elevation fruit brings a distinct brightness that complements the more blue-fruited lushness of the mid-slope blocks. In 2023, the wine is very much a crowd-pleaser, anchored by a rich mid-palate and framed by elegant cedarwood spice from 30% new French oak. Unsweetened cocoa powder tannins give shape and texture, while the long, earthy finish reveals white pepper nuances and subtle smoked paprika notes. Velvety tannins build gracefully through the close, and a lift of florality adds freshness and balance throughout.

Super frothy and downright delicious, this sparkler is beautifully layered around a core of honey-drizzled rose petals and underripe pineapple. There’s an undeniably gulpable generosity here, with a bright, frothy, creamy mousse lifting the floral and fruity profile of this Delaware grape bottling. Labeled medium-dry, it delivers exactly that, with a kiss of honeyed sweetness that makes it especially enticing. From Idol Ridge Winery (Martin Family Wineries).

Every time I take a sip of something new from Phil Plummer, I grow more confident that whatever he makes, I’m going to like—and you probably will, too. When the Local Culture Western Sun Pet-Nat hits the glass, its hazy hue and gentle, frothy bubbles look more like a beer than a wine, setting you up for a surprise. Sure enough, there’s an almost IPA-like edge here, yet it remains refined and expressive on the medium-bodied, off-dry palate, with just a kiss of honeyed apricot sweetness and zesty honeysuckle freshness carried by bright, tension-filled acidity. At 11.2% alcohol, it’s dangerously easy to keep sipping, so skip the chores, put out a cheese plate, and settle in with this delectable pét-nat. From Idol Ridge Winery (Martin Family Wineries).

Fermented on skins for 24 days with a pied de cuve wild yeast culture, this wine is 100% free-run, with no pressure applied to separate it from the skins, and aged in concrete amphora. Fragrant in its Cabernet Franc character, it shows wild herbs, dried sage, smoked paprika, and grilled Piment d’Espelette notes. The palate is rather creamy, with supple, soft tannins and a very pleasant medium-bodied finish. From Montezuma Winery (Martin Family Wineries).

Rob Fischer tells me that he and the team at Marine Layer Wines have a deep admiration for grower Champagne. Having loved his time making sparkling wine at Domaine Carneros, he was eager to bring that sensibility back to Marine Layer. The wine blends Clone 115 from the Marine Layer Estate with Chardonnay from Gap's Crown Vineyard. The base wine is barrel-fermented in neutral oak, then aged sur lie for 22 months with low dosage. The finished wine offers lovely baking spice and citrus notes alongside white flowers and subtle nutty undertones. A bright, creamy mousse carries flavours of cherry pit and white plum, underpinned by a saline-driven acid tension that lingers through the expressive, finely balanced finish.

Sources include vineyards in Freestone-Occidental and the Petaluma Gap, along with the Marine Layer Vineyard in the Sebastopol Hills and fruit from Green Valley. Fermentations are native, with partial malolactic fermentation, followed by gentle lees stirring once per month. The wine is aged for 11 months in 500-litre puncheons from Stockinger, Damy, and Atelier, bottled unfined and lightly filtered. The wine builds beautifully in the glass, opening with bright aromatics of apple and white flowers, accented by a pop of tarragon or fennel. On the palate, a lovely creamy core from Wente Clone and Calera clones is framed by subtle apple-skin tannin grip, with hints of brioche and beeswax adding depth. It finishes with a wet-stone mineral character and crunchy sea-salt salinity, bringing lift, precision, and a sense of controlled unctuousness through the close. The 2024 vintage was a little warmer than 2023 but this is right in the same pocket qualitatively as the 2023. Snap it up!

Lyra is the Sonoma Coast blend, built on Marine Layer fruit alongside select Dutton sites and Jentoff, a 16-acre vineyard west of the town of Occidental. The blend also includes fruit from Gap’s Crown Vineyard and Annapolis, with Uproad Vineyard contributing from the heart of Green Valley, rooted in Goldridge’s red-brown, fluffy soils. For Rob Fischer, Lyra is meant to be representative of vibrant coastal red fruit and lively acidity. Fermentations include 20–25% whole cluster, followed by ageing for 11 months in 22% new French oak. The wine leads with a stunning, heady burst of juicy red cherry, raspberry, and red floral notes, layered with orange peel, subtle hints of vanilla or strawberry panna cotta, and a touch of redwood bark and loamy earth. Bright and buoyant on the palate, it’s juicy and lifted, framed by fine-grained, cocoa-powder-like tannins. Brown baking spices, a touch of clove, and a hint of grapefruit zest carry through the long, expressive finish.

Fairly reductive, flinty notes meet a host of cheesy, leesy nuances on the palate, like biting into a hunk of Manchego or Parmigiano. That savoriness supports juicy lemon and lime citrus fruit alongside apple and pear notes. Simple and quite quaffable.

Bold aromas lead into a red-berry-driven profile, building with creamy intensity on the medium-bodied palate, bolstered by milk chocolate notes, cranberry, and fruit leather, while zesty acidity brings a fizzy, exuberant finish.

Melon and white peach notes lead, with high-toned white florals. The palate is juicy and just a bit tannic, with watermelon and strawberry shining through on a finish that builds with lively, juicy tension.

Aged for 19 months in European and French oak (50% new) and sourced entirely from estate-grown fruit from Concannon’s Blocks 7, 17, 10, and 15. This is a generous, inviting red wine, offering spiced plum fruit and mulberry nuances layered with rich fig character and fig paste. Subtle notes of toasted marshmallow, mocha, and espresso bean add depth. It’s honestly reminiscent of biting into a Fig Newton—rich, comforting, and deeply satisfying—with a long, textured, lingering finish.

This is a Méthode Champenoise–style Grenache sparkling wine. It is fermented in large-format neutral oak casks and aged seven years en tirage, with late disgorgement and a 5 g/L dosage. The wine is delicious, showing crunchy, delicate mixed-berry fruit alongside toasted hazelnut nuances. Bright and precise, it features a persistent, finely textured mousse that builds richness across the palate, finishing with a zesty mid-palate lift and blood orange–driven acidity on the long, energetic finish.

Le Rayon Vert is a barrel-select cuvée that undergoes extended élevage, spending 14 months in oak followed by six months in stainless steel, with additional time in stainless steel prior to bottling. The wine is then held for a further six months before release. Fruit is sourced from three sites in Bennett Valley: two hillside vineyards and one valley-floor site. The aromatics are super bright and expressive, led by citrus peel and flinty minerality, with subtle toasted cedarwood and spicy ginger notes. On the palate, there is a radiant core of electric acidity and saline mineral tension that brings terrific focus and energy. As with the previous vintage, the finish is long and layered, marked by bright, crunchy apple spice and a lingering wet-slate mineral note.

The Bastard Tongue Pinot Noir is a Sonoma County appellation blend, drawn from exceptional fruit sources. As winemaker Justin Harmon puts it, “Every single one of our Pinots has a shot at becoming this cuvée.” The final blend is often anchored by Swan selection, as it is in 2023, and incorporates fruit from seven sites. Fermented in stainless steel and aged for 22 months in 85% new French oak, the wine delivers on its promise year after year. This is a dark, brooding, and expansive Pinot Noir, packed with rich, night-dark fruit and a mineral intensity so pronounced it might have a Texas oilman sniffing for liquid gold in the glass. Full-bodied and deeply expressive, it shows off-the-charts rose petal floral intensity alongside dark brown baking spices and Asian spice notes, with crushed river stone minerality adding further complexity. There is real tannic intensity here—powerful yet nicely integrated—ensuring graceful ageing, all driven by a vibrant core of bracing acidity.

The Indigo Syrah from Sonoma Mountain was aged for 28 months in 100% new French oak, and in 2022 this wine feels like an anomaly for the vintage—though perhaps not. Winemaker Justin Harmon tells me the grapes were still going through veraison during the 2022 heatwave, after which conditions cooled significantly. That sequence shows clearly in the glass. There is an impressive sense of coolness to the wine, with blue- and black-fruited character, beautifully perfumed rose petal and violet notes, all building into a full-bodied richness on the palate. The structure is framed by supple, soft, round, silky tannins, finishing with unctuous dark berry fruit and cocoa powder–like tannins, followed by a saline, wet-slate mineral note on the long finish. This is a dangerously drinkable wine—make sure you do not have to drive anywhere after pulling the cork.

This Syrah from Sonoma Mountain was aged for 22 months in 50% new French oak. The resulting wine bursts with aromas of violets, white pepper, blood orange, and cherry, framed by expressive pine forest notes. The palate is rich yet lifted, carrying those vibrant elements through a long, beautifully attractive finish. As it opens in the glass, the wine builds with additional layers of white pepper, cedarwood, and blackberry and black cherry fruit, accented by a hint of charcuterie. Powerful tannins and a dark slate–driven mineral character frame the wine, while blood orange notes, zesty acidity, and palpable tension keep everything fresh and focused. It feels super fresh and a bit coiled at this stage. Winemaker Justin Harmon notes, “Syrah should be farmed like Pinot—but it’s so vigorous you need a machete to the canopy, or the sun will never reach the fruit.” To ensure proper exposure, the vineyard is farmed down to one cluster per shoot, yielding around 2.5 tons per acre.

The old casks in the Concannon winery—large-format barrels from Demptos and Seguin Moreau dating back to the early 1970s—were originally intended for ageing Petite Sirah. This wine was aged for 16 months in French and Hungarian oak and comes entirely from Concannon’s estate: Block 11 and the head-trained vines of Block 1. It’s a power-packed wine with a real freshness factor. All that classic Petite Sirah character is here—earthy, rich, and plummy fruit layered with mocha and warm Indian spice. The tannins are big, rich, and hearty, with a granular, brambly quality that builds across the mineral-driven finish. Notes of violets, graphite, and pressed florals burst through, giving the wine lift and dimension.

Named in honor of James Concannon, a first-generation family member and former stampmaker, the 2023 Stampmaker was aged for 16 months in 26% French oak and sourced from Carter Vineyard, Blocks 3 and 17. The wine is wonderfully ripe and vibrant, offering white pepper spice and beautifully candied red berry fruit. A layered mix of mixed berry fruit, espresso bean, and clove unfolds across the palate, lifted by blood orange–tinged acidity. Rich, velvety tannins are caressing and seamless, carrying the wine to a long, generously fruited finish.

Aged for 20 months in French and American oak, this wine is sourced entirely from estate fruit in Block 7, Clone 7, drawn from the Mother Vine blocks that include both iconic old vines and some younger plantings. The Mother Vine itself is now in its fifth decade. Originally brought to California from Château Margaux in 1893, it was re-propagated across the region in the 1970s and later became the foundational material used to replant much of Napa Valley in the latter half of the 1990s. The 2023 growing season in Livermore was notably cool, with no significant heat spikes, and the wine reflects the precision of the vintage. It’s bold and robust, beautifully constructed, with mixed berry fruit—raspberry, black cherry, spiced plum, and blackberry—wrapped in a velvety texture. Rich tannins frame a ripe, plush center, while dark-fruited depth mingles with espresso-bean spice, mocha richness, and graphite nuances on the finish. Profoundly layered in this vintage—one of the best examples I’ve tasted from Concannon.

The grapes are sourced entirely from Lemmons Vineyard, planted to French Clone 331, also known as Clone 5 at UC Davis. This clone is naturally dark-fruited and delivers classic Cabernet Franc character, with broad shoulders and excellent phenolic structure. Dark berry fruit lifts out of the glass, accented by juniper bush spice, wild bright sage, and smoked paprika. The tannins are supple yet firm and elliptical, carrying the dark berry profile through the palate and building toward a fresh, inviting finish marked by unsweetened cocoa powder richness.

Aged for 20 months in French oak and sourced entirely from estate-grown fruit in Block 15 of the Concannon Vineyard and Lemmons Vineyard. The wine shows brighter fruit tones and warm baking spice, wrapped in elegant cedarwood notes that encompass the palate. Nuances of rose petal and rose stem emerge, along with a subtle hint of grilled red pepper—like a light pepper char—on the firm, satisfying finish. This is a structured Cabernet Franc with the depth and balance to cellar comfortably for a decade; keep enough on hand to enjoy its evolution over time.

The wine was aged for seven months in stainless steel and is made from 100% estate-grown fruit sourced from Lemmons Vineyard, a 15-acre site across from Darcie Kent Winery, and from Arroyo Mocho Creek Vineyard, just across the street from Concannon Vineyard. Concannon has been producing this wine since the 1980s. The Sémillon adds a softer textural component to the racy Sauvignon Blanc in this blend. It’s delicious, loaded with tropical fruit notes and a pop of lychee, with a lovely, lusciously sweet mid-palate—even though the wine finishes dry. Nuances of honeysuckle and white flowers bring bright, captivating detail.

Aged for seven months in neutral oak with a small portion in stainless steel, this wine is 100% estate grown from Triska Vineyard and Arroyo Mocho Creek Vineyard. The 2024 vintage brought a warmer end to the season, but for the white varieties it was a fairly average, steady growing year. The wine is wonderfully tropical, with white peach and pineapple notes, along with a touch of lemon curd. Fragrant French pastry tones and a hint of quince add lift and complexity. The finish is crisp and satisfying, laced with gentle warming baking spice.

The grapes are night-picked and fermented mostly in stainless steel, with a portion in neutral barrels. This is a bold, rich, and savory wine, showing a warming spice character through the mid-palate. Apricot jam notes are layered with orchard fruit, additional stone fruit, and white floral accents, all building toward a cantaloupe-tinged finish. A long, lingering orange oil sweetness carries through the finish, yet the wine remains bone dry. It’s a crowd favorite and a wine everyone should try, especially at the table—it stands up beautifully to acidity, fat, and spice, with excellent length and tension.

This is 100% Sauvignon Blanc (Musqué clone) from Triska Vineyard, aged for three months in stainless steel. Amanda Kent explained that they decided to plant this more coastal-leaning Musqué clone—rather than Clone 1—because the region is, in fact, cooling. The clone was first planted in 2018 at Triska and has since been added to Lemmons Vineyard as well. At Triska, the block faces north at a ten-degree angle, tilted away from the sun, and the team grows the canopies tall to create additional shade. I tasted the 2025 in December 2025—the first wine I tried from the vintage. It was fermented in tank with a portion in acacia wood, not for flavour but to add mid-palate appeal. Harvested in mid-September, it was aged on the lees for about six weeks and bottled a few months later. Super aromatic, with bright white pepper, green apple, honeycomb, jasmine, and even a touch of fresh-sliced jalapeño. Light, bright, and zesty on the mid-palate, with crunchy acidity and a bone-dry, wet-slate mineral finish. Super inviting and enticing.

Aged for 20 months in French oak and made entirely from estate-grown fruit, with only 224 cases produced. East Hill receives less sunlight and experiences cooler temperatures compared to its West Hill sibling, and years of significant erosion have caused these vines to struggle since planting. For me, East Hill versus West Hill is like tasting midnight versus midday—one brooding and shadowed, the other warm and expressive. Here, East Hill delivers a deeply dark profile: black cherry, elegant cedarwood, black currants, and cigar box accents. The finish lifts with powerful, soaring tannins and deeper notes of mulberry and violets.

Aged for 20 months in French oak and sourced entirely from estate-grown fruit; just 229 cases produced. East Hill receives less sunlight and experiences cooler temperatures than its West Hill sibling, and years of significant erosion have challenged the vines since planting. For me, East Hill versus West Hill is like tasting midnight versus midday—one brooding and shadowed, the other warm and expressive. Here, West Hill benefits from afternoon sun, ensuring ample ripeness. The profile leans toward currant-driven fruit, with raspberry and cherry nuances, warm Asian and Indian spices, and a long, penetrating tannic finish that resolves beautifully with fig and dried red floral notes.

Aged for 20 months in French oak and made entirely from estate-grown fruit; 235 cases produced. Crown Block is the original estate vineyard on Crane Ridge, planted on rocky clay bench soils with north–south–oriented vines and natural drainage on all four sides. Hungarian-born winemaker Julian Halasz notes that this is Clone 5 Merlot, which he prefers because it’s “more tannic and has great color and has a kind of Cabernet structure.” The team performs extensive sorting to ensure stems are almost entirely excluded. On the nose, it shows a distinctly Cabernet-like profile—dark fruit, rich spice, and cedarwood. Yet the palate reveals beautifully velvety Merlot tannins supporting bold, generous fruit, all carried by a racy spine of acidity.

Aged for 20 months in French oak and sourced entirely from estate-grown fruit; just 210 cases produced. Crown Block is the original estate vineyard block on Crane Ridge, planted north–south, with drainage on all four sides and rocky clay bench soils. The wine opens with a ripe, lifted cassis and black currant nose, layered with spiced plum fruit and subtle cola nut notes, interwoven with violets. Soaring, ripe tannins frame the palate, carrying savory wild herb, spice, and tobacco nuances, all grounded by rich, loamy earth tones.

Aged for 19 months in 50% new French oak and entirely estate grown from the Stone Patch block in the Crane Ridge area—an upland site that sits along a fault line and is known for the quartz-rich boulders that push up through the soil. Just 178 cases were produced. The wine is elegant, with red berry fruit, dusty mineral tones, sage, juniper, rose stem, and a touch of fennel. The tannins are precise and refined. Medium-bodied with excellent fruit concentration, yet carried by real energy and pristine clarity of fruit.

Profound Secret is a blend of 36% Malbec, 36% Merlot, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 9% Petite Sirah, sourced from the winery’s Estate Vineyard and aged for 20 months in 50% new French and Eastern European oak. Winemaker Aaron Luna, who joined the winery in 2016, crafts this bottling. The estate itself was founded in the late 1990s and is owned today by Gina Cardenas. The wine is opulent, delivering mulberry fruit layered with toffee, espresso-bean nuances, and cedarwood, with blue-fruit undertones and fig jam on the palate. A pop of soy and tobacco leaf adds depth to the fairly juicy, long finish.

100% Chardonnay from the Estate Vineyard, fermented at 53°F in stainless steel. Winemaker Aaron Luna, who joined the winery in 2016, crafts a bright, focused expression. The winery was established in the late 1990s and is owned today by Gina Carderra. Lemon-bright and refreshing, with white flowers and a hint of honeysuckle, lifted by tangerine oil and a crisp, crunchy acid grip. Clean, energetic, and easygoing.

This 100% Grenache from the Fong Vineyard is fermented in stainless steel, with grapes picked at lower Brix—around 22. It opens with fresh mixed-berry aromatics, white peach, and apricot, along with a pop of dried herbs and baking spice. Long, crisp, and clean, it finishes with zesty acid tension. The Dell Valle wines are made at Garré by winemaker Aaron Luna.

The 2021 RJM is a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Petite Sirah, 5% Sangiovese, and 5% Primitivo, aged for 20 months in 20% new European oak. This commemorative bottling honors founder Robert Joseph Molinaro, who passed away in 2023. Ripe currant and cassis lead the aromatics, joined by violets, rose petals, fig jam, and a subtle meatiness that builds across the medium-bodied palate. The wine is framed by granular tannins and finishes with lengthy notes of black licorice and olive tapenade. The Dell Valle wines are made at Garré by winemaker Aaron Luna.

The 2022 Petite Sirah is 100% Petite Sirah, aged for 21 months in 29% new Eastern European oak. The Dell Valle wines have been made at Garré by winemaker Aaron Luna since 2020. This is a fashionable, stylish wine with vibrant blue and black fruit flair, violets, crème de cassis, and sweet Asian spices. Burly, robust, and bold tannins frame the palate, building across the full-bodied finish. Opulent and crowd-pleasing.

The vineyard is in Pinole, and the grapes are whole-cluster pressed, fermented and aged in stainless steel, then bottled in January following the harvest. The wine is bright and crisp, with a rich umami baking-spice note reminiscent of Parmesan rind, encompassed by bright citrus and subtle tropical-fruit tones, finishing on a stony mineral edge. Jennifer Sahura says she named the wine after the Japanese word sakura, meaning ‘cherry blossoms’. The fleeting beauty of the sakura reminds us to embrace life and appreciate each moment, and she hopes the Sakura wines bring people together — family, friends and the moments that matter. Jennifer was raised in Davis, lived in Sunnyvale, and in 2020 moved with her family to Livermore.

Lifted and enticing notes of black-cherry fruit, white truffle, charcuterie and bacon fat, with hints of vanillin and violets. All come together on the palate, where the fruit is bright and richer in tone, with dark-cherry and spiced-plum notes, pomegranate-seed character and violet and lavender nuances throughout. Super perfumed, juicy and delicious. Grapes are aged in American oak for 24 months, mostly neutral.

Sourced from two small lots on the property, with Tempranillo vines planted in between, both parcels were fermented together and aged in French oak for around 24 months. On the nose, the wine offers crunchy cranberry fruit, tobacco-leaf character, and perfumed rose-petal and cherry-blossom notes. Full-bodied, with ripe, fine-grained tannins and a clean wet-stone minerality, it finishes with tangy, citrusy acidity that is pleasantly refreshing.

This wine is made entirely from Cabernet Sauvignon Clone 30 (the Silverado “Disney” clone) sourced from the Lucky 8 Vineyard, a 12-acre site planted in 2016. Located just off Tesla Road, the vineyard sits on a gentle slope. The wine was aged for 30 months in French and American oak barrels (50% new). It’s driven by cassis and currant fruit, with accents of currant leaf and red tobacco. The tannins are rich, robust, and chocolaty, with dried violets and charcuterie notes that carry through the medium-bodied, spicy finish.

Winemaker Mark Clarin says Cabernet Sauvignon should be “big, bold, and badass”—and this wine delivers. Sourced from the 12-acre McGrail Vineyard, the grapes were cold-soaked in stainless steel to amplify color and fruit intensity, followed by fermentation and up to 20 days of extended maceration on the skins. After pressing and settling, the wine was racked to barrel and aged for 30 months in approximately 65% new oak—a mix of French, Hungarian, and American. Like the previous vintage, this bottling bursts out of the glass with mixed berry fruit—raspberry, black cherry, mulberry—and warm baking spice notes. Sweet mulling spices join cocoa-powder tannins that bring real intensity, finishing with brighter blue-fruit aromas, loamy earth, and a pop of toffee spice.

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon A Jó Élet comes entirely from the Estate Vineyard. It’s bold and spicy, with a molasses-like richness, dark baking spice, clove, blue fruit, and violets all coming together on the palate, delivering a hard-to-beat “yummy factor.” The tannins are soaring and expressive—firm at first, then resolving into juicy, dark, brooding fruit. The wine was aged for 30 months in brand-new Hungarian oak barrels. Winemaker Mark Clarin cherry-picks his favorite barrels for this blend, producing about 400 cases.

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Patriot comes from the Estate Vineyard and was aged for 30 months in 100% new American oak barrels. This is a bold, ripe, richly fruited wine, bursting with blueberry and blackberry, cola nut, sweet Asian spices, and luscious, supple tannins that carry a meaty quality. Fig paste and charcuterie notes mingle with loamy earth, leading into big, chewy tannins on the resounding finish. The moniker is a tribute to the winery’s support of the Fallen Heroes Fund and also honors founder James Vincent, a former Alameda County Sheriff. Tasted with Mark Clarin in December of 2025, this has the same power and intensity of the 2021, but much more fruit-driven.

Named in honor of the late James Vincent, who founded the winery with his wife, Ginger, this Cabernet Sauvignon comes from the 12-acre McGrail Vineyard. It was fermented in stainless steel with a cold soak to amplify color and fruit intensity, then kept on the skins for up to 20 days post-fermentation before being pressed, settled, and racked to barrel. The wine was aged for 30 months in 100% new French oak. It’s a blend of two Cabernet clones: Clone 15, which tends to be fruitier, and Clone 8, which leans more savory. Together, they express dark berry fruit layered with sagebrush, tobacco, and a pop of juniper, followed by ripe, juicy mulberry on the full-bodied palate. The tannins are chewy, bold, and palate-arresting, with a gravelly mineral edge. Long, spicy, and resonant.

This 100% Cabernet Franc comes from the winery’s Estate Vineyard and was aged for 18 months in 40% new French and Eastern European oak. Winemaker Aaron Luna, who joined the winery in 2016, crafts this bottling. The estate was established in the late 1990s and is owned today by Gina Cardenas. Lifted aromas of red currant and cassis mingle with fragrant baking spice, tobacco leaf, and a smoky minerality. The palate is laced with white pepper and a savory meatiness, framed by black tea tannins, hints of Earl Grey, and subtle vanilla. Red licorice accents carry through the resolute, juicy finish.

A blend of 93% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot, aged for 18 months in French oak (43% new). The Cabernet Franc is sourced from White Cat Vineyard in the Crane Ridge area on the eastern edge of Livermore Valley. Exceptionally bright and vivid, the wine shows crunchy red fruit alongside savory sage and tobacco notes, with Asian spices and white pepper shining on the palate. Medium-bodied with a creamy mid-palate, ripe currant fruit, and warming spice, it carries through to a savory, spiced, and floral finish. The frame is slightly lighter than the 2022, yet just as elegant and complex in flavor, with excellent length.

Fermented in open-top half-ton bins with daily punchdowns, this Merlot-based blend was aged for 19 months in 55% new French oak. The Merlot comes from Thatcher Bay, the Carménère from the cooler-climate Insel Vineyard in Pleasanton, and the Malbec and Cabernet Franc from White Cat. The wine rises out of the glass with plum fruit, fresh herbs, and tobacco notes, supported by hints of leather and a white-truffle, charcuterie-like intensity. A firm baseline of ripe, bold tannins anchors the palate. Juicy and a bit spicy on the lasting finish.

A New World–style Cabernet Sauvignon, this 100% Cab is sourced from 53% White Cat Vineyard and 47% Casa de Vinas Clone 30 Vineyard, and aged in a mix of French and American oak. It’s a fabulous wine, opening in the glass with red and black cherry fruit layered with toasty cedarwood and subtle sweet spice. The medium-bodied palate is juicy and expressive, supported by fine tannins with a black tea quality. For all its boldness, the wine remains remarkably approachable and refreshing, with a firm spine of juicy acidity that keeps it lively and buoyant.

This is the 2025 Cabernet Franc from Gilmetti Vineyard, bottled in 12-ounce beer bottles — a playful decision by winemaker Steven Kent, who simply pulled it from tank and bottled it at 13.5% alcohol. It is super young, youthful, unfined and unfiltered, and it smells and tastes exactly as Cabernet Franc should, with crisp tannins, clean acidity and super-juicy dark-berry fruit. It is absolutely delicious, and if you find yourself at a beer-only party, you could bring this along, pretend, and get away with it.

The 2023 L’Autre Côte is a blend of 85% Cabernet Franc from the Ghielmetti Vineyard in the eastern foothills of the Livermore Valley, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Lux Block of Bates Ranch, and 5% Merlot from the Zayante Vineyard — the latter two situated in the Santa Cruz Mountains. This is a bright, vivid and expressive wine, bursting with blue and red fruit notes laced with lovely espresso-bean and clove nuances, a refined tobacco character and spiced-plum fruit. Cocoa-powder tannins build on the mineral-rich, wild-herb finish. Superbly classy, with a firm spine of acidity, it is one of the most balanced, complex and approachable wines from the area, and should age gracefully for at least two decades or more.

The Ghielmetti Vineyard is located in the eastern foothills of the Livermore Valley, planted to the ENTAV clone UCD-4. This wine is elegant and finesse-driven, with lovely white pepper and redcurrant and cranberry fruit, along with gorgeous sagebrush and juniper-bush garrigue. Supple, mineral-laced tannins frame the palate, carrying cocoa-powder freshness and rich brown spices on the lengthy, juicy and acid-driven finish.

Fruit comes from the highly acclaimed Sachau Vineyard, a Wente property. Crafted in an Old World style with a light touch on oak, the wine was aged for 20 months in once-used French barrels; just 55 cases were produced. On the nose, it’s bright and lifted, with crunchy red fruit—cranberry and cherry—alongside sagebrush and smoky mineral notes. The palate is medium-bodied, with vibrant, lithe tannins that are polished and well-integrated, finishing with juicy blue fruit and elegant orange-peel aromatics. Just spectacular.

From vintner Weston Edison, best known for Silver Ghost, this Pinot Noir is sourced from the iconic Charles Heintz Vineyard near the town of Occidental, just eight miles from the Pacific Ocean. It’s a dark-fruited, powerful expression of Pinot Noir, layered with rich espresso bean and caramel spice. Medium-bodied yet concentrated, the palate is lifted by blood orange and pithy grapefruit notes that bring freshness and energy, finishing with excellent length and a deep forest, redwood-driven character.

Gorgeous aromatics of dark cherry, cherry wood smoke, and clove rise from the glass, unfolding into a tapestry of exotic Asian spices that lift and energize the palate. Crunchy apple-skin tannins frame a supple core of dark berry fruit, and the interplay of fruit, spice, and gentle grip creates a wonderfully textural, deeply flavored experience. Sourced from vineyards along the western edge of the Sonoma Coast AVA, this 100% Pinot Noir was aged 20 months in 33% new French oak barrels and is composed of Clones 667, 828, and Pommard. Founded in 2006 by proprietor John Sweazey, and guided by winemaker Katy Wilson since 2014, Anaba produces limited-production Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Rhône-style wines, many from exclusive vineyard partnerships.

From Rosella’s Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands, this white offers gorgeous, lifted aromatics of brown spice and a hint of anise. The wonderfully rich mid-palate is framed by exquisite saline minerality and the grip of lemon zest and apple skin. Lean, focused, and nuanced, it’s a tension-filled expression of Rosella’s. Barrel-fermented and aged in 50% new French oak. The 2022 vintage marks the inaugural release of this wine under the DK Grail label—wines that founder Dan Kosta sources from highly reputable vineyards, aiming for consistency, structure, and age-worthiness.

Garys’ Vineyard—Dan Kosta and winemaker Shane Finley’s second source in the Santa Lucia Highlands—is also planted to the Pisoni Clone of Pinot Noir. The site typically ripens about 10 days earlier than Rosella’s, producing wines with less tannin, more finesse, and delicate blue floral character. Dan Kosta has sourced fruit from Garys’ Vineyard since 2005, when it was part of his former Kosta Browne label. The 2022 vintage is a dark-fruited, sumptuous, and savory expression, showing a bit more power and richness on the nose and a broader profile than Rosella’s. The wine opens with super savory aromatics of dried sage, rosemary, and thyme, joined by intriguing notes of yellow curry and red berry fruit that become more defined on the palate. A luxurious mocha richness envelops the senses, balanced by elegant conifer spice, while the long, refreshing finish shows crunchy red apple-skin acidity. It’s simply a delicious wine to drink.

This wine opens with a nostalgic burst of Red Hots hard candy—spicy and cinnamon-driven—alongside hints of blue and black fruit and warm brown baking spices. The palate is vibrant and consistent, offering juicy, plump fruit and velvety tannins supported by crunchy pomegranate seed, ripe black raspberry, and a lively blood-orange acidity that brings tension and lift. A blast of cocoa powder richness builds toward the finish, accented by lingering notes of clove. Sourced from Rosella’s Vineyard, located at the northernmost edge of the Santa Lucia Highlands and planted to the Pisoni Clone of Pinot Noir, this late-ripening, cool site produces thick-skinned berries that yield a more muscular tannin structure. Aged 15 months in 50% new French oak.

Sourced from Premier Cru vineyards—Fourchaume and Vosgros, a small site on the northern side of the appellation. Aged for 11 months in 5% new French oak. This is a beautifully crafted white wine with a creamy mid-palate richness and a lingering Marcona almond character. White flowers, tangerine peel and lemon verbena add intrigue and complexity, while the finish is soft and carried by ripe orchard fruit with excellent mineral tension stretching through the length. The 2024 vintage was hit hard by hail, so there will be no 2024 bottling—stock up on this while you can.

Sourced entirely from Pisoni Vineyard and fermented in stainless steel and concrete with 8% whole cluster, then aged 14 months in 38% new French oak. This 2023 release is an absolute powerhouse, bursting with blue-fruit intensity, blackberry and sagebrush notes, and velvety tannins dusted with cocoa powder. Loamy earth adds depth and grounding. The finish carries impressive length, layered with dried spice, mild Indian spices and a dash of black sea salt.

From the Garys’ Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands comes this ripe-cherry-fruited, vanilla-laced, cedarwood-spiced Pinot Noir, bending around rich espresso-bean nuances and supple tannins. A plump, creamy mid-palate is lifted by zesty blood-orange acidity, leading to a lingering finish of warm Indian spice and vanilla-bean cream. Sumptuously refined.

This is an opulent, fruit-forward, and generous Cabernet Sauvignon that bursts with blue-fruit fireworks, graphite, and cedarwood nuances. Full-bodied and pleasure-packed, it’s teeming with robust tannins and finishes with notes of dark chocolate and lingering graphite minerality. Composed entirely of Cabernet Sauvignon from the North Coast, with all fruit sourced from vineyards in Mendocino County, it was aged in a combination of medium and heavy toast French oak, 20% new. Hedonistic and expressive, it’s best enjoyed now and over the next three to five years. Sean Minor Wines was founded in 2005 by husband-and-wife team Sean and Nicole Minor, and is still family-owned and operated. In 2023, their daughter, Elle Minor, joined the team as winemaker. Wines are made from a combination of estate fruit and fruit purchased from sustainably farmed sources throughout California.

Wonderfully rich baking-spice notes evoke walnut–cardamom pastry, French buttered croissant, and wet river stones, all wrapped around cherry and apple fruit. The mousse is incredibly frothy, building with beautiful lightness and textural lift, while hints of white truffle and a streak of saline acidity add a savory freshness that’s undeniably delicious.

The 2022 Woodenhead Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley is unfined and unfiltered, revealing a savory, spice-driven expression of Pinot Noir redolent of cherry fruit wrapped in eucalyptus leaves, with Earl Grey tea nuances framing the medium-bodied palate. Black tea–like tannins add structure, leading to a punctuated, lingering finish. Those savory elements are beautifully integrated and make this an ideal pairing for herb-dusted pork loin, spare ribs, or grilled branzino. Enjoy now through 2029.

A powerhouse wine from a challenging Burgundy vintage. It shows tremendous concentration of red berry fruit alongside red earth, iron and loamy earth tones, with deep, woodsy spice. Perfumed rose-petal notes flood the mid-palate, while firm yet inviting apple-skin tannins frame the structure. The finish brings juicy richness and an elegant lift. Overall, this is a very charming wine and a lovely expression of Beaune Premier Cru—offering that upfront Kosta Browne–style generosity balanced by true Premier Cru tension.

This wine shows a superb structural framework and impressive length. Zesty acidity drives the palate, supported by wet-stone and graphite minerality, with almost chalky tannins giving fine definition. Fragrant red and black fruit notes mingle with warm brown spices, all carried on a long, persistent finish. Shy in its youth, this will benefit from patience—best to hold until 2027 before pulling any corks.

This wine is framed by a beautifully balanced expression of fruit, spice and warmth. The mid-palate shows generous weight and plushness, enlivened by salty sea-spray notes and a wet-river-stone minerality. Hints of rose stem and rose petal lift the aromatics, while the palate offers cherry-pie spice and a touch of tension, feeling slightly coiled at this youthful stage. Excellent length, excellent tension—one to enjoy from 2027 onward.

A robust, full-throttle wine with gorgeous complexity and excellent mineral tension. Elegant mixed-berry fruit comes together with scorched earth and graphite, all supported by firm, confident tannins and expressive saline-tinged acidity. Notes of tangerine peel and grapefruit emerge on the long, woodsy, earthy finish. It hits all the marks right out of the gate and is great fun to drink in its youth, yet it has the structure to age gracefully.

Characteristically Santa Lucia Highlands in its bright, candied red-fruit profile and fabulous brown baking spices, yet this vintage shows less of the ultra-creamy texture typical of the region and more precision and tension. Aromas and flavors of crunchy apple-skin notes resonate, joined by clove and spiced plum, offering great length and generosity. Sourced from Garys’, Rosella’s, Pisoni, Sierra Mar and Soberanes. Fermented in stainless steel, oak and concrete, then aged 14 months in 43% new French oak.

From the Eola Springs Vineyard in Oregon. Aged 18 months in 50% new French oak. No whole cluster here, but plenty of tannin comes from a one-third saignée bleed, which concentrates the skin-to-juice ratio. Jesse Katz likes the skin tannin this site delivers, and the technique helps those tannins stick. The wine is vivid, offering crunchy red fruit and conifer notes — that bright pine-forest character that’s so enticing from this area. The spice on the palate is lavish and rich, with smoked paprika and warm brown-baking-spice accents wrapped around ripe cherry fruit. The tannins are smooth and velvety, incredibly rich and flavorful, with a freshness factor that’s hard to beat.

The Chehalem Mountain Vineyard, near the top of the Chehalem Mountain AVA, sits at 400 feet and is planted mostly on volcanic soils. No whole cluster here, but plenty of tannin comes from a one-third saignée bleed, which concentrates the skin-to-juice ratio. This wine has a good amount of grip, showcasing the firm tannins that come from grapes grown on this steep hillside. There’s marionberry and crunchy farmers’ market–ripe red fruit, layered with richer volcanic mineral character, lovely caramel and clove-spice notes, and an overall fragrance that’s both sumptuous and inviting.

From a high-elevation site with mixed aspects forming a bit of an amphitheater, rooted in diatomaceous earth and clay. Michael Browne loves the energy and movement of Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir—“it travels the palate,” he says—and winemaker Cabell Coursey adds that “there’s a nervous energy to Sta. Rita Hills.” This wine has that in spades. It’s nervy, yet plush through the mid-palate, with crunchy, candied red berry fruit and warm baking spice. Juicy blood-orange acidity brings real tension and lift, carrying that signature nervy energy from start to finish. Clones: 667, 777, 115, Pommard. Aged 15 months in 41% new French oak, 17% once-used French oak, and 42% neutral French oak.

This is a wonderfully crunchy red- and black-fruited Pinot Noir. That texture carries onto the palate with a velvety, satiny quality, delivering a ripe, juicy, mineral-laced expression layered with dark forest pine, earth, and wet slate. The fruit is weighty yet pure—ripe, clean, and edged with crisp apple-skin tannins. Freshness drives the finish, accented by rich cedarwood and warm baking spices. Clones: Wadenswil, Pommard, 667. Aged 15 months in 38% new French oak, 28% once-used French oak, and 34% neutral French oak.

This wine is incredibly precise in 2023, showing that characteristic full-bodied, satiny palate feel with layers of cherry and plum fruit. A saline-acid freshness runs through it, accented by blood orange, tangerine peel, and cocoa-powder tannins that frame this classic Michael Browne expression. I’d hold it for a few years and start pulling corks in late 2026 or early 2027. Clones: Pisoni, Pommard, Calera, Mariafeld, 667. Aged 15 months in 40% new French oak, 15% once-used French oak, and 45% neutral French oak.

This vintage of Convene’s Pinot Noir from the Santa Lucia Highlands is sourced from Escolle Vineyard, and it’s so unmistakably SLH in character: lush, supple, and boldly fruited. The nose reveals dark tones of blue and black fruit, layered with briary undertones and rich Asian spice. On the palate, it’s full and generous, with ripe dark fruit and velvety tannins that melt seamlessly into subtle notes of cocoa powder and black truffle on the finish.

A wonderful balance of power and elegance, showing savory notes of pine forest, saddle leather, black sea salt and redwood bark. Firm tannins and saline acidity frame the core, while violets, plum spice, vanilla and warm brown spices add lift and complexity. Rich conifer tones linger in the glass, joined by more leather and scorched earth. Pristine, expressive and power-driven.

Super fragrant, showing orange peel, cranberry and cherry fruit with wild sagebrush spice. Cocoa-powder tannins, sweet baking spices and pomegranate-seed crunch add texture and lift. The 2023 vintage carries medium- to full-bodied richness, layered with raspberry and gentle vanilla notes—some of that plushness coming from Clone 828—while the Pisoni clone and 777 contribute freshness and energy. A beautifully balanced Rosella’s.

Cherry fruit, grilled herbs, leather and cocoa powder notes carry this medium-bodied, 'no nonsense' wine. Just as the label says, Sip, Savor, and chill and in fact, I'd serve this with a little chill on it while you serve up your favorite pizza or tacos. Great weeknight wine.

Expressive citrus and orchard-fruit notes lift out of the glass alongside tarragon, wild fennel, almond paste and a gentle touch of cedarwood spice. The palate is zesty and chalky-mineral, lingering with richer tones of lemon curd, grilled herbs and creamy caramel, yet the wine remains crisp, crunchy and beautifully balanced throughout.

The 2024 Springbok opens with an expressive bouquet of cherry fruit, saddle leather, dried herbs, floral notes and fresh cedar. Crisp, crunchy apple-skin tannins burst onto the palate at first sip, resolving into a taut, saline-acid tension that clears the way for tart red berry fruit, gentle Indian spices and an earthy mineral thread to carry through the medium-bodied finish. From upstart winemaker Greg Bybee, the wine is named after his children, Bennett and Marecca, with the front-label image captured by his wife, Jen.

Wanderlust’s 2021 Grenache is a light- to medium-bodied red with a bright herbal pop, followed by red berry fruit and nutty spice on the palate. Velvety textures support a mineral-rich, slightly meaty finish.

The 2020 Syrah is intensely savory, marked by white and black pepper, leather, black olive pit and loamy earth. More raspberry and cherry fruit emerge on the palate, carried by sinewy tannins, dried violets, blood orange and an iron-scented acidity, with crisp apple-skin undertones adding lift.

The Malbec from this Oregon-based winery is quite alluring, offering mixed berry fruit, fragrant toasty oak spices and chocolatey aromatics. The mid-palate is satisfying, driven by tart mixed berries and warm baking spices. The tannins are a bit brash, but an enticing herbal pop brightens the full-bodied finish.

From the Eola Springs Vineyard in Oregon. Aged 18 months in 50% new French oak. This is a very focused, very linear Chardonnay — clean, crisp, and intensely mineral-driven, with a cool wet-river-stone quality and a touch of pulverized chalk. Whispers of lemon and lime citrus mingle with white flowers, subtle almond, fennel blossom, and a hint of anise. Very lovely. Very pristine.

The Chehalem Mountain Vineyard, near the top of the Chehalem Mountain AVA, sits at 400 feet and is planted mostly on volcanic soils. Aged 18 months in 50% new French oak, this is a serious wine that benefits from a little air. It builds in the glass with bright orchard fruit, crisp green-apple skin, and delicate white-floral and warm brown-baking-spice notes. Absolutely pretty, completely crushable, and wonderfully mineral on the lengthy finish.

With fruit sourced from Daisy Creek Vineyard in southern Oregon, whole-cluster pressed and aged in neutral French oak for four months on the lees. The wine is lime-bright, with tropical fruit notes, flinty minerals, and kaffir lime bursting across the palate. It offers impressive mid-weight texture balanced by chalky minerality and saline-driven acidity.

Fruit from Peter William Vineyard, entirely destemmed, with 19 days of skin contact and daily punchdowns, then aged 20 months in 50% new French oak. A gorgeous wine with pristine red-berry and cassis fruit, touches of tobacco, well-integrated cedar from the new wood, warm baking spices, and dusty mineral notes. The wine holds a rich, velvety center and finishes with enticing rose-petal perfume, slate-stone minerality, and a refreshing lift that’s so welcoming.

Sourced entirely from the hillside estate of Peter William Vineyard in the Rogue Valley — a small, hillside site planted since 2013 with roughly ten acres under vine. Grapes are destemmed, given 19 days of skin contact with daily punchdowns, then aged 20 months in 50% new French oak. The wine delivers pristine red-berry and cassis fruit, complemented by subtle tobacco overtones, cedar from the oak, warm baking spices and dusty mineral notes. A rich, velvety core gives way to a finish of perfumed rose-petal, slate-stone minerality, and a cool, refreshing lift that makes this one hard to resist.

The Syrah grapes are destemmed, given 18 days of skin contact with daily punchdowns, then aged 21 months in 50% new French oak. Beautiful Syrah character lifts from the glass, drawing you in with perfumed rose petal and violet notes, along with a black-truffle, vanilla-scented charcuterie nuance that weaves through the dark-berry fruit and spice. The palate is supple and creamy, showing loamy earth and an ironstone mineral character. Powdery, refreshing tannins and layered brown spices carry the finish. Such an enticing Syrah. Sourced entirely from the hillside estate of Peter William Vineyard in the Rogue Valley — a small site planted since 2013 with roughly ten acres under vine.

Sourced from Layne Vineyard in the Applegate Valley, this after-dinner Riesling is beautifully balanced, offering just the right touch of sweetness offset by juicy acidity. It overflows with rich, wildflower honey–infused dried apricot, white peach preserves, and honeycomb, carrying through to a long, lingering, stone-fruited finish. It absolutely calls for a cheese platter of fancy French cheeses—or warm, oozy Raclette cheese with toasted sourdough bread.

Exactly that — it’s just pink, though not like the band, yet it carries just as much harmony and class. It’s all pink grapefruit, watermelon and those pink candied peach rings. But it’s bone-dry, with a saline undercurrent of zippy acidity. As winemaker Julien Fayard says, ‘Delicate, elegant, and just pink enough to make everything feel like summer without the sunburn.’

Quite lovely. Lemon pastry and toasty, buttered-croissant notes build in the glass, framed by a rich, frothy, airy mousse that resolves with fine tension and a chalky mineral edge. A slick lemon-oil mid-palate carries the finish, layered with honeydew melon, apple and poached pear. You too can be a champ with Le Champ—just don’t call it Champagne. Call it The Champ, or Champers. Better yet, don’t overthink it at all. Pop the cork and enjoy with gusto.

Not vineyard designated on label, but from two Rogue Valley vineyards, managed by Quail Run. handpicked and sorted and whole cluster pressed femrented in ss with 10 months agingon the fine lees. A very lovely, clean, and focused whtie wine with juicy apple and pear fruit, white flowers, baking spice notes and a lovely lush and creamy mid palate that is framed by a good amont of zesty acidity.

Sourced entirely from Peter William Vineyard in the Rogue Valley, fermented in one-ton open-top bins, then aged 20 months in neutral French oak. This is a spicy, cha-cha Syrah with pure dark-berry fruit, white pepper, earthy brightness, and dried florals. Silky, juicy, and persistent on the medium-bodied finish—exactly the kind of thirst-quenching wine you need after a night of salsa dancing.

Sourced entirely from Peter William Vineyard in the Rogue Valley, fermented in one-ton open-top bins, then aged 20 months in neutral French oak. A little bolder and zestier than the Syrah-Cha-Cha—another wine in the Pedro Guillermo Dance Series—this one certainly shows some pizzazz. Dark, juicy fruit and warm baking spices mingle with a potpourri of perfumed dried florals and a hint of charcuterie on the medium-bodied finish.

Malbec comes from Peter William Vineyard, while the Cabernet Franc is sourced separately by Eric Weisinger. The fruit was destemmed and given up to 25 days of skin contact with twice-daily punchdowns, then aged 20 months in 30% new French oak. The Cabernet Franc immediately bursts from the glass with sagebrush, cassis, and tobacco. The mid-palate builds on the Malbec’s structure, showing taut, firm tannins that draw you in before resolving to reveal apple skin, red apple, and cocoa powder notes that permeate the senses.

Sourced from the Fiddlestix Vineyard, fermented in stainless steel, and aged in 500L Austrian oak barrels. The aromatics are strikingly exotic, bursting with beeswax and honeycomb, a touch of spiced sea salt, citrus peel, flint, and wet river stone. The mid-palate is creamy, showing pear and apple framed by crisp acidity and firm stony minerality. It’s certainly an oyster wine, but it also pairs beautifully with sheep’s milk and goat cheeses—especially those wrapped in cedar or dusted with herbs—thanks to the wine’s savory beeswax, honeycomb, and dried white-floral character.

A tropical-fruited, savory white that builds with notes of white peach, honeydew melon, and apricot, along with subtle poached-pear nuances that come into focus at mid-palate. The finish is marked by savory dried straw, almonds, and a touch of sea-spray minerality. Sourced from the steep, organically farmed hillside block of the Coteau de Clair Vineyard. Fermented with native yeasts, split between neutral oak and stainless steel, then aged on lees for eight months to enhance mouthfeel and complexity. Malolactic fermentation was inhibited to preserve the wine’s natural acidity and freshness.

Sourced entirely from Clone 667 on a steep, north-facing hillside at Peake Ranch. Fermented with 20% whole clusters and aged 16 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. This is a wonderfully lush, dark-cherry-fruited Pinot Noir underscored by rich brown baking spices. The dark fruit and spice sit beautifully on the mid-palate, lifted by grapefruit peel, fine cedarwood accents, a touch of earth, and espresso bean on the finish. Totally crushable. Peake Ranch is also a fruit source for Migration and Cornerstone.

These Italian clones of Sangiovese come from an organically farmed vineyard in Ballard Canyon. The wine was fermented in open-top tanks for 21 days and aged 18 months in barrel before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. The fruit is remarkably intense, framed by generous toasty oak and powerful incense notes. Beneath that structure lies a soft-fruited core with ample richness and a vanilla-spiced finish.

Though not vineyard-designated on the label, this wine comes from Kenyon Vineyard in the Applegate Valley. Ripe guava and lychee lift from the glass, while citrus notes, chalky minerality, and a subtle baking-spice character drive the finish.

Quite a bold, savory red, building out of the glass with brandied black cherry and blackberry fruit alongside leather, tobacco, black pepper, rose stem, and dried rose petal notes. A salty mineral complexity frames cocoa powder–laced tannins that linger through a coffee bean and wet slate finish. Plenty of dark fruit and spice complexity, with a great mouthfeel. A very satisfying wine, ideal for brisket.

While the 2021 is a bold, savory red, the 2020 shows a softer, gentler, more elegant profile. It’s more fruit-driven, with fresher flavors and brighter baking-spice notes—white pepper, candied violets, and cherry fruit. Medium- to full-bodied, it carries gentle tannins that support a juicy, vibrant core framed by earthy redwood spice and limestone-driven mineral intensity. A lovely counterpoint to the more overtly savory vintages of this wine.

Whatever you think you know about Malbec, check it at the door with this Texas rendition from Camp Lucy Vineyard and the 2020 vintage. It’s a delicate, pretty wine—much like the world’s greatest Malbecs—driven by red cherry fruit and spice but softer in tannin, less muscular, and more elegant. White pepper and rose-stem nuances weave through the palate, carried by limestone mineral tension and a lift of tangerine oil on the finish.

If the 2020 Camp Lucy Malbec showed the delicate, lifted side of the variety, the 2019 reveals its deeper register. This vintage is more dark-fruited, with a richer, more concentrated core and noticeably greater mid-palate weight. You still get the signature cherry character, but it trends darker—black cherry and black plum—supported by firmer, more assertive tannins. The finish echoes the 2020 in its white-pepper lift and limestone-driven mineral notes, but here they play against a denser, more brooding fruit profile. A compelling, more structured counterpoint to the elegance of the 2020.

A very small and special bottling of Hinnrichs Vineyard Syrah from Ballard Canyon. The fruit was 100% destemmed, aged 18 months in barrel, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Mixed berry fruit and woodsy spices build in the glass, joined by clove and earthy mineral notes. This is a medium-bodied Syrah framed by firm tannins that resolve gracefully, with mid-weight cherry and spiced plum adding intrigue. Notes of vanilla and wet slate carry the finish. Koehler Winery is a 60-acre wine estate in the Santa Ynez Valley, owned by the Koehler family since 1991.

Sourced from John Sebastiano Vineyard, a site planted across steep, wind-exposed slopes with a mix of sandy loam, clay loam, and pockets of diatomaceous earth—soils and aspects that create naturally low yields and concentrated fruit—this Chardonnay is native-yeast fermented in barrel and aged 24 months in 50% new oak. The oak presents vividly, offering a rich, toasty profile that builds in the glass before giving way to lemon curd and butterscotch. It’s incredibly rich and unabashedly ripe, showing caramel-drizzled candied citrus rind, tangerine, tangerine oil, and warm ginger spice. Yet it’s a bit of a chameleon: a current of zesty acidity rises through all that silky richness, bringing the wine into balance.

The Nid Tissé Chardonnay from Bentrock Vineyard — an iconic site in the Sta. Rita Hills AVA of Santa Barbara — sits on north-facing slopes of Santa Lucia shaley clay loam and Tierra sandy loam at 152 meters. Those soils, combined with its proximity to the ocean — about nine miles as the crow flies — bring an epic salinity to the wine, which is native-fermented with full malo and no filtration, and aged 17 months in large neutral French oak on fine lees. A mere 62 cases were produced. Lemony-bright on the nose, fragrant with sea-spray salinity and chalky mineral notes, it is silky on the palate, revealing tangerine and apricot, while lime-bright acidity frames a white wine of graceful, tension-filled poise.

From Radian Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills of Santa Barbara, the site is perched at 152 meters on dramatically steep slopes of clay loam with large deposits of diatomaceous earth, which drains exceptionally well — so well that the vines truly struggle, resulting in a fantastically concentrated yet immediately fresh wine. Native-fermented with 18% whole cluster, it was aged 10 months in 12% Burgundian French oak, and is a blend of Clones 115 and 777. There is plenty of wet-rock minerality alongside dark cherry and raspberry fruit, with clove spice and blood-orange notes. Pretty rose-petal tones and supple tannins frame a juicy, dark-fruited wine layered with more wet slate and mild Indian spices on the lasting finish. The wine is incredibly fresh and invigorating, with both tension and generosity.

From Hyde Vineyard, a famous Carneros site with Haire clay–loam soils, this is a field blend of 33-year-old Robert Young Clone and 30-year-old Wente Selection. It is native-fermented with full malo and aged for 12 months in 16% new French oak, 14% clay amphora, and a further three months in stainless steel before bottling. It is highly aromatic — stone fruit and tropical fruit melding together — with notes of apricot, banana and pineapple on a creamy palate. A fairly soft, generous and mellow rendition of this site, it makes for exceptionally easy drinking.

This was my personal favorite of the Nid Tissé wines from 2023 that I sampled. I love the Russian River Valley richness it exudes — richness balanced by real tension. Beautifully pure and attractive lemon notes appear in all forms: lemon peel, meringue and lemon tart. A subtle kiss of toasty cedarwood mingles with all that bright citrus, interwoven with ripe orchard fruit on the palate. A long, chalky mineral finish brings everything into focus. Sourced from the famous Bacigalupi Vineyard — a site of red clay and rocky loam gravels — this Wente field selection comes from the Judgement of Paris Block. It is native-fermented with full malo and aged for 12 months in 14% new French oak, 20% clay egg, and a further three months in stainless steel before bottling.

What a fabulous, racy, salt-tinged white packed with green apple, pear, and a woolly mineral note, finishing with a subtle herbal edge. Picked in the cool morning hours, the fruit was pressed directly into a mix of concrete tulip and Clayver vessels, where it fermented spontaneously and completed malolactic naturally. It was aged 80% in concrete and 20% in Clayver. The concrete encourages natural lees movement and a low, slow fermentation, adding texture and depth.

Estate Chardonnay harvested in the early morning, with the cool fruit pressed directly and settled overnight before being transferred into Sandstone Jarre vessels—clay, stone, and terracotta—to ferment spontaneously. Fermented to dryness with full malolactic conversion, then aged eight months. I just love this Chardonnay. The aromatics evoke wet terracotta mingled with citrus and orchard fruit, and the palate is utterly lush—silky, soft, and completely mouth-filling. It’s richly textured without ever feeling heavy, the fruit remaining pure and vibrant, redolent of yellow apple and creamy pear. White floral notes add nuance, and the finish is long and lingering, carried by a lemony, oil-rich brightness. Yum.

I’m not one to put much stock in the tasting notes on a back label—critics trust their own palates above all (what else would you have me do?). But in this case, the description of white peach, strawberry, and lime zest is spot on. All of that fruit shows up on the palate as well, and the mousse is super creamy and palate-filling, carrying a gentle sweetness that makes the wine especially inviting. This is an ideal bottle for a hot day, a picnic, or a bowl of fresh strawberries and summer fruit. It also makes an excellent topper for an Aperol Spritz, adding a subtle tropical note. Go for it.

The Westside bottling is sourced from the western corridor of the Russian River Valley. This 100% Pinot Noir is a blend of fruit from vineyard sites along Westside Road: Allen, Bacigalupi, Bucher, Flax, Rochioli Riverblock, Riversmoke and the Williams Selyem Estate. It was aged for 15 months in 60% new French oak and 40% one-year-old barrels. Talk about texture; this wine builds beautifully in the glass with red and mixed-berry fruit, cherry-pie notes and elegant cedarwood character. Cocoa-powder tannins rise effortlessly through layers of intense mineral tension, crunchy ripe fruit, hints of tangerine oil, and a vibrant acidity that keeps everything crisp, taut and balanced.

Olivet Lane is one of the most historic vineyards in the Santa Rosa Plains area, located near Martaella and planted in 1974 on AXR1 rootstock to the Martini Heritage clone—a thick-skinned, pulpy Pinot Noir selection. The wine shows remarkable savory complexity: new-boot leather mingles with mulberry fruit, turned earth and ironstone minerality. Aged for 15 months in 65% new French oak and 35% one-year-old barrels, it has excellent mid-weight concentration, carried by featherweight tannins that seem to lift the wine rather than weigh it down. The mid-palate is expansive, yet the finish tightens with precision, length and elegance. Totally balanced. In a word: delicious.

100% Pinot Noir, sourced from Hirsch Vineyard, and aged for 16 months in 43% new French oak and 57% one-year-old barrels, this red utilizes fruit from a handful of clones—including Pommard, Mt. Eden and Clone 114— from older vines on the East Ridge. Jeff Mangahas notes that you really have to coax the aromatics out of this wine, because there’s a strong maritime-saline influence that comes through—subtle red-berry tones layered with deep forest notes. The attack is driven by beautifully fine tannins balanced by a succulent mid-palate fruit weight. Those tannins linger with a crushed-mineral, crushed-rock and apple-skin character.

This is the first wine to reach for if you’ve never tasted Williams Selyem before. Winemaker Jeff Mangahas often notes that the texture of this entry-level bottling telegraphs the character of the entire portfolio—how it coats the palate and how their winemaking approach intentionally builds those layers. The texture is truly all-encompassing here, as the medium-bodied wine spreads across the palate with vibrant red berry fruit, hints of tangerine peel, warm Indian spice, rich earthy tones, and beautifully integrated cedarwood accents. Just gorgeous. This 100% Pinot Noir is a blend of fruit from Drake Estate, Hallberg, Laguna, Martaella, Rochioli Riverblock, Saitone Estate and the Williams Selyem Estate, aged for 11 months in 41% new French oak and 59% one-year-old barrels.

Super floral-driven, with ultra-ripe cherry fruit, blackberry, and lavender nuances, this wine is plump, soft, and satiny on the palate, showing creamy oak undertones and a hint of smoky minerality. For all its depth and generosity, a thread of juicy acidity keeps it balanced and lively. Sourced from a remarkable vineyard in the prestigious Santa Lucia Highlands appellation of Monterey County, the fruit comes from a bench approximately 300 feet above the valley floor. The wine was 100% destemmed and fermented in one-ton fermenters with daily punch-downs, then barrel-aged for 10 months in French oak.

So characteristic of the Santa Lucia Highlands AVA, this Pinot brims with warm raspberry compote and candied cherry fruit, wrapped around a beautifully creamy, dense mid-palate. Sumptuous toasty oak, flinty minerals and crisp acid tension give it shape and lift. Fermented 100% destemmed in small fermenters and punched down twice daily. Barrel-aged for 10 months in French oak (35% new).

Sourced from three distinct growing areas—the Escolle Vineyard in the northern Santa Lucia Highlands, the Paraiso Springs Vineyard at the southern end of the Highlands, and Danny’s Vineyard in the cooler western Chualar Canyon—this Pinot Noir was destemmed into small fermenters and punched down twice daily, then aged for 10 months in French oak (25% new). It’s a delicious wine, markedly mineral-rich with an iron-like, red-rock volcanic character and dusty mineral tones layered beneath juicy cherry fruit. Sweet cedar spices are nicely integrated, leading to a finish colored by clove, blood orange and a smoky mineral thread. I really like this wine; it was among my favorites from the Landmark lineup I tasted for this report.

My absolute favorite white from the Landmark lineup I tasted for this Sonoma Report—which spanned mostly 2021 and 2022 wines, with a few 2023s. Here, the sea-spray mineral pop of this site and AVA mingles beautifully with zesty citrus and ripe orchard fruit, all balanced on the palate by a creamy mid-centre so characteristic of the Sta. Rita Hills. It finishes with excellent length and tension. A very fine wine, effortlessly enjoyable on its own. Situated near the north-western edge of Santa Barbara County’s prestigious Sta. Rita Hills appellation, the sourced blocks provide small-clustered Dijon clones 76 and 96 for this Chardonnay. Whole-cluster-pressed and barrel-fermented with native yeast, then aged for 14 months in French oak (30% new).

This 100% Pinot Noir comes from Allen Vineyard and was aged for 16 months in 53% new French oak, 47% one-year-old barrels. Allen Vineyard, owned by Howard Allen, sits on gravelly hills along Westside Road and for decades provided fruit for Williams Selyem (and is where the Williams Selyem winery lived for most of its life until 2024). The wine is deeply layered, offering a beautifully expressive core of red fruit framed by warm spices and elegant cedarwood accents. Delicate, finely-tuned tannins add structure without heaviness, suggesting poise and potential longevity. With its balance of richness and restraint, this Pinot has the bones to age gracefully — best enjoyed beginning around 2027.

This vineyard contributes to the Westside Road Neighbors blend. Planted in 2002, it shares a similar exposure to Allen Vineyard but sits on soils with more loam and streaks of red volcanic clay. As a result, this wine carries a bit more flesh on the mid-palate compared to the Allen Vineyard bottling—full of dark, fleshy red cherry fruit, blackberry and warm brown baking spices, accented by tangerine peel and beautifully elegant cedarwood aromatics. Aged for 16 months in 69% new French oak and 31% one-year-old barrels, the wine is incredibly sophisticated, delicious, and long-lived, showing great wet-slate minerality and cocoa-powder tannins that have both weight and superb texture.

The Sonoma Coast bottling is bright, crunchy and elegant, with more impactful tannins than even the Russian River Valley Pinot Noir—which has its own impressive textural range. This wine is fresh, inviting and dark-fruited, showing rich conifer and redwood-bark notes, with layers of texture built on a velvety core and grippy apple-skin tannins. Gorgeous cedarwood aromatics mingle with sage, wet stone, clove and citrus zest. A blend of 100% Pinot Noir fruit from Falstaff, Putnam, Starkey and Terra de Promissio, aged for 11 months in 42% new French oak and 58% one-year-old barrels.

The Eastside is sourced from the eastern stretch of the Russian River Valley, blending fruit from vineyard sites along Eastside Road: Calgari, Foss and the Lewis MacGregor Estate. These are mostly younger vines. The wine was aged for 15 months in 64% new French oak and 36% one-year-old barrels. Gorgeous, plush textures define this bottling, with a rich, creamy mid-palate weight, a floral personality and fabulous sagebrush and cedarwood notes. It’s sumptuous, with warm brown spices and a robust character shaped by the gravelly, well-drained soils. Dark plum, cassis and blackberry fruit saturate the palate. The texture is especially pronounced, building over beautifully integrated tannins that already feel seamless at this youthful stage.

This 100% Pinot Noir is sourced from the Lewis MacGregor Estate Vineyard (one of the components of the Eastside Road Neighbors bottling) and was aged for 16 months in 62% new French oak and 38% one-year-old barrels. The site is named after John Dyson’s grandfather, who first inspired his interest in agriculture, and was originally owned by Eric Flannigan before Dyson purchased it in 2014 (and replanted much of the Chardonnay to Pinot Noir, while retaining the older vines that now contribute to this bottling). Plant material is roughly two-thirds Pommard and one-third Swan, yielding tiny berries. The wine opens with mulberry fruit and warm brown baking spices, and it carries a distinctive oily texture that comes from the “hens and chicks” clusters—berries with fewer seeds—that this site often produces. Full-flavored and lengthy, it offers remarkable generosity and depth. So flavor-packed and rich.

This vineyard is one of the key components in the Eastside Road Neighbors bottling. This 100% Pinot Noir is sourced from Calegari Vineyard and was aged for 16 months in 63% new French oak and 37% one-year-old barrels. The plant material here includes Dijon 115—which has thicker skins—as well as Swan and Mt. Eden heritage clones. The wine delivers explosive red-fruit character: cranberry, cherry and rose petals, all lifted by warm brown baking spices. Full-bodied richness is balanced by a vivid saline–citrus acid tension that frames this youthfully exuberant wine. That salty mineral edge comes directly from this gravelly site. The finish is highly expressive and super floral, anchoring the aromatics while showcasing great fruit depth on the palate. What a wine.

This 100% Pinot Noir is sourced from Bucher Vineyard and was aged for 16 months in 63% new French oak and 37% one-year-old barrels. The original vines were planted in the early 1990s, and Jeff Mangahas began working with the fruit in the early 2000s (he also helped develop the vineyard, refining the spacing and selecting new clonal material). This bottling comes from heritage clones planted in 2011. The wine is built on rich raspberry fruit, loamy earth and an intense, exotic earthiness. There’s even a shiitake mushroom essence and a raw, underbrush, grassy-leather quality, all wrapped around deep berry concentration on the palate. Beautifully grippy intensity carries the finish, which resolves with an unctuous, delicious richness. The balance between primary fruit and deep earthy spice is exceptional.

This 100% Pinot Noir is sourced from Cohn Vineyard and was aged for 16 months in 58% new French oak and 42% one-year-old barrels. Cohn Vineyard sits off Westside Road, is owned by Benovia, and is one of the oldest Pinot Noir sites in the region—planted in 1970. Jeff Mangahas notes he isn’t entirely sure of the clonal mix, but he loves the texture the vineyard gives. The vines grow in gravelly, red decomposed soil with iron-rich deposits and are surrounded by redwoods—and all of that comes through vividly in the wine. This is a terroir-driven bottling with wonderful savory redwood-bark notes, gravelly minerality and beautifully lush, vibrant red-fruit character that carries through an extended mineral finish. What a wine.

The Coastlands Vineyard is owned by Ross Cobb, and 2023 marks the final vintage that Williams Selyem will produce from this site. Aged for 16 months in 62% new French oak and 38% one-year-old barrels, the wine wine shows an incredible sous-bois character—local redwood, mineral-rich intensity, and all the wild forest nuance this coastal site is known for. Layers of pomegranate seed, bergamot, red fruit, grapefruit zest and zippy, zingy acidity unfold alongside a distinct sea-salt complexity. There’s a vibrant, refreshing acid spine and even a touch of blood-orange citrus. Dark-fruited, laser-focused and intense, this is a wine built for the long haul—one that will age for a very long time.

This 100% Pinot Noir is sourced from Precious Mountain Vineyard and was aged for 16 months in 67% new French oak and 33% one-year-old barrels. Jeff Mangahas notes that Williams Selyem has been making this wine since the late 1990s. The vineyard sits near Hirsch, and includes some of the oldest vines in the area, with plantings going back to 1971. It was originally planted to Alsatian varieties, and today it remains completely dry farmed. That dry farming coaxes out the wild side of Pinot Noir, giving this wine a rich underbrush character—super intense—with notes of leather, ironstone earth, blueberry compote, fresh blueberry fruit and fig paste. The tannins are the most robust of their entire lineup. Full-bodied and full-flavored, it shows incredibly deep, fleshy fruit, yet the wine still feels fresh, vibrant and totally intense.

Winemaker Jeff Mangahas explains that this site (the Martaella Vineyard) is planted largely to heritage Pinot clones—selections that originated in Burgundy and have since acclimated beautifully to California conditions. Clones such as Calera (rumored to trace back to Chambertin), Pommard and Martini all play a role here, offering a snapshot of how these historic selections perform on the Santa Rosa Plain, almost squarely in the centre of the northern Russian River Valley. Aged for 15 months in 53% new French oak and 47% one-year-old barrels, the wine is incredibly bold aromatically, showing ultra-fragrant apple-skin notes and perfumed florals. The tannins are remarkably refined—polished, elegant, and giving the wine a buoyant sense of lift. 2022 was the first year Williams Selyem produced a vineyard-designate Pinot Noir from this site.

This vineyard is one of the components of the Eastside Road Neighbors bottling. This 100% Pinot Noir is sourced from Foss Vineyard and was aged for 16 months in 70% new French oak and 30% one-year-old barrels. The soils here are loamier and heavier, which naturally brings slightly lower acidity, and the plantings lean toward Pommard, Mt. Eden and Swan clones. The wine is unctuous and full-bodied, with a generous red-fruited profile and elegant cedarwood spice, plus a faint agave-like note. A refined cedar framework supports the fruit beautifully. The length is impressive, with real tension, energy and drive. Full-flavored, and lush, yet also lifted and vibrant.

Sourced from Terra de Promissio Vineyard, which sits in the Petaluma Wind Gap, planted in 2002 to Dijon clones 115 and 777, along with Swan and Calera. Aged for 16 months in 67% new French oak and 33% one-year-old barrels, this 100% Pinot Noir is gorgeously perfumed, showing violet and blueberry coulis aromas with the wonderful natural crispness that defines this cool, windy corridor. Clove spice and wet slate add complexity, and the grippy tannin texture brings depth, energy and a sumptuous layering to the wine’s tension-filled profile. It captures this part of the world in a beautifully articulate way.

Dustin Valette has known Michael Browne since his days at John Ash & Co., and when they launched this project it became a genuinely special collaboration for the two of them. This is the first wine they’ve made together. The Pinot Noir is supple, round, and sumptuous, with wonderfully plump tannins and smooth, silky mixed berry fruit, layered with fragrant cocoa powder, dried violets, and rose petals. A rich saline minerality emerges on the medium-bodied finish and seems to linger effortlessly. The intensity of the wine is very much Michael Browne in character, yet it retains admirable energy and drive.

This 125-case cuvée is sourced from three vineyards spanning the interior Sonoma Coast—Baer, Bacigalupi, and Sangiacomo. Winemaker Matt Duffy selected barrels that expressed particularly coastal, savory tones inspired by the region’s cool-climate character. Some fermentations included whole clusters to add structure and spice. The result is a beautifully balanced Pinot Noir with layered aromatics, coastal energy, and textural depth. Aromas of black cherry and fig mingle with applewood smoke and apple blossom, enhanced by brown baking spices, clove, and stony minerality. Juicy and supple on the palate with zesty acidity, it’s a vibrant, finely tuned expression of site and season. Vaughn Duffy is a small, family-owned winery based in Sonoma County, producing 3,000 cases annually and specializing in Pinot Noir. The wines are made by forklift-wiz-turned-winemaker Matt Duffy, who co-founded the winery in 2009 with his wife, Sara Vaughn.

Bold and dark-fruited, with briary cherry fruit, cherry-wood smoke, incense, and blood orange on the nose, all carrying through to the medium-bodied palate. Crisp tannins support a bulwark of brown baking-spice character, balancing the drying structure with a sweeter finish marked especially by ripe cherry fruit. Quite nice. This marks the winery’s 12th vintage of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. The 2023 bottling is a blend of two vineyards in the northern part of the AVA: Baer Vineyard (60%) and Bacigalupi (40%). The sites sit less than a mile apart, bordered by Westside Road to the west and the Russian River to the east. The clonal makeup includes Pommard, 115, 667, and 777. Vaughn Duffy is a small, family-owned Sonoma County winery producing about 3,000 cases annually and specializing in Pinot Noir. The wines are crafted by forklift-wiz-turned-winemaker Matt Duffy, who co-founded the winery in 2009 with his wife, Sara Vaughn.

Two blocks at Bacigalupi’s Frost Ranch comprise this 2023 Pinot Noir: the Wente selection, picked two weeks later than in 2022, and the Pommard block, picked in October. The wine aged ten months in French oak barrels (33% new). It’s dark-fruited, with the ripe cherry appeal so prevalent in wines from this stretch of the Russian River Valley, brightened by orange peel and grapefruit zest. Cola nut fills in the gaps, joined by the creamy richness of the fruit and muscular tannins that form a solid foundation for this delectable wine. Vaughn Duffy is a small, family-owned winery based in Sonoma County producing about 3,000 cases annually and specializing in Pinot Noir. The wines are crafted by forklift-wiz-turned-winemaker Matt Duffy, who co-founded the winery in 2009 with his wife, Sara Vaughn.

From the Bacigalupi family’s historic Goddard Ranch—the first property Helen and Charles Bacigalupi purchased in the 1950s, and the source of grapes used in Chateau Montelena’s legendary 1973 Chardonnay that won the Judgement of Paris—this wine carries a remarkable legacy. Aged for 10 months in French oak barrels (50% new), it offers layers of baked lemon, orchard fruit, lemon oil, and French pastry richness, all seamlessly integrated. Vaughn Duffy is a small, family-owned winery based in Sonoma County producing about 3,000 cases annually and specializing in Pinot Noir. The wines are crafted by forklift-wiz-turned-winemaker Matt Duffy, who co-founded the winery in 2009 with his wife, Sara Vaughn.

The grapes for this wine were sourced entirely from Hopkins River Ranch in the heart of the Russian River Valley, where Bob Hopkins has been farming wine grapes on his family’s property off Eastside Road since the 1970s. Fermented and aged for five months in a combination of older oak (58%) and stainless steel barrels (42%), the wine is crunchy, crisp, and super tart, with bright lime acidity, grassy nuances, and tropical fruit character reminiscent of kiwi and green apple. Vaughn Duffy is a small, family-owned winery based in Sonoma County producing about 3,000 cases annually and specializing in Pinot Noir. The wines are crafted by forklift-wiz-turned-winemaker Matt Duffy, who co-founded the winery in 2009 with his wife, Sara Vaughn.

Sourced from Rochioli Riverblock Vineyard, a site that sits along the riverbank, sourced from a 1989 planting established using budwood from a 1960s block. The vines grow in silty, well-drained soils, and the aromas are wonderfully intriguing—wild herbs, live oak, and the wild fennel that grows along the Russian River. On the palate, the wine is succulent, showing mulberry and raspberry fruit with palate-coating tannins that are refined and elegant yet still robust. It’s highly aromatic, fresh and inviting, and the wine feels like the pure culmination of what this site naturally expresses—both aromatically and in flavor. Aged for 16 months in 68% new French oak and 32% one-year-old barrels.

There’s nothing not to love about this 100% Pinot Noir sourced from Vineyard Eleven, planted entirely to the UV-VR clone and aged for 11 months sur lie in 100% French oak, 33% new. The wine is lively and bright, framed by crunchy apple-skin tannins and blood orange acidity, yet balanced by a creamy core. Aromas and flavors of cherry, applewood smoke, clove, and Earl Grey tea unfold with lavish complexity, finishing long with a subtle sprinkling of white pepper. James and Kerry MacPhail started Tongue Dancer as a personal brand in 2012. All of their wines are produced in their winery built (in 2008) on their 1-acre property in Healdsburg.

This 100% Chardonnay is sourced from Jim Pratt’s Vine Hill Vineyard and composed of Robert Young, 70, and Mt. Eden clones. Aged for 14 months sur lie in 100% French oak (33% new), it’s a dynamic, tropical-fruited, and lavishly textured Chardonnay framed by fine-boned acidity. Layers of preserved Meyer lemon, dried apricot, and dried pineapple unfold with hints of mango, white peach, acacia flower honey, and crystallized ginger, all flowing through the full-bodied, lingering finish. James and Kerry MacPhail started Tongue Dancer as a personal brand in 2012. All of their wines are produced in their winery built (in 2008) on their 1-acre property in Healdsburg.

This 100% Chardonnay is sourced from Tolmasoff Vineyard, planted entirely to the UV Montrachet clone, and was fermented and aged for 10 months in a concrete “hippo” tank with no oak influence. It’s a dazzling Chardonnay with a heady, rich complexity—lemon citrus, creamy apple, and pear mingle with candied white floral notes, ginger cream, and a subtle toasty nuance. The medium-bodied palate reveals savory tarragon tones and a long, lingering finish of toasted almonds. Balanced acidity keeps the wine bright, energetic, and beautifully focused. James and Kerry MacPhail started Tongue Dancer as a personal brand in 2012. All of their wines are produced in their winery built (in 2008) on their 1-acre property in Healdsburg.

It offers that classic David Ramey Chardonnay profile, with a crisp, bright, and vivid personality. Lemon peel and fresh citrus notes are layered with subtle, gorgeous cedarwood accents, sea spray, and intense mineral character. The wine is lush yet cool, showing lovely candied ginger and quince, carried by saline-laced acid tension and lingering white floral notes. Long and delicious, it’s made for rich, fatty seafood—broiled lobster is heaven with this.

All estate fruit from Tom Rochioli. There’s a wonderfully lush, creamy richness here, underscored by very pretty, lacy acidity. Notes of lemon oil and a creamy center are layered with wildflower honey and gorgeous French pastry nuances. It’s delicious on a stick—haha. Absolutely long and layered. Pair it with whole roasted goose or turkey thighs—unctuous, with crisp, crunchy fat—or roast chicken in a mushroom sauce. Anything poultry, really. Pheasant for sure: the gaminess of the bird and the richness of this Chardonnay will crush your soul with goodness.

This is crafted by Bob Cabral. Super-fragrant from the outset, with rose petal and rose stem notes, dark cherry, and dark slate, lifted by white pepper spice and fresh redwood forest nuances. Black tea notes support the super-dark, juicy, ripe fruit and macerated cherry character. Hints of tangerine peel and crushed cocoa nibs add detail, all carried by a velvety texture and impressive length.

Entirely from Bush Crispo, crafted by Bob Cabral. Crushed cherry and cherry compote lead the way, followed by unsweetened chocolate and darker forest floor notes, with nuances of crushed cocoa nibs. The palate is intense, showing Rooibos tea notes and an almost meaty, iron-like mineral character, supported by integrated cedarwood and a spicy white pepper lift from some whole-cluster inclusion. Serve this with steak au poivre.

The Setting 2022 Alexander Valley is fresh, vivid, crunchy and red-fruited, layered with sweet, toasty oak spice and elegant cedarwood notes. Aged for 22 months in 85% new French oak, it shows robust yet nicely sculpted tannins that frame the wine beautifully. Full-bodied and rich in the signature Setting style, it remains fresh and inviting, with crisp structure supporting all that generous fruit.

This is a wine you’ll have a hard time putting down. Layered and savory, it’s expressive with bright cherry fruit, apple blossom, rose petal, and mild Indian spice. Supple, round, and generous, it’s beautifully balanced by sinewy tannins that carry a subtle toasted almond character. The mid-palate shows pleasing density and ripe fruit weight, finishing strong with citrusy, tangerine-like acidity that hits the sweet spot—neither harsh nor crunchy. Simply a gorgeous wine. The Cuvée Eva Marie Pinot Noir is crafted from more than 60 lots each year, with the Three Sticks team selecting the very best barrels from Pinot Noir clones 115, 667, 828, 943, Calera, and Swan. The final blend is aged for 15 months in 100% French oak, 55% new, with just 212 cases produced. Three Sticks Wines is a boutique, family-owned winery recognized for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Proprietor Bill Price III (nicknamed “Billy Three Sticks”) owns six vineyards in Sonoma County (including three Heritage vineyards: Durell, Gap’s Crown, and Walala).

This is one masterful creation. We all know Gap’s Crown produces some of Sonoma’s most storied Pinot Noirs, but Three Sticks’ *Gap’s Pinnacle* takes it to another level entirely. It’s such a complete wine—seamless, seductive, and utterly captivating from bouquet to finish. Crafted from 100% Pinot Noir sourced from the most coveted blocks of Gap’s Crown Vineyard, the blend includes clones 667, 828, 115, Swan, and 943, aged for 15 months in 100% French oak, 48% new. Just 300 cases were produced. The wine overflows with bright red cherry and blackberry fruit, a creamy, layered core of succulent richness, and supple yet firm tannins balanced by graceful acidity. The finish lingers with baking spice notes of white pepper, clove, and mild Indian spice. If you can get your hands on a bottle, consider yourself lucky. Three Sticks Wines is a boutique, family-owned winery recognized for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Proprietor Bill Price III (nicknamed “Billy Three Sticks”) owns six vineyards in Sonoma County (including three Heritage vineyards: Durell, Gap’s Crown, and Walala).

This 100% Chardonnay from Durell Vineyard—crafted from Wente and Hyde clones—was aged for 14 months in 100% French oak, 21% new. Just 665 cases were produced. The wine exudes poise and elegance, balancing opulent flavors of ripe citrus, lemon oil, white acacia flowers, and crushed almonds with subtle toasty oak spice. Crisp acidity and bright apple-skin tannins bring lift and precision, resulting in a beautifully harmonious and striking white wine from this exceptional vineyard. Three Sticks Wines is a boutique, family-owned winery recognized for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Proprietor Bill Price III (nicknamed “Billy Three Sticks”) owns six vineyards in Sonoma County (including three Heritage vineyards: Durell, Gap’s Crown, and Walala).

The Alana Vineyard, planted to Wente clones in the Russian River Valley, yields fruit of exceptional quality. Aged for 14 months in 100% French oak, 20% new, this exquisite Chardonnay is limited to just 145 cases. It displays ripe apple, pear, and apricot fruit drizzled with lemon cream and layered over crushed almonds. Full-flavored yet medium-bodied, it’s deeply enticing, with penetrating layers of flavor and crisp, citrusy acidity driving an enduring finish. Add in perfectly balanced oak spice, and you’ve got one heck of a white wine. Three Sticks Wines is a boutique, family-owned winery recognized for its Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Proprietor Bill Price III (nicknamed “Billy Three Sticks”) owns six vineyards in Sonoma County (including three Heritage vineyards: Durell, Gap’s Crown, and Walala).

This 100% Pinot Noir is sourced from Lakeview Vineyard, planted entirely to the La Tâche clone, and aged for 17 months in French oak, 33% new. The clone brings a darker fruit profile, with notes of blackberry and fig underscored by earthy depth and a rose-petal-driven florality that’s truly captivating. Aromas of wild herbs and bouquet garni add further intrigue. The palate is full-bodied and velvety in texture, finishing with savory layers of tobacco, leather, and dried wild herbs. Yum. James and Kerry MacPhail started Tongue Dancer as a personal brand in 2012. All of their wines are produced in their winery built (in 2008) on their 1-acre property in Healdsburg.

After tasting the Lakeview Vineyard Pinot Noir made from the La Tâche clone, I was floored to find the same level of quality and pedigree in this 100% Pinot Noir sourced from Jim Pratt’s Sexton Road Vineyard. Composed of clones 777 and 114 and aged for 16 months sur lie in French oak (20% new), this wine is bold and dark-fruited, with layers of cherry and fig preserves framed by a deeply floral character and forest underbrush nuances that complement its generous core of ripe fruit. Firm tannins provide structure, while a tapestry of brown baking spices wraps around every inch of fruit, culminating in a smoky clove finish. The depth, texture, and balance here make for an utterly delectable Sonoma Pinot. Bravo! James and Kerry MacPhail started Tongue Dancer as a personal brand in 2012. All of their wines are produced in their winery built (in 2008) on their 1-acre property in Healdsburg.

A generous Zinfandel with bright red berry fruit, dusty rose petal, and vanilla notes wrapped in creamy oak spice. The palate is soft and inviting, with fine-grained tannins that build gracefully into a brown-spiced finish. The historic eight-acre Giovanetti Vineyard, planted to Zinfandel and mixed blacks in 1910, produces one of the winery’s most distinctive small-production wines—an expressive nod to Sonoma County’s old-vine heritage and its enduring grower relationships. St. Francis Winery & Vineyards has been in operation for more than five decades, now farming over 400 acres of estate vineyards.

A tropical-fruited, zesty Sauvignon Blanc with crisp orchard fruit aromas leading into a palate of luscious pear and underripe pineapple. The texture is creamy yet vibrant, finishing with a clean, mineral edge. Sourced from both estate and grower vineyards, the fruit is pressed and the juice fermented slowly in stainless steel tanks, with a small portion aged in acacia barrels. St. Francis Winery & Vineyards has been in operation for more than five decades, now farming over 400 acres of estate vineyards.

A toasty, lemony Chardonnay with a vibrant core of lemon curd, vanilla buttercream, and toasty oak carrying through the full-bodied finish. Picked in the cool early morning hours, the grapes are immediately pressed and fermented in separate lots in French oak barrels. Bâtonnage during aging no doubt contributed to its complexity and rich, luxurious mouthfeel. St. Francis Winery & Vineyards has been in operation for more than five decades, now farming over 400 acres of estate vineyards.

This is always such a pleasure-packed white, showing absolutely lush orchard fruit dusted with fragrant brown spices. The palate builds with rich melon notes, tangerine oil and beeswax, followed by a growing richness on the finish that’s lifted by saline acidity and a brightness that lingers. Aged for 16 months in 50% new French oak. Produced by Sonoma-based winemaker Jesse Katz, the Surveyor wines are an exclusive label of the Montage Resort in Healdsburg, California. Katz oversaw the planting of 15.5 acres of estate vines in 2019 and 2020, many of them planted in and around the resort itself.

This Chardonnay was aged for 11 months in 30% new French oak. It’s wonderfully fragrant, warm-spiced, and built around a luscious core of ripe orchard fruit, sharpened by salted citrus peel, ginger, allspice, and touches of dried apple and apricot, with French pastry notes carrying through a lengthy, zesty finish. TEXTBOOK was founded by Jonathan and Susan Pey , who brought in Winemaker Abigail Estrada. Estrada leans on global expertise from stints in Italy, New Zealand, Israel, and Napa Valley estates such as Markham, Domaine Chandon, and Robert Mondavi. She crafts these wines by keeping lots separate, tasting continuously throughout the year, and integrating components to achieve TEXTBOOK’s house style.

From a hillside site in Alexander Valley and planted to 50% Musqué and 50% Sauvignon Blanc clones. This Sauvignon Blanc shows a heady richness, driven in part by barrels with Acacia heads, which—when toasted correctly—bring gorgeous florality and minerality. The wine expands across the palate with fleshy pear and apricot, carried by a rich, saline-acid tension that fuels both texture and focused length. It’s an opulent wine with precision and lift. In short, ultra-delicious. This wine was aged 6 months in 40% new French oak.

The most polished of the Sojourn Cellars Pinot Noirs I tasted in October 2025, this is a powerful yet graceful expression of Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Ripe cherry, juicy cranberry, and orange-citrus fruit form the core, layered with exotic Asian spices and fine-grained, beautifully polished tannins. Crisp acidity drives the wine toward a spicy finish laced with smoked paprika and clove. It’s complex, intriguing, and downright irresistible—the kind of wine you want to crush at the end of the night. Planted in 2000 under the direction of Mark Aubert and Peter Michael Winery, there are three Pinot clones used: Calera and two distinct “suitcase” selections from the Vosne-Romanée region of Burgundy. Take from that what you will—it’s unquestionably a stellar expression of Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Founded in 2001 by two friends with a common love of Burgundy wines, Sojourn specializes in hand-crafted Pinot Noir, while also producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Rosé and Sparkling wines. Winemaking duties are headed by Erich Bradley.

Sourced from eight distinct vineyards across the expansive Sonoma Coast—from Annapolis in the north to Occidental in the west and down to the southern tip of the Petaluma Gap—this Pinot Noir includes fruit from standout sites such as Gap’s Crown, Sangiacomo, Walala, and Dorothy Cameron Vineyards. A blend of clones 115, 828, 667, Pommard, and Swan, the grapes were destemmed, fermented in open-top tanks, and aged in 50% new French oak. The result is a spectacular Pinot Noir, richly endowed with bold, juicy dark cherry, plum, and blackberry fruit accented by paprika spice on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied and boldly tannic, it reveals layers of clove, allspice, blood orange, and toasty cedarwood, culminating in a dark, muscular, and impressively structured finish. Founded in 2001 by two friends with a common love of Burgundy wines, Sojourn specializes in hand-crafted Pinot Noir, while also producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Rosé and Sparkling wines. Winemaking duties are headed by Erich Bradley.

Riddle Vineyard lies in the Green Valley region within the Sonoma Coast AVA, near the town of Occidental. Perched on a ridgeline, the site overlooks many of the region’s most iconic vineyards. Planted in 2008 at high density on Goldridge soils, the grapes are destemmed, fermented in open-top tanks, and aged in 50% new French oak. The resulting wine is boldly expressive, sitting on the darker end of the red-fruited spectrum—dried cherry and rose petal mingle with bouquet garni, brown baking spices, and clove. It builds in intensity and creamy richness through the finish. Founded in 2001 by two friends with a common love of Burgundy wines, Sojourn specializes in hand-crafted Pinot Noir, while also producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Rosé and Sparkling wines. Winemaking duties are headed by Erich Bradley.

Wohler Vineyard in Forestville sources this red, a site that sits in the heart of Russian River Valley, within sight of the Russian River and the historic Wohler Bridge. Blocks of clones 667 and 828 occupy the highest, best-draining parts of the property, while the Wädenswil 2A clone is planted in lower sections where the soils contain more clay. The fruit was entirely destemmed, native fermented in open-top tanks, and aged in 50% new French oak. This is classic Russian River Valley Pinot Noir—full-bodied and ripe-fruited, layering cherry, fig, and plum with bay laurel and mint, a pop of dark chocolate, and cola spice. A creamy core drives the wine toward a zesty, energetic finish. Founded in 2001 by two friends with a common love of Burgundy wines, Sojourn specializes in hand-crafted Pinot Noir, while also producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Rosé and Sparkling wines. Winemaking duties are headed by Erich Bradley.

This Pinot Noir is a blend of several lots sourced from four prominent vineyards within the Petaluma Gap AVA—Gap’s Crown, Sangiacomo, and younger blocks from Nightwing and Ueberroth Vineyards. These sites benefit from cool temperatures, foggy mornings, and windy afternoons, and that coastal influence is reflected in the wine’s character. It opens with cool blue fruit, crunchy cherry, and raspberry, accented by smoky cherrywood, clove, and loamy earth. Medium-bodied with crisp tannins and blood orange acidity, it leans into a tart, citrus-driven profile, finishing long with crushed cacao nib nuances and vibrant freshness.Founded in 2001 by two friends with a common love of Burgundy wines, Sojourn specializes in hand-crafted Pinot Noir, while also producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Rosé and Sparkling wines. Winemaking duties are headed by Erich Bradley.

Composed of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, this wine is sourced from the Bavarian Lion Vineyard in Knights Valley, Sonoma County, and aged 18 months in 35% new French oak. It’s a ripe, round, and easy-drinking Cabernet that showcases bold mulberry fruit, crème de cassis, candied violets, and liquid graphite. Full-bodied and supple, it builds toward a finish marked by velvety yet lightly grippy tannins. Born and raised in Sonoma County, brothers Alex and Christian Ehret chose the Bavarian Lion Vineyard to source their single-vineyard, estate Cabernet Sauvignon for the Solar Ash project in Knights Valley.

Such a well-made 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon—remarkable for avoiding the brandied, liquored-up fruit so prevalent in many wines from the vintage. Instead, it delivers a red-toned core accented by black and blue fruit nuances, elegant oak spice, and supple, fine tannins, all supported by bright acidity and a satiny, full-bodied finish. Quite a fantastic wine at this price point—and totally crushable. The fruit for this Reserve Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is grown at high elevations on sloped, well-drained hillsides and aged in French oak barrels, 70% new. St. Francis Winery & Vineyards has been in operation for more than five decades, now farming over 400 acres of estate vineyards.

Sourced from the cooler parts of Sonoma County, including Carneros and the Russian River Valley, the lots for this Pinot Noir were fermented separately after a 5- to 10-day cold soak, then transferred to French oak barrels for natural malolactic fermentation and aging before bottling. The resulting wine is stylish, well-crafted, and packed with flavor—red cherry, spiced plum, clove, and allspice—wrapped around a creamy core that holds firm to crisp tannins, building toward a long, satisfying finish. St. Francis Winery & Vineyards has been in operation for more than five decades, now farming over 400 acres of estate vineyards.

The Toots Rosé is made entirely from Aleatico—a grape variety most common in Italy, typically blended into red wines, yet thriving on the Serres Ranch, where just six acres are planted. Fermented and aged in stainless steel, it’s an exceptionally expressive rosé with a rich, luscious quality and a satiny texture. Ripe strawberry and cherry tones lead the way, lifted by a fresh pop of grapefruit or blood orange and a zippy, mouthwatering finish. Super refreshing. The Serres family launched the brand in 2018, with the inaugural vintage released in 2022; they currently produce about 500 cases each year. Tim Milos and Derek Irwin are the winemakers.

A barrel selection of the finest Cabernet Franc blocks on the Skipstone estate, this wine was aged 19 months in 100% new French oak. Exceptionally refined, it captures the pure essence of the variety with lifted aromatics of sagebrush, tobacco, bay leaf, blue slate, and a touch of paprika. Medium to full-bodied, it offers generous layers of dark, ripe black fruit supported by crisp, finely etched tannins. There’s remarkable harmony between the fruit’s richness and the wine’s savory, mineral-driven tension, resulting in length and precision. The structure is so compelling it nearly eclipses tasting descriptions, leaving only one lasting impression: sheer deliciousness. And in 10 to 20 years, this wine will evolve into something truly extraordinary—worthy of patience and a place in the cellar.

A barrel selection of Skipstone's best Cabernet Sauvignon blocks from the estate, this wine was aged 19 months in 100% new French oak. It is strikingly polished, pure, and seductive—full-bodied yet effortlessly silky in texture. The palate evokes the sensation of a perfectly ripe blueberry dusted with cocoa powder, layered with earthy notes reminiscent of a redwood grove after rain—loamy soil, red bark, and cool forest air. The tannins are exquisitely fine and powdery, supporting a finish that lingers for what feels like minutes. Structural yet seamless, this wine’s quiet power and underlying tension give it poise and vitality. It’s so graceful and integrated that you might miss its depth if you’re not paying attention—but you'll love the palate energy and tension no matter what.

Sourced from the oldest vines on the steep, gravelly hillsides of the Skipstone estate, this wine was aged 19 months in 70% new French oak. It’s impeccably polished from the first sniff to the last sip, with ultra-smooth, satiny tannins that glide across the palate like polished obsidian. The fruit profile is deep and dark, leaning toward blue-toned fruit layered with notes of sage and pine forest. Subtle cocoa powder nuances linger on the long, saline, acid-driven finish.

Added to the portfolio in 2021, this Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a desire to explore vineyard sources beyond the Skipstone estate. Aged 19 months in 60% new French oak, it offers a seductive red-fruited profile with notes of red apple skin, cherry, raspberry, and cranberry. Fragrant hints of sagebrush and bay laurel weave through the bouquet, adding savory complexity. The palate is medium-bodied and layered, with crunchy apple-skin tannins lightly dusted in cocoa powder. As the wine opens, deeper tones of dark berry fruit, wet slate, and loamy earth emerge, all carried by a subtle salinity that extends through the long finish.

An interpretation of a Right Bank blend, this wine takes its name from the fault line that runs through the Skipstone vineyard. Aged 19 months in 68% new French oak, it presents a distinctly different aromatic profile from the rest of the range. The bouquet is lifted and spicy, with notes of smoked and sweet paprika, a hint of coriander, and layers of blackberry, black cherry, and spiced plum. Crushed slate minerality emerges on the palate, adding structure and tension. The texture is slightly gritty in the best way, offering grip and precision.

The introduction to the Skipstone lineup, this wine is crafted from the four red Bordeaux varieties planted on the estate and aged 19 months in 40% new French oak. First released in 2017, it serves as an elegant entry point to the Skipstone portfolio at $75. The aromatics are pure and expressive, offering vibrant notes of black cherry, blackberry, cocoa powder, and tobacco, layered with deep forest tones and a thread of mineral tension. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied with beautifully ripe, crunchy red and black fruit, laced with graphite and accented by delicate red floral notes that bring lift and finesse to the finish.

This 100% Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from Denmark Street Vineyard and pressed directly into locally crafted clay amphorae, where it completes both primary and secondary fermentation and ages for six months. The result is a lemony-bright, lime-zesty, white-floral, and high-toned aromatic wine with a lovely richness on the palate. Crisp, clean, and vibrant, it delivers acidity reminiscent of biting into ripe grapefruit. Intriguing baking spice notes—likely imparted by the amphorae—add layers of mineral iron and subtle Indian spice. Utterly fascinating. Sean Minor Wines was founded in 2005 by husband-and-wife team Sean and Nicole Minor, and is still family-owned and operated. In 2023, their daughter, Elle Minor, joined the team as winemaker. Wines are made from a combination of estate fruit and fruit purchased from sustainably farmed sources throughout California.

This Pinot Noir hails from select Sonoma Carneros sites and was fermented in open-top stainless steel tanks before being pressed into French oak barrels—a mix of toast levels—where it completed malolactic fermentation and aged for 10 months, 20% new. It’s a soft, seductive, and full-bodied Pinot Noir with creamy dark cherry fruit, spiced plum, clove, and wet slate notes. Lengthy and fruit-driven on the finish. Sean Minor Wines was founded in 2005 by husband-and-wife team Sean and Nicole Minor, and is still family-owned and operated. In 2023, their daughter, Elle Minor, joined the team as winemaker. Wines are made from a combination of estate fruit and fruit purchased from sustainably farmed sources throughout California.

This 100% Chardonnay is sourced from several vineyards within Sonoma Carneros, including a small portion from the estate property. Aged for 10 months in French oak barrels, 20% of which were new, it’s a ripe, full-throttle, tropical-scented Chardonnay with a supple palate and toasty oak spices interlaced with baked apple and pear, all drizzled with a touch of lemon cream. Sean Minor Wines was founded in 2005 by husband-and-wife team Sean and Nicole Minor, and is still family-owned and operated. In 2023, their daughter, Elle Minor, joined the team as winemaker. Wines are made from a combination of estate fruit and fruit purchased from sustainably farmed sources throughout California.

The 2023 Sebastiani Cabernet was made by Lisa Evich (formerly of Simi) along with Mari Wells Coyle, VP of winemaking. The blend is sourced primarily from Macama Vineyard in the northeast corner of Alexander Valley. The wine is fermented in stainless steel, then racked to barrel and aged 14 months in 25% new French oak. Sebastiani was purchased by Bill Foley in 2008. Production is carried out at the PreVail winery, while Cherryblock, for example, is vinified at Chateau St. Jean. As for the wine itself, it’s quite delicious. Dark black fruits lead the way, with rich brown baking spices, black plum, and black cherry. Fairly firm, slightly astringent tannins frame the palate—they’re compact and focused, resolving with graphite minerality and loamy earth on the lengthy finish. A powerful, bold red that will benefit from time to unwind.

This is the iconic wine of the winery. It includes fruit from their legendary old vines—massive, head-trained plants—along with some newer plantings. The blend is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot, aged 18 months in 70% new French oak. Mari Wells Coyle, VP of winemaking, says they aim to preserve the wine’s Italian heritage by maintaining bright acidity, which means embracing a slightly more gravelly tannin structure, a lower pH, and keeping that fresh cherry character front and center. And the wine delivers exactly that: vivid cherry fruit in spades, supported by a firm spine of crisp acidity and a gravelly, loamy earth character. Layers of leather, tobacco, and earth unfold across the palate, with a pop of English toffee on the long finish. The site is right on the way into the town of Sonoma, right at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains on the Sonoma side.

Named after Proprietor Taylor Serres’ older brother, Marshall, this blend is composed of 76.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 5% Malbec, and 3.5% Petit Verdot. All the fruit comes from a seven-acre block replanted in 2016 to multiple clones and rootstocks; each small lot is fermented separately before final blending. It’s a fantastic, full-bodied and robust Cabernet-based red, opening with rich cigar-box and dark-chocolate notes, toasty oak spice, and gobs of inky dark fruit. The palate is powerful, with muscular tannins and a righteous, indulgent, full-bodied finish. The most potent and forceful wine in the lineup, yet it still carries a polished edge to all that unctuous richness.

Named after Taylor Serres’ younger brother, Buchanan, this is a Merlot-heavy blend and always has been. Their Merlot has historically been sold to producers like St. Francis and Gundlach Bundschu. It’s a bold, robust expression with super-rich dark berry fruit, plenty of intensity and power, and generous toasty oak spice. This is no wimpy Merlot. Ripe mulberry notes unfold on the palate alongside warm brown and Asian spices, leading to a lengthy, full-bodied finish.

The Watriss is a Bordeaux-style blend named for the Watriss family, who owned the Serres Ranch in the 1800s. The composition shifts vintage to vintage; in 2021, it’s 30.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Malbec, 21% Cabernet Franc, and 21% Petit Verdot. This is a bold, full-bodied red with a rich nose of dark berry fruit and toasty oak that leans into cigar-box spice. The palate shows firm, building tannins and a cool, polished character to the dark berry fruit, layered with loamy earth that carries through the long finish.

Sourced from the Sangiacomo Roberts Road Vineyard in the northern part of the Petaluma Gap, this Pinot Noir is more refined than the straight Sonoma Coast bottling—elegant and layered with red-toned fruits, brown baking spice, grapefruit zest, and a lifted orange blossom florality. Medium-bodied on entry, it shows sinewy fine tannins, cool wet rock minerality, and fine-boned acid tension. The Roberts Road fruit comes from two rows of Dijon 777 and two rows of Pommard clone, fermented in a four-ton open-top stainless steel tank with twice-daily punch-downs for cap management, then pressed to 100% French medium-toast oak barrels (30% new) for 10 months of aging. A balanced and well-integrated expression of Pinot Noir. Sean Minor Wines was founded in 2005 by husband-and-wife team Sean and Nicole Minor, and is still family-owned and operated. In 2023, their daughter, Elle Minor, joined the team as winemaker. Wines are made from a combination of estate fruit and fruit purchased from sustainably farmed sources throughout California.

From Durell, Sangiacomo’s Green Acres, and Catarina, where they work with a unique Chardonnay selection that reminds Jeff Gaffner of Riesling. The wine is barrel-fermented long and cool, with malolactic held back until the following spring; he stirs the lees through winter before allowing ML to finish naturally. The result is a layered, deeply textural Chardonnay with a complex, nuanced oak profile and impressive acid freshness. Extremely ripe quince, candied ginger, and a touch of saline drive the finish. Just dynamite.

Fighting Brothers indicates a multi-vineyard blend; in this case it’s Durell, Gap’s Crown, and Roberts Road. Gaffner’s Pinot Noir approach is consistent across sites: he starts with a cold soak and works in pumpovers and punchdowns before alcohol rises, as he believes ABV acts as a solvent. Early extraction builds color, tannin, and esters, and once fermentation is underway he backs off. After fermentation and cold stabilization, the wine goes to barrel for about 16 months with 40% new French oak. The method precipitates out harsher tannins and preserves the finer elements, resulting in wonderfully precise, soft, velvety tannins that frame ripe dark-berry fruit. A cool, refreshing edge runs through the wine, along with underbrush nuances and warm baking spices on a lengthy finish.

Gorgeously woody and deeply sumptuous on the palate. Creamy in texture yet bolstered by crisp apple-skin tannins, with an expressive salinity running through the core. Layers of sumptuous brown spices unfold alongside graham cracker crust on the finish.

Beautifully refined, filled with baking-spice and cedarwood accents, and lifted by floral notes that cascade through the wine. Juicy cherry and blackberry mingle with plum and pluot, creating a fragrant, flavor-packed profile. Medium- to full-bodied, with gentle tannins that support all that juicy fruit and warm spice, and a lingering wet-slate minerality. Just lovely.

This wine unfolds slowly, finishing with profoundly robust, firm tannins that build and build—but before that, it seduces with calm generosity and perfumed red fruit layered with violets, dark cinnamon, cedarwood, and underbrush. The entry is soft and silky, edged with blue-toned fruit that’s soon drawn into focus by the grip and structure of this powerful Pinot Noir. Like the Coastline Project Pinot, it’s worth holding until late 2026 before pulling corks—and it will easily reward a decade or more of aging. Composed of a barrel selection sourced 70% from McDougall Ranch and 30% from Kings Ridge Vineyard, with 30% whole-cluster fermentation in stainless steel, native primary and malolactic fermentations, and 16 days on skins. Salty Goats is passion of Nickel & Nickel's Joe Harden and Phil Holbrook (who were mentored by Thomas Rivers Brown). The wines are made at TRB's Mending Wall facility, sourcing grapes from organically farmed vineyards on the West Sonoma Coast and in Napa Valley.

From Durell Vineyard. The sandhill at the top of this site isn’t sand at all but diatomaceous earth, and Gaffner works with three clones planted there: Wente, See, and Rued. The nose is intensely mineral, with a chalky edge, salted Marcona almonds, flinty notes, and well-measured toasty oak spice. The palate has real depth and flavor, showing apricot, white peach, pear, and yellow apple, all carried by a saline-toned minerality. A touch of lemon-cream lift comes through on the finish, a hallmark of Gaffner’s long, slow, cool fermentation with malolactic completing later.

Sourced from two sections of Gap’s Crown—one higher on the slope and one lower in elevation. Incredibly floral and bright, with red berry fruit, rich baking spices and cherry pie notes. Medium-bodied on the palate yet delivering impressive depth of flavor, with a saline-acid brightness that feels both enticing and sumptuous. Totally captivating—you can’t help but finish the entire bottle in one sitting.

Sangiacomo’s Green Acres Hill Vineyard in Carneros, planted entirely to Wente clone, yields a highly aromatic Chardonnay with a lift of lemon-cream foam that expands across the palate. Subtle tropical fruit richness and a thread of apricot follow, joined by beautifully integrated cedarwood and a clean, wet-slate minerality. The finish is laser-focused and long. A super expressive, multidimensional wine from winemaker Jeff Gaffner.

Swan, 777, 415 and 828 clones are all co-fermented here, and it’s off to the races. Ferrington has two distinct sections: an older, virus-affected block, and newer plantings of Pommard and 828. The wine shows more mid-palate weight and generosity, with dark berry fruit, fig notes, black tea and loamy earth. A building richness is neatly framed by a cool freshness from the firm acid backbone, with lingering brown baking spices on the finish. Energetic, layered and delicious.

The Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay from Jeff Gaffner is wonderfully fragrant, zesty and fresh—exactly as Hyde is meant to be. Pure citrus notes rise from the glass, nuanced by white-flower aromatics and crushed-almond accents, all embraced by sumptuous, well-integrated oak spice. The medium-bodied palate builds both richness and volume before giving way to a host of saline, rocky mineral characters that carry the wine through a long, invigorating finish.

Holy Zinfandel—this is honestly one of the tastiest Zins I’ve sampled in years. Kudos to Jeff Gaffner (winemaker and dad to Jason and Tyler, the ‘Fighting Brothers’), though the real triumph here is the internal balancing act: blending the many personalities of Zinfandel into a wine that feels wholly complete and seamless. Even at 15% alcohol, it tastes cool, balanced and refined. Classic red-berry Zin fruit lifts from the glass, while the core delivers fantastic concentration of mixed-berry and brambly-spiced flavors. Suave, seductive and silky, it envelops the palate and finishes with savory-spice nuances. A joyful, soulful wine.

Such an alluring nose of anise, fennel, and lemon cream and French pastry, apricot jam and flinty minerals, all coming together on the palate framed by richer tropical notes of grilled pineapple, and white peach, with butterscotch cream and lemon zest, supported by zingy acid tension and a toasty oak finish. This Roberts Road Vineyard Chardonnay from Jeff Ganer is one of the more richer styles of Chardonnay he produces, and if you love that style this is your bag baby.

A beautifully crafted and refined Pinot Noir from this iconic producer, the Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir was aged in 100% Burgundian French oak barrels (28% new, 72% used). It’s pure California Pinot at its best, showcasing perfectly ripe cherry and raspberry fruit accented by smoky cherrywood and clove. The tannins are soft, round, and supple, balanced by tangy blood orange acidity, and the finish lingers gracefully with notes of dusty rose and warm brown spice that's utterly enticing. James Hall of Patz & Hall has over 35 years of experience working with some of California’s most acclaimed grape growers, focusing on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

This 100% Chardonnay was aged for 10 months in 17% new Burgundian French oak barrels. A timeless, reliable classic—not just in reputation but in quality—this wine perfectly captures the balance of California richness and coastal brightness. It’s lemony and plush, with buttered brioche notes and a creamy, mouth-filling mid-palate that’s hard to resist, finishing with warm brown spices and lingering lemon oil accents. James Hall of Patz & Hall has over 35 years of experience working with some of California’s most acclaimed grape growers, focusing on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

Polished, seamless, endlessly delicious—you’ll find yourself wondering, Why haven’t I been drinking this my entire life? And you’d be right to ask. This blend of 70% Zinfandel, 18% Carignane, 9% Petite Sirah, and 3% Alicante Bouschet brings together grapes you may not know—or be able to pronounce—but together they create a harmonious red bursting with blue and black fruit, wrapped in a warm blanket of brown-spiced oak. Full-bodied, juicy, and sumptuous, it’s packed with flavor in the most irresistible way. Crafted entirely in air-dried American oak barrels (15% new, 10% one-year-old, 10% two-year-old, 30% three-year-old, and 35% four-year-old), this wine has been produced continuously since 1966, making it Ridge’s longest-running Zinfandel. The grapes are grown in three adjoining vineyards on a single soil type—an ancient Russian River washout layered with river stone and gravel. Ridge has been a Sonoma institution since 1962, known for its single-vineyard winemaking. COO & Head Winemaker John Olney is accompanied in the cellar by Shauna Rosenblum (formerly of Rock Wall Wine Company and daughter of iconic winemaker Kent Rosenblum), focusing on Lytton Springs.

Ridge’s Pagani Ranch Zinfandel was aged in air-dried American oak barrels, mostly used. The grapes were destemmed and crushed, with natural primary and malolactic fermentations, and pumped over a floating cap. The result is a savory, aromatic red offering mixed berry fruit, cedarwood, and sagebrush notes. On the palate, crunchy red fruit and apple-skin tannins mingle with underbrush and zesty blood orange acidity that’s lively, even slightly prickly, leading to a finish marked by building tannins and red-toned fruit nuanced by crushed cocoa nibs. Since 1991, Ridge has produced Zinfandel from the historic Pagani Vineyard on the western side of Sonoma Valley, where the majority of vines are between 90 and 120 years old, with some blocks replanted between 2013 and 2018. Ridge has been a Sonoma institution since 1962, known for its single-vineyard winemaking. COO & Head Winemaker John Olney is accompanied in the cellar by Shauna Rosenblum (formerly of Rock Wall Wine Company and daughter of iconic winemaker Kent Rosenblum), focusing on Lytton Springs.

This wine stands out for its elegance and plush texture—one of the softer, more inviting offerings among the four Ridge wines I tasted on a cool Sonoma day in October 2025. Aromatically fine-tuned to red berry fruit and delicate cedarwood spice, it reveals subtle undercurrents of vanilla and shaved coconut. The palate is supple and blue-fruited, juicy and irresistible, with nuances of citrusy acidity, orange peel, and crushed cacao nib intensity carrying through the full-bodied finish. Sourced from a 19th-century Zinfandel vineyard planted in alluvial loam and clay soils at 500 feet of elevation, the centerpiece of the St. Peter’s Church Vineyard still holds original Zinfandel vines planted in the 1880s—believed to be the oldest Zinfandel vines associated with a church in the United States. Fruit from this vineyard was once used by Kent Rosenblum—founder of Rosenblum Cellars and father of current Ridge winemaker Shauna Rosenblum. The vineyard’s namesake clone of Zinfandel later became the foundational planting for nearly all vines in the mountainous 160-acre Rockpile AVA. Ridge has been a Sonoma institution since 1962, known for its single-vineyard winemaking. COO & Head Winemaker John Olney is accompanied in the cellar by Shauna Rosenblum (formerly of Rock Wall Wine Company), focusing on Lytton Springs.

Roth’s winemaker is Henry de Lambert. The grapes are fermented in stainless steel and aged for 14 months in a mix of 50% French and 50% American oak, with 10% new. As a result, there’s a noticeable dose of barrel tannin that brings grip to the palate, along with tobacco and cedarwood notes. Cherry and plum fruit follow, joined by leather spice, cassis, and a touch of cocoa powder on the finish. This wine needs some time in bottle for the tannins to integrate more fully; once they do, the fruit should shine through more clearly.

Primarily sourced from the Chalk Hill Estate, this wine is made at the estate winery, fermented in stainless steel, and aged 24 months in 67% new French oak and 10% American oak. It’s plump and juicy, packed with blackberry and black-raspberry fruit, spiced plums, violets, and rose-petal nuances. Sweet spices frame the palate, supported by rich, velvety tannins that resolve with a cocoa-powder character.

This Coastline Project Pinot Noir is a dark-fruited powerhouse, showcasing the ripe, soaring tannins characteristic of fruit grown in the extreme coastal zones of the Sonoma Coast. It bursts with dark cherry and plum fruit, framed by red apple-skin tannins and mineral nuances that shine through the dark core—wet river stone, slate, and a touch of violet. On the palate, subtle blue fruit tones emerge beneath the grip of those firm tannins, adding depth and intrigue. I’m inclined to think these 2024s will age longer than the dazzling 2023s; there’s more heft and power here, making it worth holding until at least 2026 before pulling a cork. Sourced from organically farmed vineyards along the West Sonoma Coast and Sonoma Coast AVA—including McDougall Ranch and Kings Ridge (Fort Ross–Seaview), Fociñni (Petaluma Gap), and Lucky Well (Occidental)—this wine blends clones 114, Calera, Schoolhouse, Pommard, and La Tâche. With 30% whole-cluster fermentation in stainless steel using native yeasts and native malolactic conversion, the wine spent 15 days on the skins. Salty Goats is passion of Nickel & Nickel's Joe Harden and Phil Holbrook (who were mentored by Thomas Rivers Brown). The wines are made at TRB's Mending Wall facility, sourcing grapes from organically farmed vineyards on the West Sonoma Coast and in Napa Valley.

A ripe-fruited Pinot Noir showing bold charred oak notes, hints of underbrush, and high-toned acidity. The palate is supple and juicy, with dark berry fruit and spice on a medium- to full-bodied frame. This 100% Pinot Noir is made from Certified Organic grapes (115 and Calera clones) farmed biodynamically, fermented with natural yeasts, and aged for 17 months in 20% new French oak before being bottled unfiltered. Panther Ridge Vineyard sits on a seven-acre ridge on the western slope of Sonoma Mountain in the Petaluma Gap. Most of their fruit is sold to boutique wineries, with a small quantity of wine made under their own Panther Ridge label in collaboration with winemaker Adrian Manspeaker (of Joseph Jewell Wines).

The wines from Papapietro are deceptively light in appearance—almost tawny-orange in the glass—yet deeply flavorful and complex. This Pinot Noir is loaded with ripe red cherry fruit layered with notes of black tea, bay laurel, bay leaf, and underbrush, creating sumptuous depth and remarkable complexity for such a young wine. It’s thoroughly enjoyable to drink and begs to be paired with a long, indulgent meal. Sourced from Peters Vineyard west of Sebastopol, it’s made from Pommard, 115, and 777 clones and aged for 11 months in 50% new French oak. Owned by Renae Perry and Ben and Yolanda Papapietro, and located in Healdsburg, Papapietro Perry Winery specializes in small-lot wines, sourced via long-held relationships with a handful of top local growers.

This single-clone Pinot Noir comes from the Leras, Bucher, and Peters vineyards in the Russian River Valley and was aged for 11 months in 80% new French oak. Light ruby with orange hues in the glass, it offers fragrant aromas of red cherry, Earl Grey tea, and a spicy, woody note that carries through on the medium-bodied palate. Tart cherry fruit, incense, and earth define the finish. It’s a beautifully structured wine that could almost be mistaken for a young Burgundy from Chambertin—*almost*—but its vibrant California character shines through. Owned by Renae Perry and Ben and Yolanda Papapietro, and located in Healdsburg, Papapietro Perry Winery specializes in small-lot wines, sourced via long-held relationships with a handful of top local growers.

The 2023 Chardonnay comes from Peters Vineyard, located just west of Sebastopol in the Russian River Valley. Barrel-fermented and aged for 11 months in 50% new French oak, it’s a richly expressive yet balanced wine. Bright acidity keeps the richer aromas and flavors—lemon, lemon curd, fennel seed, vanilla, and buttered croissant—lively and fresh. The creamy mid-palate tapers into a bone-dry finish with a lingering toasty oak note that’s undeniably sumptuous. Owned by Renae Perry and Ben and Yolanda Papapietro, and located in Healdsburg, Papapietro Perry Winery specializes in small-lot wines, sourced via long-held relationships with a handful of top local growers.

Papapietro’s Zinfandel is sourced from two well-established vineyards in the heart of Dry Creek Valley—Pauline’s Vineyard and Tiber Crest Farms—and aged for 15 months in two- and three-year-old French oak barrels. It bursts with blue-fruited fireworks, cola notes, and a hint of underbrush and sage, building on the medium-bodied palate with zesty blood orange acidity. The finish is long and lingering, echoing with more cola and spice. Owned by Renae Perry and Ben and Yolanda Papapietro, and located in Healdsburg, Papapietro Perry Winery specializes in small-lot wines, sourced via long-held relationships with a handful of top local growers.

From the Leras Family Vineyard, where vines have been rooted since the 1980s, this Pinot Noir is a blend of Pommard, Beringer Heritage, 115, 667, and 777 clones, aged for 11 months in 50% new French oak. It’s a ripe, expressive wine, showing cherry compote, espresso, and toffee nuances alongside a touch of bay leaf. Tart acidity and firm tannins frame the palate, with a slightly drying finish that makes it a perfect match for food—spicy braised pork tacos would be ideal. Owned by Renae Perry and Ben and Yolanda Papapietro, and located in Healdsburg, Papapietro Perry Winery specializes in small-lot wines, sourced via long-held relationships with a handful of top local growers.

You could almost guess Gap’s Crown just by looking at it—the deep ruby hue with regal crimson tones gives it away. Wines from this site tend to show that noble color, and this medium- to full-bodied Pinot Noir follows suit with deeply concentrated mulberry and cherry fruit, creamy soft texture, and bold aromatics of Asian spice. Subtle notes of dried fig and elegant cedarwood frame the finish. Aged in 46% new French oak with the remainder in neutral barrels, it’s a powerful yet supple Pinot Noir—richly flavored, beautifully balanced, and one 2022 Gap’s Crown bottling you’ll definitely want to stockpile. James Hall of Patz & Hall has over 35 years of experience working with some of California’s most acclaimed grape growers, focusing on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

A mix of Hyde-Wente, Robert Young, and Rued clones, this 100% Chardonnay was aged for 17 months on primary lees in Burgundian French oak barrels, 22% of which were new. It’s a beautifully rich, finely balanced Chardonnay with a silky, satiny texture and deeply layered flavors of lemon, brown butter, and lemon pastry. Elegant oak notes are seamlessly integrated, creating a harmonious and boldly expressive wine that’s an absolute joy to drink. James Hall of Patz & Hall has over 35 years of experience working with some of California’s most acclaimed grape growers, focusing on Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

This 100% Pinot Noir is made from Certified Organic grapes (Calera clone) farmed biodynamically, fermented with natural yeasts, and aged for 16 months in 50% new French oak before being bottled unfiltered. In the same pocket as the non-reserve Pinot Noir, this Reserve bottling is bolder, with darker cherry and blackberry fruit and more pronounced, grippy tannins that lend a chewy texture. Smoky clove and zesty mineral notes add nuance, but this is no Pinot for the faint of heart—it’s muscular, brawny, and unapologetically bold. When you pour it for friends and family, be sure to quote the movie Anchorman: “It’s made from real bits of panther, so you know it’s good.” Panther Ridge Vineyard sits on a seven-acre ridge on the western slope of Sonoma Mountain in the Petaluma Gap. Most of their fruit is sold to boutique wineries, with a small quantity of wine made under their own Panther Ridge label in collaboration with winemaker Adrian Manspeaker (of Joseph Jewell Wines).

Panther Ridge’s 100% Pinot Noir is made from Certified Organic grapes (115 and Calera clones) farmed biodynamically, fermented with native yeasts, and aged for 16 months in 50% new French oak before being bottled unfiltered. It’s a highly drinkable yet finely structured Pinot Noir, brimming with cherry fruit, elegant cedarwood, and brown baking spices. Firm tannins have the kind of grip you get after biting into a crunchy red apple, leading to a finish layered with smoky clove and earthy minerality. Promise me that when you pour this wine for friends and family, you’ll quote the movie Anchorman: “It’s made from real bits of panther, so you know it’s good.” Panther Ridge Vineyard sits on a seven-acre ridge on the western slope of Sonoma Mountain in the Petaluma Gap. Most of their fruit is sold to boutique wineries, with a small quantity of wine made under their own Panther Ridge label in collaboration with winemaker Adrian Manspeaker (of Joseph Jewell Wines).

Marchelle’s Estate Pinot Noir is a barrel selection from their Harmony Lane Vineyard, located about 3 kilometers east of Occidental near Harrison Grade Road. Planted to Dijon 777, 115, and 667 clones, the wine was aged for 30 months in 75% new French oak barrels, resulting in a bold, robust expression of Pinot Noir. Red cherry and plum fruit are laced with cedarwood spice and lifted by a high-toned slate-stone minerality. The mid-palate brings darker cherry notes and firm, structured tannins, while a touch of volatile acidity adds a glossy lift and tart edge to the finish. Future vintages might benefit from less time in oak to preserve freshness, but as it stands, this is a juicy, richly textured, and enticing wine. Founded in 2021, Marchelle is a collaboration between winemaker Greg La Follette and co-founder Kevin Lee (a Silicon Valley brand builder turned vintner), named in honor of their wives (Mara and Michelle).

This 100% Chardonnay was made with native yeasts, whole-cluster pressed, and aged for 19 months in 20% new French oak. Sourced from Lorenzo Vineyard—a site planted in 1973 and renowned for its naturally rich fruit, minerality, and vibrant acidity—the wine is generous and toasty, with a creamy, buttery texture. Wet stone minerality provides restraint and lift on the palate before the wine builds again in intensity, finishing long and bold with lingering notes of butterscotch. Founded in 2021, Marchelle is a collaboration between winemaker Greg La Follette and co-founder Kevin Lee (a Silicon Valley brand builder turned vintner), named in honor of their wives (Mara and Michelle).

From Calesa Vineyard, this fruit is night-picked, whole-cluster pressed, given a two-day settle, then treated with a small sulphur adjustment before native-yeast fermentation. Some lots undergo native malolactic fermentation. Bâtonnage begins with more frequent stirring and tapers as the wine ages for 15 months in roughly 30% new French oak. It is bottled unfiltered and unfined.This is a very special Chardonnay from this site, made by Kirk Venge. It is super fragrant, with gorgeous citrus peel, impressive stony mineral tension, white flowers and beautifully integrated cedar spices, all carried by tremendous verve and tension.

The was my favorite of the Panther Ridge wines I tasted during a day spent tasting Sonoma wines with the Sonoma County Vintners. It’s a captivating Pinot Noir—and after sampling nearly 200 wines over a few days, it stood out for its bright cherry fruit, seamlessly integrated cherrywood nuances, vanilla-amberwood incense, and soft, supple tannins balanced by graceful, well-woven acidity. Complex yet effortless to drink, it’s both refined and delicious. This 100% Pinot Noir is made from Certified Organic grapes (115 clone) farmed biodynamically, fermented with natural yeasts, and aged for 16 months in neutral French oak before being bottled unfiltered. Panther Ridge Vineyard sits on a seven-acre ridge on the western slope of Sonoma Mountain in the Petaluma Gap. Most of their fruit is sold to boutique wineries, with a small quantity of wine made under their own Panther Ridge label in collaboration with winemaker Adrian Manspeaker (of Joseph Jewell Wines).

From the Lytton Annapolis Vineyard in the West Sonoma Coast AVA. This Pinot opens with blood orange and clove, cherry and strawberry, and a touch of earth, soy, and black-truffle umami. Medium-bodied with velvety tannins, juicy acidity, and a fine, woodsy, earthy finish. Lingering, long, and full-flavored.

Fermented and aged in stainless steel, concrete egg and neutral French oak, this wine was aged sur lees and did not undergo malolactic fermentation. As such, it is super bright and zesty, though you’d be hard-pressed to guess there’s no malo, as it shows real richness and depth — perhaps thanks to the Old Wente clones. Citrus fruit, white flowers, beeswax and vanilla unfold with great length and lovely wet-stone mineral tension. Really lovely.

Clone 777 from Fort Ross–Seaview, with just five barrels produced — about 125 cases. Aged 22 months in 40% new French oak. The wine shows red cherry and strawberry fruit with leather and tobacco notes, touches of caramel, and a good stony mineral intensity accented by a hint of salinity. Grapefruit zest and tangerine peel bring lift, while darker tones of mulberry, fig paste, and cherry cola deepen the mid-palate. Cocoa-powder tannins frame the finish. For all the fruit sweetness, this is a Cabernet-lover’s Merlot with balanced tension.

MacLaren’s Pinot Noir is sourced from three vineyards in the Russian River Valley. Predominantly Clone 667, blended with small amounts of Calera and Pommard, the wine was fermented with native yeast and aged for 12 months in 100% neutral French oak. It’s a textural wine, shifting from velvety to slightly granular, with notes of cherry cola, fine cedarwood, and redwood forest floor—loamy earth and red bark giving it a brighter kind of earthy complexity that will be instantly familiar to anyone who’s hiked through Marin County or Muir Woods. Founded in 2007, MacLaren, a family-owned boutique winery, produces less than 1,500 cases per year. Winemaker Steve Law, inspired by his time in France, sources fruit from Russian River Valley and Bennett Valley vineyards.

MacLaren’s Heather Pinot Noir comes from Zeka Vineyard in Bennett Valley, Sonoma County. The Pommard, Calera, and 667 clones were fermented with native yeast and aged for 12 months in 100% neutral French oak. The wine is captivating from the start, opening with candied red cherry before revealing briny salinity and savory charcuterie notes. Red florals, leather, vanilla, and strawberry compote add expressive layers on the palate, while the finish is lightly salty and spiced. Founded in 2007, MacLaren, a family-owned boutique winery, produces less than 1,500 cases per year. Winemaker Steve Law, inspired by his time in France, sources fruit from Russian River Valley and Bennett Valley vineyards.

This Pinot Noir comes from Bush Vineyard in the Green Valley subregion of the Russian River Valley. The Swan and Calera clones were fermented with native yeast and aged for 12 months in 100% neutral French oak. The result is a meaty, red-fruited, bold, and muscular Pinot Noir infused with notes of leather, tobacco, and fine cherry wood, layered with deep forest underbrush and black tea tannins that are fine and focused on the dry, slightly saline finish. Founded in 2007, MacLaren, a family-owned boutique winery, produces less than 1,500 cases per year. Winemaker Steve Law, inspired by his time in France, sources fruit from Russian River Valley and Bennett Valley vineyards.

You’ll love everything about this wine—from its elegant red berry fruit and fine brown baking spice notes to its silky, satiny, and plush texture that immediately draws you in. That smooth character makes it dangerously easy to drink, yet it never feels too soft thanks to a lively backbone of juicy acidity that keeps it fresh and vibrant. Made from 100% Zinfandel sourced from Jim Rickards Vineyard, where dry-farmed vines date back to 1908, the wine was fermented with native yeasts and aged for 19 months in 100% neutral oak. Founded in 2021, Marchelle is a collaboration between winemaker Greg La Follette and co-founder Kevin Lee (a Silicon Valley brand builder turned vintner), named in honor of their wives (Mara and Michelle).

Like a delicate glass sculpture you’d bring home from Italy, this is a beautifully refined and graceful wine, offering red berry fruit nuanced by cherry wood smoke and incense. Medium-bodied, it’s framed by fine black tea tannins and lifted by blood orange acidity, while notes of underbrush and earth carry through the enticing finish. Composed of 90% Pinot Noir and 10% Pinot Meunier sourced from Van der Kamp Vineyard on Sonoma Mountain, the Pinot Meunier was crafted using 100% whole-cluster and carbonic maceration. The wine was aged for 11 months in 25% new French oak barrels. Founded in 2021, Marchelle is a collaboration between winemaker Greg La Follette and co-founder Kevin Lee (a Silicon Valley brand builder turned vintner), named in honor of their wives (Mara and Michelle).

This Pinot Noir is a blend of clones 2A, 115, 667, and Pommard from Baer Vineyard, along with Clone 777 from Gap’s Crown Vineyard. It’s fermented in stainless steel and aged for ten months in a 38-hectoliter cask. Co-owner Tony Lombardi also runs a charity, Hilinski’s Hope, which focuses on raising awareness around mental health in young athletes. The wine is incredibly zesty and floral, with notes of blood orange and grapefruit zest, rich cocoa nibs, and clove spice. Everything comes together in a full-flavored, medium-bodied expression with a velvety finish.

This was the last of about 200 wines I tasted from Sonoma over two days—and what a standout. It’s a fabulous Syrah, the nose bursting with baked fruit and charcuterie notes, candied violets, and a Rhône Valley–like flair, all nuanced by white pepper and an irresistible minty freshness. Full on the palate, it offers round, supple tannins and rich fig fruit wrapped in dark salted chocolate, building with intensity and wild herb complexity through the long, drawn-out finish. What a terrific wine.

Longboard’s 2023 Russian River Valley Rochioli Vineyard Chardonnay is 100% Clone 76, native fermented, and aged on the lees for six months before being bottled unfined. It’s noticeably crisper and more fruit-driven than the 2024 vintage, offering bright notes of lemon, lemon peel, lime blossom, tangerine oil, and chamomile. Like the 2024, it’s full-bodied and full-flavored, brimming with lemon curd and tropical fruit, showing fine concentration and balance. A lingering thread of salinity and subtle toasty oak spice rounds out the finish.

The Rodgers Creek Syrah delivers layers of blackberry, dark walnut husk, black olive, dried violet, and black truffle–charcuterie character. Medium-bodied and supple, it shows vibrant, high-toned acidity and burly tannins that gradually take on a velvety feel. The finish is long, refined, and lightly citrusy.

Longboard’s 2024 Russian River Valley Rochioli Vineyard Chardonnay is 100% Clone 76, native fermented, and aged on the lees for six months before being bottled unfined. It opens with a wonderfully rich nose of lemon oil, anise, and tarragon, layered with smoky, toasty oak spice. Full-bodied and deeply flavored, it’s packed with charred pineapple, apricot, and lemon curd, showing impressive depth and concentration. Bold and unapologetically rich, it lingers with a savory, spiced finish.

This is a meaty, savory-driven Pinot Noir with brawny tannins and crisp, apple-like acidity. Intriguing walnut husk notes, leather, and tobacco underscore a core of cherry and blackberry fruit, while hints of Earl Grey tea, dried flowers, and a touch of black truffle–charcuterie complexity add depth. The finish is taut and tangy.

This is a crunchy, bright and vivid Chardonnay, with elegant lemon and lime fruit, under-ripe white peach, apricot and green apple — a sort of fruit salad, yet wonderfully vivid and refreshing. The mid-palate is rounded with good depth of apricot flavor and richly integrated cedarwood notes. The oak is never obvious; it is more structural than overt. The 2023 Lucie Chardonnay comes from Sun Chase Vineyard, Block 7 — a steep, north-west-facing site. The fruit is night-picked, whole-cluster pressed, given a two-day settle, then treated with a small sulfur adjustment before native-yeast fermentation. Some lots undergo native malolactic fermentation. Bâtonnage begins with more frequent stirring and tapers as the wines age for 15 months in roughly 40% new French oak. The wine is bottled unfiltered and unfined.

The 2022 Estate Cuvée is a blend of 66% Zinfandel, 25% Syrah, and 9% Petite Sirah, aged for 20 months in French oak with 15% once-used barrels. Full-bodied and luscious, it brims with mulberry fruit, candied cherries, and blue fruit compote, laced with Christmas spice and lifted by purple floral aromatics. The wine evokes the memory of a grape-flavored lollipop I used to get as a kid while waiting for hot dogs from an old-fashioned truck in my hometown in upstate New York—a true nostalgic throwback. Juicy, balanced, and powerful, it just might send you back in time too. Limerick Lane Cellars is a family-owned winery on a 53-acre Russian River Valley estate, with vineyards dating back to 1910.

The 2022 1910 Block Zinfandel is sourced exclusively from the winery’s historic 1910 Block and aged for 20 months in French oak (15% once-used), honoring the profound depth and legacy of this vineyard. This is a heartier Zinfandel with high-toned acidity that edges toward volatility but remains intriguing, layered with bay laurel and sage. Full-bodied and creamy yet marked by crisp, tart acidity, it’s a wine worth exploring on its own—and even better when used to add lift and complexity to hearty stews or red wine sauces. It will be fascinating to see where this goes in 2023, a cooler growing season that proved far more favorable across the board. Limerick Lane Cellars is a family-owned winery on a 53-acre Russian River Valley estate, with vineyards dating back to 1910.

The Baer Vineyard Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley is fermented and aged entirely in terracotta amphora for ten months. Crafted by winemaker Cabell Coursey, it shows wonderfully crisp aromatics—apple skin, a touch of beeswax, Marcona almond, and a hint of sea spray. The texture is velvety with a subtle, almost tannic grip. The palate delivers a deep, flavorful expression of apple, pear, and dried apricot, with a firm hold through the mid-palate and plenty of length on the finish.

The Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir, Clone 777, is fermented in stainless steel and aged for ten months in Atelier and François Frères barrels. It’s notably floral, with perfumed rose-petal aromas, blood orange, cherry, and cranberry fruit, accented by bright clove and a subtle touch of white pepper. The wine shows plenty of freshness, tension, and energy. The fruit comes from Block 9, Tony Lombardi notes—a lower section of Gap’s Crown near the barn, where temperatures run significantly cooler than the upper blocks. This is a lovely expression of Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir, offering excellent fruit density balanced by remarkable freshness.

The Lombardi Russian River Valley Chardonnay is sourced entirely from Baer Vineyard in 2023. It’s fully barrel-fermented in French oak and aged for ten months in a mix of 65% Atelier and François Frères barrels and 35% stainless-steel drums. The wine is focused and precise, with citrus and white-flower aromatics, candied quince, and pretty cedarwood notes. Crisp and tension-driven on the medium-bodied palate.

This Clone 15 Chardonnay comes from Baer Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. The fruit is pressed off the skins quickly, then fermented in a mix of stainless steel and French oak, with very little new wood, and aged for ten months in Atelier and François Frères barrels. The wine shows vivid aromatics of candied ginger and elegant cedarwood, building into green apple and pear with a squeeze of lemon. Satiny textures and a well-balanced line of tension frame the palate. Crafted by winemaker Cabell Coursey and owned by Christine and Tony Lombardi.

This 2023 Pinot Noir comes from Baer Vineyard. Clones 2A, 115, 667, and Pommard were fermented in stainless steel and aged for 10 months in a 38-hectoliter cask. It opens with a deeply savory nose—black olives, saddle leather, loamy earth, dried rose petals, and espresso bean. The palate shifts toward spiced plums and cherry fruit, carried by a savory mineral thread that lingers on the long finish.

The Baer Vineyard Pinot Noir comes from clones 2A, 115, 667, and Pommard. It’s fermented in stainless steel and tank, then aged for ten months in neutral Atelier Centre Medium Toast and François Frères barrels. The wine shows a ripe, rich-fruited intensity with real muscularity—a savory streak of charcuterie and olive tapenade running beneath the ripe cherry and candied-cherry fruit. Fragrant cedarwood spice lifts the aromatics, and the palate finishes long with a mineral edge. A deeply savory expression in 2023.

From the first pour, it’s clear that the 2022 Monte Rosso Zinfandel is a more elegant expression of the variety. It shimmers a medium ruby color and hits all the marks of a classic Zinfandel from a warmer, challenging year. Structured, firm tannins support a strawberry-cherry-infused core layered with brown baking spices, clove, and crushed volcanic stone minerality. Sourced from the legendary Monte Rosso Vineyard in Sonoma’s Moon Mountain District, perched at 1,300 feet, and aged for 17 months in oak (20% once-used). Elegant Zinfandel through and through. Limerick Lane Cellars is a family-owned winery on a 53-acre Russian River Valley estate, with vineyards dating back to 1910.

Limerick Lane’s 2022 Russian River Zinfandel—their flagship wine—is a blend of Limerick Lane Estate fruit (74%), Maffei (12%), Banfield (12%), and Monte Rosso (2%). Aged for 11 months in neutral French oak, it delivers a wonderfully fresh and captivating expression of Zinfandel in the challenging, warm 2022 growing season. Medium- to full-bodied, it exudes crunchy red fruit and a pretty floral bouquet of dusty rose, accented by fine cedarwood and supple tannins that create a velvety texture. The finish is zesty and acid-driven, leaving a lively impression. Limerick Lane Cellars is a family-owned winery on a 53-acre Russian River Valley estate, with vineyards dating back to 1910.

The 2022 Marquis Zinfandel marries Limerick Lane Estate fruit (40%) with Zinfandel from the legendary Monte Rosso, heritage Bedrock, Banfield, and classic Maffei vineyards. Aged for 19 months in French oak (10% new), it stands in contrast to the Estate Cuvée—more focused, linear, and lighter on its feet. The wine showcases red-toned fruits and mild Indian spices with a satiny fruit profile and velvety texture that sweeps you up on the finish and beckons another sip. Limerick Lane Cellars is a family-owned winery on a 53-acre Russian River Valley estate, with vineyards dating back to 1910.

The 2024 Pinot Gris is sourced entirely from the winery’s Hop Kiln Estate Vineyard on Westside Road. Whole-cluster-pressed and cold-fermented in stainless steel, it bursts forth with tropical fruit notes of white peach and lychee, while a creamier mid-palate brings balance to the chalky mineral finish.

"Counterpoint" combines 75% Laurel Glen Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon with 25% Pickberry Vineyard Merlot, aged for 20 months in 40% new French oak. It’s a ripe, mulberry-infused red layered with Asian spice and purple florals, delivering a luxurious, velvety, and suave palate feel. Fine apple-skin tannins build toward a dry, graceful finish. Originally planted with 2 acres of Cabernet in 1968, Laurel Glen Vineyard was has been owned by Bettina Sichel since 2011. Organic farming is handled by Phil Cottuiri, with winemaker Randall Watkins leading the cellar.

This 100% Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from Hopkins River Ranch in the Russian River Valley and spent its entire life fermenting and aging in stainless steel—until you came along, poured it into your glass, and let it shine. It reveals fresh, crunchy orchard fruit, a squeeze of lemony citrus, and freshly picked white flowers, all carried by a zippy acid profile. The finish shows chalky minerality and warmer tropical and stone fruit tones that beautifully balance the crunchy Gravenstein apple character. Originally planted with 2 acres of Cabernet in 1968, Laurel Glen Vineyard was has been owned by Bettina Sichel since 2011. Organic farming is handled by Phil Cottuiri, with winemaker Randall Watkins leading the cellar.

A ripe, fully expressive Pinot Noir brimming with cherry fruit, layered baking spices and rich plum notes, supported by cola spice and a vibrant core of juicy acidity. The mid-palate is satiny, the finish pleasantly measured and clean. The Rayhill Vineyard lies in the newly recognized Sebastopol Hills district within the highly sought-after Russian River Valley appellation. Fermented 100% destemmed in small fermenters and punched down twice daily, then aged for 10 months in French oak (40% new).

Banana, white peach, pear, white flowers, and fragrant cedar wood lead the way in this balanced, medium-bodied Chardonnay, with the same fruit and cedar spice carrying through on the palate. It’s a pleasantly coaxing wine with a graceful mix of richness and lift. The Starr Ridge Vineyard is planted to the Montrachet selection (clone) of Chardonnay, prized for producing high-quality wines from its low-yielding grapes. The wine was whole-cluster pressed and barrel-fermented with native yeast, then aged for 13 months in French oak (30% new).

Packs a punch of butterscotch and toffee, crème brûlée, and candied peach rings, with a palate-coating, toasty richness that carries through the long, oak-kissed finish. This is no shy Chardonnay—bold, creamy, and unapologetically hedonistic—yet beneath all the luxurious oak, the ripe orchard and tropical-leaning Sangiacomo fruit still shines through. It’s not a wine for the Chardonnay faint of heart or for anyone seeking Chablis; this is Chassagne-Montrachet on steroids. The 2022 Sangiacomo Chardonnay is sourced from grapes grown at the Kiser Vineyard off Arnold Drive in the cool, windy Sonoma Carneros AVA, just north of San Pablo Bay. Whole-cluster pressed and barrel-fermented with native yeast, the wine was aged in French oak (35% new).

Located near the Laguna de Santa Rosa, the Lorenzo Vineyard is the coldest Chardonnay site from which Landmark sources fruit each vintage. Whole-cluster-pressed and barrel-fermented with native yeast, the wine is then aged for 14 months in 100% French oak (35% new). It boasts an impressively bold nose of overripe citrus, toasted almonds and custard, while the palate tightens with citrus-driven, saline mineral tension. The finish is expressive, carrying toasty and nutty notes that linger with real authority.

This ridge-top vineyard is fully exposed to the afternoon winds funneling in from the Pacific through the “gap,” a defining feature of the Petaluma Gap viticultural area. Whole-cluster-pressed and barrel-fermented with native yeast, the wine is aged for 14 months in French oak (33% new). One of the freshest whites I tasted from Landmark for my inaugural Sonoma Report on Cristaldi & Co., that brightness carries straight onto the palate. Lemon peel and lemon curd mingle with toasty oak spices, while candied ginger and poached, spiced pear drive the creamy mid-palate. The finish brings a wave of sea-spray minerality and a touch of tannic grip—likely a function of the thicker skins from this wind-lashed site—alongside cool wet-rock notes balanced by more decadent toasty-oak accents.

Picked in the second week of September, the base wine from this site is somewhat ironically among the last to come in. Made using the traditional method, unfiltered, with high lees contact, and aged en tirage in barrel for two years. Winemaker Julien Howsepian believes a shorter tirage suits his California-grown fruit, as ripeness comes naturally from the warm sunshine, while foot-treading and extended lees contact contribute the richness he wants. The wine shows wonderful depth and a saline–acid tension, with wet-stone character, bright citrus and orchard fruit, and warm baking spices adding richness through the mid-palate. The finish is long, lifted, and thoroughly enticing.

Fruit is entirely from the Lancaster Estate, fermented with native yeast in tank and aged 24 months in 100% new French oak. The wine is intensely fruit-driven, with raspberry and strawberry notes alongside warming baking spices, clove, plum skin, grapefruit zest, lavender, and rose stem. It’s super juicy on the palate with very soft, plump tannins and a cool wet-river-stone minerality. This is a porch-pounder of a wine in this vintage—which, at $130, is a good thing if you collect it. Let your more structured, “serious” vintages continue to age while you enjoy the heck out of this one.

Harvested from a truly landmark vineyard on coveted Westside Road in the Russian River Valley, characterized by three distinct soil types. Fermented 100% destemmed in one-ton fermenters and punched down twice daily, then aged for 10 months in French oak (40% new). This is the most polished, expressive and composed wine in the Landmark portfolio—a great wine, worthy of a collector’s cellar, and an equally impressive bottle to pull for friends and family. Juicy upfront dark-berry fruit, clove and allspice lead the charge, while polished tannins lend a supple feel to this dynamic Pinot Noir. Layers of white pepper, tangerine and grapefruit zest, blood-orange acidity and flashy Asian spices energize the beautifully creamy yet bright, refreshing finish.

A captivating nose of ripe cherry fruit, sagebrush, rosemary, thyme and lifted rosemary florals, with a touch of cocoa powder for added depth. The palate delivers excellent mid-palate concentration, with powdery, supple tannins—like the jelly of a doughnut, no holes here—sumptuous and fully filled out. Fermented in a mix of stainless steel, concrete and neutral oak with 6% whole cluster, then aged 16 months in 37% new French oak.

Fermented entirely in barrel with no whole cluster and aged for 12 months in 34% new French oak. Vineyard sources include Zio Tony, Lone Oak, Ritchie, Keefer Ranch, Bootlegger’s Hill, El Diablo, Charles Ranch, and Bob’s Ranch. The wine is incredibly rich and layered, with lemon peel, fresh lemon and ripe apple mingling with toasty oak spices, candied ginger and crushed almonds. A lovely saline minerality accents the palate. Medium to full-bodied with excellent mid-palate weight, it finishes quite crisp. Subtle notes of French pastry and oyster-shell minerality weave throughout. Truly captivating.

Whole clusters were pressed directly and the wine was 100% barrel-fermented, then aged for 12 months in 32% new French oak and a further 6 months in stainless steel before bottling. Sourced from the El Diablo Vineyard along the eastern rim of the Russian River Valley, this is a wonderfully precise white wine with tangerine oil, white peach, yellow apple and poached pear. The mid-palate is luscious, creamy and silky, revealing decadent French-pastry and buttered-croissant notes, followed by a fabulous sea-salt finish. There is more richness here than in past years—and it’s a welcome evolution. These wines are beautifully balanced; Julien Howsepian is doing excellent work.

Fermented in a mix of stainless steel, concrete and oak, then aged 17 months in 40% new French oak, a combination of wood cask, foudre and stainless steel, and blended just before bottling. This is a beautifully elegant wine with subtle brown spices and violets, showing pure cherry and strawberry fruit. Medium-bodied with velvety tannins, it supports all that ripe fruit, which turns darker-toned with an understated youthful poise. The length is tremendous, carrying brown baking-spice character along with candied ginger, smoked paprika and cocoa nibs on the finish.

One of the bolder, more concentrated wines in the 2023 lineup I tasted with Julien Howsepian in December 2025. It shows multidimensional acid tension that gives the wine excellent grip. Generous brown baking spices and darker fruit lend a muscular profile, while notes of dried rose petals and rosemary essence add aromatic lift. The tannins are polished and persistent on the finish.

The backbone of this wine is Gap’s Crown, blended with fruit from Marshall in the Sebastopol Hills, Pratt–Sexton, Crane Canyon, Thorn Ridge and Pepperwood. A mix of clones—667, Swan, 115, 114, 828, Dijon selections and Clone 23—fermented in stainless steel, concrete and oak, then aged 16 months in 40% new French oak. Absolutely gorgeous coastal florals lead the nose, intertwined with sea-spray minerality and wet stone. Crunchy dark berry fruit drives the palate, joined by savory spice notes reminiscent of a damp redwood grove, clove, scorched earth, tangerine peel and grapefruit zest. A subtle incense-like minerality carries through to the firm yet inviting finish.

An absolutely gorgeous, perfumed nose of rose petals and cranberry fruit lifted by warm brown baking spices. The aromatics are bold and expressive yet remain pure and incredibly fresh. The palate bursts with bright, layered, beautifully ripe fruit—cherry, raspberry and cranberry—accented by a touch of grapefruit zest, clove and allspice. A long, stony mineral note reminiscent of wet river stones carries the everlasting finish. This is totally lights-out fantastic. Sourced from exceptional vineyards including Bootlegger’s Hill, Giusti Ranch, Treehouse, Winner’s Circle, Zio Tony, Moonshine, Jenkins, Sundawg Ridge and Barron Ranch. Fermented in 55% stainless steel, 25% concrete and 20% oak, with 5% whole cluster. Aged 16 months in 40% new French oak, with some foudre and some stainless steel.

There’s a lot to love in this Chardonnay—it’s both generous in fruit and spice yet focused and racy on the palate, the best of both worlds for this variety. Rich lemon, lemon oil, and sea salt combine with a fleshy texture balanced by saline-driven acidity that sharpens the focus and brings tension. The finish deepens with sweet oak spice and candied lemon peel. Quite the compelling sipper from these folks. Owner and Winemaker Erik Miller founded Kokomo Winery in 2004 (named after his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana). Miller partnered with fourth-generation grower Randy Peters to craft wines from the Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valleys.

A lip-smacking, deeply flavorful Pinot Noir that builds beautifully in the glass with high-toned rose petal florals, ripe cherry, cherrywood smoke, and clove, all coming together seamlessly on a creamy palate. It finishes with a fine thread of cool wet slate and salinity, driven by vibrant tension and energy. Quite delicious. This 100% Pinot Noir is barrel-aged for 11 months in 30% new French oak and is primarily composed of Pommard and Wädenswil 2A clones. Owner and Winemaker Erik Miller founded Kokomo Winery in 2004 (named after his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana). Miller partnered with fourth generation grower Randy Peters to craft wines from the Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valleys.

Kokomo’s Cabernet Sauvignon was aged for 11 months in 20% new French oak. It delivers a fine, classic expression of the variety, leading with blackberry and black cherry layered over graphite minerality and elegant oak spice. Balanced and expressive, with a medium- to full-bodied profile that feels polished and complete. Well done—a solid showing. Owner and Winemaker Erik Miller founded Kokomo Winery in 2004 (named after his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana). Miller partnered with fourth generation grower Randy Peters to craft wines from the Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valleys.

This 100% Sauvignon Blanc is barrel-fermented in Acacia wood using natural yeast, with weekly lees stirring to enhance mid-palate creaminess. Bright and lemony with lime zest accents, white floral notes, and zesty acidity balanced by river stone minerality. A touch of fragrant baking spice adds subtle complexity. Easy-drinking and best enjoyed while preparing a big meal. Owner and Winemaker Erik Miller founded Kokomo Winery in 2004 (named after his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana). Miller partnered with fourth-generation grower Randy Peters to craft wines from the Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valleys.

Kokomo’s Zinfandel is a bold, robust, full-throttle expression of the grape, brimming with mulberry fruit, spiced plums, and fig jam, all melding together with fragrant Christmas spice and suave tannins that resolve through fine cedarwood accents. This wine is a field blend composed of Zinfandel with 5% Carignan, Alicante Bouschet, and Petite Sirah. Owner and Winemaker Erik Miller founded Kokomo Winery in 2004 (named after his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana). Miller partnered with fourth generation grower Randy Peters to craft wines from the Russian River, Dry Creek, and Alexander Valleys.

This is your Saturday-night wine—the power broker, the one that will impress you and your guests. Bold, aromatic and richly flavored, it shows incredibly velvety tannins and a cocoa-powder softness, with dark cherry fruit, raspberry spice and pomegranate nuances. A hefty framework of apple-skin tannin adds crisp yet fluffy texture, while a firm pinch of acidity brings crunchy tension. The fruit is dark, ripe, supple and beautifully layered, balancing everything out and making for a wonderfully expressive, impeccably balanced Pinot Noir. Fermented in a mix of concrete, stainless steel, oak and whole cluster, then aged 17 months in 38% new French oak.

For readers familiar with the Three Sticks expression of Gap’s Crown, this bottling shows the other side of the flavor coin. It’s a more focused, tension-driven take on the site—less fleshy, more mineral-layered and crunchy-fruited, yet still thoroughly delicious. A creamy core remains, with panna cotta–like vanilla notes, but here it’s framed by harmonious wet-stone minerality and that signature redwood-grove and clove spice. It hits all the classic Gap’s Crown markers, but with restraint and precision. Really impressive—and quite fabulous.

Sourced entirely from Hyde clone at the Bootlegger’s Hill Vineyard, whole-cluster pressed and 100% barrel-fermented, then aged 11 months in 33% new French oak followed by 7 months in stainless steel before bottling. The nose is super rich, showing lemon curd, apple, lemon peel, candied ginger and sea-spray minerality, with a kiss of vanilla and an ultra-salty wet-slate character. Ginger spice and candied lemon peel carry onto the palate, which has excellent mid-weight richness and a long, spice-driven finish. Totally captivating and delicious—beautifully balanced.

A half-and-half blend of Pommard and Clone 777 from Bacigalupi Vineyard. The nose leans fairly savory, with a heady dose of cedarwood spice and white pepper. There’s plenty of tannin grip and texture, with juicy fruit on the palate that — for me — could be a touch riper, but for those who prefer a leaner, more focused Pinot with cool wet–river–rock character, this will hit the spot.

The use of a white Burgundy yeast helps to bring out more crème brûlée notes. Fermented in barrel and aged sur lie with bâtonnage for 10 months in 25% new French oak. The wine is rich, with a buttery profile and notes of banana panna cotta and pineapple on the nose, along with vanilla, butterscotch, and candied ginger spice. Lemon-oil richness adds to the silky, buttery texture. And while it’s undeniably opulent, it still carries some brighter fruit on the palate to keep it lifted.

The wine offers dark berry fruit, woodsy aromatics, dark loamy earth, and espresso bean, with the Viognier adding a touch of floral lift. On the medium-bodied palate, more Syrah character comes through as blackberry, black cherry, and subtle charcuterie notes that intermingle with the woodsy tones on the finish. Roughly 4–5% Viognier is blended back before bottling.

The Kobler Family Vineyards Syrah builds out of the glass with a heady dose of cocoa-powder character, woody notes, and earth, all interwoven with dark berry fruit and dusty minerality. The tannins are crisp and crunchy, with juicy dark fruit on the palate and building structure that turns a bit drying toward the woodsy finish.

100% stainless-steel fermented and aged. This is the same fruit that once went to Donelan for their Viognier. Super aromatic, with white florals, jasmine, and honeysuckle, plus a hint of flinty minerality. The wine offers lemony accents, more florality, and a saline–acid brightness. It’s a bit leaner and racier than the Donelan versions, if you’re familiar with those. But this is exactly Mike Kobler’s focus — bringing more racy, focused, linear wines into the family’s portfolio — and this is a great example of that effort.

Little Boot Vineyard sits not far from Bootlegger’s Hill and spans about 7 acres. It’s also a source for Patz & Hall. Planted entirely to Calera Clone, the fruit is fermented in stainless steel, with some whole cluster, and aged 12 months in roughly 50% new French oak. The wine is super expressive, with crunchy red-berry fruit and vivid Chinese five-spice. Terrifically cool and precise, showing crunchy cherry, cranberry, and pomegranate-seed character alongside loamy earth notes and a graphite-like minerality on the zesty blood-orange finish.

This is 100% Pommard from Bootlegger’s Hill—a robust, rich and powerful red wine with classic Pommard character. Dark blue and black fruits lead, layered with elegant cedarwood notes and a full-bodied richness that builds across a velvety palate. There’s good energy and tension supporting the clone’s naturally richer profile, framed by a broad-shouldered tannin structure. Definitely one for the cellar.

From Bootlegger’s Hill Vineyard, this wine shows high-toned citrus fruit, cool stony minerality, and crushed sea-salt notes. It’s medium-bodied with absolutely racy acidity, offering lemon-peel freshness on the palate and a saline–acid richness. Cedarwood spice is well integrated, building into a subtle beeswax character, all carried by excellent freshness. Sourced from the Green Valley, where fog influence is strong and consistent.

Ellen Lane Vineyard is surrounded by forest, and the wine from this site shows a richer, rounder profile — toasty oak spices, ripe orchard and stone fruits, and a creamy generosity. Juicy, ripe pear and white-floral notes carry through on the finish. Entirely Hudson clone. Sheree and Brian Thornsberry are the co-founders who launched the brand in 2021, sourcing fruit from prime sites throughout the Russian River Valley. Both come from finance backgrounds, and their focus is on single-vineyard, single-clone bottlings. They hired Ashley Herzberg as winemaker from day one; she also makes wine for the Bacigalupi family, CAST, and Amista. Sheree tells me that she and her husband have traveled to wine regions around the world and fell in love with the lifestyle. Innumero is Latin for “above and beyond the number.” They produce just under 1,000 cases annually. The wines are sold almost entirely DTC, with a handful of placements in Healdsburg restaurants.

From the Sebastopol Vineyard. Fermented in barrel with 40% new French oak and partial malolactic fermentation; five barrels produced. The wine is light and bright, full of crunchy orchard-fruit character — white peach and apricot — with great mid-palate richness and a chalky mineral note that lingers on the lengthy finish.

Calesa Vineyard, Clone 115 — a Petaluma Gap site perched on a high plateau with northwest-facing slopes and soils flecked with gravel and quartz. This Pinot shows lovely black-tea and white-pepper notes, cherry fruit, and smoky minerality, with a luscious core that’s deeply saline-driven. Sage, green tobacco, and clove add complexity, all wrapped in zesty mineral tension. Full-bodied and richly textured, with black-tea tones shaping the tannins and a lingering, layered finish.

This rosé comes from the coldest spot on the property, between Forestville and Graton along Highway 116 in West Sonoma County—about ten miles west of Santa Rosa, perched on the ridge of the Green Valley. An old Victorian farmhouse sits on the site. The fruit is direct-pressed and fermented in stainless steel, and Mike Kobler took over winemaking in 2022. It’s a robust, full-throttle rosé—not for the faint of heart—with rich aromas of apricot and tangerine peel and a faint hint of bacon fat. The palate is fragrant and mid-weight, offering red-berry fruit layered with savory nuances. There’s good tension and energy, along with a long, deeply fruited finish. Mike’s grandfather retired to Dry Creek Valley in the early 1980s. An engineer by trade, he spent weekends putting young Mike to work in the vineyard whenever he came to visit. Mike went on to study economics and graduated in 2007—just in time for the 2008 market crash—so he pivoted into wine. Despite swearing he’d never enter the industry, he realized he liked the lifestyle, and his network of growers and winemakers proved invaluable. With help from his father, he built a business plan, and they dove in. They launched with a négociant model, and in 2011 produced their first wine from the family property. As Mike began asking around for grape contracts, the business grew steadily. His older brother, Brian Kobler, who had been a winemaker for 20 years, eventually came on board as well.

This 100% Pinot Noir is sourced from a collection of exceptional Sonoma vineyards, including Gap’s Crown, Lancel Creek, Terra de Promissio, and Durell. Aged for 10 months in 35% new French oak, the 2023 vintage marks the inaugural release of this wine—and what a debut it is. A Pinot Noir fireworks display of red cherry, clove, and mild Indian spices bursts across the palate, supported by firm, taut tannins with an iron edge, underscored by blood orange acidity and framed by a red floral and sweet-spice finish. Gary Farrell Winery has been a pioneer of the Russian River Valley wine scene for over 40 years.

This 100% Chardonnay comes from two blocks within the Rocchioli-Allen Vineyard, an iconic site planted just south of the Rochioli Vineyard. Aged for 10 months in 35% new French oak. It’s a full-throttle Chardonnay brimming with toasty brioche and salted lemon peel, layered with apricot, white peach, and charred pineapple on the palate. For all its richness, the wine retains excellent, cooling acidity—a hallmark of this exceptional site. Gary Farrell Winery has been a pioneer of the Russian River Valley wine scene for over 40 years.

This 100% Chardonnay is blended from several vineyard sources that highlight the diversity and depth of the Russian River Valley. Aged for 10 months on primary lees in 30% new French oak. It isn’t shy with its oak use, but it’s beautifully integrated. The wine opens with aromas that transport you to a French bakery—lavish butter croissant and toasty brioche notes abound. Beneath that lies a wealth of citrus, lemon oil, lemon curd, and crème brûlée, all adding a sense of sweetness before finishing crisp, bone-dry, and marked by a welcome saline acid tension. Gary Farrell Winery has been a pioneer of the Russian River Valley wine scene for over 40 years.

From Richard Dinner Vineyard, a site long sourced by Paul Hobbs. The berries here are tiny, and they deliver a great deal of concentration and richness. The higher percentage of new French oak brings everything into balance, folding in sweet French-pastry and buttered-brioche notes that culminate in a full-bodied richness on the palate and a long, toasty finish. All night-picked, whole-cluster pressed, given a two-day settle, then treated with a small sulfur adjustment before native-yeast fermentation. Some lots underwent native malolactic fermentation. Bâtonnage starts with more frequent stirring and tapers off as the wines age in roughly 60% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

From Hambrecht Vineyard at the top of Dry Creek Road, aged 16 months in three-year–dried American oak barrels. The soils here are volcanic, and it shows on the palate with an ironstone mineral character threaded through dark-berry fruit, loamy earth, and finely woven oak spices. High-toned herbal notes of sage and a touch of umami — even a whisper of soy — carry through the lengthy, savory finish.

Sourced from Calesa Vineyard, a Petaluma Gap site perched on a high plateau with northwest-facing slopes and soils flecked with gravel and quartz. This is quite pretty — a flinty, mineral-driven wine interwoven with citrus peel and salinity, elegant cedarwood spice, and a cool acid crunch. Ripe yellow apple and pear join crushed Marcona almonds, a hint of vanilla, and good phenolic grip. Clone Dijon 76 — fragrant and laser-focused. Just gorgeous. Venge and team produce only about 150 cases of this barrel-fermented Chardonnay, made with native yeast and native malo, aged 15 months in 40% new French oak. All night-picked, whole-cluster pressed, given a two-day settle, then treated with a small sulfur adjustment before native-yeast fermentation. Some lots underwent native malolactic fermentation. Bâtonnage starts with more frequent stirring and tapers off as the wines age. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

This is 100% Pommard from Bootlegger’s Hill — a robust, rich, and powerful Pinot Noir with classic Pommard character. Darker blue and black fruits lead the way, supported by elegant cedarwood notes and a full-bodied richness that builds across the velvety palate. There’s excellent energy and tension here, balancing the inherently richer nature of the Pommard clone, with a broad-shouldered tannin profile that signals real aging potential. Definitely one for the cellar.

This is the first Pinot Noir Innumero has produced from Bacigalupi Vineyard, made entirely from Wente Clone. Fermented in stainless steel, then pressed to barrel and aged in 50% new French oak. The nose is wonderfully alluring — candied cherry fruit, warm baking spices, blood orange, and cocoa-powder notes — all building into a medium- to full-bodied palate. Excellent fruit weight and depth, with dark-berry richness, spice, a touch of leather, and loamy earth. A nicely complex and thoroughly delicious Pinot Noir.

This 100% Chardonnay was sourced from Flowers’ coastal estate, Camp Meeting Ridge, along with several other family-owned vineyards in the Sonoma Coast. Aged for 10 months in 18% new French oak. This is a gentle giant of a Chardonnay, opening with delicate aromatics of lemon oil, Marcona almonds, pressed white florals, and a hint of honeycomb, before building terrific intensity on the palate with laser-focused acidity. The flavors show both breadth and depth—beguiling and persistent—balanced by stony minerality, pressed wildflowers, and crunchy apple, followed by richer yet slightly underripe pineapple notes. It finishes with a long, saline-driven acidity. A great wine—just get some. Helmed by longtime winemaker, Chantal Forthun, Flowers produces a limited amount of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from estate vineyards on the edge of the Pacific in addition to their signature wines from the Sonoma Coast.

The Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is sourced from Flowers’ organically farmed estate vineyard, Sea View Ridge, along with several family-owned vineyards that share their farming philosophy and commitment to expressing the purity of these coastal sites. Aged in 20% new French oak, it’s an absolutely delicious wine—full of red currant and red cherry fruit, cherry smoke, incense, and a hint of espresso bean. A creamy richness broadens the mid-palate, supported by beams of structured tannins with a subtle apple-skin grip, resolving beautifully with Earl Grey tea notes and violet florality. So expressive and fun to drink. Helmed by longtime winemaker, Chantal Forthun, Flowers produces a limited amount of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from estate vineyards on the edge of the Pacific in addition to their signature wines from the Sonoma Coast.

The 2022 Archimedes Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a site more than 2,300 feet above sea level in the Pine Mountain–Cloverdale Peak AVA, and it’s one of the most intense, spicy, structured, and deeply fruited wines of the vintage. Beautifully pure mulberry fruit and graphite nuances intertwine with rose petal and perfumed violet aromas that draw you in. The palate flows with rivers of dark fruit, plump tannins, and stony earth minerality. It’s an immensely pleasing wine, delivering sheer drinking joy.

Talk about a richly structured, fabulous wine—this 2023 release brims with dark cherry and blackberry fruit, rich redwood forest accents, and crushed volcanic stone. The full-bodied, juicy palate is undeniably enjoyable, with layers of white pepper and volcanic minerality on the finish that will excite sommeliers and casual drinkers alike. It’s a joyful, universal wine that overdelivers at its price point. Aged for 16 months in 45% new oak (approximately 35% French and 10% American).

In 2023, Francis Ford Coppola can’t miss—the wines are pure, exciting, and elegantly textured. This Director’s Cut Sonoma Cabernet frames a beautiful mix of red berry fruit with blue-fruited nuances, cedarwood accents, and burly tannins dusted with unsweetened cocoa powder. A burst of blood orange acidity brightens the finish, adding lift and freshness. A great vintage to buy and enjoy with hearty fare or aged cheeses. Aged for 14 months in 45% new oak.

A juicy, strawberry–rhubarb-fruited Zinfandel layered with espresso bean, cinnamon–nutmeg spice, a hint of vanilla, and a kiss of cedarwood. Full-bodied on the palate with robust, slightly chocolaty tannins that glide to a long, expressive finish. The label, featuring Eleanor Coppola’s handwriting, is inspired by the family’s original wine labels from the early 1980s. Aged in 40% new French oak.

A soft, supple, and inviting Chardonnay brimming with crushed almond character and buttered croissant notes that make it hard to put down. Add to that a medium- to full-bodied richness with ripe apple and pear fruit, along with pressed wildflowers and honeysuckle on the lengthy finish. Sourced from the sixth-generation Dutton Ranch in the Russian River Valley. Aged for 10 months in barrels—90% new French oak from hand-selected forests such as Allier, Tronçais, and Vosges, with the remaining 10% in new Hungarian oak.

This 100% Chardonnay was barrel-aged for 18 months in French oak (12.5% new) on primary lees, with native malolactic fermentation. Ripe orchard fruit builds in the glass, followed by apple and pear pastry, white flowers, and wildflower honey. Medium-bodied, the wine gains richness with layers of lemon and tangerine oil, balanced by zippy, almost prickly citrus acidity that keeps everything lifted even as the oily fruit deepens in weight. It’s a meal unto itself. Founded in 1973 by Fred and Juelle Fisher, this second-generation family winery sources from estate vineyards in Sonoma County and Napa Valley.

A bold, expressive wine redolent of mulberry and muddled blackberry fruit, nuanced by savory black truffle, charcuterie, and cedarwood spice. Full-bodied, with ripe, succulent fruit on the palate accented by graphite, incense, and pressed, dried violets, while tart dried cherry notes emerge on the lengthy finish. The core of this wine is Cabernet Sauvignon grown on steep, west-facing terraces that rise above the winery, reaching a towering elevation of 1,400 feet. Aged for 20 months in French oak barrels (7% new). Founded in 1973 by Fred and Juelle Fisher, this second-generation family winery sources from estate vineyards in Sonoma County and Napa Valley.

80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot. Aged for 21 months in French oak barrels (85% new). Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Dark-fruited, succulent, and bold, this wine offers lavish, velvety textures and full-bodied appeal, unfolding with notes of graphite, dried violets, star anise, and loamy earth dusted with black truffle powder. Something else entirely. First planted in 1973, Wedding Vineyard graces a south-facing slope in front of Fisher’s original Mountain Estate winery. Nine acres were replanted in 2002 by famed viticulturist David Abreu: seven blocks of Cabernet Sauvignon (including Clone 337 and See Clone), one block of Petit Verdot (Clone 400), and one block of Cabernet Franc (Clone 327). The final remaining block was replanted in 2010 (Wiemer Clone). Founded in 1973 by Fred and Juelle Fisher, this second-generation family winery sources from estate vineyards in Sonoma County and Napa Valley.

Fragrant lemon zest rises from the glass, nuanced by stony minerality and buttered croissant. Medium-bodied, it offers a wealth of creamy apricot and lemon biscuit flavors, with hints of quince paste and lively lemon-acid tension. Planted in 1999, Fisher’s Mountain Estate Vineyard Chardonnay is rooted in steep, rocky soils at 1,300 feet of elevation. Native fermented and aged for 18 months in French oak barrels (28% new). No sulfites were added at harvest or during aging. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Founded in 1973 by Fred and Juelle Fisher, this second-generation family winery sources from estate vineyards in Sonoma County and Napa Valley.

In 2022, this wine shows a bright, engaging personality with rose petal florals, iron, and ripe cherry and spiced plum fruits supported by tangy blood orange acidity. The finish reveals subtle blue fruit nuances and firm, elongated tannins with a chocolaty edge and mild Indian spice on the lengthy close. The Flambeaux Vineyard in Dry Creek Valley sits 350 feet above the valley floor on Boomer Loam soils—metamorphic, red, and iron-rich. The Zinfandel grows in terraced rows on the steep hillside, which helps drain both excess water and cold air, naturally protecting the vines from frost. Aged for 11 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels (25% new).

A generous and expressive Chardonnay from the famed Sangiacomo Vineyards, it opens with buttered croissant and yellow apple before gaining momentum and complexity on the medium-bodied palate. Layers of unctuous stone fruit, charred pineapple, and lemon-lime acid tension support the ripe, succulent fruit profile and all that toasty, buttery oak goodness. This Chardonnay is sourced from two Sangiacomo family vineyards: Roberts Road Vineyard in the Petaluma Gap, where fog and wind keep temperatures cool, and Green Acres Vineyard in Sonoma Carneros, which benefits from the marine influence of San Francisco Bay. Aged for 11 months in French oak barrels (30% new).

Fashionable, elegant, suave, and empowering, this Pinot Noir brings it—dark cherry fruit, plum, clove, incense, blood orange, black tea, and white pepper all swirl together over firm, velvety tannins, saline-driven acidity, and a juicy richness that makes it downright irresistible. Need I go on? Go get some! This 100% Pinot Noir was sourced exclusively from Flowers’ high-elevation, CCOF-certified Sea View Ridge estate on the far Sonoma Coast. Aged for 10 months in a mix of 225L, 500L, and 100L vessels (25% new French oak). Helmed by longtime winemaker, Chantal Forthun, Flowers produces a limited amount of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from estate vineyards on the edge of the Pacific in addition to their signature wines from the Sonoma Coast.

The fruit for this rosé goes directly to press—it’s made intentionally as rosé from all estate-grown fruit. It’s a fine, tasty wine featuring mixed red-berry notes, a touch of sea spray, and hints of crushed wild thyme and rosemary. White peach, apricot, and a honeysuckle lift round out the palate, leading to a lengthy, crisp, acid-driven finish.

Siena is Ferrari-Carano’s nod to their Italian heritage, aged 10 months in 20% new French oak. The blend includes Malbec, Petite Sirah, and Cabernet Sauvignon. The nose is intriguing, with a sweet-spice profile that hints at black licorice or, as the technical sheet puts it, “cream soda”—a nostalgic candy character you can interpret however you like. Blackberry and raspberry notes follow, along with mulberry-pie spices on the palate. The texture is creamy and satiny, supported by firm, grippy tannins that resolve nicely on the berry-driven finish.

Scratched into a ravine and farmed entirely by hand due to the severe slopes, the small Hidden Terrace Vineyard is composed of rare tuff (volcanic ash) soils that yield Syrah of remarkable concentration and varietal distinction. Extremely low yields limit production to just a handful of barrels each vintage. And wow, is it expressive and fragrant—bursting with violets, lavender, black truffle, charcuterie, and black cherry fruit, everything you want in great Syrah. Beneath that perfume lies a sturdy, firm foundation of lithe tannins with muscular grip, framed by the crisp acidity of just-picked blueberries and their crunchy skins, finishing with impressive length and tension. Founded in 1973 by Fred and Juelle Fisher, this second-generation family winery sources from estate vineyards in Sonoma County and Napa Valley.

Supercharged and nicely concentrated, this is a powerhouse Chardonnay with loads of crushable appeal. Medium- to full-bodied, it’s not shy on oak, yet it comes across soft and generous, offering slightly toasty, buttered croissant flavors layered with lemon cream and hints of ginger spice. Full and expansive, with racy acidity and plenty of charred pineapple to make it feel festive. It’s a fun, energetic wine with remarkable depth of flavor balanced by a brightness that’s hard to describe—you simply have to grab a bottle and see for yourself. First planted in 1973 to Old Wente clone Chardonnay, Whitney’s Vineyard sits at 1,000 feet of elevation on a gravelly, gently sloping, southwest-facing hillside. Aged for 16 months in French oak barrels (45% new). No sulfites were added at harvest or during aging. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Founded in 1973 by Fred and Juelle Fisher, this second-generation family winery sources from estate vineyards in Sonoma County and Napa Valley.

Cabernet Sauvignon from Newman Vineyard in Knights Valley, aged for 19 months in 33% new Kádár Hungarian oak. Made similarly to their Cabernet Franc, this Cabernet Sauvignon carries the same elegance and lighter touch, expressed through a distinctly varietal thread of blackberry, black cherry, graphite, and fine cedar spice, all lifted by red floral tones. Super juicy and impressively long, the sinewy, power-packed tannin profile never overshadows the succulent fruit but instead provides seamless support throughout.

A barrel selection with 40% whole cluster. Aged for 14 months in 20% new French oak. An intriguing and exotic bouquet evokes tropical passion fruit, pomegranate, cranberry, and a touch of brown spice, all of which carry through to the light- to medium-bodied palate. More cherry and raspberry fruit emerge mid-palate, framed by sinewy tannins and a floral-driven finish.

Vines and Roses comes from older vines along Olivet Road in Santa Rosa. Fermented with 33% whole clusters and aged for 14 months in 20% new Damy French oak barrels. It captures the generosity of the Russian River Valley with a lighter-toned red fruit profile and a fine dusting of pink Himalayan sea salt atop firm tannins that resolve with juicy richness and taut acid tension.

The flagship Bordeaux blend for Ferrari-Carano is sourced primarily from Lookout Vineyard, which spans both Knights Valley and Alexander Valley, along with other estate sites. The wine is fermented in stainless steel, undergoes malolactic fermentation in barrel, and is aged 20 months in 50% new French oak. The nose has a wonderfully cool character—blue fruit, forest berries, and cocoa nibs. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with ultra-fine tannins and plenty of mid-palate concentration, offering blackberry fruit laced with cola spices and a hint of toffee on the lengthy finish. Quite refined and polished in 2023.

From sites along the banks of the Russian River in the Russian River Valley, this Chardonnay is whole-cluster pressed and barrel fermented with a mix of native and cultured yeasts. It undergoes 95% malolactic fermentation and is aged sur lie with stirring for nearly five months before continuing its élevage in Burgundian French oak for a total of 14 months. All that barrel work brings a gorgeous confectionary spice character—graham-cracker crust, blondie richness, and vanilla—mingling with delicate white-rose floral notes. The palate is full-bodied and richly fruited, loaded with ripe apple, poached pear, and vanilla-laced toasty oak. Quite delicious, distinctly fragrant for a Chardonnay, and impressively elegant for a wine with this level of richness.

The Reserve is sourced from estate fruit in Los Carneros. The grapes are whole-cluster pressed to stainless steel and cold settled before being racked to French oak (30% new) for fermentation and nine months of sur-lie aging with full malolactic. This is a refined, polished wine—not at all bombastic in its oak profile. The oak shows more like a delicate blondie or light graham-cracker crust, gently framing silky citrus fruit, grilled pineapple sprinkled with black sea salt, and ripe pear layered with honeycomb and butterscotch caramel. All that richness builds on the palate—something of a surprise, as the nose doesn’t hint at the depth to come. The finish is long and super toasty. A meal of a wine unto itself.

The Reserve comes from Macama Ranch, located at the base of LookOut Mountain, and the fruit from this site produces some of the darkest Cabernet in the Ferrari-Carano portfolio. The 2023 was fermented in stainless steel and aged 20 months in 50% new French oak. This is a super-ripe wine with great mid-palate richness and plenty of warm baking-spice character—mulberry, clove, allspice—layered with touches of leather and black tobacco on the long finish. Serve with braised meats or burgers, please.

The Chardonnay is barrel fermented and aged 10 months sur lie in 20% new French oak. Grapes are sourced from 60 different lots across Sonoma County. For the past decade, the wines at Ferrari-Carano have been made by winemaker Natalie West. There’s a lavish aromatic pop of rich, toasty, graham-cracker sweet oak that carries straight onto the palate, where the wine shows super-expressive character—lemon curd, lemon meringue, grilled pineapple. Despite all that richness, the wine stays balanced thanks to a vein of salinity that brings real freshness. The oak is beautifully integrated: never cloying, just vivid and tasty. You have to love this style to love this wine—and if you do, at $27 it’s a terrific value.

Sourced from Calesa Vineyard, a Petaluma Gap site perched on a high plateau with northwest-facing slopes and soils flecked with gravel and quartz. This Pinot Noir is entirely 115 and fermented with native yeast. Bâtonnage begins with more frequent stirring and gradually tapers off, after which the wine is racked into roughly 30% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. Given the clone, there's lots of structure in this wine, grippy apple-skin tannins with rich brown baking spices, red cherry fruit, tobacco, and new-wood cedar on the very pretty, very linear finish.

Dark cherry fruit mingles with rose-petal florals in this broad-shouldered yet graceful Pinot Noir. As it opens, red fruit shades toward blue on the palate, enlivened by zesty blood-orange acidity and nuanced with incense, dusty rose, sagebrush, and thyme. The finish is long and crisp, marked by both freshness and depth. This 100% Pinot Noir, a blend of clones 667 and 115 from the Hallberg Ranch Vineyard in the Russian River Valley, was aged eleven months in 38% new French oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Founded by Brice Cutrer Jones in 1999, Emeritus Vineyards is a Pinot-focused producer utilizing dry-farmed vineyards (Hallberg Ranch in Russian River Valley and Pinot Hill on the Sonoma Coast).

This 100% Pinot Noir from the Hallberg Ranch Vineyard in the Russian River Valley blends eleven clones—115, 777, 37, 828, 667, Elite, Hyde, Pommard, Cruz, 943, and Swan. Medium-bodied and energetic, it opens with dark cherry and pomegranate seed, framed by savory brown spice and lively acidity. Crisp apple-skin and cherrywood-scented tannins provide structure, while cool river-stone minerality and a touch of cocoa powder add depth on the finish. Aged ten months in 34% new French oak, the wine is bottled unfined and unfiltered. Founded by Brice Cutrer Jones in 1999, Emeritus Vineyards is a Pinot-focused producer utilizing dry-farmed vineyards (Hallberg Ranch in Russian River Valley and Pinot Hill on the Sonoma Coast).

This 100% Pinot Noir, a suitcase clone known as “Elite,” comes from the Hallberg Ranch Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. Aged eleven months in 25% new French oak, it is bottled unfined and unfiltered. Like all Emeritus Vineyards wines, it carries a firm tannic backbone and benefits from a bit of aeration. The Elite lives up to its name—elegant, poised, and expressive without being showy. It offers gentle red-fruited refinement accented by mild Indian spice, creating a subtle aromatic allure. The palate is lively and nuanced, driven by wet-slate minerality and bright blood-orange acidity. Founded by Brice Cutrer Jones in 1999, Emeritus Vineyards is a Pinot-focused producer utilizing dry-farmed vineyards (Hallberg Ranch in the Russian River Valley and Pinot Hill on the Sonoma Coast).

This 100% Pinot Noir from Pinot Hill Vineyard in the Sebastopol Hills on the Sonoma Coast blends six clones—115, Hyde, Cruz, 667, Elite, and Pommard. Aged eleven months in 41% new French oak, it is bottled unfined and unfiltered. The wine is bold, tart, and structured, bursting with cherry fruit, cherry wood, incense, tangerine zest, and grapefruit pith. While the bouquet is generous and expressive, the palate is more lively and zesty, focused, and linear—a vibrant, food-friendly Pinot Noir. Founded by Brice Cutrer Jones in 1999, Emeritus Vineyards is a Pinot-focused producer utilizing dry-farmed vineyards (Hallberg Ranch in Russian River Valley and Pinot Hill on the Sonoma Coast).

This 100% Pinot Noir, a suitcase clone known as the “Cruz Especial Selection,” hails from Pinot Hill Vineyard in the Sebastopol Hills on the Sonoma Coast. Aged eleven months in 33% new French oak, it is bottled unfined and unfiltered. Compared with the regular Pinot Hill bottling, this Cruz Selection shows a softer, more brown-spiced character, fragrant with wild herbs—sage and dried wild fennel in particular. The fruit leans red-toned, the acidity a touch sharper, and the finish trails off crisp, clean, and bone dry. Founded by Brice Cutrer Jones in 1999, Emeritus Vineyards is a Pinot-focused producer utilizing dry-farmed vineyards (Hallberg Ranch in Russian River Valley and Pinot Hill on the Sonoma Coast).

Aged for 19 months in 33% new Kádár Hungarian oak, this Bordeaux-inspired red wine is something of a chameleon, leading with bright, high-toned plummy red and black fruits, hints of fragrant bay laurel, sage, and dried mint or prairie grass. On entry, it’s soft, plump, and satiny before soaring tannins rise to grip the palate, delivering real structure and depth. It resolves with an unsweetened cocoa powder intensity and a showstopping finish. Best enjoyed with roast chicken and potatoes or steak au poivre.

This Cabernet Franc from Newman Vineyard was aged 19 months in 40% new Kádár Hungarian oak. It’s an expressive and beautifully balanced wine, bursting with blue-fruit aromatics, rich cedarwood, and unsweetened cocoa powder, accented by a hint of minty freshness. Medium-bodied, it shows savory Bay laurel framing the palate, supported by lively acidity and tangy red fruit that lingers invitingly.

This 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Russian River Valley was fermented for four months in a mix of 15% new French oak, 29% neutral barrel, and 56% stainless steel. Exotic aromas of lychee, white peach, and a hint of vanilla create an enticing bouquet, while the more restrained palate reveals underripe pineapple, lemon, and lime. Bright, citrus-driven acidity and a chalky mineral edge give the wine tension and focus from start to finish. Debra Mathay purchased Dutcher Crossing in 2007, and it now produces more than thirty wines from Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino counties, farming 75 acres of estate vineyards.

A light, zesty, and tropical Chardonnay offering notes of quince, salted lemon peel, and candied pineapple. The creamy mid-palate adds texture and depth, leading to a stony, sea-salt–tinged finish. This 100% Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley was barrel-fermented with native yeast, underwent full malolactic fermentation, and aged 11 months in one one-year-old French oak barrel and one used French oak barrel. Debra Mathay purchased Dutcher Crossing in 2007, and it now produces more than thirty wines from Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino counties, farming 75 acres of estate vineyards.

The 2022 Cabernet is a blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.85% Cabernet Franc, 2.4% Petit Verdot, 1.75% Malbec, and 1% Merlot, sourced from the Bavarian Lion Vineyard in Knights Valley, Sonoma County. Aged 18 months in 59% new French oak barrels, it’s a juicy, supple red with aromas of kirsch, plum, and subtle Asian spice. The palate is soft and satiny, unfolding with ripe red and dark fruit tones before finishing with an easy, graceful burst of blue fruit brightness. The Ehret family has been farming their Knights Valley estate for three generations, reserving their best fruit since 2005 for their own small production (handled in the cellar by winemaker Erin Green).

Though the blends are markedly different, the 2022 Bella’s Cabernet and the regular Ehret Cabernet share a similar flavor profile while differing in texture and energy. Both show juicy, brandied cherry, plum, and Asian-spiced red fruit, but Bella’s carries a bit more verve and nervy tension. It’s the livelier of the two—start with a glass of the straight Cabernet and enjoy Bella’s over dinner. Composed of 97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Merlot, this wine was sourced from the Bavarian Lion Vineyard in Knights Valley, Sonoma County, and aged 18 months in 68% new French oak. 225 cases produced. The Ehret family has been farming their Knights Valley estate for three generations, reserving their best fruit since 2005 for their own small production (handled in the cellar by winemaker Erin Green).

This 100% Sauvignon Blanc from the Bavarian Lion Vineyard in Knights Valley, Sonoma County, was made entirely in stainless steel with no oak influence. Lush and tropical, it offers aromas of jasmine and honeysuckle alongside ripe tropical fruit. Zippy, zesty acidity enlivens the palate, balancing the wine’s richness and leading to a long, spicy, mineral-driven finish. The Ehret family has been farming their Knights Valley estate for three generations, reserving their best fruit since 2005 for their own small production (handled in the cellar by winemaker Erin Green).

The golden hue hints at what’s to come—a ripe, toasty, and voluminous Chardonnay layered with crème brûlée, charred pineapple, salted lemon peel, and rosemary-herbed almonds. Despite its richness, the palate retains a refreshing coolness from lively acid tension, finishing lip-smackingly bone dry. Quite a wine. Sourced from the winemaker’s estate vineyard, the Chardonnay was hand-harvested, barrel-fermented, and aged 15 months sur lie in 50% new French oak with bâtonnage before being bottled unfiltered. Established in 2017 by Elaine and Mark Sale, Elaine Wines produces fewer than 200 cases annually.

Tasting the two Elaine Chardonnays from Calypte Vineyard provides a visual lesson in vintages—2022 was hot, 2023 was cool. The 2022 shows a deep golden hue, while the 2023 glows lemon-gold with hints of emerald shimmer. The 2023 vintage is leaner and brighter, driven by high-toned acidity that initially commands attention but soon reveals layers of lemon, lime, white florals, and tangerine oil beneath. Sourced from the winemaker’s estate vineyard, the Chardonnay was hand-harvested, barrel-fermented with indigenous yeast, and aged 17 months sur lie in 40% new French oak with bâtonnage before being bottled unfiltered. Established in 2017 by Elaine and Mark Sale, Elaine Wines produces fewer than 200 cases annually.

Sourced from Calesa Vineyard, a Petaluma Gap site perched on a high plateau with northwest-facing slopes and soils flecked with gravel and quartz. Musqué Clone 809, fermented with native yeast and native malo, then aged 15 months in 30% new French oak. Absolutely riveting on the nose, with tangerine peel, orange essence, honeysuckle, and pineapple crème brûlée. All of that comes together on the palate, where more tropical fruit emerges alongside a creamy mid-palate richness and lingering exotic spice. All fruit is night-picked, whole-cluster pressed, given a two-day settle, then treated with a small sulfur adjustment before native-yeast fermentation. Some lots underwent native malolactic fermentation. Bâtonnage starts with more frequent stirring and tapers off as the wines age. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

This field blend—75% Zinfandel, 10% Petite Sirah, 10% Carignane, and 5% Mataro—is expressive and muscular, bursting with dark fruit aromatics, dried fig, and black truffle charcuterie layered with nuances of black pepper. The palate builds with bold blue fruits and violets, showing richness and power throughout. Full-bodied and hearty, it’s a downright delicious Zinfandel that’s hard to resist. Aged 15 months in 34% new French oak barrels. Debra Mathay purchased Dutcher Crossing in 2007, and it now produces more than thirty wines from Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino counties, farming 75 acres of estate vineyards.

A medium-bodied, plump, and juicy Pinot Noir with a velvety texture, sourced from four vineyards: Terra de Promissio, Cut Root, Bucher, and Placida. The inclusion of 15% whole clusters adds a touch of grip, though the tannins are well-integrated and refined. Aged 11 months in 30% new French oak, the wine shows layered baking spice character—clove, nutmeg, and a touch of dusty minerality on the finish. Harmonious and inviting, it’s an effortlessly appealing Pinot Noir that’s all too easy to drink. Debra Mathay purchased Dutcher Crossing in 2007, and it now produces more than thirty wines from Sonoma, Napa, and Mendocino counties, farming 75 acres of estate vineyards.

Zippy, zesty, and zingy—this is an electrified Pinot Noir that crackles with energy. In total contrast to the richer Wester Reach bottling, it shows crunchy red fruits, bright red florals, and delicate Asian spice notes. Long, lean, and focused, it’s a natural partner for oysters Rockefeller or grilled branzino. This 100% Pinot Noir is sourced from Dutton Ranch and was aged 15 months in 32% new French oak barrels from Tonnellerie Remond. Founded in 1996, DuMOL is led by Chief Winemaker & Proprietor Andy Smith, crafting Russian River Valley releases from both estate and nearby grower-partner vineyards.

The Wallace Ranch Zinfandel is a heritage selection planted on Yolo sandy loam soils and aged 16 months in a mix of French, Hungarian, and American oak. It presents a darker, more brooding profile than the Historic Blocks bottling, with aromas of espresso bean, dark chocolate, spiced plum, and fig. Full-bodied and richly layered, it shows powerful yet polished tannins that support the plump, juicy fruit. The finish is long, smooth, and enticing. Established in 1972, Dry Creek Vineyard is led by second-generation owner & President Kim Stare Wallace and oversees 185 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards.

Entirely fermented and aged in stainless steel, this wine bursts with vibrant tropical fruit notes of lychee and white peach, underpinned by a flinty minerality. Crisp, crunchy, and racy acidity drives the palate, leading to a bright, chalky mineral finish. Established in 1972, Dry Creek Vineyard is led by second-generation owner & President Kim Stare Wallace and oversees 185 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards.

This 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon from Dry Creek Valley was aged 20 months in 51% new French oak and includes 11% Petit Verdot in the blend. It’s a bold, full-throttle wine with an aromatic burst of kirsch, spiced plum, and fig, all of which carry through to the palate—particularly the fig, evoking fig paste or even a liquid version of your favorite fig newton. Robust, burly tannins provide a firm foundation, while candied violets and rose petals lift the long, powerful finish. Established in 1972, Dry Creek Vineyard is led by second-generation owner & President Kim Stare Wallace and oversees 185 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards.

A blend of stainless steel–fermented and partially barrel-aged lots, this wine is fragrant and lively, driven by notes of lemon-lime, lime blossom, honeysuckle, and white peach. Crisp acidity provides tension and lift, balancing the fleshier fruit profile. The finish is bone dry, clean, and refreshing. Established in 1972, Dry Creek Vineyard is led by second-generation owner & President Kim Stare Wallace and oversees 185 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards.

The DuMOL style demands attention—structured, firmly tannic, and crisp, these wines are built for long-term cellaring. But give them air—open in the morning and revisit in the evening—and their purity of fruit and quiet elegance reveal themselves, a reminder that these are not wines to simply pop and pour. After four hours open, this 100% Pinot Noir showed layers of dark fruit, forest pine, and black truffle charcuterie, nuanced by wet slate and robust, smoky sea-salt–dusted tannins. Smoked paprika carries through the lengthy, dynamic finish. Sourced from 28% Occidental Road, 26% Dutton Ranch, 16% Flax Estate, 16% DuMOL Estate, and 14% Placida, it was aged 15 months in 28% new French oak from Tonnelleries Ermitage and Remond. Founded in 1996, DuMOL is led by Chief Winemaker & Proprietor Andy Smith, crafting Russian River Valley releases from both estate and nearby grower-partner vineyards.

This Chardonnay bursts from the glass with a dazzling mix of citrus, orchard, and tropical fruit, accented by fine cedarwood and subtle vanilla. The medium-bodied palate is layered with flavors of lemon curd, lime zest, apricot, and pineapple, framed by delicate notes of pressed wildflowers. A firm spine of racy acidity provides balance and tension, supporting the wine’s generous fruit core. Sourced from 38% Flax Estate, 22% El Diablo, 16% Winners Circle, 12% Cornerstone, and 12% Charles Heintz, it was aged 11 months in 20% new French oak from Tonnelleries Remond, Chassin, and ACF, followed by 4 months of settling in tank before bottling. Founded in 1996, DuMOL is led by Chief Winemaker and Proprietor Andy Smith, crafting Russian River Valley releases from both estate and nearby grower-partner vineyards.

If Wester Reach is DuMOL's Montrachet, then The Chloe is its Chablis counterpart—subtler, more elegantly framed, and refined in its restraint. While the fruit spectrum still spans citrus to tropical, the acidity is softer, lending the wine a gentler, more graceful finish. This 100% Chardonnay is sourced from 54% Flora Marie and 46% DuMOL Bressay Estate vineyards. It was aged 11 months in 26% new French oak barrels from Tonnellerie Damy, followed by 6 months of settling in tank. Founded in 1996, DuMOL is led by Chief Winemaker & Proprietor Andy Smith, crafting Russian River Valley releases from both estate and nearby grower-partner vineyards.

Sourced from the Earl Stephens Vineyard in the Green Valley sub-appellation of the Russian River Valley, this is a pretty, savory-driven Pinot Noir offering a mix of red cherry fruit, pine forest, crushed cocoa nibs, and elegant cedarwood. Medium-bodied, it’s balanced and finely textured, finishing with a tart cherry brightness. Founded in 2010 by David Warren Hejl, former CEO of Kosta Browne and Martinelli Winery & Vineyards, Domaine Della crafts limited-production Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from select Sonoma County vineyards.

This 100% Chardonnay from the Donum Vineyard in Carneros was aged 12 months in concrete (80%), 4 months in stainless steel, and 16 months in 20% new French oak. It opens with elegant mineral notes reminiscent of wet slate and petrichor, joined by jasmine and lime blossom aromatics. The medium-bodied palate builds with richness, revealing layers of quince, candied ginger, and lemon zest framed by scintillating acidity and grippy pear-skin tannins. A wine of striking focus and depth, it combines bony acidity with layered flavor and textural precision. Founded in 2001, The Donum Estate farms five Regenerative Organic Certified® vineyards across Carneros, the Russian River Valley, Anderson Valley, and the Sonoma Coast.

The Hypersonic Pinot Noir, sourced from the Donum Vineyard in Carneros, is a 100% Pinot Noir aged 16 months in 83% new French oak. In contrast to the White Barn bottling, this wine is hyper–fruit-forward yet deeply dark and savory, showing remarkable intensity. Aromas of black truffle, charcuterie, dried red cherry, and cherry wood mingle with subtle hints of sage and bay leaf. On the palate, firm cocoa-powder tannins frame the fruit, while a dazzling streak of wet-slate minerality carries through the long, powerful finish. Founded in 2001, The Donum Estate farms five Regenerative Organic Certified® vineyards across Carneros, the Russian River Valley, Anderson Valley, and the Sonoma Coast.

This 100% Pinot Noir from the Donum Vineyard in Carneros was aged 16 months in 40% new French oak. It’s a striking, attention-commanding wine with heady aromas of white pepper, crushed eucalyptus, cassis, and a wild birch-bark nuance that sets it apart. On the palate, the tannins are firm and deeply structured—almost as if that birch-bark character has become part of the wine’s very foundation. Powerful and built for longevity, this is a Pinot Noir to cellar and revisit in the late 2020s, when its structure will have softened and its complexity fully unfurled. Founded in 2001, The Donum Estate farms five Regenerative Organic Certified® vineyards across Carneros, the Russian River Valley, Anderson Valley, and the Sonoma Coast.

This 100% Chardonnay from TFV Vineyard in Carneros was aged 16 months in 67% new French oak. Lean and laser-focused, it carves out a precise, stony mineral profile balanced on a razor’s edge. Brimming with tart lime and bright lemon-driven acidity, it’s a quintessential pairing for oysters or fresh seafood. The bouquet reveals subtle richness, with hints of candied ginger and chamomile adding nuance. Dazzling in its purity and focus, the wine finishes long and mineral, accented by notes of crushed almond and lingering salinity. Founded in 2001, The Donum Estate farms five Regenerative Organic Certified® vineyards across Carneros, the Russian River Valley, Anderson Valley, and the Sonoma Coast.

This 100% Pinot Noir from TFV Vineyard in Carneros was aged 16 months in 62% new French oak. Intensely structured and gripping, it opens with crunchy apple-skin tannins that command the palate before easing into layers of cherry fruit, delicate cherry wood, and a lingering smoky clove finish. As it unfolds, a burst of juicy blood orange emerges unexpectedly, adding vibrancy and lift. Quite an intriguing and structured Pinot. Founded in 2001, The Donum Estate farms five Regenerative Organic Certified® vineyards across Carneros, the Russian River Valley, Anderson Valley, and the Sonoma Coast.

Dry Creek’s Historic Blocks Zinfandel is sourced from pre-Prohibition vines planted across hillsides, terraced slopes, and alluvial fans—sites known for excellent drainage and remarkable vine age. Aged 16 months in a combination of French, Hungarian, and American oak, the wine offers alluring blue-fruit aromatics and a beautifully balanced palate that shifts between ripe, juicy blue and black fruits, gentle Indian spice notes, and firm, well-integrated tannins before offering a lenghty finish. Established in 1972, Dry Creek Vineyard is led by second-generation owner & President Kim Stare Wallace and oversees 185 acres of sustainably farmed vineyards.

The Next Door Neighbor Chardonnay, tasted alongside the Ritchie Vineyard bottling, is an engaging study in contrast. While the Ritchie leans into rich, toasty oak, this wine highlights a more fruit-driven and textural style. Supple orchard fruit, buttered croissant, and quince define the aromatics, carrying seamlessly onto the medium- to full-bodied palate. Layers of crushed almond, a touch of honey, and ripe pear-skin tannins extend through a long, graceful finish. Sourced from Lone Oak (65%) and Flora Marie (35%) vineyards, this Chardonnay is composed of 65% Old Wente and 35% Montrachet clones, fermented with native yeast. The wine was aged 11 months in 37% new French oak and one stainless-steel barrel. Domaine de la Rivière is a family-owned winery nestled in the renowned Middle Reach neighborhood of the Russian River Valley. Growers since 2011, they released their first vintage in 2017.

The Two Forces Pinot Noir is sourced from both the estate’s Vineyard Eleven site and the high-elevation El Diablo Vineyard. Fermented with native yeast, the blend comprises 74% Pommard (54% from the estate) and 26% Swan Clone (100% estate fruit). The wine was aged 11.5 months in 37% new French oak barrels. Perhaps the most complete of the five Domaine de la Rivière wines tasted, this Pinot Noir reveals a quiet intensity that deepens with each sip. It opens with notes of cherry fruit and white pepper, followed by a medium-bodied palate framed by stony mineral tension and fine, apple-skin tannins. A solidly built and thoroughly delicious wine. Domaine de la Rivière is a family-owned winery nestled in the renowned Middle Reach neighborhood of the Russian River Valley. Growers since 2011, they released their first vintage in 2017.

This wine is wonderfully rich and layered, with lovely textures drawn from each of the sites that feed into the blend. The Middle Reach Vineyard contributes Pommard, Vosne-Romanée, Swan, and Mt. Eden clones, while additional fruit comes from Starr Ridge, El Diablo, and the estate Vineyard Eleven. Winemaker Kale Anderson harvests at night, bringing the fruit into the winery cold and fermenting in open-top tanks. He uses as much whole cluster as the vintage allows, gives the fruit a five-day cold soak, then ferments fairly warm with a combination of punchdowns before pressing at dryness to barrel for malolactic fermentation. The wine ages 11 months in roughly 25% new French oak before bottling. The result is bright, crunchy red fruit layered with clove and warm spice. The purity of the fruit really comes through, building richness across the palate with strawberry and raspberry tones, touches of leather, tobacco, and blood orange, and a thread of brown baking spices that linger on the finish. Velvety, satiny textures frame this wonderfully tasty wine, which is considered the entry-level offering.

Sourced entirely from Ritchie Vineyard and crafted from Old Wente Clone Chardonnay, this wine is fermented with native yeast and aged 11 months in 27% new French oak, followed by two months in stainless steel barrels before bottling. The bouquet is stunning—bursting from the glass with expressive aromas of baked citrus, orchard fruit, honeysuckle, and jasmine, all layered with the richness of buttery French pastry and crème brûlée. On the palate, all that opulence comes together beautifully, with lemon laced in wildflower honey and toasty wood tones building to a crescendo on the long, candied-mineral finish. Domaine de la Rivière is a family-owned winery nestled in the renowned Middle Reach neighborhood of the Russian River Valley. Growers since 2011, they released their first vintage in 2017.

From the “Heritage Block” of the estate’s Vineyard Eleven comes this native-yeast-fermented Pinot Noir, a blend of Mt. Eden and Swan clones. Aged 11.5 months in 35% new French oak barrels, it offers refined aromatics of candied red berry fruit, warm baking spices of clove and cinnamon, and subtle undertones of black truffle and redwood bark. The palate is framed by fine, savory tannins that guide the wine to a smooth, medium-bodied finish. The Mt. Eden Clone layers in a bit of energy and tension. Domaine de la Rivière is a family-owned winery nestled in the renowned Middle Reach neighborhood of the Russian River Valley. Growers since 2011, they released their first vintage in 2017.

Sources for this wine are El Diablo and Star Ridge, planted to Pommard and Vosne Romanée selections. Star Ridge is the older site and was originally part of the Gary Farrell estate. The Pommard here is Clones 4 and 5, with Clone 5 being the cleaned-up selection. At this stage, the fruit profile leans a touch baked, but it’s still quite delicious—think strawberry and cherry pie with classic cherry-pie spice. The palate is rich, satiny and velvety, driving a long, creamy and inviting finish.

A full-flavored, medium- to full-bodied Pinot Noir showing firm tannins and abundant richness. Layers of cherry and blackberry fruit mingle with spiced plum, elegant cherry wood smoke, and clove, all carried through a lengthy finish defined by saline acidity and refined balance. Founded in 2010 by David Warren Hejl, former CEO of Kosta Browne and Martinelli Winery & Vineyards, Domaine Della crafts limited-production Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from select Sonoma County vineyards.

This Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is straightforward and juicy, offering a lively mix of red cherry and currant fruit layered with notes of spicy paprika and cedarwood. A subtle thread of saline minerality runs through the wine, balanced by blood-orange acidity and crisp, refreshing tannins. Founded in 2010 by David Warren Hejl, former CEO of Kosta Browne and Martinelli Winery & Vineyards, Domaine Della crafts limited-production Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from select Sonoma County vineyards.

Bright cherry and cedar-wood notes emerge from the glass, along with a wild kind of savage herb quality that is all at once smoky and mineral. This red's flavors turn to sweet berry fruit on the medium bodied palate, finalizing into a long, spicy, smoked paprika finish. Founded in 2010 by David Warren Hejl, former CEO of Kosta Browne and Martinelli Winery & Vineyards, Domaine Della produces Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from Sonoma County.

Ripe red cherry fruit, pleasant cedarwood, and a touch of vanilla rise from the glass, reappearing on the medium-bodied palate where tart cherry and tangy blood-orange acidity sweep across with vibrant energy. The finish carries a wave of warm brown baking spices and stony minerality, adding both depth and precision. Winemaker Simone Sequeira ages this wine for 14 months in 20% new French oak. Founded in 2006 by Dennis Patton and Andrea Silverstein, DNA Vineyards estate is located in the Laguna Ridge neighborhood of the Russian River Valley.

Fuller and broader than the Heritage Block Pinot Noir, this wine shows impressive depth and presence. Darker berry fruit takes the lead, supported by bright saline acidity that provides tension and lift. The mid-palate is sumptuous and succulent, with cinnamon-spiced tannins and a beautifully integrated sweet-savory-salty finish. Among the Domaine de la Rivière wines tasted during my visit with Sonoma County Vintners, this was a clear standout—one that was hard to move on from. Sourced from the “Red Barn Block” of the estate’s Vineyard Eleven, this Pinot Noir was fermented with native yeast and composed of 47% Pommard, 40% UV-VR, and 13% Swan clones. It was aged 11.5 months in 37% new French oak barrels. The steeply sloped site features a mix of gravel, sandy loam, and clay soils. Domaine de la Rivière is a family-owned winery nestled in the renowned Middle Reach neighborhood of the Russian River Valley. Growers since 2011, they released their first vintage in 2017.

In 2021, this marked the first year the estate produced this wine. The fruit is wonderfully bright, pure, and crunchy, with lifted white-pepper aromatics and a burst of rose-petal fragrance. It builds across the palate with juicy blood-orange acidity and perfectly integrated cocoa-powder tannins. The blend is 49% UV-VR clone, 34% Pommard, and 17% Swan. It’s an absolutely fabulous wine—the kind you want to enjoy throughout an entire meal for its bright acidity and tension supporting such beautifully pure fruit. Aged 11 months in roughly one-third new French oak.

A blend of Mt. Eden and Swan clones, this is the second release from the Heritage Block. These clones yield very little, says winemaker Kale Anderson. He loves the Mt. Eden clone in particular, noting that it takes time to evolve because of its perfumed character. The wine shows gorgeous violet and rose-petal aromas—white rose and purple-blue violets—supported by a firm spine of generous acidity and wonderful black-tea notes, bergamot, and orange peel. Delicate cherry and raspberry fruit carry through alongside rich baking spice, white pepper, smoked paprika, loamy earth, and a wet-stone minerality on the finish. A beautifully constructed wine with the structure and detail to age for many years.

Ulysses Valdez, the late and legendary grape grower, is the reason the Bedrosians have access to this fruit. Valdez replanted the site and was adamant that they take Block D—the steepest section of the vineyard. It’s a two-acre parcel they began working with in 2018, located 3.4 miles north of East Side Road on uplifted riverbed soils composed of rocky, gravelly silt. The block is entirely planted to the Montrachet clone. Winemaker Kale Anderson explains that the clone holds its acidity regardless of ripeness. It’s also susceptible to shatter, much like Old Wente, and is naturally low-yielding. The selection was isolated from a remarkable site in Montrachet in Burgundy. At Flora Marie Vineyard, this block sits at the very top of the hillside with excellent row orientation. Grapes are picked at night, whole-cluster pressed, and sent straight to a mix of barrel and stainless steel, with one-third new French oak. Fermentation is native, and in this vintage the wine went through full malolactic with lees stirring. It was aged 11 months before bottling. The wine is super bright, marked by a lovely sea-spray minerality and subtle citrus and orchard-fruit tones. A silky texture carries elegant baking-spice notes that linger across the mid-palate, offering warmth, generosity, and a clean, vibrant finish.

A blend of owner Jeff Bedrosian’s two favorite clones, Pommard and Swan. I love the concentration and freshness here—it’s packed with lush fruit and velvety textures, and it’s absolutely delicious on its own, full-flavored and generous. The wine was aged 11 months in 37% new French oak before bottling. The name refers to the two clones and the forces they represent: Pommard, with its darker fruit and earth-driven depth, and Swan, which brings a more feminine profile of spice and brighter fruit tones. Think of them as yin and yang. They complement each other beautifully in this blend, which shows lovely high-toned spice and that wonderful Pommard richness on the palate. I’d happily drink this on its own, but it would also pair well with braised meats or a salad scattered with pomegranate seeds to echo its juicy, earthy pop.

From Monte Rosso Vineyard, this wine opens with white-pepper spice, black brambly dark-berry fruit, a touch of blue fruit, and toasty cedarwood, all lifted by violet tones and cocoa-powder tannins. It delivers a rich tapestry of robust structure, fabulous paprika spice, and a lengthy, full-bodied finish. Quite a wine. Aged 16 months in one-third new French oak, bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Sourced entirely from the Kick Ranch Vineyard, this wine is native-fermented in open-top fermenters after a five-day cold soak, with 100% carbonic maceration and hand punch-downs, then aged 18 months in 65% new French oak. This is the Cabernet lover’s Sonoma County wine — rich, dark-fruited, and pure, with deep berry fruit and warm baking spices, toffee and caramel, tobacco, and flashes of blue fruit emerging on the palate. Molasses notes and firm, structured, elongated tannins give it power and presence. This is a baby, with plenty of baby fat, stuffing, and raw energy; it will benefit from a few years to unwind and mellow, and it should cellar quite nicely. A real crowd-pleaser.

From Block 17 at Farrow Ranch — the original block Jesse Katz sourced from long before he acquired the ranch in 2021. Dry-farmed since 2011, the vines have since been retrained, and the wine is aged 22 months in 80% new French oak of various sizes. This is super perfumed and elegant, with lovely savory saddle leather, dried violets, black olives, sagebrush, and thyme. On the palate, there’s blue fruit and black fruit with juicy, building richness and plenty of full-bodied depth, all carried by incredible tension. This is quite remarkable — generous yet taut, crisp and crunchy, and impressively fresh. Fresh fresh fresh.

This is the first time they have incorporated any Cabernet Sauvignon into this brand, but Jesse Katz has had his eye on a blend like this since his days at Viña Cobos — and he has absolutely nailed it. The wine was aged 22 months in 90% new French oak (60-gallon barrels), and it is lush and beautifully composed. Mulberry drives the profile, fresh and bright, with ultra-dark fruit, wild herbs, anise and violets. Gorgeous saline–acid tension meets crisp tannins, dark-chocolate notes and crunchy black fruit emerging on the palate, all delivered with precise focus. Quite simply a gorgeous wine, full stop.

The Rockpile Ridge Vineyard is a rocky, gravelly bluff at 1,480 feet, overlooking Lake Sonoma in the hills above Dry Creek Valley in the Rockpile AVA — a seriously rugged site. This wine is stunning. Sagebrush, mulberry, black raspberry, cherry and spiced plums lead a profile that is positively rich, with violets, blue fruit, crème de cassis and dark cocoa nibs. The tannins are elongated and precise. Aged 22 months in 100% new French oak.

Bottled entirely in magnum (to mark it as a wine for special occasions and sharing), The Approach represents a passion project for Dan Kosta and winemaker Shane Finley—just five barrels were made in 2023. Modeled after the Kosta Browne “Four Barrel,” this blend brings together fruit from Garys’ Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands, Umino and Martaella vineyards in the Russian River Valley, and Campbell Ranch on the West Sonoma Coast near Westside Road. “Is this the best five barrels in the winery?” Dan asks. “No. If you have five wonderful kids, it doesn’t mean they’ll all play well together. It’s the best blend we can make from these sites—the best wine we can create from the components we have. It’s a winemaker’s wine.” The name The Approach is also a tribute to his father, an airline pilot. “You can’t have perfection in wine,” Dan says. “If I believed you could, I’d call it The Landing. But wine is an imperfect journey, so The Approach just fits.” Given that sentiment, Dan may not agree with my 100-point assessment, but I do. I love this wine. For me, this wine isn’t about terroir as much as it is about pleasure, complexity, and the cerebral art of blending. In its youth, it’s floral and brown-spiced with dark fruit and lush texture balanced by a tactile grip. The finish is long and compelling, inviting sip after sip. Certain site components shine brightly now, like the lush, fruity aspect from Santa Lucia, balanced by the intense earthy character of the Russian River Valley, but by 2029 or so, they’ll have fully harmonized—making patience well-rewarded if you wait to pop the cork.

This wine is a conversation piece. It hums with energy and tension, and there’s a real savory component—redolent of walking through a redwood forest—that expands into medium- to full-bodied richness on the palate. Exotic spices, white pepper, clove, deep pine-forest notes, and even a touch of charcuterie weave through the aromatics. There’s more power and intensity here than in the broader Sonoma Coast bottling, as you’d expect from these single-vineyard selections. A wonderful minty freshness mingles with crushed river stones, white pepper, and intriguing umami tones. The wine is medium to full-bodied, with substantial tannins—beam-like in structure, a bit sappy, and balanced by subtle mocha. It feels broad across the palate, building with spicy, textural richness. Dense black cherry, pomegranate, spiced plums, and blood orange deliver real staying power, while the long finish brings warming brown-sugar spice, toffee, and espresso bean. Plenty of heft, balanced by excellent tension. 503 cases made. Dan Kosta’s Convene wines are aged in 30% new oak, while his elevated DK label sees closer to 50% new oak for 15 months and represents specific blocks or barrel selections from single vineyards. Campbell Ranch Vineyard in the Russian River Valley is the winery’s largest holding, planted to clones 777 and 115.

Floodgate is the entry-level Pinot, sourced from several sites, including Starscape Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. A portion of this vineyard floods each winter due to its proximity to the Russian River, and fruit from additional RRV sites rounds out the blend. The wine is impressively rich, with dark cherry fruit, brown baking spices, caramel richness, allspice, and clove. It shows fabulous fruit weight and concentration, balanced by a gorgeous pink–Himalayan–sea–salt note on the extended, medium-bodied finish and cocoa powder tannins. All night-picked with 5–20% whole cluster, given a two-day settle, then treated with a small sulfur adjustment before native-yeast fermentation. Bâtonnage begins with more frequent stirring and gradually tapers off, after which the wine is racked into roughly 35–45% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Sourced from Bucher Vineyard, planted on river-valley gravels with pockets of volcanic material and shale — not classic coastal Goldridge. The site spans 38 acres just outside Healdsburg on what was once a cattle ranch, near Rochioli and behind MacRostie. The wine is super perfumed, with rose petals, blackberry, and black cherry, and it carries a wonderfully rich, creamy profile of spiced plums, raspberry fruit, and fruit leather. Tobacco and tangerine-oil notes weave through the palate. It’s quite unctuous given the warmer site, yet still bright, lifted, and edged with excellent saline-driven acidity. All night-picked with 5–20% whole cluster, given a two-day settle, then treated with a small sulfur adjustment before native-yeast fermentation. Bâtonnage begins with more frequent stirring and gradually tapers off, after which the wine is racked into roughly 35–45% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Nightwing sits right next door to Sun Chase Vineyard in the Petaluma Gap. This is a bold, fragrant, dark-fruited Pinot Noir packed with Asian spices and deep umami richness — black truffle, tobacco, soy — with super-youthful fruit pulsing beneath all that savory depth. Positively full-bodied, with a creamy, mouth-coating palate that carries this wine all day and all night. Bring it to your favorite steakhouse and go to town. All night-picked, native-yeast fermentation. Bâtonnage begins with more frequent stirring and gradually tapers off, after which the wine is racked into roughly 35–45% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

From the 5 Wells Vineyard in the Sebastopol Hills, this Pinot Noir is entirely Pommard clone and fermented with native yeast. Bâtonnage begins with more frequent stirring and gradually tapers off, after which the wine is racked into roughly 35–45% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined. It’s bursting with Asian spices, black cherry, blackberry, and dried strawberry. There’s a bright, ripe fruit sweetness woven through the palate, along with black tea notes, tangerine peel, and a brown-sugar–maple-syrup richness. Excellent, balanced tension carries into a long, lingering, umami-driven finish with plenty of deep-fruited fig paste concentration on the full-bodied close.

From Manzana Vineyard, planted to Clones 777 and 828 and blended together. The site sits off Occidental Road, a hillside parcel close to Kanzler. This is a very classy, bright, crunchy, red-fruited Pinot with grapefruit zest and orange-peel essence on the fleshier mid-palate, yet it remains focused and precise throughout. There’s a lovely undercurrent of loamy earth and apple-skin tannins that tighten into a laser-focused finish. All night-picked with native-yeast fermentation. Bâtonnage begins with more frequent stirring and gradually tapers off, after which the wine is racked into roughly 35–45% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Kings Ridge sits near Hirsch, Flowers, and Martinelli’s Blue Slide Ridge — basically a stellar neighborhood. It lifts out of the glass with bright white-pepper spice, black–sea-salt aromatics, and warm brown baking spices. The palate is medium-bodied and creamy, with dark cherry fruit and an attractive, sumptuous richness. Wonderful earth and brown-spice notes thread through the mid-palate, carrying into a long, lingering finish. All night-picked with 5–20% whole cluster, given a two-day settle, then treated with a small sulfur adjustment before native-yeast fermentation. Bâtonnage begins with more frequent stirring and gradually tapers off, after which the wine is racked into roughly 35–45% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Stoetz Ridge Vineyard faces east and is planted entirely to Clone 667. It’s a low-yielding site, and the resulting wine is quite pretty yet carries good heft and grip. There’s an old redwood-grove character here, with red cherry fruit and an elegance and prettiness that define the style. Good length and an easy quaffer. All night-picked with 5–20% whole cluster, given a two-day settle, then treated with a small sulfur adjustment before native-yeast fermentation. Bâtonnage begins with more frequent stirring and gradually tapers off, after which the wine is racked into roughly 35–45% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Sourced entirely from the property surrounding the winery, these vines were planted by Swiss-Italian farmers in 1904. In addition to Zinfandel, there’s Alicante Bouschet and Petite Sirah (the latter planted around 2018). Venge’s team farms the heck out of this site to suppress the wild yields Zinfandel naturally wants to give. Farming is organic. The wine is incredibly dark-fruited and sweet-spiced, with dried strawberry, layers of fruit leather, and warm sweet spices enhanced by the one-third American oak aging. Vanilla and chocolate notes weave through the palate, joined by more Asian-spice complexity. The finish is long and fruit-driven, supported by velvety tannins.

This Sangiacomo Vineyard Chardonnay is unabashedly full-flavored, leaning confidently into its toasty oak profile, which drives both the aromatics and the finish. Between those layers, notes of lemon, lemon curd, bruised yellow apple, and honeysuckle emerge, adding depth and warmth. Bold and expressive, this is not a Chardonnay for the faint of heart—but it’s one that pairs beautifully with a fine cigar or a contemplative evening.

Comstock’s Dry Creek Zinfandel is bold, assertive, and unabashedly rich. Its 16% ABV reveals itself slightly on the nose with notes of kirsch and brandied Morello cherries, yet the alcohol is beautifully integrated on the palate, showing no heat on the finish. Instead, it delivers a lush mix of mixed-berry pie fruit, warm brown baking spices, hints of licorice and aniseed, and crisp tannins that frame the dry, flavorful finish.

Dan Kosta describes what he loves about Russian River Valley Pinot Noir as its unmistakable typicity. “If I like raspberry and baking spice, that’s great,” he says, “but I don’t want raspberry jam.” Warmer vineyard sites can push the wines in that direction, so his aim is to capture the essence of RRV fruit without excessive extraction. In 2023, this Russian River Valley Pinot Noir achieves that balance beautifully. It’s an exquisite wine with rich notes of baking spice, unsweetened cocoa powder, and vanilla bean, grounded by wonderfully aromatic bay laurel that adds a savory layer. Full and rounded on the palate, it’s framed by firm, apple-skin tannins that lend a gentle grip, yet the wine remains fruit-driven, carrying that classic RRV baking spice character from start to finish.

Such a bright, saline-driven wine, showing citrus fruit, brown baking spices, chalky minerality, and exotic stone-fruit tones, with lemon meringue and apricot on the rich, succulent palate. It finishes with medium-bodied richness and laser-focused acidity. A fantastic entry-level wine for Croix Estate. Mostly sourced from cool sites in the Russian River Valley, including parcels in Green Valley, Sebastopol Hills, and pockets of the Petaluma Gap. All night-picked, whole-cluster pressed, given a two-day settle, then treated with a small sulfur adjustment before native-yeast fermentation. Some lots underwent native malolactic fermentation. Bâtonnage begins with more frequent stirring and tapers off as the wines age in roughly 30% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Sourced from Sun Chase Vineyard, typically the last pick of the season because it’s a cool site with morning dew and pockets of cloud that brush the west-facing slope. This wine is incredibly bright, with a sumptuous mouthfeel: tangerine oil, lemon oil, white flowers, rich candied ginger, apricot, and lemon zest. Beautiful, toasty oak spices add multidimensional personality, exceptional fruit weight, and concentration, all finishing with gorgeous saline-acid richness. A real pleasure-packed wine with exceptional length. All night-picked, whole-cluster pressed, given a two-day settle, then treated with a small sulfur adjustment before native-yeast fermentation. Some lots underwent native malolactic fermentation. Bâtonnage begins with more frequent stirring and tapers off as the wines age in roughly 40% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Kirk Venge started working with Kent Ritchie in 2016. The site is composed of volcanic and Goldridge soils, and Kirk tells me Kent believes the volcanic striations are what make it unique. It sits farther from the coast, so there’s less of the ancient ocean-bed sediment you find in other pockets of the region. The vines are now a couple of decades old, and there’s a lovely balance in both aromatics and flavor — thanks in part to the “hens and chicks” berries (large and small berries together), which bring higher-toned lift balanced by richer skin-tannin texture. The result is a seamless, complete expression of Chardonnay with bright, pure fruit and a smooth, mouthcoating, velvety profile. It’s simply delicious. You don’t have to think about this wine; you just drink it. So make sure you have plenty on hand. All night-picked, whole-cluster pressed, given a two-day settle, then treated with a small sulfur adjustment before native-yeast fermentation. Some lots underwent native malolactic fermentation. Bâtonnage begins with more frequent stirring and tapers off as the wines age in roughly 40% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

From Morelli Vineyard in the Green Valley of Occidental. Kirk Venge says they often use this wine as a back-blender for acidity because it naturally carries such high acid — and it shows. This is a high-acid, bright, crunchy wine with lemon-bright lift, super fragrant with a crushed–sea-salt character, honeycomb, and pressed white flowers. Orchard and stone fruit come through ripe and juicy, with crunchy candied ginger on the lifted, bright finish. Super electric. That salted lemon-peel note brings an umami richness that never turns cloying. All night-picked, whole-cluster pressed, given a two-day settle, then treated with a small sulfur adjustment before native-yeast fermentation. Some lots underwent native malolactic fermentation. Bâtonnage starts with more frequent stirring and tapers off as the wines age in roughly 30% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

From 40-year-old vines on southeast-facing slopes in the Richard Dinner Vineyard, where the morning sun drives a slow, even ripening. This wine is richer and creamier than Starlings Roost or 12 Rows, so if you gravitate toward lower-acid, fuller-bodied Chardonnay with a broader, more luxurious mouthfeel, this is the one for you. It’s lemon-bright, with ginger spice, apricot, honeycomb, and white flowers, all supported by enough freshness to balance the richness. All night-picked, whole-cluster pressed, given a two-day settle, then treated with a small sulfur adjustment before native-yeast fermentation. Some lots underwent native malolactic fermentation. Bâtonnage starts with more frequent stirring and tapers off as the wines age in roughly 30% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

This is the winery’s flagship wine from the Green Valley of the Russian River Valley. Sourced from Home Ranch, Treehouse, and Bootlegger’s, it’s a fragrant Pinot that opens with dark-berry fruit, fig paste, brown baking spices, and a touch of underbrush. Crisp tannins support a juicy core, with plenty of warm spice character, a bit of black pepper, and perfumed rose petals that carry through the lengthy finish.

This Rosé is 70% Grenache and 30% Pinot Noir, fermented and aged in stainless steel. It’s bright, clean, crisp, and lightly salty — incredibly easy to drink. Subtle aromatics of baking spice and earthy minerality show on the nose, and the palate brings building richness and a pleasantly medium-weight feel. The Chenoweth family has farmed in Sonoma County for 170 years. Charlie and Amy Chenoweth launched their vineyard management company in 1999 and their wine brand in 2010. From 2010 to 2015, they produced just one Pinot Noir before shifting to vineyard-designate bottlings. In 2017, they expanded the lineup to include a Chardonnay and a Rosé.

Hitting all the classic Russian River Valley markers, this opens with a deep baseline of dark berry fruit, cola spices, cocoa powder, and blood-orange richness. There’s wonderful freshness throughout, with juicy dark berry flavors and fine cedarwood spice. Crisp, crunchy red berry notes layer seamlessly with clove and warm baking spices. This is Michael Browne’s 29th vintage, and it’s one you’ll want to hold and revisit many times over. Clones: Pommard, 667, 777, 828, 115, Mt. Eden, 23, and Swan. Aged 15 months in 45% new French oak, 18% once-used French oak, and 33% neutral French oak.

"We're aiming for a Montrachet or Meursault style," says Michael Browne—and this gets remarkably close. It’s electric on the palate, driven by terrific salinity and a fantastic, saline-acid grip. Lemony brightness cuts through layers of crushed Marcona almonds, green apple, and crunchy pear. There’s wonderful weight and richness, yet it stays precise, focused, and energetic throughout—totally vibrant and full of tension. That juicy acidity settles on the palate the way a good Montrachet does, but with its own lively edge. Wente clone; 12 months in concrete followed by 3 months in stainless steel, then 15 months in 38% new French oak barrels.

Michael Browne’s 2023 CIRQ is absolute dynamite. It’s super complex and ultra-delicious—about as satisfying as watching your kid’s soccer team crush the other side in penalty kicks to win the championship. It’s as electric as the first time you rode in someone’s Aston Martin—and as enviable as you felt toward the owner. If you own the Aston Martin, this wine deserves a permanent spot in the glove compartment. If you drive a Honda Insight Hybrid like me (my first car after leaving NYC, still going strong), you need this wine to remind you of the better things in life. Now, onto the wine: 2023 is a sleeper vintage. This is Sonoma perfection for Michael Browne—his ripe, lusher, full-flavored, fruit-forward style, but with the structure to age gracefully for years. It’s a high-wire act, balancing fabulously ripe, crunchy red berry fruit and spice with elegant cedarwood notes and a pine-forest freshness that glides across the palate like perfectly smooth wet slate. Coiled, energetic, and full of tension, it delivers gorgeous, pure red and black fruit character with plenty of structure to go the distance.

This Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir is a spectacular wine, offering beautifully subtle red berry fruit—cherry and raspberry—interwoven with elegant cedarwood smoke and clove. Light to medium-bodied, it unfolds with layers of juicy red fruit, exotic Asian spice, and a sweet-salty minerality that adds both tension and allure. Graceful yet vibrant, it’s the kind of wine that’s nearly impossible to put down.

This estate Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, vivid white that showcases fragrant stony minerality alongside notes of lemon-lime, lime zest, and seagrass, with a subtle hint of vanilla in the background. Focused and linear, it delivers expressive acidity and a tactile, apple-skin texture that gives grip and definition to the clean, refreshing finish.

That’s quite a wine. It’s a robust, richly styled Pinot Noir with super-dark fruit, loamy earth, and an intense underbrush and deep-forest character, all threaded with an elegant sea-spray minerality. The wine is also incredibly floral, showing rose-petal lift alongside black-tea tannins and a distinct red-rock minerality that likely reflects the unique red soils of this site. I really love where this wine is in its life cycle — it has just the right balance of ripe fruit and savory nuance.

On other labels, you’ll see Home Ranch listed as Chenoweth Ranch. This wine is pretty generous, sourced from vines planted on Goldridge soils with classic Pinot Noir clonal selections. It shows rich red fruit, a touch of mulberry, and Christmas-spice warmth, with plenty of Russian River Valley plushness. Dried violets, fig notes, and baked-cherry tones carry through on the finish, supported by firm tannins that build as the wine closes. CIRQ and CHEV also source fruit from this site.

Brightly aromatic, showing expressive white flowers and lemon verbena. Full malolactic fermentation and aging in 30% new French oak add richness to the citrus, apple, and pear fruit, while a hint of well-integrated cedarwood spice comes across more like salted Marcona almonds. The finish builds with a lovely lemon-oil richness. From Bootlegger’s Hill, with three rows of Montrachet clone from Little Boot Vineyard blended in.

This Merlot comes from a special block dedicated to Alain Raynaud and his family of Bordeaux and is blended with 11% Cabernet Franc. Aged 21 months in 20% new French oak barrels, it’s crafted in a focused, distinctly Bordelais style—restrained, balanced, and elegant rather than opulent. Subtle aromas of cherry and red currant mingle with cedarwood, sage, and bay laurel. The palate reveals plummy and raspberry fruit framed by firm, fine-grained tannins that build toward a dry, structured finish. This wine would benefit from another year of cellaring to soften its edges and will continue to evolve gracefully over the next 3–7 years. Founder and winemaker David Jeffrey established Calluna Vineyards in 2005, planting 12 acres of estate vineyards in Sonoma County’s Chalk Hill AVA, followed by an additional 5 acres in 2014. After earning his degree in viticulture and enology at Fresno State, Jeffrey apprenticed under Alain Raynaud at Château Quinault in Saint-Émilion.

This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon is barrel-fermented in French oak, a technique that helps soften the tannins and integrate the oak seamlessly—and in this case, to great effect. The wine is medium-bodied and fruit-driven, offering aromas of crunchy red berries accented by hints of pine and mint. On the palate, notes of candied berry fruit emerge, while firm tannins gradually build toward a structured finish. The Colonel’s Vineyard is a small 1¼-acre block planted to Clone 337 Cabernet Sauvignon in 2005. Fermentation takes place in 100% new French oak barrels from Tonnellerie Baron for three weeks, followed by 20 months of aging in French oak, 50% of it new. Founder and winemaker David Jeffrey established Calluna Vineyards in 2005, planting 12 acres of estate vineyards in Sonoma County’s Chalk Hill AVA, followed by an additional 5 acres in 2014. After earning his degree in viticulture and enology at Fresno State, Jeffrey apprenticed under Alain Raynaud at Château Quinault in Saint-Émilion.

A blend of 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% Sémillon, this wine was barrel-fermented and aged in mostly neutral French oak, with about 10% new oak. It underwent no malolactic fermentation, preserving its brightness and lift. The result is a lavishly aromatic white—one that immediately commands attention. Lifted notes of citrus and orchard fruit are layered with subtle hints of vanilla and cedarwood, creating an enticing and sumptuous bouquet. On the palate, the wine becomes leaner and more focused, revealing flavors of yellow apple drizzled with lemon juice, crushed almonds, white flowers, and apple skin. Quite an aromatic and focused white. Founder and winemaker David Jeffrey established Calluna Vineyards in 2005, planting 12 acres of estate vineyards in Sonoma County’s Chalk Hill AVA, followed by an additional 5 acres in 2014. After earning his degree in viticulture and enology at Fresno State, Jeffrey apprenticed under Alain Raynaud at Château Quinault in Saint-Émilion.

This Bordeaux blend is composed of 37% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Cabernet Franc, 4% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot. Aged 21 months in French oak barrels, 20% of which were new, it’s a bold, full-bodied, and generously structured red. The nose and palate are layered with dark berry fruit and warm cedar spice, offering both richness and comfort. Notes of dark chocolate complement juicy, spiced plum and a hint of tart raspberry, all framed by firm yet polished tannins. The finish lingers with a touch of dried fig, adding depth and a satisfying sense of warmth. Founder and winemaker David Jeffrey established Calluna Vineyards in 2005, planting 12 acres of estate vineyards in Sonoma County’s Chalk Hill AVA, followed by an additional 5 acres in 2014. After earning his degree in viticulture and enology at Fresno State, Jeffrey apprenticed under Alain Raynaud at Château Quinault in Saint-Émilion.

This red comes from the Chalk Hill Estate, a 1,300-acre property with 300 acres under vine. “The site is pretty cold for Bordeaux varieties within Sonoma County,” notes Mari Wells Coyle, VP of winemaking. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and aged 20 months in 52% new French oak. The 2023 is exceptionally elegant, with ultra-fine tannins that coat the palate like cashmere. There’s excellent fruit depth, delivering rich, ripe black-fruit flavors that remain crisp and bright, layered with tobacco and pops of blue fruit on the vivid finish. Full-bodied, full-flavored, and beautifully layered—a gorgeous expression of the estate.

There’s a lot going on with this Sauvignon Blanc. It’s fermented in barrel with biweekly bâtonnage for the first two months, then monthly afterward, and aged five months in French oak (12% new). The blend also includes 18% Sauvignon Gris. It’s absolutely delicious—heady and contemplative—with impressive midweight texture and tension. Layers of citrus and orchard fruit mingle with a salty, briny mineral character, accented by white flowers, almonds, and plenty of crushed sea salt on the lengthy, fruit- and mineral-rich finish. A cedarwood spice note is beautifully woven into the fabric of the wine, adding both texture and tension. I love the generosity here; it’s a wine you can pair with food, but it’s equally pleasurable as a solo sipper before or after a meal. Fantastic at this price.

The Sonoma Coast Chardonnay from Chalk Hill is sourced from a mix of sites—Wobkin, Ramal, Chalk Ridge, Rail Road, and additional Russian River Valley vineyards. The fruit is whole-cluster pressed, cold settled, and fermented in French oak with full malolactic fermentation and lees stirring. It is aged 8–10 months in 23% new French oak. The wine offers a heady mix of yellow apple, grilled pineapple, lemon curd, and white peach, all laced with vanilla and well-integrated buttery, toasty oak. Brown baking spices add warmth, while generous, juicy acidity underscores the wine’s plush character and delivers a freshness that’s hard to beat. A decadent wine—yet balanced by its brightness.

A blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 6% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, aged 20 months in 75% new French oak. Fruit is sourced from iconic sites including Vadasz in Sonoma Valley, Cherryblock, vineyards in Knights Valley and Alexander Valley, Lancaster, LookOut, Magnolia Ranch, the Chateau St. Jean Estate, and portions of Rancho Salina. The Foley family’s goal has been to restore this winery’s reputation, and with winemaker Mari Wells Coyle, it’s clearly on that path. I tasted the 2022 vintage and scored it 96 points—a remarkable wine from a challenging year. Here in 2023, a cooler and more forgiving growing season has produced another beautifully polished expression. The aromatics are classic Sonoma: bright, fresh red-cherry and forest-berry character, accented by fragrant sagebrush and white pepper. The wine is beautifully crafted and medium-bodied, with loads of energy. The tannins are refined and elegant, and the flavors are bright, lifted, and graceful. Such a delicious, high-toned, expressive wine.

This Zinfandel is beautifully composed and wonderfully balanced. Pure black cherry and black raspberry aromas rise from the glass, nuanced by elegant cedarwood and subtle vanilla tones. Medium-bodied, it reveals expressive red rose floral notes woven through layers of cinnamon-spiced red berry fruit. Firm tannins provide structure and grip, gradually resolving into a long, fruit- and spice-driven finish. Sourced from the Petrini Vineyard in Rockpile, the wine was aged 10 months in 25% new Slavonian oak, which adds depth and refinement without overshadowing the vibrant fruit. Produced by a small, family-run winery with a mostly Pinot-driven portfolio made at their winery and tasting room in downtown Petaluma.

This Pinot Noir is sourced from the biodynamically farmed and organically certified Panther Ridge Vineyard, perched at 900 feet on Sonoma Mountain. The grapes were fermented with 15% whole clusters and aged 10 months in 20% new French oak. The resulting wine shows excellent tension and energy, with a focused personality and subtle dark berry fruit framed by crunchy pomegranate-seed tannins. Notes of blood orange, allspice, and tangerine peel carry through a lively, gently spiced finish. Produced by a small, family-run winery with a mostly Pinot-driven portfolio made at their winery and tasting room in downtown Petaluma.

Sourced from the organically farmed Sweet Family Vineyard, planted in a protected bowl at 750 feet on the southern end of Sonoma Mountain, the grapes for this Pinot were fermented with 15% whole clusters and aged 10 months in neutral oak. Bright aromatics of candied red berries mingle with cherry wood and apple blossom, leading into a palate bursting with raspberry and strawberry coulis. The tannins are firm, crisp, and crunchy, building toward a dry, spicy finish. Vibrant and expressive, this Pinot Noir would pair beautifully with spiced Mexican dishes or hearty braised meats. Produced by a small, family-run winery with a mostly Pinot-driven portfolio made at their winery and tasting room in downtown Petaluma.

Fragrant cedarwood notes mingle with bright cherry fruit and a hint of wild herbs. Tart, racy acidity gives the wine lift, while firm, fine-grained tannins guide it to a bone-dry, focused finish. This Pinot Noir is crafted from a mix of vineyards spanning the slopes of Sonoma Mountain to the cool, rolling hills west of Petaluma. The grapes were fermented with 15% whole clusters and aged 10 months in 25% new French oak. Produced by a small, family-run winery with a mostly Pinot-driven portfolio made at their winery and tasting room in downtown Petaluma.

A straightforward Chardonnay sourced from three vineyards spanning from just south of the Russian River to the Petaluma Gap. Picked on the early side, it was barrel-fermented and aged 10 months in 14% new French oak. The wine underwent full malolactic fermentation, resulting in a soft, rounded expression of Chardonnay that still retains a bit of bite—thanks to what feels like apple or pear skin tannins. Layers of lemon, lemon curd, quince, and candied ginger unfold on the palate, accented by hints of buttered croissant drizzled with acacia honey. Bone dry and slightly tart on the finish. Produced by a small, family-run winery with a mostly Pinot-driven portfolio made at their winery and tasting room in downtown Petaluma.

In 2022, the Calluna Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was crafted as a selection of the best lots from the winery’s hillside vineyards. Each of the 12 blocks was fermented separately and evaluated through blending trials after five months in barrel. The final blend comprises 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot, and 2% Malbec. This is a structured, energetic, and finely focused red—nothing soft or loose here. It offers expressive blackberry and violet notes alongside hints of blue fruit and cedarwood spice. A dusting of cocoa powder frames the pure, vibrant fruit, giving the wine both texture and polish. The finish shows excellent length and tension, with subtle graphite and wood smoke. Founder and winemaker David Jeffrey established Calluna Vineyards in 2005, planting 12 acres of estate vineyards in Sonoma County’s Chalk Hill AVA, followed by an additional 5 acres in 2014. After earning his degree in viticulture and enology at Fresno State, Jeffrey apprenticed under Alain Raynaud at Château Quinault in Saint-Émilion.

Anne Moller-Racke was the vineyard manager at Chateau Buena Vista from the early 1980s until 2001, when she helped establish Donum and remained there until 2019. During that time, she planted the Anne Katherina Vineyard in Carneros and, in 2013, began producing wine under her own label, Blue Farm. Total production is around 2,500 cases. The Sonoma Coast bottling is a blend of Anne’s vineyard sources and is poured mainly by the glass in local restaurants. She self-distributes in California. Once the fruit arrives at the winery, it’s sorted, given a light saignée, then cold-soaked for 3–5 days. As the must warms, fermentation kicks off in tank at cool temperatures for up to 19 days. Once dry, it’s pressed, and only the free run is used. The wine is aged in one-third new French oak for up to 17 months. This Pinot Noir is a bit coiled and very youthful, showing crunchy red berry fruit, chalky minerality, and a real earthiness—perhaps from the Wadenswil clone. Black tea–like tannins frame the palate as darker fruit emerges on the mid-palate and finish. There’s plenty of tension and freshness throughout.

The Farmhouse Estate Pinot lifts from the glass with a fragrant wet-slate character, followed by cherry and raspberry fruit. Firm tannins anchor a deep mineral core redolent of iron and salt, while dried thyme and rosemary add intrigue. A subtle sappy quality threads through the palate, making the wine quietly thought-provoking. The finish is spicy and insistent — the kind that makes you pause and wonder what’s going on in the glass, in the world, in your own life. And honestly? That’s a fine way to spend an evening, especially with a glass of this nearby.

Meanwhile, the Riverbed Estate wine — also in Carneros, near the Farmhouse Estate — boasts a similar wet-slate freshness, mineral drive, and red-berry lift, only here the textures are more supple, the generosity greater, and the tannins noticeably gentler. The dried-herb nuances give way to forest-floor and pine-forest tones, creating a quieter, earthier complexity. The finish caresses the mid-palate with a softer core, yet still carries a bright, spicy snap that keeps the wine lively and engaging.

This is a light, bright, zippy Chardonnay, boasting Sonoma Coast sea-spray minerality, subtle lemon and lime citrus, white flowers, and unsalted, unroasted almonds with a touch of almond-skin grip. There’s plenty of tension to carry this medium-bodied white well into the night or through a long meal, while a hint of sea grass and vanilla rounds it all out.

Fresh and zesty, with a touch of grape-skin tannin and an intriguing, heady mix of white Rainier cherry, apricot and white peach, accented by subtle almond undertones. There’s also a gentle pop of tarragon or wild fennel and a super-salty core of crunchy orchard fruit and dried white-floral notes. Exotic, enticing and genuinely fun to drink. I’d pair this with a selection of farmers’ market hard cheeses and charcuterie.

This site sits at 1,000 feet of elevation, across from the Failla Vineyard, with vines rooted in Goldridge soils. The wine is incredibly beautiful — the aromatics are gorgeous, with dark blackberry and plum, plus flashes of blue fruit. It’s immensely generous. Made from two clones, Bacigalupi and the Hyde/Calera selection, it shows brilliant lift and clarity. On the palate, there’s great wet-slate minerality, fragrant cocoa-nib notes, and a real saline–acid freshness. All that ripe, juicy, complex fruit stains the palate and drives into a full-bodied finish with exacting, building tannins. Super intensity.

Winemaker Anne Moller-Racke has worked with this fruit since 2013. She doesn’t put it through malolactic fermentation—she likes acid. She gets around four tons of a single clone and uses Montrachet plus another yeast to layer in freshness and a touch of reductive edge, with partial fermentation in concrete and one-third in new French oak. Absolutely drop-dead gorgeous Chardonnay. It’s bright, vivid, electric—full of sea-spray minerality, cool wet river stones, crushed Marcona almonds, and white-flower notes, lifted by tangerine peel and lemon verbena freshness. It’s so layered and captivating. The wine is stirred early and left on primary lees until bottling, adding fantastic baking-spice depth framed by crisp, crunchy acidity.

From Laceroni Vineyard—situated in the far-southwestern reaches of the Russian River Valley near Graton and spanning roughly 45 acres on classic, well-draining Goldridge sandy loam—comes a more structured and grippier expression of RRV Pinot Noir. The site’s softly rolling hills and coastal influence help produce fruit of refined ripeness: crisp, crunchy and beautifully poised. That energy carries straight onto the palate, where apple-skin tannins and notable textural grip give the wine tension and shape. Subtle brown baking spices and flinty wet-stone minerality add further dimension, supporting the elegant red-berry profile without overwhelming it. Quite a lovely wine with genuine cellar-worthy capability.

Anne Moller-Racke planted this vineyard with the intention of making one wine — and she produces just over 300 cases of this estate bottling. Clone 115 brings lift and perfume, Swan Clone contributes texture, and Clone 667 layers in tannin and structure. The site itself is flat, and the wine’s dimension comes from the interplay of these clones. It sits on an old riverbed with abundant gravel, and that drainage, Moller-Racke says, gives the wine its added structure and tannic frame. The wine is dense and powerful, with ripe cherry and strawberry fruit that’s very pure and beautifully delineated. A mineral intensity runs straight through it, and the tannins are crisp and robust, building across the floral and earthy finish. Quite a wine.

From the Zio Tony Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. A combination of the Elite Clone selection and Clone 667 planted on Goldridge soils, which impart naturally low pH and help the wines retain their freshness. Anne Moller-Racke believes the Elite Clone, in particular, holds its natural acidity beautifully — and this wine proves the point. This is an acid-driven Pinot Noir with a sea-spray minerality on the nose, ripe red berry fruit, warm baking spices, and a touch of strawberry compote mingling with elegant cedarwood spice. Very dry, focused, and precise — not the typical lush RRV style, but a more linear, tension-filled expression.

Gap’s Crown is fermented in stainless steel and aged in up to 50% new French oak for as long as 17 months. Anne Moller-Racke buys from two blocks: Block 13, planted to Clone 777 on the lower, gravelly portion of the site where it’s cooler with some clay and dense spacing, and the vines are now over 20 years old; and Block 8, planted to Clone 667 at a higher elevation in a smaller parcel. There are wonderfully cool aromas coming off this wine — bright cherry, cranberry, and a white-plum note, with a touch of white pepper spice. The palate is quite delicious, packed with juicy dark berry fruit, Asian spices, clove, and cocoa powder, framed by crisp tannins. It carries real generosity and elegance, all supported by a powerful framework and some lingering cedarwood spice. Super youthful now, and poised to deliver beautifully over the next 5–15 years.

What a wonderfully pure Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, bursting with juicy, ripe red cherry, cranberry and strawberry fruit. It leans into cherry compote and warm baking spices, yet all that lush, creamy Russian River fruit is kept beautifully in check by cool acid tension. Textural grip—like biting into a ripe red apple and feeling the pull of the skin—adds dimension, underscored by slick espresso-bean oil, blood-orange or tangerine peel and a touch of smoky, flinty minerality. Super complex and inviting.

Fruit sourced mostly from Trenton Vineyard in the heart of the Russian River Valley in the Laguna Ridge neighborhood. It bursts from the glass with watermelon, watermelon rind, and white peach. The wine has a creamy mid-palate balanced by zesty acid tension on the medium-bodied frame, layered with red florals and stony minerality. Fresh, clean, bright, and refreshing.

Partially fermented in French oak and stainless steel, the wine underwent full malolactic fermentation and spent eight months aging in 30% new French oak prior to bottling. It is sourced mostly from the Foley family’s estate vineyards, which are farmed by the family. The wine is bright, showing citrus and orchard-fruit tones with candied ginger and white flowers. A crunchy, juicy acidity drives the palate, balanced by plenty of richness, toasty oak, vanilla, and a touch of grilled pineapple on the lengthy finish.

This Pinot is not 100% Pinot Noir—there’s a small portion of Sangiovese and Grenache Noir in the blend. It’s sourced mostly from the estate, with additional fruit coming from select Sonoma Coast sites. Fermentation takes place warm in stainless steel and moves relatively quickly before the wine is barreled down for 10 months in 15% new French oak. There’s a real forest-floor, underbrush, wild-berry character here, accented by a pop of minty freshness, violets, and blue-fruit notes. Pomegranate-seed tannins and velvety textures frame the palate, finishing with lengthy blood orange and zesty grapefruit. The wines in the Banshee portfolio are better than ever—bright, fresh, and full of tension.

Perhaps the boldest, most expressive, and structured of the five Balletto wines tasted during my visit to the Sonoma County Vintners offices, this was a clear standout in the lineup. The BCD Vineyard lies on rolling hills that rise toward the coastal mountain range, a site that imparts both freshness and depth. Fermented with indigenous yeast in small six-ton open-top tanks and aged in French oak barrels, the wine opens with sumptuous cedarwood aromas intertwined with cherry and clove, creating an alluring impression of cherry-scented wood smoke. Medium-bodied on the palate, it delivers supple tannins and concentrated mixed berry fruit, finishing with notes of clove, incense, and wet slate minerality. A wine of impressive length, tension, and energy.

The 2022 Sexton Hill Vineyard Chardonnay comes from a site in the Sebastopol Hills with vines rooted in classic Goldridge soils. Aged 18 months in 25% new French oak, it’s a ripe, orchard fruit–driven wine with crisp, crunchy acidity and lingering notes of buttered croissant and almond pastry. Rich and attractive without ever feeling heavy, it remains lean, focused, and full of flavor

Sexton Hill Vineyard is a steep, north-facing site located about 10 miles from the cooling influence of the Pacific Ocean. The vines are planted in Goldridge sandy loam soils, and the wine was aged 10 months in 35% new French oak. This is an easy-drinking, focused red with mixed berry fruit, appealing aromatics of clove, anise, and gentle wood smoke. The palate is supple and balanced, finishing with a smooth, velvety texture that makes it effortlessly enjoyable.

The 2022 Twin Ridges Chardonnay is sourced from a site rooted in Goldridge soils and composed of Wente, Robert Young, Clone 96, and Clone 4 selections. Aged 18 months in 30% new French oak, it’s clean, balanced, and beautifully focused, with alluring orchard fruit aromatics accented by hints of ginger and delicate French pastry. The palate shows great energy and tension, with layered flavors and a refined, medium-bodied finish.

From the Sexton Valley Vineyard in the Sebastopol Hills, this Chardonnay is whole-cluster pressed, undergoes partial malolactic fermentation, and is aged entirely in stainless steel. The result is a bright, energetic wine that’s light on its feet yet full of character. Aromas of lemon oil, lemon zest, and white flowers lead to a palate brimming with tangerine peel, crunchy kumquat skin, and vibrant acidity. The finish lingers with stony, wet minerality and subtle notes of lemon curd.

The Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon comes from estate fruit across Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley, Russian River Valley, Sonoma Mountain, and Knights Valley. At its suggested retail price of $30, this is a fantastic value. It delivers a generous punch of savory Sonoma character—sagebrush, wild thyme, and bay laurel—wrapped around beautifully pure cassis and blackberry fruit. Elegant cedarwood spice adds lift, while fine tannins and earthy tension shape the palate. Super-pristine fruit and balanced structure make this a killer wine for the price.

Winemaker Jake Lachowitzer, formerly the assistant winemaker at Chalk Hill, took the reins in 2024. Grapes are whole-cluster pressed and fermented in stainless steel. The wine is incredibly aromatic thanks to the addition of small amounts of Muscat Canelli and Muscato Giallo, which contribute high-toned floral and honeysuckle notes. On the palate, everything comes together with a pop of saline acidity and fresh, ripe melon and mango, finishing bright with a chalky mineral edge.

There’s a gravelly freshness that lifts out of the glass, carrying ultra–dark berry fruit with an impressively dense core — so pure, clean, and fresh that the wine is genuinely refreshing, yet still endowed with the depth and tannic intensity you want in a long-lived Cabernet. Tobacco spice, dried violets, and black fruit layer in alongside cool wet-slate tones on the impressively long finish. Del Rio Vineyard is a steep site straddling the highest reaches of Chalk Hill Road in the southeast corner of Alexander Valley, rooted in chalky volcanic soils. This is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 22 months in 100% new French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Wow — this is all acid. Candied mineral freshness, citrus fruit, bone-dry, crisp, vivid, clean, and bright. Wet chalk and slate, with a brightness that’s hard to beat. “These grapes hold their acid like a railroad track,” says winemaker Kirk Venge. Some honeyed notes and jasmine flowers linger on the finish. You need a pecorino drizzled in honey with this.

What a luscious, lovely, rich, and creamy Chardonnay — with plenty of acid verve. Delicious vanilla shows on the back palate alongside well-integrated cedarwood spice. There’s ample crunchy acidity to keep it fresh, bright, and classy. From Calesa Vineyard, all night-picked, whole-cluster pressed, given a two-day settle, then treated with a small sulfur adjustment before native-yeast fermentation. Some lots underwent native malolactic fermentation. Bâtonnage starts with more frequent stirring and tapers off as the wines age in roughly 35% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Nightwing is super silky and luscious, built around a core of dark berry fruit and rich brown baking spices. The palate is wonderfully broad — velvety and silky at the same time — filling in all the gaps and finishing with a fabulous, laser-like line of complexity. It’s classic Venge style: hitting all the broad-palate markers yet finishing with lift, lightness, and brightness.

From Manzana Vineyard, planted to Clones 777 and 828, and blended together. The site sits off Occidental Road, a hillside parcel close to Kanzler. The nose is elegant and expressive — cherry fruit, sagebrush, bay laurel — like walking in a cool Redwood grove — all building into medium richness with sweet baking spices woven around dark cherry and raspberry. Medium-bodied, with velvety tannins and a touch of cola root, plus lovely ironstone and earthy minerality and a hint of black-truffle charcuterie on the finish. Bâtonnage begins with more frequent stirring and gradually tapers off, after which the wine is racked into roughly 35–45% new French oak for 15 months. Bottled unfiltered and unfined.

Sourced from Calesa Vineyard, a Petaluma Gap site perched on a high plateau with northwest-facing slopes and soils flecked with gravel and quartz. The nose is absolutely gorgeous — dark cherry fruit, warm brown baking spices, a hint of soy, black truffle, and velvety tannins, with a touch of sea-salt savor. The palate shows impressive depth: grapefruit peel, black sea salt, a broad, velvety texture, and a refined, seamless expression. Terrific grip and tension, yet still lush and inviting. Super cool — this one will fire you up.

This is a spectacular Zinfandel, with gorgeous red- and black-toned aromatics, loamy earth, robust tannins, and impressive acid grip. Beautiful, lacy ironstone minerality and apple-skin tannins bring freshness, verve, and drive, all framed by sturdy, firm structure that underscores the juicy, ripe, concentrated fruit from 130-year-old vines. Impressively long and layered for a Zinfandel. Aged in 40% new French oak.

From Hambrecht Vineyard at the top of Dry Creek Road, this Zinfandel was aged for 16 months in three-year-dried American oak barrels. It is robust and powerful — a fitting send-off, as it is the last Zinfandel B Cellars will make. Dark-fruited and savory-spiced, with ample tannins and rich brown baking spices, it shows fig paste, cherry fruit and gorgeous length.

The 2024 is electric and vibrant, with incredible tension and length. It’s one of my favorite wines from Jesse Katz since I began tasting his lineup, and it’s hands down the best barrel-fermented white he’s made. Pretty beeswax notes and white flowers open the nose, followed by a squeeze of lime and bright, crunchy apple richness. Stony minerality drives the lengthy finish. Super dynamic. I want to drink this all holiday season while prepping big meals — this is my mise-en-place wine. This white was sourced entirely from estate fruit pulled from some of Aperture’s coolest sites, including plantings of d’Yquem clones, and includes 18% Semillon (all barrel-fermented) from the Dry Stack Vineyard — the highest proportion since the first vintage of their Sauvignon Blanc in 2016. While a small portion was fermented in cement, the 2023 was primarily barrel-fermented, including lots aged in Haut-Brion barrels with Acacia-wood toasted heads.

This is only the second vintage Katz has made of this wine, first produced in 2021. Sourced from old vines on a north-facing hillside at Farrow Ranch, it’s a vibrating, electric, wildly exciting wine — so flavor-packed and intensely mineral-focused, with a gorgeous wet-slate quality underscored by lemon-bright and lime-zest fruit. Green apple, apricot, and lychee drive the fruity core, and then that stony minerality kicks in. The oak work is beautifully delicate, framing the wine rather than weighing it down. It was aged 16 months in 70% new French oak, and with time in bottle it will continue to build complexity from that élevage. You can hold this wine in the cellar — and you should — as it will only grow richer and more savory with time. Farrow Ranch lies within the Alexander Valley AVA, in a site that sits inside a proposed new sub-AVA called Pocket Peak.

This is a co-fermented field blend of 11 different varieties from the two 1921 blocks planted at Aperture Estate — small blocks totaling under 8 acres. It’s treated like a Burgundian variety, picked early to accentuate ripeness and given a large saignée (30%) to concentrate the tannins. Aged 16 months in 30% new French oak, all in large 70-gallon barrels. There’s something wonderfully savory happening here. There’s Zinfandel, Petit Verdot, Carignan, some mixed whites, and cross-bred Petite Sirah selections (Pellier/Syrah), all coming together to build a meaty richness in the glass. Dark berry fruit, rich herbal-spice notes, violets, saddle leather, and black olive drive the aromatics. The tannins are firm yet velvety, supporting a full-bodied richness that finishes with creamy caramel accents and a stony mineral edge.

The Red Blend is aged 18 months in 50% new French oak and 5% concrete. It’s dynamic and delicious, packed with mixed berry fruits, warm baking spices, velvety-textured tannins, fig-paste richness, and cocoa-powder notes that carry through the lengthy, full-bodied finish.

The Cabernet is aged 18 months in 55% new French oak and 10% concrete. This is an ultra-delicious wine in 2023, with super expressive aromatics: dark berry fruit, tobacco spice, violet, graphite, and little pops of blue fruit. There’s a cocoa-powder tannin quality on the rich, layered palate, along with a chalky mineral complexity that drives the lengthy finish, all fueled by bright baking-spice notes and wild herbs. Sourced from SJ Ranch, Del Rio, Oliver, Farrow, and Aperture Estate. That freshness factor in this wine is partly the vintage, but also the highly technical winemaking going on here, and time spent in concrete. Just wow.

The Proterra (formerly known as Nomad) is a blend of 82% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Malbec, and 1% Petit Verdot. The name changed with the 2022 vintage. Aged 22 months in 85% new French oak. The wine is dark-fruited and savory-spiced, with notes of fig paste, blackberry, cherry, and cherry pie, along with salted dark chocolate and black-tea tannins that are substantial — almost chunky — underscored by good acid tension. Fragrant sagebrush and bay laurel add layers of complexity and spice. It’s a long, full-flavored wine with full-bodied richness that finds balance in its acid backbone, an impressive feat given the vintage.

A beautifully full and expressive red wine, offering red cherry and blackberry fruit with graphite, fleshy new-wood cedar, and a savory olive-tapenade character. The palate is super creamy and richly textured, driven by pristine dark-berry fruit that leads into mulberry and blueberry. The tannins are gorgeous — cedar-kissed, full-framed, elongated, almost beam-like — and the finish carries a seductive mineral intensity that stretches out over lingering fruit and stone. Just splendid in 2023. Aperture’s Oliver Ranch surrounds the Michelin-starred restaurant Cyrus in Alexander Valley. Winemaker Jesse Katz has worked with this fruit since 2010 and produced his first single-vineyard bottling from the site in 2014. Designed by famed viticulturist Phil Freese in the 1980s on an old riverbed of polished stones, much of the 3.6-acre ranch is dry-farmed.

Wow — this is something. Positively stellar, full-bodied, with chewy tannins that are perfectly framed, elongated and almost sensual in the way they caress the palate. The wine is rich, full-bodied, generous and complexly layered with mixed-berry fruit, yet it is overwhelmingly mineral and tension-filled. A distinctly gravelly complexity is evident, thanks to the vineyard’s soils — gravelly clay and gravelly volcanic deposits spread across the site — and the result is a wine of unimaginable freshness. It is spectacular. The SJ Ranch in Alexander Valley is a 7.9-acre vineyard of volcanic soils adjacent to Verité off Thomas Road. Cabernet Sauvignon Clones 337 and 7 are blended and aged for 22 months in 90% new French oak, then bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Felix Hunter Vineyard lies west of the town of Sebastopol, straddling both the Green Valley and Sonoma Coast AVAs. This 100% Pinot Noir, a blend of Clones 828, Calera, Pommard, and 115, was aged for 20 months in 33% new French oak. The wine is beautifully balanced and generous, offering a heady mix of juicy red berry fruit, warm brown spices, star anise, clove, and rose petal. The palate is supple and vibrant, with ripe, juicy fruit floating over fine, firm tannins. Notes of blood orange acidity, loamy earth, and a touch of vanillin-charred tobacco bring depth and lift to the finish. Long and satisfying, it’s a Pinot Noir well suited to heartier fare. Founded in 2006 by proprietor John Sweazey, and guided by winemaker Katy Wilson since 2014, Anaba produces limited-production Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Rhône-style wines, many from exclusive vineyard partnerships.

I love this Chardonnay's focus and precision. Highly aromatic, it opens with hints of salted lemon peel, lime blossom, and crushed Marcona almonds. Medium-bodied yet rich in character, it offers impressive depth of fruit alongside a long, salt-stone mineral finish that keeps the wine light, bright, and full of energy. Notes of candied ginger and quince linger gracefully after the first sip. Chardonnay barrels are hand-selected each vintage for this bottling, with the wine aged 17 months in 40% new French oak. Founded in 2006 by proprietor John Sweazey, and guided by winemaker Katy Wilson since 2014, Anaba produces limited-production Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Rhône-style wines, many from exclusive vineyard partnerships.

The Sangiacomo Roberts Road Vineyard Chardonnay was aged 19 months in 33% new French oak, resulting in a slightly riper fruit profile than the Westlands bottling. Tropical and stone fruit lead the way, with notes of white peach, apricot, and candied citrus peel. Rich, toasty baking spices wrap around layers of charred pineapple, while a long, saline-driven finish brings energy and focus. A dazzling, beautifully balanced wine. Founded in 2006 by proprietor John Sweazey, and guided by winemaker Katy Wilson since 2014, Anaba produces limited-production Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Rhône-style wines, many from exclusive vineyard partnerships.

The Wildcat Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir comes from vines planted in 1998, situated at 800 feet above sea level within both the Sonoma Coast and Carneros AVAs. Composed entirely of Clone 115, it was aged for 20 months in 40% new French oak. Aromas of wood smoke and redwood forest floor mingle with dark cherry and warm brown baking spices, growing more savory as the wine opens. The palate is framed by rich, round, and supple tannins with subtle notes of vanilla, clove, and cedarwood. There’s a notable influence of barrel spice for those who enjoy a toasty style, while the elevated vineyard—bathed in abundant sunlight—ensures beautifully ripe, juicy fruit that imparts a supple, almost sweet impression.Founded in 2006 by proprietor John Sweazey, and guided by winemaker Katy Wilson since 2014, Anaba produces limited-production Chardonnays, Pinot Noirs, and Rhône-style wines, many from exclusive vineyard partnerships.

This is such a bright, lively wine, and it seems to get better with each vintage. It’s wonderfully expressive, marked by saline-acid tension, white flowers, and crushed almonds, with a generous richness on the palate that layers citrus and stone fruit into a long, mineral-driven finish. The 2024 Aperture Chenin Blanc comes from the Clarksburg AVA near California’s Sierra Foothills. Winemaker Jesse Katz notes that the 40-year-old, dry-farmed vines there benefit from cooling breezes funneled in from the San Joaquin River Valley. Fermentations were carried out in a mix of 30% new French oak, 30% once-used French oak, 25% neutral French oak, and 15% concrete tank. The season began with some hydric stress, as rains tapered off around March, leaving berries and clusters on the smaller side; late-season heat helped push ripeness. Katz discovered this grape on a challenge from a restaurateur who needed a white wine by the glass for oysters. He knew he wanted to work with old-vine Chenin Blanc—much of which is planted in Clarksburg near Sacramento—and, following a tip, he found this site and produced the first vintage in 2016.

This Cabernet Franc comes from two vineyards—Rossi Vineyard and Camp Four Vineyard—and includes 20% whole-cluster fermentation. Once fermentation was complete, the wine was pressed and aged for 20 months in French oak barrels. It’s a meaty, herbaceous, full-throttle Cabernet Franc with chunky tannins and chalky minerality. The palate has real grit. I’m convinced this would be the perfect pairing for the burger at Charter Oak in St. Helena—a smash burger with two patties, jalapeño relish, and white American cheese. That’s exactly where you want to go with this wine.

Kærskov Vineyard, located in the center of the Los Olivos District AVA, is a high-density site planted 6’ x 3’ on clay-loam and river-stone soils. Ryan Carr planted the vineyard in 2014 and continues to farm it today. This Syrah was aged for 20 months in one-year-old French oak. Dark berry fruit is interwoven with anise, fennel seed, and cedarwood spice, all building across the full-bodied palate with chalky tannins and a lingering charcuterie-and-dried-violet finish.

This Sangiovese comes from two vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley—Woodstock Vineyard and Open Gate Vineyard—both farmed by Carr’s winemaker and owner, Ryan Carr. The wine was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels. It’s an immensely pleasing, full-flavored, and fairly robust Sangiovese, with powerful, crisp tannins and plenty of inky dark fruit, loamy earth, black truffle umami, and tobacco notes leading to a long, earthy, and spicy finish.

This Sauvignon Blanc was grown in the heart of the Los Olivos District at Coquelicot Vineyard and Big Pond Vineyard, from Musqué and Clone 1 selections. The juice was cold-fermented in stainless steel and aged for only five months. The fruit is super ripe and tropical, calling to mind candied peach rings, honeydew melon, and creamy caramel. It’s generous and lush on the palate, finishing with a sweet spice note.

This is a lemon-bright white with seaspray minerality and a kiss of vanilla and baking spice that carries through on the medium-bodied palate. The flavors build with intensity, finishing with notes of toasty, flaky croissant and chalky minerality. An inviting and delicious Chardonnay. Sourced from own-rooted vines in two blocks of Fiddlestix Vineyard—Block 2A (massal) and Block 2B (Clone 76)—the wine was barrel-fermented with no stirring and aged on the lees for 10 months in 40% new French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered under DIAM 30 closure. Founded in 2024 by winemaker Adam Edelman, Nisi Wines is dedicated to crafting minimal-intervention Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from top sites across the Sta. Rita Hills.

Bright, candied red fruit defines the character of this site and appellation, accented by cedarwood nuances and sweet brown baking spices. Medium-bodied, it shows crunchy apple-skin tannins that frame supple, plump red fruit. This is a strong effort from the site, carrying a saline, wet-stone minerality that clearly reflects the Our Lady of Guadalupe Vineyard, owned by Dave Phinney. The vineyard sits on the western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. This 100% Pinot Noir is a co-fermentation of two blocks (50% Clone 828 and 50% Pommard Clone), using a mix of punchdowns and pumpovers. The wine was barrel-aged for 10 months in neutral French oak (once-used Chardonnay barrels) and bottled unfined and unfiltered under DIAM 30 closure. Founded in 2024 by winemaker Adam Edelman—whose experience includes Realm Cellars, Fait-Main, and Teeter-Totter—Nisi Wines focuses on minimal-intervention Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from top sites across the Sta. Rita Hills.

Aged 18 months in 18% new and used Hungarian oak, this 2022 estate Cabernet Sauvignon from Los Amigos Ranch in the Chalk Hill AVA is wonderfully fragrant, offering mulberry fruit with high-toned violet and rose petal notes. Blackcurrant, cassis, and muddled blackberry and cherry compote follow, creating a fruit-forward character supported by soft tannins and a smooth, medium-bodied finish. Incredibly approachable and delicious, this value-driven Cabernet Sauvignon makes an excellent weeknight wine.

This blend of 52% Carignane and 48% Mourvèdre is sourced entirely from Fire Oak Vineyard in Mills County, located between Fredericksburg and Fort Worth. The site shares a similar soil profile to Uplift—sandy loam with some clay loam components. Aged 12 months in neutral French oak, the color derives from early oxygenation and stirring during the start of fermentation before the wine settles and is barreled down. The result is a fresh, inviting red with beautifully pure red-berry fruit and a subtle, natural sweetness that draws you in. Medium to full-bodied with supple tannins, it shows ripe, upfront fruit framed by a fine thread of wet-rock minerality. Absolutely lovely—one of my favorite wines from Texas. A great effort by Rae Wilson and Tony Offill.

This 100% Chardonnay comes from two vineyards—Texas Hills in Johnson City (Texas Hill Country AVA) and Certenberg Vineyard in Pontotoc, Texas. Picked on the early side to preserve natural acidity, it underwent bâtonnage for three months before bottling. Made in the pét-nat style but sterile-filtered before secondary fermentation and bottled under crown cap, the wine is light, bright, and crisp, showing orchard fruit notes and a frothy, gentle mousse that’s pleasantly soft rather than aggressive. It has great texture and a clean, vibrant finish. Crafted by winemaker Rae Wilson, with support from Tony Offill.

From Dell Valley Vineyard, at 3,500 feet above sea level, this site sits on an ancient coral reef that imparts a distinct salty minerality to the wine. Dark berry fruit, tobacco spice, and bright wild herbs lead the aromatics, while the medium-bodied palate shows cassis and blackberry fruit with balanced fragrance and lift. The finish is lengthy and expressive, framed by crisp, firm tannins that carry a velvety texture. A model wine for the region from Tony Offill. For the last couple of years, Jean Hoefliger of JH Consulting has worked with the team as well.

From La Pradera Vineyard, this wine was picked on the early side and aged for 14 months in large-format neutral oak to preserve freshness. Some stem inclusion adds a subtle spiciness to the nose. Medium to full-bodied, it shows nice mid-palate depth and richness, with dark berry fruit, violets, and saddle leather notes. Muscular tannins build toward a crisp, structured finish.

Super delicate on the nose, with wildflowers and white-peach notes and just a kiss of vanilla. Light- to medium-bodied, with those same lifted aromatics carrying onto the palate, finishing crisp with a faint, chalky minerality. 100% Albariño. Five barrels made, with some new-oak ageing. Sourced from Bingham Vineyards — who also grow organic peanuts and cotton.

From Lahey Vineyard in the Texas High Plains, this is 100% Cabernet Franc aged in 30% new French oak. Just 250 cases made. Candied red-berry fruit and brown baking-spice notes lead, joined by hints of coriander and cumin that build across the medium-bodied palate. Smoky clove and a streak of blood-orange acidity (with just a touch of grapefruit pith) add lift and detail. Taut, firm tannins resolve nicely on the finish.

Malbec from the Challis Vineyard, planted on brown-dirt soils and farmed and owned by Mike West. Clones 9 and 10 were fermented and aged separately before being blended together. 500 cases produced. 100% Malbec. Dark berry fruit leads, supported by cocoa powder and dried wild herbs. Medium- to full-bodied, with firm yet supple tannins and a dry, focused finish.

This was one of the nicest wines I tasted during my impromptu visit to Siboney Cellars. Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from Challis (Clone 47) and Lahey (Clone 8) vineyards, it’s a great value at an SRP of $65—an impressively well-made Texas Cabernet. Dark berry fruit, loamy earth, violets, and crème de cassis lift from the glass. Medium- to full-bodied, it shows velvety tannins and a salty, saline minerality on the earth-driven finish.

The Storm Breaker from Siboney Cellars is sourced from Newsom Vineyards and is 100% Merlot, aged in 20% new French oak. Just 125 cases were made. This was the last wine I tasted, and I was blown away by it. It’s spectacular—full of plummy and cherry fruit with bright, warming spices. Medium-bodied, it shows loamy earth, cassis, and currant, with fine, velvety tannins. Really quite delicious, and showing beautifully at this stage. Siboney Cellars was founded by Miguel and Barbara Lecuona, with Barbara enrolled in the viticulture programme at Texas Tech University and Miguel raised in Texas with deep roots in both wine and family heritage. The two met in 2007, spent time in France honing their craft, and launched Siboney in earnest with their first wine vintage in 2017. Located on a limestone-terraced site in the Texas Hill Country, they have 52 acres with just 4 acres planted (so far). From the outset their goal has been to test and champion this under-explored terroir, combining serious vineyard work with a spirited, personal vision for Texas wine.

The most captivating wine I tasted at the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival in October 2025 came from Kalasi Cellars. This is a medium-bodied red with redcurrant fruit and darker blueberry notes, supported by super-fine tannins that offer a pleasing grip—almost like apple-skin tannin. Brown spices weave through the palate, leading to a medium-bodied, spice-bright finish. A great food-pairing wine thanks to its grip and vibrant spice profile.

I tasted this wine at the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival in October 2025. It shows red-berry fruit and generous mild Indian spices, with a medium-bodied palate feel and soft tannins leading to a juicy red-fruit finish. Cedarwood spice lingers pleasant finish.

I tasted this wine at the Fredericksburg Food & Wine Festival in October 2025, and it was quite enticing. It offered sweet red-berry fruit and warm brown spices, with soft tannins and a medium-bodied palate feel. Notes of brown sugar, cedarwood, and charcuterie carried through on the extended finish.

Slate Theory’s The Obsessive offers bright, lifted aromatics of desert sage and anise, with black tea, black olive, currant, and cassis notes. Medium-bodied with soft tannins and gentle acidity, it’s an easy drinker that carries through to a long, savoury-spiced finish.

This is about as sweet as they come, bursting with bright floral and citrus peel aromatics. Super fragrant and delicious, it shows a viscous texture on the palate with candied peach rings and apricot notes. The finish is lifted by balanced acidity and a touch of chalky minerality, keeping everything in check. It’s not over the top—just irresistibly moreish, making you want another sip right after the last.

This is an exceptionally well-built wine and another example of a variety that proves beautifully suited to Texas terroir. It shines in the glass with bright red berry and black cherry fruit, brown spices, rose petals, leather, and tobacco. The medium- to full-bodied palate shows crisp tannins and lingering notes of dried fruit and baking spice. Beneath it all lies great underlying tension and chalky minerality, while cocoa powder tannins build with impressive intensity on the long finish. Drink now or hold over the next decade.

This is another variety that performs exceptionally well in Texas, and in the hands of John Rivenburgh it shows remarkable focus and precision. Expressive and juicy acidity drives the wine, balanced by fine, firm tannins with a distinct mineral edge. Blue fruit aromatics and cassis mingle with loamy earth, brown spice, and wet slate notes. A rock-solid wine with freshness, tension, and energy that perfectly support its rich profile.

From the Pepper Jack Vineyard, this Teroldego is full-bodied, deeply flavored, and unapologetically muscular. Inky dark fruit, black currant, saddle leather, and black olive pit dominate the nose and palate, underscored by savory notes of tobacco, leather, and olive tapenade. The tannins are powerful and structured, carrying the wine through a finish that lingers well over a minute. Talk about your ultimate barbecue wine.

Uniquely Mourvèdre, this wine offers heady, meaty aromatics with high-toned violets, black currant fruit, saddle leather, and tobacco. Loamy earth notes underpin the palate, while broad-shouldered, muscular tannins drive the full-bodied finish.

A delicious Sangiovese that builds beautifully in the glass, showing ripe cherry and strawberry fruit alongside brown baking spices and well-integrated cedar from new oak. Currant and cassis notes add depth, while crisp, crunchy tannins frame the palate. The finish is long and layered with loamy earth and a touch of underbrush.

This is a full-flavored, meaty, and muscular Grenache showing real grit and tenacity. Bold notes of black olive, ripe cherry, and cherry cola mingle with wet slate minerality and robust tannins that build toward a towering finish. Sourced from Canted County Vineyard, this lot was originally destined for a blend, but as John Rivenburgh explains, the fruit was so compelling in 2022 that he decided to bottle it on its own.

This is one of my favourite rosés from Kerrville Hills, as the Cinsault creates an intriguing and complex pink wine that leaps from the glass with bright cherry fruit, apricot, and tangerine peel. It builds with medium-bodied intensity, showing candied minerality and warming brown spices that emerge on the finish. Simply a super-pleasing rosé.

This Sangiovese Rosé is quite complex, with lovely cherry fruit aromatics mingling with notes of licorice and aniseed. Dried fruit tones emerge with air, adding depth to the richer, creamier core. A fine-boned acidity and a taut, mineral finish provide structure and lift, while gentle tannic tension frames the wine beautifully. Aged for 12 months in neutral oak.

Alluring notes of cranberry, strawberry, and dried cherry rise from the glass, joined by hints of prairie grass and straw. The medium-bodied palate is bright and focused, driven by crisp, clean acidity that gives the wine freshness and lift.

This non-vintage white shows impressive character and texture, with a grippy mid-palate and a long, nutty richness that carries through the medium-bodied finish. The palate offers generous fruit weight, featuring layers of apricot and white peach alongside toasted almonds and buttered croissant. There’s real depth and intensity here, complemented by notes of wild herbs and dried honeycomb on the nose.

This Viognier opens beautifully in the glass, revealing candied citrus peel, dried prairie grass, and an intriguing smoky maple-bacon and white truffle richness from lees aging. Medium-bodied with a subtle, crunchy tannin grip, it shows layers of citrus and orchard fruit on the palate, while those savoury, aromatic notes reappear and linger through the finish.

This Clairette Blanche shows wonderful aromatic intensity, both nutty and citrusy, with pressed wildflower notes. The palate is soft yet textured, showing gentle grip and a touch of marzipan alongside its floral character. Typically a thin and flabby variety, here it gains impressive mid-palate weight thanks to a bit of skin contact. A fun, expressive white that’s drinking beautifully now and will continue to evolve through 2027.

This Alta Loma Vineyard Picpoul Blanc shows excellent weight and balance, with pretty notes of citrus peel, wildflowers, and honeycomb. The palate is rich and creamy, filled with ripe orchard fruit that builds in density toward a medium-bodied finish. Hints of honey and crushed almonds linger gracefully, adding depth and texture

Sourced from Narra Vineyards in the Texas High Plains, this wine was aged for 32 months in 30% new French oak. “It’s a variety we love,” says Ben Calais, “and we have a lot of wine nerds that love it. Sure, it’s a touch greener than the rest of the wines we make—we could have let it hang longer and get riper, but we don’t want to make all the same wines.” He’s absolutely right. The wine shows captivating black and green tea notes, smoked paprika, and charcuterie on the palate. Medium- to full-bodied with maple-cured tannins and impressive length, it’s the kind of wine you could imagine sipping in a Japanese tea garden.

Sourced from two sites—Family Vineyards and Bolen Vineyards in the Texas High Plains—the 2021 vintage saw reduced Merlot yields due to a spring cold spell. Aged for 32 months in 80% once-used and 20% new French oak, this wine offers striking aromatic richness and impressive mid-palate breadth. Supple-textured tannins frame spiced plum and black raspberry flavors, layered with notes of bright sagebrush, green tobacco, and cola nut that carry through a long, expressive finish.

The fruit for this rosé comes from Yoder Vineyard, located north of Dalhart. It’s a vibrant and expressive wine—crisp and crunchy with tart red berry fruit, wild herbs, white peach, and apricot. A creamy mid-palate provides texture and balance before leading into a long, mineral-driven finish marked by refreshing acidity.

This non-vintage dessert wine is blended in a solera style, with fortification occurring in tank midway through fermentation. Fortified with brandy distilled from wine, it’s a truly delicious and well-balanced example of the style. Aromas of candied cinnamon and red berry fruit lead to a palate brimming with luscious dark fig jam, licorice, and a touch of green olive, all accented by savoury Christmas spice. Despite its richness, the wine maintains a lifted freshness and finishes with crisp tension. A dessert wine you can confidently cellar, as it will develop added volume, intensity, and nutty complexity over time.

The Cabernet is sourced from the winery’s 24-hectare estate and includes a portion of Petite Sirah, aged for 24 months in 30% new French oak. It shows classic Cabernet character with notes of blackberry, smoky graphite, and smoked paprika, all coming together on a plush, full-bodied palate. There’s an umami richness that drives the finish, with layers of dark fruit, cherry cola, and savory depth building through to the end. Quite the wine.

Fermented entirely in stainless steel, with a small portion of Viognier fermented in barrel. The nose is beautifully alluring, revealing citrus, white peach, orange blossom, honeysuckle, and a hint of shiso. The palate is lush, creamy, and seductive, yet balanced by bright acidity and a crisp, chalky minerality that extends through the long, floral finish. Bright, rich, and poised.

The 2022 Ranger Hays is a blend of 74% Malbec, 14% Merlot, 9% Petit Verdot, and 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from vineyards across the Texas High Plains and Texas Hill Country. Aged for 24 months in 25% new French and American oak, it’s a savory, medium-bodied red showing notes of dark olive, loamy earth, iron, and crushed rock. Velvety tannins carry through to a starker, mineral-driven finish.

This blend of 95% Montepulciano with about 1.5% each of Tempranillo, Dolcetto, and Barbera was aged for 16 months in neutral French and American oak barrels. The wine is meaty and medium-bodied, offering dark chocolate–covered cherry fruit, loamy earth, violets, and maple-cured bacon notes. Soft, supple tannins frame a sweet-fruited finish laced with brown spice.

Becker’s Reserve Chardonnay is sourced from Canada Family Vineyards in Plains, near the New Mexico border, and Tallent Vineyards in Mason within the Texas Hill Country AVA. Fermented and aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak, it’s a lush, full-bodied, and supple Chardonnay built on a rich, toasty oak profile—more buttered croissant than dark toast. Layers of apricot cream, pineapple crème brûlée, and salted lemon unfold across the palate, leading to a lemon curd finish. Generous yet balanced throughout.

Grown by Friesen Vineyards and aged for 22 months in 45% new French oak, this full-bodied, robust red is deeply fruited and richly textured. Aromas of cedarwood, sage, and tobacco lead into a palate of dark cherry and strawberry layered with leather and loamy earth. The finish shows dried cherry and a lingering dusting of cocoa nib.

Grown by Friesen Vineyards and aged for 22 months in 40% new French oak, this Cabernet Sauvignon is bold, rich, and unmistakably Texan in style. “Everyone wants a Cab and a slab here in the Hill Country,” Ron Yates tells me. In the glass, it unfolds with aromas of blackberry, red currant, cassis, and cedarwood, accented by mild Indian spice. Medium- to full-bodied, it offers supple, satiny tannins and a dark-fruited, mineral-rich finish.

Grown by Friesen Vineyards and aged for 15 months in 35% new French oak, this Cabernet Franc comes from Ron Yates Winery, which opened in 2016 following the Yates family’s purchase of Spicewood Vineyards in 2007. With nearly two decades of experience in grape growing and winemaking in the Texas Hill Country, the team delivers a polished expression of the variety. The wine is driven by dark cherry and currant fruit layered with notes of sagebrush and prairie grass. On the palate, it shows a lean, iron-like crushed stone minerality, cedarwood spice, and supple, building tannins that carry through a long, smoky paprika finish.

This non-vintage blend has no set formula or constraints from year to year, allowing the winemaker complete creative freedom—a refreshing approach that yields something unique with each release. Issued roughly every 18 months, the current bottling combines Tempranillo, Tannat, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, and Ruby Cabernet. The nose is bold and expressive, showing black tea, maple, toffee, espresso, a touch of meatiness, and dried violets. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, it delivers flavors of chocolate-covered almonds and fig paste, supported by gritty tannins and a long, spicy finish marked by smoked paprika.

This 100% Viognier was fermented and aged entirely in stainless steel, resulting in a wine with rich floral aromatics and subtle honeyed undertones. Creamy orchard fruit flavors come together beautifully on the light- to medium-bodied palate, framed by zesty acidity and an unctuous, fruit-driven finish. In other words, it’s effortlessly crushable. Sourced from Diamonte Doble and Bingham Family Vineyards.

Aged for 14 months in 20% new French oak. Sourced from S & C Newsome Vineyards in the Texas High Plains, this Montepulciano exemplifies McPherson’s hallmark consistency of quality and style from vintage to vintage. It offers tart cherry fruit, cedarwood, and a subtle meaty nuance, all unfolding across a medium-bodied palate with velvety tannins and lingering black tea notes on the finish.

A heady mix of red and black fruit unfolds with rich cedarwood spice, building through cocoa powder tannins and crunchy red fruit accented by warm Indian spices on the mid-palate, carrying through to the full-bodied finish. Winemaker Jason Englert oversees an 80,000 case production across all Heath Family Brands (Grape Creek Vineyards, Heath Sparkling Wines, Jenblossom Cellars and Invention Vineyards).