Sonoma County (Russian River Valley) – Page 4

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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.

White

2023

Lombardi

Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Longboard Vineyards

Rochioli Vineyard Chardonnay

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.

White

2023

Macauley Vineyard

Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay

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.

White

2023

MacLaren

Russian River Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Marchelle Wines

Lorenzo Vineyard Chardonnay

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).

White

2023

Nid Tissé

Bacigalupi Vineyard Chardonnay

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.

White

2023

Papapietro Perry

Peters Vineyard Chardonnay

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.

White

2023

Patz & Hall

Dutton Ranch Chardonnay

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.

White

2023

Sojourn Cellars

Wohler Vineyard Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Three Sticks Wines

Alana Vineyard Chardonnay

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).

White

2023

Tongue Dancer Wines

Pratt Vineyard-Vine Hill Road Chardonnay

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.

White

2023

Tongue Dancer Wines

Vineyard Eleven Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Valette

Ramey Chardonnay by David Ramey

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.

White

2023

Valette

Rochioli Chardonnay by Tom Rochioli

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.

White

2023

Vaughn Duffy Wines

Bacigalupi Vineyards Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Vaughn Duffy Wines

Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Allen Vineyard Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Bucher Vineyard Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Calegari Vineyard Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Eastside Road Neighbors Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Foss Vineyard Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Lewis MacGregor Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Martaella Vineyard Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Olivet Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Rochioli Riverblock Vineyard Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Westside Road Neighbors Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Williams Selyem Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2024

Cirq

Lot # 1: 'The Ringmaster' Pinot Noir

TASTING NOTE: Lot #1. Barrel Sample: Damn screamingly good, like Michael Browne leading the circus. Cabell Coursey cruising in for the ride, and together these rocketmen are blasting off with a spectacularly perfumed red wine with gorgeous cranberry and raspberry fruit, showing lifted elegance from nose to mid-palate through to the long, saline-acid finish. Bright, spicy, and super fresh, with blood orange and dark cherry notes carrying the core. From the Auction Lot Catalog: ABOUT THE WINE: A blend of Koplen and Graham Vineyards, the 2024 CIRQ “The Ringmaster” showcases Michael Browne’s 20 years of experience working with both world-class Russian River Valley sites. Koplen Vineyard, located in western Santa Rosa, was planted 25 years ago and is meticulously farmed by Dennis and Linda Koplen. Graham Vineyard, situated in a cool and foggy spot in Forestville, California, was planted and is farmed by Charlie Chenoweth. The commitment to consistency and continuous improvement at both vineyards has made them the core of CIRQ wine. “The Ringmaster” presents a dark hue in the glass, with aromas of black cherries and berries, complemented by hints of oak, cedar, and spice. On the palate, an intense explosion of pomegranate, Olallie blackberry and black cherry unfolds, while herbal accents lend a savory quality. The wine is lush, with a palate-staining finish, well framed by ripe tannins and bright acidity. With its depth, complexity, and striking balance, this one-of-a-kind blend, crafted exclusively for this lot, commands attention and promises to evolve beautifully with time. WINEMAKER(S): Michael Browne, Cabell Coursey ESTIMATED BOTTLING DATE: February 2026 ESTIMATED SHIPPING DATE: October 2026 National Distribution: AZ, CA, CO, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, KS, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NC, OH, SC, TN, TX, VA

Red

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Vintage

Wine

Type

Color

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$

2023

Producer

Name

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.

White

2023

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Name

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.

Red

2023

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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.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

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.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

“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.

White

2023

Producer

Name

Hitting all the classic RRV 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.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

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.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

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.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

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.

White

2023

Producer

Name

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.

Red

2023

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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.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

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.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

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.

White

2023

Producer

Name

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.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

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.

White

2023

Producer

Name

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.