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Cristaldi Scores

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2023

Usonia

Cabernet Franc

Meaty and savoury, this wine pulses with black olive and black liquorice notes, layered with the umami depth of cured Bresaola and lifted by dried rose petals on both the nose and palate. There’s a zing of blood orange acidity and a zesty, grippy tension that propels the fruit-driven finish. The blend is 75% fruit from Serenity Vineyards (under 10-day carbonic maceration) on the west side of Seneca Lake, farmed by the Hermann J. Wiemer team. The remaining 25% hails from New Suns, the home vineyard on the west side of Cayuga Lake, and was fully destemmed with a two-week maceration. Aged in neutral barrels for 10 months before blending and bottling in August 2024. Hand-harvested and spontaneously fermented.

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.

2023

Vaughn Duffy Wines

Pinot Noir

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.

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.

2023

William Chris Vineyards

Cabernet Sauvignon

The William Chris Vineyards 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from vineyards in the Texas High Plains, is quite exceptional. This medium-bodied red shows remarkable balance and seamlessness, even by this producer’s high standards. Blackberry fruit, currants, cassis, and dried cherry mingle with hints of tobacco and a tapestry of mild Indian spices, all supported by a firm bed of fine, mineral-driven tannins. The medium-length finish is fruit-forward with subtle earthy notes adding complexity. Aged for 20 months in 20% new French oak and 80% neutral oak barrels. Sourced from The Family Vineyard in Terry County and Dell Valley Vineyard in Hudspeth County. William Chris Vineyards was founded in 2008 by William “Bill” Blackmon and Chris Brundrett. Tony Offill leads the cellar as Head Winemaker, and Jean Hoefliger is the consulting winemaker.

2023

William Chris Vineyards

Dell Valley Vineyard Cabernet Franc

From Dell Valley Vineyard, a site situated 3,500 feet above sea level on an ancient coral reef that imparts a salty minerality to the wine. It offers dark berry fruit, tobacco spice, and bright wild herb character—balanced and fragrant with cassis and blackberry fruit on the medium-bodied palate. The finish is lengthy and expressive, framed by perfectly crisp, firm tannins with a velvety texture. A benchmark wine for the region from Tony Offhill with Jean Hoefliger as consultant.

2023

William Chris Vineyards

Dell Valley Vineyard Cabernet Franc

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.

2023

William Chris Vineyards

Dell Valley Vineyard, Petit Verdot

The 2023 Petit Verdot from Dell Valley Vineyard in Hudspeth County is a dark-fruited, medium-bodied red offering notes of dark cherry, fig, and blackberry jam, accented by toasty oak nuances and dark chocolate. It’s framed by crisp, apple-skin tannins with a spine of zesty acidity that brightens the finish. Aged for 16 months in 50% new French oak and 50% neutral oak barrels. Continuously planted since 1987, the vines at Dell Valley are planted in sloped sandy caliche soils, at more than 3,500 feet elevation. William Chris Vineyards was founded in 2008 by William “Bill” Blackmon and Chris Brundrett. Tony Offill leads the cellar as Head Winemaker, and Jean Hoefliger is the consulting winemaker.

2023

William Chris Vineyards

Hye Estate Vineyard, Tannat

From the Hye Estate, this Tannat is ripe and fragrant, with a beautiful mix of red and purple florals, sweet spices, and extremely polished, firm, fine-grained tannins. Medium-bodied to full-bodied, it showcases brown spices and elegant cedarwood throughout, all while maintaining incredible freshness. Terrific fruit purity and density of fruit weight on the mid-palate are off the charts. Winemaker Tony Offill, who started here in 2017, has made marked improvements, and with Napa-based consultant Jean Hoefliger, who began consulting with William Chris in 2022, the transformation of these wines is incredible, and they are among the best wines being made in Texas today. 

2023

William Chris Vineyards

Vintage Press VIneayrd Syrah

The Syrah includes 7% Grenache, sourced from the Vintage Press Vineyard in Stonewall, Texas. Aromas of white pepper, tart red berry fruit, violets, and wild herbs lead into a medium-bodied palate. Expressive wild herb character and blood orange acidity build across the palate, carrying through to a firm, tannic finish.

2023

William Chris Vineyards

Vintage Press Vineyard, Tannat

Wow, what a marvelously rich, full-bodied, and powerful Tannat, but with impressive energy and tension.  It boasts balanced, robust tannins and loads of perfectly ripe dark berry fruit, including blueberry compote, alongside sweet and savory spices, and pure, natural, balanced acidity that keeps this wine grippy, fresh, and bright. The tannisn are massive and powerful, and I’d hold onto this until 2027, until popping corks.  Consumers are in for a real treat when this is offered through the tasting room outside of Fredericksburg. A captivating expression of Tannat that promises to impress. Winemaker Tony Offill, who started here in 2017, has made marked improvements, and with Napa-based consultant Jean Hoefliger, who began consulting with William Chris in 2022, the transformation of these wines is incredible, and they are among the best wines being made in Texas today. 

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.

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.

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.

2023

Williams Selyem

Coastlands Vineyard Pinot Noir

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.

2023

Williams Selyem

Cohn Vineyard Pinot Noir

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.

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.

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.

2023

Williams Selyem

Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir

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.

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.

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.

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.

2023

Williams Selyem

Precious Mountain Vineyard Pinot Noir

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.

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.

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.

2023

Williams Selyem

Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

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.

2023

Williams Selyem

Terra de Promissio Vineyard Pinot Noir

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.

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.

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.

2023

Wine for the People

Bounty Harvest Vineyard, Grenache

The La Valentía 100% Grenache, sourced from Bounty Harvest Vineyard in Gaines County, sits just outside the Texas High Plains AVA but benefits from its high-altitude terroir at 3,500 feet. Grown in sandy loam and caliche (limestone) soils, the wine undergoes a 5-day cold soak in stainless steel with gentle pumpovers before aging for 12 months in neutral French oak with bâtonnage. This Grenache shows ripe, pure red berry fruit complemented by brown baking spice notes. Medium-bodied, it is framed by firm, grippy tannins with a chocolaty edge, leading to a finish highlighted by blood orange acidity and a distinctively salty, crushed granite minerality.

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Vintage

Wine

Type

Color

Rating

$

2022

Producer

Name

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.

2022

Producer

Name

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).

2022

Producer

Name

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).

2022

Producer

Name

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).

2022

Producer

Name

Just like the MAREN White, the label on this OCTO Pinot Noir states that it’s a medium-bodied wine bursting with cherry, blackberry, and cocoa notes—and I’m happy to confirm my tasting aligns with that. Of course, I’ll add a few flourishes: enticing cedarwood notes weave around and beneath the cherry and blackberry fruit, joined by darker forest berries framed by firm, tense tannins. The finish offers a cool, wet-slate minerality and a crunchy apple-skin aftertaste.

2022

Producer

Name

Bohemian Vineyard is a 7-acre Pinot Noir site in the Freestone sub-AVA of the Sonoma Coast, planted to a mix of Dijon clones in classic Goldridge soils and exposed to all the cool-climate conditions this area is known for. Yes, yes—terroir talk—but it matters, because it all leads to a dynamic wine layered with crunchy cherry fruit, exotic Indian spices, Earl Grey tea, and rich blood-orange acidity, accented by a touch of grapefruit zest. Super-fine black tea tannins frame the palate, with gorgeous hints of deep forest and underbrush adding dimension. Hand-picked at night, with 20% whole cluster. Cool native ferment, 16 days on the skins. Gravity-drained and lightly pressed, then aged 11 months in 25% new French oak.

2022

Producer

Name

This wine is positively destructive in its sway over you—bold and ripe, with dark-fruited intensity. Cherry and pomegranate meet rich Earl Grey tea notes, while a touch of ironstone minerality lifts from the glass. Blood orange and its zest cut through, joined by succulent, saline-dusted dark cherry fruit infused with cocoa nibs. The supple mid-palate concentration is hard to beat, leading to a long, cool, wet-slate finish. Just wow. Dutton-Jentoft Vineyard lies in the Green Valley sub-AVA of the Sonoma Coast. Perched on a steep hillside at around 600 feet in elevation, it is planted to both Swan and Calera clones.

2022

Producer

Name

The Hydra Red Wine is a blend of 73% Cabernet Franc and 27% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from Black Ridge Vineyard—an organically farmed, 80-acre site planted at 1,000 feet in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Fermentation was 60% whole cluster (foot-trodden) and 40% destemmed whole berries, with native fermentations on the skins for 11 days, followed by 10 months in neutral 500L oak puncheons. Absolutely gorgeous: ruby-fruited with dark cherry accents, pure, ripe, and electric, layered with exotic brown spices and smoked paprika. Ultra-fine, powdery tannins and wet-stone minerality grip the palate. It’s so satisfying and so delicious you almost can’t believe it.

2022

Producer

Name

From the winery’s six-acre Marine Layer Vineyard, planted in 2016 on a southwest-facing slope near Sebastopol, this wine is solid and full-bodied, with aromatic spice from toasty cedarwood (aged in 30% new French oak). Succulent and red-cherry fruited, it carries apple-skin notes and a touch of blondie brownie richness. Absolutely lip-smacking. The blend includes Calera, Mt. Eden, 667, 115, and, according to the winery’s tech sheet, “a few special suitcase selections.”

2022

Producer

Name

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.

2022

Producer

Name

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.

2022

Producer

Name

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.

2022

Producer

Name

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.

2022

Producer

Name

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.

2022

Producer

Name

This 100% Cabernet Franc, aged for 18 months in French oak, comes from Clone 11 (French 214) grown at Lucky 8 Vineyard in the southeastern portion of the Livermore Valley. The wine explodes from the glass with bold oak overtones framing blackberry and spiced plum fruit. It’s a meaty, heady wine layered with loamy earth, pressed violets, soft, supple tannins, and loads of juicy character. This is your burger Cabernet Franc—some for the meat on the grill, the rest for the glass.

2022

Producer

Name

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.

Vintage

Wine

Type

Rating

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2022

2022 Madrevite C’osa

Still Wine

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2022

2022 Marchelle Wines Harmony Lane Estate Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$

2022

2022 Marchelle Wines Jim Rickards Vineyard Old Vine Zinfandel

Still Wine

$

2022

2022 Marchelle Wines Van der Kamp Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$$

2022

2022 Maren (Bybee Wine Co) Octo Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$

2022

2022 Marine Layer Bohemian Vineyard Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$

2022

2022 Marine Layer Dutton Jentoft Vineyard Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$$

2022

2022 Marine Layer Hydra Red Wine

Still Wine

$$

2022

2022 Marine Layer Marine Layer Vineyard Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$$

2022

2022 McGrail Vineyards and Winery A Jó Élet “The Good Life” Cabernet Sauvignon

Still Wine

$$

2022

2022 McGrail Vineyards and Winery Clone 30, Lucky 8 Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon

Still Wine

$$

2022

2022 McGrail Vineyards and Winery James Vincent Cabernet Sauvignon

Still Wine

$$

2022

2022 McGrail Vineyards and Winery Patriot Cabernet, McGrail Vineyards

Still Wine

$$

2022

2022 McGrail Vineyards and Winery Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon

Still Wine

$

2022

2022 McGrail Vineyards Cabernet Franc

Still Wine

$$

2022

2022 McPherson Cellars S & C Newsome Vineyards, Home Block Montepulciano

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$

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