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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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A very pretty and elegant red-fruited Pinot Noir, this wine opens with fragrant aromas of baking spices, espresso bean, clove, and a delicate touch of coriander. Juicy blood orange acidity brings lift and vibrancy, framing a lengthy, nuanced finish marked by pink sea salt and gentle, well-integrated tannins.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

This is a silky, easy-drinking Pinot Noir brimming with bright red fruit and lifted spice. Velvety in texture, it glides across the palate with notes of espresso bean, clove, and a subtle hint of coriander cream lingering through the finish.

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.

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.

From the renowned Kanzler Vineyard, the 2023 Pinot Noir bursts with vivid freshness and tension, offering bright notes of ruby red grapefruit, blood orange, and savory sage. Aromatics of anise, mint, rose petal, and rose stem lend complexity and lift, while crisp, woody tannins provide structure. Juicy, spicy acidity laced with saline and pine forest character underscores the wine’s impeccable grip and precision. Compared to the softer, more supple 2022 vintage, the 2023 is taut and energetic, built for longevity. Enjoy the generosity of the 2022s now—by the boatload—while the 2023s continue to evolve toward their full potential.

This wine bangs hard — In a great way! Sourced from both hillside and valley floor vineyards within the Sonoma Mountain AVA, this wine showcases striking vitality and spice-driven aromatics. The nose is bold and expressive, with notes of blood orange, grapefruit zest, fragrant pine forest, and wild underbrush. Medium-bodied on the palate, it unfolds with vibrant citrus tones and firm yet elongated velvety tannins. Rose petal lifts the lengthy, perfumed finish. Grapes were destemmed, then cluster- and berry-sorted before undergoing a seven-day cold soak in stainless steel with inactive yeasts naturally propagating. Fermentation began spontaneously as the must warmed, driven entirely by native yeasts. Following fermentation, precise press cuts separated free-run and press juice before barreling. The wine was aged for 16 months in 87% new French oak, resulting in a complex, richly textured expression of Sonoma Mountain fruit.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A darker‑styled Pinot Noir from this producer, the 2023 Above the Clouds from Benmar opens with the juicy richness of black cherry and black raspberry, warmed by cedarwood spice and enlivened by tangerine peel and grapefruit zest. The nose deepens with crushed raspberry, wild cherry and pomegranate, offset by wild herbs, rose petal and forest‑floor. On the palate, sinewy, crisp tannins support a saline‑tinged core that pulses with redcurrant, cranberry and strawberry fruit. Intense minerality and a whisper of black tea anchor the mid‑palate, while the finish drifts into cocoa‑powder, conifer and lingering brine—a hauntingly savory, vibrant expression of high‑elevation Willamette Pinot.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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This wild pét-nat has been thoughtfully disgorged—so it won’t erupt and ruin your dress, but it will give you a reason to jump up and down with excitement (just set the bottle down first before showing off your joie de vivre). The mousse is bright, airy, and creamy, delivering terrific texture along with red berry fruit, baking spices, and a savory wild herb finish. Bone dry, with great acid grip.
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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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