Sign In/Subscribe

Cristaldi Scores

Producer
Producer
More
Country
Country
More
Vintage
Vintage
More

Vintage

Wine

Color

Rating

Vintage

Wine

Color

Rating

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

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.

2024

Banshee

Rosé

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

2024

Benmar

Springbok

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

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

2024

Convene by Dan Kosta

Lot #9: 'Above the Clouds' Pinot Noir

TASTING NOTE: Lot #9. Barrel Sample: Showstopper. Has Dan Kosta Swagger and Shane Finley charisma. Super dark berry fruit and brown spices lead, with a lovely dark rose petal fragrance and a rich, grippy texture. Medium-bodied with impressive intensity and sinewy tannins. A powerful wine with remarkable depth and tension. From the Auction Lot Catalog: ABOUT THE WINE Sourced above the fog line at 1,000 feet of elevation in West Sonoma Coast, this exclusive bottling of Pinot Noir by Dan Kosta demonstrates the elusive reward of the grape grown under extreme conditions. Dan loves the tension he tastes in this wine. Crafted from a blend of his preferred clones, 777 and 115, “Above the Clouds” impresses with the elegant red fruit profile, poised tannin structure, and alluring depth of Sonoma County’s rugged coastal terroir. Aged for 15 months in exquisite French oak barrels from renowned Burgundian coopers Boutes, Sirugue & Rousseau, this medium-bodied, deep garnet-hued wine displays captivating red fruit aromas of strawberry and Bing cherry, complimented by delicate rose petals. Subtle yet firm tannins promise graceful aging, suggesting this wine is destined for a truly special occasion. Don’t miss this opportunity to acquire a piece of Sonoma County history with this exclusive Pinot Noir by Dan Kosta. WINEMAKER(S): Dan Kosta, Shane Finley ESTIMATED BOTTLING DATE: January 2026 ESTIMATED SHIPPING DATE: January 2026 National Distribution: Includes all 50 states and Washington, DC International Distribution: Includes Canada, Denmark, Japan, Norway; please inquire for additional countries.

2024

Domaine Bousquet

Gaia Rose of Pinot Noir

Tangy, perky, and somewhat muscular, this pink sipper shows delicious ripe red berry flavors and a long finish with lovely rose petal tinges. – J.R.

2024

Dutton-Goldfield

Rosé of Pinot Noir

A perky, vibrant, jubilant pink, this rose is sourced from Docker Hill (Mendocino County) and Ruxton Vineyard (Russian River Valley), as well as other sites in Green Valley. Hints of roses, hibiscus, underripe melon, wild strawberry, and candied watermelon mingle with flavors of citrus. Everything resolves into a wonderfully mineral, herbal finish. – J.R.

2024

Innumero

Barrel Select 'Family Reserve' Pinot Noir

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

2024

Innumero

Bootlegger's Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir

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

2024

Kosta Browne

Lot #46. 'Terra & Tempus' Pinot Noir

TASTING NOTE: Lot #46. Barrel Sample: Although neither Dan Kosta nor Michael Browne has anything to do with this wine anymore, you can keep telling yourself they do—if that helps justify drinking this entire auction lot yourself (which I highly recommend). The winemaker today is Julien Howsepian, who may hate describing wines in tasting note videos, but makes damn good wine you will want to describe to your Friday night poker buddies—or whatever club you belong to on Friday nights. Sourced from 5 Wells Vineyard (Clone 943), Gap’s Crown (Swan clone, all concrete), and Thorn Ridge (Clone 115, submerged cap ferment in concrete). Aged in two-thirds light-toast new French oak. Aromatics are all early summer berries, rose petals, and brown baking spice, with firm, mineral-rich tannins and impressive length. From the Auction Lot Catalog: ABOUT THE WINE: “Terra & Tempus” pays homage to the land and the passage of time, capturing the essence of a singular harvest. A bespoke Pinot Noir, it unites the elegance of the Russian River Valley and the coastal influence of the Sonoma Coast, offering a seamless interplay of fruit, earth, and structure. It is a true reflection of its origins. At its heart, this singular Pinot Noir celebrates the balance of strength and finesse, a testament to both its vineyard sources and Kosta Browne’s winemaking artistry. Crafted in limited quantities and available exclusively through the Sonoma County Barrel Auction, “Terra & Tempus” is a one-of-a-kind expression-never to be replicated. Winemaker Julien Howsepian set out to craft a wine that tells the story of the 2024 vintage, a year defined by a dynamic growing season, where warmth and cool coastal breezes worked in harmony to shape expressive, layered fruit. Notes of wild berries, forest floor, and delicate spice emerge, framed by refined acidity and silky tannins, ensuring a wine that captivates now and will evolve beautifully over time. WINEMAKER(S): Julien Howsepian ESTIMATED BOTTLING DATE: February 2026 ESTIMATED SHIPPING DATE: May 2026 National Distribution: AL, AK, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DE, FL, GA, HI, ID, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, MT, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NM, NY, NC, ND, OH, OK, OR, PA, RI, SC, SD, TN, TX, UT, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY, Washington, DC International Distribution: Includes Canada, Denmark, Japan; please inquire for additional countries.

2024

Montagu

Charles Heintz Vineyard Pinot Noir

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

2024

Remotion

Kenyon Vineyard, Rosé of Pinot Noir

A dark-hued rosé with rich, expressive fruit—watermelon, strawberries, and candied peach rings—framed by a lush mouthfeel. The finish is intriguing, marked by crushed Himalayan pink sea salt and Mediterranean herbs. Drink now.

1 2 3 4 … 8 9 10

Vintage

Wine

Type

Color

Rating

$

2023

Producer

Name

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

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.

2023

Producer

Name

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

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.

2023

Producer

Name

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

2023

Producer

Name

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.

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.

2023

Producer

Name

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

2023

Producer

Name

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

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.

2023

Producer

Name

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

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.

2023

Producer

Name

Native fermented in 1.5-ton macro bins, this 100% Wädenswil 2A clone Pinot Noir was aged for 10 months in 25% new French oak. It’s an expressive and bright Pinot with vibrant blood orange acidity, fragrant cherry and rose petal nuances, and layers of crushed wild herbs. Dusty cocoa powder tannins frame the juicy, long, and spicy finish. Winemaker Chris Jiron believes this late-ripening clone is ideal for the region.

2023

Producer

Name

Native fermented in 1.5-ton macro bins and aged for 10 months in 25% new French oak, this 100% Pommard clone Pinot Noir is spicy and expressive, with cocoa nib nuances and dusty cherry notes. Medium-bodied on the palate, it delivers juicy cherry and blackberry fruit, pomegranate seeds, and a touch of grapefruit zest. Rose petal florals and a hint of honeysuckle linger on the long finish. The wine has excellent grip and tension, offering both structure and elegance.

2023

Producer

Name

Native fermented in 1.5-ton macro bins and aged for 10 months in 25% new French oak, this Dijon 777 Pinot Noir offers cherry and strawberry fruit layered with fragrant Indian spices and sandalwood. Medium-bodied with a long, expressive finish, it’s both aromatic and finely structured.

2023

Producer

Name

Sourced from the Oregon State Extension Center in Jacksonville, OR, this Pinot Noir is made from fruit grown to support research efforts. It’s a more rustic expression, offering notes of black tea, black truffle, and candied cherry, with a savory wild herb finish.

Vintage

Wine

Type

Rating

$

2023

2023 CHEV Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$

2023

2023 CIRQ Estate Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$$$$

2023

2023 Comstock Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$$

2023

2023 Convene Convene Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$$

2023

2023 Convene Convene Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$$

2023

2023 Croix Estate 5-Wells Vineyard Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$$

2023

2023 Croix Estate Floodgate Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$$

2023

2023 Croix Estate Kings Ridge Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$$$

2023

2023 Croix Estate Nightwing Vineyard Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$$

2023

2023 Croix Estate Old Manzana Vineyard Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$$

2023

2023 Croix Estate Stoetz Ridge Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$$$

2023

2023 Croix Estate West Pyramid Block Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$$

2023

2023 DANCIN Adagio Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$

2023

2023 DANCIN Écarte Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$

2023

2023 DANCIN En Bas Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$

2023

2023 DANCIN Melodia Pinot Noir

Still Wine

$

MAILING LIST

The only email you want to open

  • Podcast Drops
  • New Reports
  • Latest Scores