100% Pinot Noir – Page 9 – Cristaldi & Co

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2023

Sojourn Cellars

Wohler Vineyard Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

St. Francis Winery & Vineyards

Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

Table Rock Vienyard

Estate Pinot Noir Rosé

This rosé has evolved from bright, ripe fruit into a more savory expression, offering red cherry nuances layered with toasty oak, smoked paprika, and charcuterie. On the palate, it delivers notes of crispy, flaky almond croissant and cherry jam. Serve well chilled and enjoy now.

Rosé

2023

Table Rock Vienyard

White Pinot Noir

From the north end of the Rogue Valley, this White Pinot Noir from Table Rock Vineyard is an intriguing take on the variety. A subtle kiss of oak on the nose mingles with fresh cherry and wood smoke. The palate is clean and focused, featuring a juicy core of blood orange and pear fruit with a tingly spine of acidity. Light and easygoing, it’s a fantastic alternative to reds alongside smoked brisket, braised meats, or chipotle tacos.

White

2023

The Hilt

Bentrock Vineyard Pinot Noir

This is 75% Calera clone, though the 2024 blend will be 100%. Here, the Calera shines through with dark black cherry and rose petal—super pure, ripe, and crunchy, like a perfectly ripe farmers market cherry. Layers of brown baking spice add personality and warmth. The 2023 is one of the most approachable wines I’ve tasted from Matt Dees and his team in years—they’re truly nailing both the farming and the cellar protocols. It’s medium-bodied with impressive density and chunky tannins, and purity of fruit, bursting with complex notes of blood orange and grapefruit zest. There’s incredible fruit width and concentration, yet it remains light on its feet.

Red

2023

The Hilt

Estate Pinot Noir

This is one of the most approachable Estate Pinot Noirs from The Hilt I’ve ever tasted—but make no mistake, it’s layered with incredible structure, electric acid tension, and a saline minerality that will carry it gracefully in the cellar for decades. The purity of red and blackberry fruit is striking—so vivid and clean, with the viscosity of beautifully mineral-rich spring water. Exotic spice notes shine throughout, with gorgeous Indian and Chinese five-spice aromas, while a hint of tangerine oil brings freshness and silkiness. Mouthwatering and wildly expressive, this wine is as seductive as it is age-worthy.

Red

2023

The Hilt

Radian Vineyard Pinot Noir

Fragrant notes of sage, black pepper, nori, and rose petals rise from the glass, leading into a wine of superb density and remarkable fruit clarity. On the palate, it’s perfectly balanced, with the finest tannins—like moon dust laced with cocoa powder—framing a gorgeously textured red wine that sends you off daydreaming. Its ethereal presence and ephemeral textures captivate and draw you in, with bursts of grapefruit zest and blood orange acidity, all sprinkled with pink Himalayan sea salt. The finish goes on for days. I could go on about this wine—it’s perfect. It will resonate differently with each person who encounters it, but it is absolutely riveting, contemplative, and belongs in the pantheon of the world’s great wines.

Red

2023

The Joy Fantastic

Estate Pinot Noir

This is a beautifully composed, acid-driven wine that’s as food-friendly as it is pretty. Bursting with bright, expressive, and crunchy red berry fruit, it’s seamlessly layered with integrated baking spices and lifted by vibrant energy. Sourced from a steep 5-acre hillside vineyard planted in 2014 by Amy Christine MW and Peter Hunken, the wine delivers electricity and elegance in equal measure. A perfect companion for a leisurely meal with friends—or a nostalgic binge of classic SNL episodes.

Red

2023

Three Sticks Wines

Cuvée Eva Marie Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

Three Sticks Wines

Gap’s Crown Pinnacle Gap's Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

Tongue Dancer Wines

Lakeview Vineyard Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

Tongue Dancer Wines

Pinot de Ville Pratt Vineyard-Sexton Road Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

Tongue Dancer Wines

Vineyard Eleven Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

Vaughn Duffy Wines

Bacigalupi Vineyards Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

Vaughn Duffy Wines

Pinot Noir

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.

Red

2023

Vaughn Duffy Wines

Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Allen Vineyard Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Bucher Vineyard Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Calegari Vineyard Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

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.

Red

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.

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Eastside Road Neighbors Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Foss Vineyard Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

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.

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Lewis MacGregor Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Martaella Vineyard Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Olivet Lane Vineyard Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

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.

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Rochioli Riverblock Vineyard Pinot Noir

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

Red

2023

Williams Selyem

Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

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

Red

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Vintage

Wine

Type

Color

Rating

$

2023

Producer

Name

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

Red

2023

Producer

Name

Bright-toned and red-fruited, this wine offers expressive cedarwood notes mingling with dried Mediterranean herbs, all building on the medium-bodied palate with fine-grained tannins. There’s good mid-palate density, but overall the wine remains light, bright, and juicy.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

Spicy and mineral, with rhubarb, cherry, and raspberry aromas and flavors, topped off with an almost minty herbal spice. Nice balance of roundness and acidity here! – J.R.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

A dark and brooding Pinot with intense boysenberry, plum, and black raspberry fruits. Hints of leather, turned earth, and tobacco and tea leaves join the fray on the wonderful nose. It’s silky and substantial, but clearly has a mineral edge (and great structure) under all of that ripe palate fruitiness. – J.R.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

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

Red

2023

Producer

Name

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

Red

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.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

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

Red

2023

Producer

Name

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

Red

2023

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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.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

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

Red

2023

Producer

Name

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.

Red

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.

Red

2023

Producer

Name

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

Red

2023

Producer

Name

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.

Red

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.

Red

Vintage

Wine

Type

Rating

$

2023

2023 Brooks Note Winery Sweet Family Vineyard Pinot Noir

Still Wine

Red

$$

2023

2023 Cambria Estate Winery Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir

Still Wine

Red

N/A

2023

2023 Cattleya Alma de Cattleya Pinot Noir

Still Wine

Red

$

2023

2023 Cattleya Pinot Noir

Still Wine

Red

$

2023

2023 CHEV Pinot Noir (Oregon)

Still Wine

Red

$

2023

2023 CHEV Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley)

Still Wine

Red

$

2023

2023 CHEV Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands)

Still Wine

Red

$

2023

2023 CHEV Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills)

Still Wine

Red

$

2023

2023 CIRQ Estate Pinot Noir

Still Wine

Red

$$$$

2023

2023 Comstock Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir

Still Wine

Red

$$

2023

2023 Convene Convene Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

Still Wine

Red

$$

2023

2023 Convene Convene Santa Lucia Highlands Pinot Noir

Still Wine

Red

$$

2023

2023 Croix Estate 5-Wells Vineyard Pinot Noir

Still Wine

Red

$$

2023

2023 Croix Estate Floodgate Pinot Noir

Still Wine

Red

$$

2023

2023 Croix Estate Kings Ridge Pinot Noir

Still Wine

Red

$$$

2023

2023 Croix Estate Nightwing Vineyard Pinot Noir

Still Wine

Red

$$