In late 2025, I spent considerable time traveling around and tasting my way through Sonoma County. The featured photo of this post is of Skipstone, an absolutely breathtaking vineyard in Geyserville, California, tucked into a private valley in the mountains above Alexander Valley.
Geographically, Sonoma is just a ridge away from Napa, in the western reaches of the Mayacamas mountains, fanning out north, south, and west. The County is home to over 400 wineries spread across 19 different AVAs, spanning roughly 55-60 miles in length and at least 50 miles wide. Napa, by contrast, is 30 miles in length and just 3-5 miles wide with nearly 500 or so wineries. So, close to one another, but worlds apart in terms of geographical differences and density of wineries and plantings.
If Napa Valley is the high-volume California megaphone for fine wine production, Sonoma producers have been turning up the dial of their typically quiet frequency, broadcasting a Coastal-influenced message of purity, elegance, charm, and deliciousness. It may be true that in decades past Sonoma was less hyped, less crowded, far less written about, but that’s not true anymore—at least not for those of us who live nearby. So, if it’s true for you, and you’re still wondering what in the world is going on in Sonoma, enough is enough.
Hear me: Sonoma County is home to many of California’s most captivating wines.
Graceful, site-specific Pinot Noirs; textural, resonant Chardonnays; Grenache, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignons that exude cool-climate savoriness; sparkling wines that increasingly punch at, or above, the level of far pricier Champagnes. Zinfandel, of course, made in an array of styles. And for all that character and craft, the majority of these bottles still cost a fraction of what you’d pay if they came from Napa.
But that’s moot because Napa isn’t the place to grow Burgundian varieties. Sure, there are a few exceptions, but for the most part, Sonoma is what Burgundy is to France, while Napa is California’s Bordeaux equivalent.
Sonoma’s best wines are rarely sitting on your local shop’s front shelf. They’re small-lot, heavily allocated, scattered across AVAs, and often hand-sold to consumers who visit the tasting rooms dotting the county.
That’s why I spent several weeks traversing the region this year—tasting hundreds of wines, meeting with producers across Russian River Valley, Petaluma Gap, Sonoma Coast, Moon Mountain, and Alexander Valley, and chasing down the bottlings that rarely leave winery mailing lists. And I’m not done. I’ll have a slew of new wines coming in early 2026. There are so many amazing places to visit, people to meet and taste with, and, as always, so little time.
Consider this report your buying guide for tracking stalwart producers as well as more elusive bottles—from vintages 2021-2024—and your excuse to start pestering your favorite retailers to bring in the wares from producers that catch your eye.
Happy Sonoma County wine-hunting. – JC
Cristaldi's Top 10 Sonoma County Wines
(Sonoma Buyer's Guide 2025)
I want to add a quick note about the top two wines and their two impressive 100-point scores. Honestly, I’d consider both to be tied for the number-one spot. CIRQ is made by Michael Browne; DK Grail is by Dan Kosta. Both Sonoma wine-world legends co-founded Kosta Browne while working at John Ash & Co. back in 1997. Eventually, they passed the torch of that brand to Duckhorn Wine Company and ventured off to do their own thing.
Each of their respective reinventions has been nothing short of astounding. The personal twist they’ve put on their brands feels fully realised and emotionally charged, and the wines themselves carry a level of opulence and drinkability that’s impossible to deny. They’re also amply structured and capable of mid-term cellaring, but frankly, when they’re delivering this much upfront pleasure, why wait?
I love both Browne’s and Kosta’s styles. I always have. When other critics cry foul and raise their fists to the heavens over the ripeness of these wines, I cringe and look the other way. Consumers, meanwhile, roll their eyes and buy CIRQ and DK Grail without abandon — and they love them. The wines are downright delicious, and in 2023, they are, simply put, kick-ass.
1.
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.
2.
Bottled entirely in magnum (to mark it as a wine for special occasions and sharing), The Approach represents a passion project for Dan Kosta and winemaker Shane Finley—just five barrels were made in 2023. Modeled after the Kosta Browne “Four Barrel,” this blend brings together fruit from Garys’ Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands, Umino and Martaella vineyards in the Russian River Valley, and Campbell Ranch on the West Sonoma Coast near Westside Road. “Is this the best five barrels in the winery?” Dan asks. “No. If you have five wonderful kids, it doesn’t mean they’ll all play well together. It’s the best blend we can make from these sites—the best wine we can create from the components we have. It’s a winemaker’s wine.” The name The Approach is also a tribute to his father, an airline pilot. “You can’t have perfection in wine,” Dan says. “If I believed you could, I’d call it The Landing. But wine is an imperfect journey, so The Approach just fits.” Given that sentiment, Dan may not agree with my 100-point assesment, but I do. I love this wine. For me, this wine isn’t about terroir as much as it is about pleasure, complexity, and the cerebral art of blending. In its youth, it’s floral and brown-spiced with dark fruit and lush texture balanced by a tactile grip. The finish is long and compelling, inviting sip after sip. Certain site components shine brightly now, like the lush, fruity aspect from Santa Lucia, balanced by the intense earthy character of the Russian River Valley, but by 2029 or so, they’ll have fully harmonized—making patience well-rewarded if you wait to pop the cork.
3.
Wow — this is something. Positively stellar, full-bodied, with chewy tannins that are perfectly framed, elongated and almost sensual in the way they caress the palate. The wine is rich, full-bodied, generous and complexly layered with mixed-berry fruit, yet it is overwhelmingly mineral and tension-filled. A distinctly gravelly complexity is evident, thanks to the vineyard’s soils — gravelly clay and gravelly volcanic deposits spread across the site — and the result is a wine of unimaginable freshness. It is spectacular. The SJ Ranch in Alexander Valley is a 7.9-acre vineyard of volcanic soils adjacent to Verité off Thomas Road. Cabernet Sauvignon Clones 337 and 7 are blended and aged for 22 months in 90% new French oak, then bottled unfined and unfiltered.
4.
A barrel selection of the finest Cabernet Franc blocks on the Skipstone estate, this wine was aged 19 months in 100% new French oak. Exceptionally refined, it captures the pure essence of the variety with lifted aromatics of sagebrush, tobacco, bay leaf, blue slate, and a touch of paprika. Medium to full-bodied, it offers generous layers of dark, ripe black fruit supported by crisp, finely etched tannins. There’s remarkable harmony between the fruit’s richness and the wine’s savory, mineral-driven tension, resulting in length and precision. The structure is so compelling it nearly eclipses tasting descriptions, leaving only one lasting impression: sheer deliciousness. And in 10 to 20 years, this wine will evolve into something truly extraordinary—worthy of patience and a place in the cellar.
5.
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).
6.
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.
7.
This is your Saturday-night wine—the power broker, the one that will impress you and your guests. Bold, aromatic and richly flavored, it shows incredibly velvety tannins and a cocoa-powder softness, with dark cherry fruit, raspberry spice and pomegranate nuances. A hefty framework of apple-skin tannin adds crisp yet fluffy texture, while a firm pinch of acidity brings crunchy tension. The fruit is dark, ripe, supple and beautifully layered, balancing everything out and making for a wonderfully expressive, impeccably balanced Pinot Noir. Fermented in a mix of concrete, stainless steel, oak and whole cluster, then aged 17 months in 38% new French oak.
8.
From Durell Vineyard. The sandhill at the top of this site isn’t sand at all but diatomaceous earth, and Gaffner works with three clones planted there: Wente, See, and Rued. The nose is intensely mineral, with a chalky edge, salted Marcona almonds, flinty notes, and well-measured toasty oak spice. The palate has real depth and flavor, showing apricot, white peach, pear, and yellow apple, all carried by a saline-toned minerality. A touch of lemon-cream lift comes through on the finish, a hallmark of Gaffner’s long, slow, cool fermentation with malolactic completing later.
9.
This was my personal favorite of the Nid Tissé wines from 2023 that I sampled. I love the Russian River Valley richness it exudes — richness balanced by real tension. Beautifully pure and attractive lemon notes appear in all forms: lemon peel, meringue and lemon tart. A subtle kiss of toasty cedarwood mingles with all that bright citrus, interwoven with ripe orchard fruit on the palate. A long, chalky mineral finish brings everything into focus. Sourced from the famous Bacigalupi Vineyard — a site of red clay and rocky loam gravels — this Wente field selection comes from the Judgement of Paris Block. It is native-fermented with full malo and aged for 12 months in 14% new French oak, 20% clay egg, and a further three months in stainless steel before bottling.
10.
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.
Cristaldi Hops "Over the Mountain"
Below, you’ll find the highlights from my 2025 tastings: the standouts, the surprises, and the wines that capture the paradox of Sonoma—so close in distance, yet so overlooked in the broader wine conversation. Dive in, bookmark what looks exciting, and get ready to discover a region that rewards the effort.
All wines reviewed below were tasted in 2025.
Blue Farm
Anne Moller-Racke was the vineyard manager at Chateau Buena Vista from the early 1980s until 2001, when she helped establish Donum and remained there until 2019. During that time, she planted the Anne Katherina Vineyard in Carneros and, in 2013, began producing wine under her own label, Blue Farm. Total production is around 2,500 cases.
Anne Moller-Racke was the vineyard manager at Chateau Buena Vista from the early 1980s until 2001, when she helped establish Donum and remained there until 2019. During that time, she planted the Anne Katherina Vineyard in Carneros and, in 2013, began producing wine under her own label, Blue Farm. Total production is around 2,500 cases. The Sonoma Coast bottling is a blend of Anne’s vineyard sources and is poured mainly by the glass in local restaurants. She self-distributes in California. Once the fruit arrives at the winery, it’s sorted, given a light saignée, then cold-soaked for 3–5 days. As the must warms, fermentation kicks off in tank at cool temperatures for up to 19 days. Once dry, it’s pressed, and only the free run is used. The wine is aged in one-third new French oak for up to 17 months. This Pinot Noir is a bit coiled and very youthful, showing crunchy red berry fruit, chalky minerality, and a real earthiness—perhaps from the Wadenswil clone. Black tea–like tannins frame the palate as darker fruit emerges on the mid-palate and finish. There’s plenty of tension and freshness throughout.
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.
Meanwhile, the Riverbed Estate wine — also in Carneros, near the Farmhouse Estate — boasts a similar wet-slate freshness, mineral drive, and red-berry lift, only here the textures are more supple, the generosity greater, and the tannins noticeably gentler. The dried-herb nuances give way to forest-floor and pine-forest tones, creating a quieter, earthier complexity. The finish caresses the mid-palate with a softer core, yet still carries a bright, spicy snap that keeps the wine lively and engaging.
This is a light, bright, zippy Chardonnay, boasting Sonoma Coast sea-spray minerality, subtle lemon and lime citrus, white flowers, and unsalted, unroasted almonds with a touch of almond-skin grip. There’s plenty of tension to carry this medium-bodied white well into the night or through a long meal, while a hint of sea grass and vanilla rounds it all out.
Fresh and zesty, with a touch of grape-skin tannin and an intriguing, heady mix of white Rainier cherry, apricot and white peach, accented by subtle almond undertones. There’s also a gentle pop of tarragon or wild fennel and a super-salty core of crunchy orchard fruit and dried white-floral notes. Exotic, enticing and genuinely fun to drink. I’d pair this with a selection of farmers’ market hard cheeses and charcuterie.
From Laceroni Vineyard—situated in the far-southwestern reaches of the Russian River Valley near Graton and spanning roughly 45 acres on classic, well-draining Goldridge sandy loam—comes a more structured and grippier expression of RRV Pinot Noir. The site’s softly rolling hills and coastal influence help produce fruit of refined ripeness: crisp, crunchy and beautifully poised. That energy carries straight onto the palate, where apple-skin tannins and notable textural grip give the wine tension and shape. Subtle brown baking spices and flinty wet-stone minerality add further dimension, supporting the elegant red-berry profile without overwhelming it. Quite a lovely wine with genuine cellar-worthy capability.
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.
From the Zio Tony Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. A combination of the Elite Clone selection and Clone 667 planted on Goldridge soils, which impart naturally low pH and help the wines retain their freshness. Anne Moller-Racke believes the Elite Clone, in particular, holds its natural acidity beautifully — and this wine proves the point. This is an acid-driven Pinot Noir with a sea-spray minerality on the nose, ripe red berry fruit, warm baking spices, and a touch of strawberry compote mingling with elegant cedarwood spice. Very dry, focused, and precise — not the typical lush RRV style, but a more linear, tension-filled expression.
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.
What a wonderfully pure Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, bursting with juicy, ripe red cherry, cranberry and strawberry fruit. It leans into cherry compote and warm baking spices, yet all that lush, creamy Russian River fruit is kept beautifully in check by cool acid tension. Textural grip—like biting into a ripe red apple and feeling the pull of the skin—adds dimension, underscored by slick espresso-bean oil, blood-orange or tangerine peel and a touch of smoky, flinty minerality. Super complex and inviting.
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.
Winemaker Anne Moller-Racke has worked with this fruit since 2013. She doesn’t put it through malolactic fermentation—she likes acid. She gets around four tons of a single clone and uses Montrachet plus another yeast to layer in freshness and a touch of reductive edge, with partial fermentation in concrete and one-third in new French oak. Absolutely drop-dead gorgeous Chardonnay. It’s bright, vivid, electric—full of sea-spray minerality, cool wet river stones, crushed Marcona almonds, and white-flower notes, lifted by tangerine peel and lemon verbena freshness. It’s so layered and captivating. The wine is stirred early and left on primary lees until bottling, adding fantastic baking-spice depth framed by crisp, crunchy acidity.
Chenoweth
The Chenoweth family has farmed in Sonoma County for 170 years. Charlie and Amy Chenoweth launched their vineyard management company in 1999, and they started their wine brand in 2010. From 2010 to 2015, they produced just one Pinot Noir before shifting to vineyard-designate bottlings. In 2017, they expanded the lineup to include a Chardonnay and a Rosé.
This is the winery’s flagship wine from the Green Valley of the Russian River Valley. Sourced from Home Ranch, Treehouse, and Bootlegger’s, it’s a fragrant Pinot that opens with dark-berry fruit, fig paste, brown baking spices, and a touch of underbrush. Crisp tannins support a juicy core, with plenty of warm spice character, a bit of black pepper, and perfumed rose petals that carry through the lengthy finish.
This Rosé is 70% Grenache and 30% Pinot Noir, fermented and aged in stainless steel. It’s bright, clean, crisp, and lightly salty — incredibly easy to drink. Subtle aromatics of baking spice and earthy minerality show on the nose, and the palate brings building richness and a pleasantly medium-weight feel. The Chenoweth family has farmed in Sonoma County for 170 years. Charlie and Amy Chenoweth launched their vineyard management company in 1999 and their wine brand in 2010. From 2010 to 2015, they produced just one Pinot Noir before shifting to vineyard-designate bottlings. In 2017, they expanded the lineup to include a Chardonnay and a Rosé.
Brightly aromatic, showing expressive white flowers and lemon verbena. Full malolactic fermentation and aging in 30% new French oak add richness to the citrus, apple, and pear fruit, while a hint of well-integrated cedarwood spice comes across more like salted Marcona almonds. The finish builds with a lovely lemon-oil richness. From Bootlegger’s Hill, with three rows of Montrachet clone from Little Boot Vineyard blended in.
That’s quite a wine. It’s a robust, richly styled Pinot Noir with super-dark fruit, loamy earth, and an intense underbrush and deep-forest character, all threaded with an elegant sea-spray minerality. The wine is also incredibly floral, showing rose-petal lift alongside black-tea tannins and a distinct red-rock minerality that likely reflects the unique red soils of this site. I really love where this wine is in its life cycle — it has just the right balance of ripe fruit and savory nuance.
On other labels, you’ll see Home Ranch listed as Chenoweth Ranch. This wine is pretty generous, sourced from vines planted on Goldridge soils with classic Pinot Noir clonal selections. It shows rich red fruit, a touch of mulberry, and Christmas-spice warmth, with plenty of Russian River Valley plushness. Dried violets, fig notes, and baked-cherry tones carry through on the finish, supported by firm tannins that build as the wine closes. CIRQ and CHEV also source fruit from this site.
CIRQ
CIRQ was launched in 2009 by Michael Browne — co-founder of Kosta Browne — along with his wife, Sarah. Their focus is Pinot Noir from their remarkable 14.8-acre estate and winery in the heart of the Russian River Valley. They also produce CHEV, a sister label introduced in 2013. In the cellar, they work with Sonoma Cast Stone tanks and Noblot concrete eggs to emphasize acidity and minerality. Michael often compares winemaking to music, noting, “We are blenders. We are component people.” In 2024, the team brought on winemaker Cabell Coursey to further elevate the craft.
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.
Hitting all the classic RRV markers, this opens with a deep baseline of dark berry fruit, cola spices, cocoa powder, and blood-orange richness. There’s wonderful freshness throughout, with juicy dark berry flavors and fine cedarwood spice. Crisp, crunchy red berry notes layer seamlessly with clove and warm baking spices. This is Michael Browne’s 29th vintage, and it’s one you’ll want to hold and revisit many times over. Clones: Pommard, 667, 777, 828, 115, Mt. Eden, 23, and Swan. Aged 15 months in 45% new French oak, 18% once-used French oak, and 33% neutral French oak.
“We’re aiming for a Montrachet or Meursault style,” says Michael Browne—and this gets remarkably close. It’s electric on the palate, driven by terrific salinity and a fantastic, saline-acid grip. Lemony brightness cuts through layers of crushed Marcona almonds, green apple, and crunchy pear. There’s wonderful weight and richness, yet it stays precise, focused, and energetic throughout—totally vibrant and full of tension. That juicy acidity settles on the palate the way a good Montrachet does, but with its own lively edge. Wente clone; 12 months in concrete followed by 3 months in stainless steel, then 15 months in 38% new French oak barrels.
DK Wine Group
Dan Kosta, of Kosta Browne fame, established DK Wine Group in 1999. Their lineup includes the Admire, Convene, and DK Grail brands, with winemaking lead by Shane Finley. Kosta’s impetus behind the wines is slowing things down, a reaction to how fast things were moving for him during his days in Kosta Browne. He notes: “Wine goes beyond being just delicious to me. That’s what these wines are, they are the closest to the delicious factor but everything needs to have a deliberate intent. Whether that’s respecting an AVA, or my sensibilities, but with shepherding vineyards and sites and when I drink these wines, the first thing I think of is the face of the wine grower. Whether its Gary Francios or Steve Camphlel or Mark Pisoni, that’s what comes up before picutre of blackberry and cherry and baking spice.”
Bottled entirely in magnum (to mark it as a wine for special occasions and sharing), The Approach represents a passion project for Dan Kosta and winemaker Shane Finley—just five barrels were made in 2023. Modeled after the Kosta Browne “Four Barrel,” this blend brings together fruit from Garys’ Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands, Umino and Martaella vineyards in the Russian River Valley, and Campbell Ranch on the West Sonoma Coast near Westside Road. “Is this the best five barrels in the winery?” Dan asks. “No. If you have five wonderful kids, it doesn’t mean they’ll all play well together. It’s the best blend we can make from these sites—the best wine we can create from the components we have. It’s a winemaker’s wine.” The name The Approach is also a tribute to his father, an airline pilot. “You can’t have perfection in wine,” Dan says. “If I believed you could, I’d call it The Landing. But wine is an imperfect journey, so The Approach just fits.” Given that sentiment, Dan may not agree with my 100-point assesment, but I do. I love this wine. For me, this wine isn’t about terroir as much as it is about pleasure, complexity, and the cerebral art of blending. In its youth, it’s floral and brown-spiced with dark fruit and lush texture balanced by a tactile grip. The finish is long and compelling, inviting sip after sip. Certain site components shine brightly now, like the lush, fruity aspect from Santa Lucia, balanced by the intense earthy character of the Russian River Valley, but by 2029 or so, they’ll have fully harmonized—making patience well-rewarded if you wait to pop the cork.
This wine is a conversation piece. It hums with energy and tension, and there’s a real savory component—redolent of walking through a redwood forest—that expands into medium- to full-bodied richness on the palate. Exotic spices, white pepper, clove, deep pine-forest notes, and even a touch of charcuterie weave through the aromatics. There’s more power and intensity here than in the broader Sonoma Coast bottling, as you’d expect from these single-vineyard selections. A wonderful minty freshness mingles with crushed river stones, white pepper, and intriguing umami tones. The wine is medium to full-bodied, with substantial tannins—beam-like in structure, a bit sappy, and balanced by subtle mocha. It feels broad across the palate, building with spicy, textural richness. Dense black cherry, pomegranate, spiced plums, and blood orange deliver real staying power, while the long finish brings warming brown-sugar spice, toffee, and espresso bean. Plenty of heft, balanced by excellent tension. 503 cases made. Dan Kosta’s Convene wines are aged in 30% new oak, while his elevated DK label sees closer to 50% new oak for 15 months and represents specific blocks or barrel selections from single vineyards. Campbell Ranch Vineyard in the Russian River Valley is the winery’s largest holding, planted to clones 777 and 115.
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.
Foley Famliy Wines & Spirits
Foley Family Wines & Spirits (FFWS) was launched by Bill Foley in 1996 with the acquisition of Lincourt Vineyards in Santa Barbara’s Sta. Rita Hills — the modest beginning of what has become a wide-ranging, multi-regional portfolio. Over the decades, FFWS has added more than two dozen wineries and distilleries across California, the Pacific Northwest, and New Zealand, building a collection that now includes well-known estates such as Chalk Hill Estate, Sebastiani, Roth Estate, Firestone Vineyard, Lincourt, and Silverado Vineyards. Guided by a commitment to site-driven winemaking, legacy properties, and a broader focus on global wines and spirits, FFWS aims to craft distinctive, terroir-rooted wines while offering hospitality across an expanding network of estates.
The Sonoma Coast Chardonnay from Chalk Hill is sourced from a mix of sites—Wobkin, Ramal, Chalk Ridge, Rail Road, and additional Russian River Valley vineyards. The fruit is whole-cluster pressed, cold settled, and fermented in French oak with full malolactic fermentation and lees stirring. It is aged 8–10 months in 23% new French oak. The wine offers a heady mix of yellow apple, grilled pineapple, lemon curd, and white peach, all laced with vanilla and well-integrated buttery, toasty oak. Brown baking spices add warmth, while generous, juicy acidity underscores the wine’s plush character and delivers a freshness that’s hard to beat. A decadent wine—yet balanced by its brightness.
This red comes from the Chalk Hill Estate, a 1,300-acre property with 300 acres under vine. “The site is pretty cold for Bordeaux varieties within Sonoma County,” notes Mari Wells Coyle, VP of winemaking. The wine is fermented in stainless steel and aged 20 months in 52% new French oak. The 2023 is exceptionally elegant, with ultra-fine tannins that coat the palate like cashmere. There’s excellent fruit depth, delivering rich, ripe black-fruit flavors that remain crisp and bright, layered with tobacco and pops of blue fruit on the vivid finish. Full-bodied, full-flavored, and beautifully layered—a gorgeous expression of the estate.
There’s a lot going on with this Sauvignon Blanc. It’s fermented in barrel with biweekly bâtonnage for the first two months, then monthly afterward, and aged five months in French oak (12% new). The blend also includes 18% Sauvignon Gris. It’s absolutely delicious—heady and contemplative—with impressive midweight texture and tension. Layers of citrus and orchard fruit mingle with a salty, briny mineral character, accented by white flowers, almonds, and plenty of crushed sea salt on the lengthy, fruit- and mineral-rich finish. A cedarwood spice note is beautifully woven into the fabric of the wine, adding both texture and tension. I love the generosity here; it’s a wine you can pair with food, but it’s equally pleasurable as a solo sipper before or after a meal. Fantastic at this price.
A blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Malbec, 6% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 2% Petit Verdot, aged 20 months in 75% new French oak. Fruit is sourced from iconic sites including Vadasz in Sonoma Valley, Cherryblock, vineyards in Knights Valley and Alexander Valley, Lancaster, LookOut, Magnolia Ranch, the Chateau St. Jean Estate, and portions of Rancho Salina. The Foley family’s goal has been to restore this winery’s reputation, and with winemaker Mari Wells Coyle, it’s clearly on that path. I tasted the 2022 vintage and scored it 96 points—a remarkable wine from a challenging year. Here in 2023, a cooler and more forgiving growing season has produced another beautifully polished expression. The aromatics are classic Sonoma: bright, fresh red-cherry and forest-berry character, accented by fragrant sagebrush and white pepper. The wine is beautifully crafted and medium-bodied, with loads of energy. The tannins are refined and elegant, and the flavors are bright, lifted, and graceful. Such a delicious, high-toned, expressive wine.
The 2023 Sebastiani Cabernet was made by Lisa Evich (formerly of Simi) along with Mari Wells Coyle, VP of winemaking. The blend is sourced primarily from Macama Vineyard in the northeast corner of Alexander Valley. The wine is fermented in stainless steel, then racked to barrel and aged 14 months in 25% new French oak. Sebastiani was purchased by Bill Foley in 2008. Production is carried out at the PreVail winery, while Cherryblock, for example, is vinified at Chateau St. Jean. As for the wine itself, it’s quite delicious. Dark black fruits lead the way, with rich brown baking spices, black plum, and black cherry. Fairly firm, slightly astringent tannins frame the palate—they’re compact and focused, resolving with graphite minerality and loamy earth on the lengthy finish. A powerful, bold red that will benefit from time to unwind.
This is the iconic wine of the winery. It includes fruit from their legendary old vines—massive, head-trained plants—along with some newer plantings. The blend is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Merlot, aged 18 months in 70% new French oak. Mari Wells Coyle, VP of winemaking, says they aim to preserve the wine’s Italian heritage by maintaining bright acidity, which means embracing a slightly more gravelly tannin structure, a lower pH, and keeping that fresh cherry character front and center. And the wine delivers exactly that: vivid cherry fruit in spades, supported by a firm spine of crisp acidity and a gravelly, loamy earth character. Layers of leather, tobacco, and earth unfold across the palate, with a pop of English toffee on the long finish. The site is right on the way into the town of Sonoma, right at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains on the Sonoma side.
Innumero
Sheree and Brian Thornsberry are the co-founders who launched the brand in 2021, sourcing fruit from prime sites throughout the Russian River Valley. Both come from finance backgrounds, and their focus is on single-vineyard, single-clone bottlings. They hired Ashley Herzberg as winemaker from day one; she also makes wine for the Bacigalupi family, CAST, and Amista. Sheree tells me that she and her husband have traveled to wine regions around the world and fell in love with the lifestyle. Innumero is Latin for “above and beyond the number.” They produce just under 1,000 cases annually. The wines are sold almost entirely DTC, with a handful of placements in Healdsburg restaurants.
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.
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.
From Bootlegger’s Hill Vineyard, this wine shows high-toned citrus fruit, cool stony minerality, and crushed sea-salt notes. It’s medium-bodied with absolutely racy acidity, offering lemon-peel freshness on the palate and a saline–acid richness. Cedarwood spice is well integrated, building into a subtle beeswax character, all carried by excellent freshness. Sourced from the Green Valley, where fog influence is strong and consistent.
Ellen Lane Vineyard is surrounded by forest, and the wine from this site shows a richer, rounder profile — toasty oak spices, ripe orchard and stone fruits, and a creamy generosity. Juicy, ripe pear and white-floral notes carry through on the finish. Entirely Hudson clone. Sheree and Brian Thornsberry are the co-founders who launched the brand in 2021, sourcing fruit from prime sites throughout the Russian River Valley. Both come from finance backgrounds, and their focus is on single-vineyard, single-clone bottlings. They hired Ashley Herzberg as winemaker from day one; she also makes wine for the Bacigalupi family, CAST, and Amista. Sheree tells me that she and her husband have traveled to wine regions around the world and fell in love with the lifestyle. Innumero is Latin for “above and beyond the number.” They produce just under 1,000 cases annually. The wines are sold almost entirely DTC, with a handful of placements in Healdsburg restaurants.
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.
This is the first Pinot Noir Innumero has produced from Bacigalupi Vineyard, made entirely from Wente Clone. Fermented in stainless steel, then pressed to barrel and aged in 50% new French oak. The nose is wonderfully alluring — candied cherry fruit, warm baking spices, blood orange, and cocoa-powder notes — all building into a medium- to full-bodied palate. Excellent fruit weight and depth, with dark-berry richness, spice, a touch of leather, and loamy earth. A nicely complex and thoroughly delicious Pinot Noir.
Kobler Estate Winery
Mike Kobler took over winemaking in 2022. Mike’s grandfather retired to Dry Creek Valley in the early 1980s. An engineer by trade, he spent weekends putting young Mike to work in the vineyard whenever he came to visit. Mike went on to study economics and graduated in 2007—just in time for the 2008 market crash—so he pivoted into wine. Despite swearing he’d never enter the industry, he realized he liked the lifestyle, and his network of growers and winemakers proved invaluable. With help from his father, he built a business plan, and they dove in. They launched with a négociant model, and in 2011 produced their first wine from the family property. As Mike began asking around for grape contracts, the business grew steadily. His older brother, Brian Kobler, who had been a winemaker for 20 years, eventually came on board as well.
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.
The use of a white Burgundy yeast helps to bring out more crème brûlée notes. Fermented in barrel and aged sur lie with bâtonnage for 10 months in 25% new French oak. The wine is rich, with a buttery profile and notes of banana panna cotta and pineapple on the nose, along with vanilla, butterscotch, and candied ginger spice. Lemon-oil richness adds to the silky, buttery texture. And while it’s undeniably opulent, it still carries some brighter fruit on the palate to keep it lifted.
The wine offers dark berry fruit, woodsy aromatics, dark loamy earth, and espresso bean, with the Viognier adding a touch of floral lift. On the medium-bodied palate, more Syrah character comes through as blackberry, black cherry, and subtle charcuterie notes that intermingle with the woodsy tones on the finish. Roughly 4–5% Viognier is blended back before bottling.
The Kobler Family Vineyards Syrah builds out of the glass with a heady dose of cocoa-powder character, woody notes, and earth, all interwoven with dark berry fruit and dusty minerality. The tannins are crisp and crunchy, with juicy dark fruit on the palate and building structure that turns a bit drying toward the woodsy finish.
100% stainless-steel fermented and aged. This is the same fruit that once went to Donelan for their Viognier. Super aromatic, with white florals, jasmine, and honeysuckle, plus a hint of flinty minerality. The wine offers lemony accents, more florality, and a saline–acid brightness. It’s a bit leaner and racier than the Donelan versions, if you’re familiar with those. But this is exactly Mike Kobler’s focus — bringing more racy, focused, linear wines into the family’s portfolio — and this is a great example of that effort.
This rosé comes from the coldest spot on the property, between Forestville and Graton along Highway 116 in West Sonoma County—about ten miles west of Santa Rosa, perched on the ridge of the Green Valley. An old Victorian farmhouse sits on the site. The fruit is direct-pressed and fermented in stainless steel, and Mike Kobler took over winemaking in 2022. It’s a robust, full-throttle rosé—not for the faint of heart—with rich aromas of apricot and tangerine peel and a faint hint of bacon fat. The palate is fragrant and mid-weight, offering red-berry fruit layered with savory nuances. There’s good tension and energy, along with a long, deeply fruited finish. Mike’s grandfather retired to Dry Creek Valley in the early 1980s. An engineer by trade, he spent weekends putting young Mike to work in the vineyard whenever he came to visit. Mike went on to study economics and graduated in 2007—just in time for the 2008 market crash—so he pivoted into wine. Despite swearing he’d never enter the industry, he realized he liked the lifestyle, and his network of growers and winemakers proved invaluable. With help from his father, he built a business plan, and they dove in. They launched with a négociant model, and in 2011 produced their first wine from the family property. As Mike began asking around for grape contracts, the business grew steadily. His older brother, Brian Kobler, who had been a winemaker for 20 years, eventually came on board as well.
Kosta Browne Winery
Founded in 1997, Kosta Browne catapulted to fame after being named Wine Spectator’s #1 Wine of the Year (for their 2009 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir). Today, Winemaker Julien Howsepian is tweaking their cellar approach, getting the wine out of barrel and into stainless steel earlier. The results are more layered wines, with richness and silky fruit character, but still plenty of acid tension to keep things bright, light and focused.
Picked in the second week of September, the base wine from this site is somewhat ironically among the last to come in. Made using the traditional method, unfiltered, with high lees contact, and aged en tirage in barrel for two years. Winemaker Julian Hausseppian believes a shorter tirage suits his California-grown fruit, as ripeness comes naturally from the warm sunshine, while foot-treading and extended lees contact contribute the richness he wants. The wine shows wonderful depth and a saline–acid tension, with wet-stone character, bright citrus and orchard fruit, and warm baking spices adding richness through the mid-palate. The finish is long, lifted, and thoroughly enticing.
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.
Fermented entirely in barrel with no whole cluster and aged for 12 months in 34% new French oak. Vineyard sources include Zio Tony, Lone Oak, Ritchie, Keefer Ranch, Bootlegger’s Hill, El Diablo, Charles Ranch, and Bob’s Ranch. The wine is incredibly rich and layered, with lemon peel, fresh lemon and ripe apple mingling with toasty oak spices, candied ginger and crushed almonds. A lovely saline minerality accents the palate. Medium to full-bodied with excellent mid-palate weight, it finishes quite crisp. Subtle notes of French pastry and oyster-shell minerality weave throughout. Truly captivating.
Whole clusters were pressed directly and the wine was 100% barrel-fermented, then aged for 12 months in 32% new French oak and a further 6 months in stainless steel before bottling. Sourced from the El Diablo Vineyard along the eastern rim of the Russian River Valley, this is a wonderfully precise white wine with tangerine oil, white peach, yellow apple and poached pear. The mid-palate is luscious, creamy and silky, revealing decadent French-pastry and buttered-croissant notes, followed by a fabulous sea-salt finish. There is more richness here than in past years—and it’s a welcome evolution. These wines are beautifully balanced; Julian Hausseppian is doing excellent work.
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.
One of the bolder, more concentrated wines in the 2023 lineup I tasted with Julian Hausseppian 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.
The backbone of this wine is Gap’s Crown, blended with fruit from Marshall in the Sebastopol Hills, Pratt–Sexton, Crane Canyon, Thorn Ridge and Pepperwood. A mix of clones—667, Swan, 115, 114, 828, Dijon selections and Clone 23—fermented in stainless steel, concrete and oak, then aged 16 months in 40% new French oak. Absolutely gorgeous coastal florals lead the nose, intertwined with sea-spray minerality and wet stone. Crunchy dark berry fruit drives the palate, joined by savory spice notes reminiscent of a damp redwood grove, clove, scorched earth, tangerine peel and grapefruit zest. A subtle incense-like minerality carries through to the firm yet inviting finish.
An absolutely gorgeous, perfumed nose of rose petals and cranberry fruit lifted by warm brown baking spices. The aromatics are bold and expressive yet remain pure and incredibly fresh. The palate bursts with bright, layered, beautifully ripe fruit—cherry, raspberry and cranberry—accented by a touch of grapefruit zest, clove and allspice. A long, stony mineral note reminiscent of wet river stones carries the everlasting finish. This is totally lights-out fantastic. Sourced from exceptional vineyards including Bootlegger’s Hill, Giusti Ranch, Treehouse, Winner’s Circle, Zio Tony, Moonshine, Jenkins, Sundawg Ridge and Barron Ranch. Fermented in 55% stainless steel, 25% concrete and 20% oak, with 5% whole cluster. Aged 16 months in 40% new French oak, with some foudre and some stainless steel.
Sourced entirely from Hyde clone at the Bootlegger’s Hill Vineyard, whole-cluster pressed and 100% barrel-fermented, then aged 11 months in 33% new French oak followed by 7 months in stainless steel before bottling. The nose is super rich, showing lemon curd, apple, lemon peel, candied ginger and sea-spray minerality, with a kiss of vanilla and an ultra-salty wet-slate character. Ginger spice and candied lemon peel carry onto the palate, which has excellent mid-weight richness and a long, spice-driven finish. Totally captivating and delicious—beautifully balanced.
This is your Saturday-night wine—the power broker, the one that will impress you and your guests. Bold, aromatic and richly flavored, it shows incredibly velvety tannins and a cocoa-powder softness, with dark cherry fruit, raspberry spice and pomegranate nuances. A hefty framework of apple-skin tannin adds crisp yet fluffy texture, while a firm pinch of acidity brings crunchy tension. The fruit is dark, ripe, supple and beautifully layered, balancing everything out and making for a wonderfully expressive, impeccably balanced Pinot Noir. Fermented in a mix of concrete, stainless steel, oak and whole cluster, then aged 17 months in 38% 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.
Lombardi
Lombardi Wines was founded in 2013 by Tony Lombardi and his wife Christine, as a tribute to his Italian heritage and a legacy project for their sons. The label focuses on small-lot Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from premier vineyard sites across Sonoma County—particularly the Petaluma Gap, where the Lombardi family has been rooted since 1947. Working closely with winemaker Cabell Coursey, the wines reflect rigorous site selection, low yields, and a balance of elegance and power. Beyond the cellar, the Lombardis are committed philanthropists. Tony and Christine are deeply involved with the Hilinski’s Hope Foundation, which promotes mental-health awareness for student-athletes in memory of their nephew and godson. They also support children’s and cancer-related charities via events and auctions—including contributions at the Tum Tum Tree Foundation and the Sonoma Epicurean fundraiser, where their wines help raise significant funds for research and outreach. With fewer than 1,000 cases produced each year, Lombardi Wines combines boutique craftsmanship, family tradition, and social purpose.
This Pinot Noir is a blend of clones 2A, 115, 667, and Pommard from Baer Vineyard, along with Clone 777 from Gap’s Crown Vineyard. It’s fermented in stainless steel and aged for ten months in a 38-hectoliter cask. Co-owner Tony Lombardi also runs a charity, Hilinski’s Hope, which focuses on raising awareness around mental health in young athletes. The wine is incredibly zesty and floral, with notes of blood orange and grapefruit zest, rich cocoa nibs, and clove spice. Everything comes together in a full-flavored, medium-bodied expression with a velvety finish.
The Lombardi Russian River Valley Chardonnay is sourced entirely from Baer Vineyard in 2023. It’s fully barrel-fermented in French oak and aged for ten months in a mix of 65% Atelier and François Frères barrels and 35% stainless-steel drums. The wine is focused and precise, with citrus and white-flower aromatics, candied quince, and pretty cedarwood notes. Crisp and tension-driven on the medium-bodied palate.
This Clone 15 Chardonnay comes from Baer Vineyard in the Russian River Valley. The fruit is pressed off the skins quickly, then fermented in a mix of stainless steel and French oak, with very little new wood, and aged for ten months in Atelier and François Frères barrels. The wine shows vivid aromatics of candied ginger and elegant cedarwood, building into green apple and pear with a squeeze of lemon. Satiny textures and a well-balanced line of tension frame the palate. Crafted by winemaker Cabell Coursey and owned by Christine and Tony Lombardi.
This 2023 Pinot Noir comes from Baer Vineyard. Clones 2A, 115, 667, and Pommard were fermented in stainless steel and aged for 10 months in a 38-hectoliter cask. It opens with a deeply savory nose—black olives, saddle leather, loamy earth, dried rose petals, and espresso bean. The palate shifts toward spiced plums and cherry fruit, carried by a savory mineral thread that lingers on the long finish.
The Baer Vineyard Pinot Noir comes from clones 2A, 115, 667, and Pommard. It’s fermented in stainless steel and tank, then aged for ten months in neutral Atelier Centre Medium Toast and François Frères barrels. The wine shows a ripe, rich-fruited intensity with real muscularity—a savory streak of charcuterie and olive tapenade running beneath the ripe cherry and candied-cherry fruit. Fragrant cedarwood spice lifts the aromatics, and the palate finishes long with a mineral edge. A deeply savory expression in 2023.
The Baer Vineyard Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley is fermented and aged entirely in terracotta amphora for ten months. Crafted by winemaker Cabell Coursey, it shows wonderfully crisp aromatics—apple skin, a touch of beeswax, Marcona almond, and a hint of sea spray. The texture is velvety with a subtle, almost tannic grip. The palate delivers a deep, flavorful expression of apple, pear, and dried apricot, with a firm hold through the mid-palate and plenty of length on the finish.
The Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir, Clone 777, is fermented in stainless steel and aged for ten months in Atelier and François Frères barrels. It’s notably floral, with perfumed rose-petal aromas, blood orange, cherry, and cranberry fruit, accented by bright clove and a subtle touch of white pepper. The wine shows plenty of freshness, tension, and energy. The fruit comes from Block 9, Tony Lombardi notes—a lower section of Gap’s Crown near the barn, where temperatures run significantly cooler than the upper blocks. This is a lovely expression of Gap’s Crown Pinot Noir, offering excellent fruit density balanced by remarkable freshness.
Saxon Brown
Jeff Gaffner founded Saxon Brown in 1997, naming the label after a character from The Grapes of Wrath as a nod to California farming heritage. Working largely independently, he focuses on single-vineyard expressions from top sites in Sonoma—Durell, Sangiacomo Green Acres, Gap’s Crown, Roberts Road—and produces a focused portfolio of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and small-lot Rhône varieties. His Pinot Noir protocol is remarkably consistent across vineyards: he begins with a cold soak and employs pumpovers and punchdowns before alcohol rises, believing early extraction builds color, tannin, and esters before ABV acts as a solvent. Once fermentation is underway, he pulls back on cap management, then cold-stabilizes and ages the wine for roughly 16 months, often with a moderate new-oak profile. The goal is purity, site transparency, and the fine, velvety tannin signature that has become a hallmark of his style.
From Durell, Sangiacomo’s Green Acres, and Catarina, where they work with a unique Chardonnay selection that reminds Jeff Gaffner of Riesling. The wine is barrel-fermented long and cool, with malolactic held back until the following spring; he stirs the lees through winter before allowing ML to finish naturally. The result is a layered, deeply textural Chardonnay with a complex, nuanced oak profile and impressive acid freshness. Extremely ripe quince, candied ginger, and a touch of saline drive the finish. Just dynamite.
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.
Beautifully refined, filled with baking-spice and cedarwood accents, and lifted by floral notes that cascade through the wine. Juicy cherry and blackberry mingle with plum and pluot, creating a fragrant, flavor-packed profile. Medium- to full-bodied, with gentle tannins that support all that juicy fruit and warm spice, and a lingering wet-slate minerality. Just lovely.
Sangiacomo’s Green Acres Hill Vineyard in Carneros, planted entirely to Wente clone, yields a highly aromatic Chardonnay with a lift of lemon-cream foam that expands across the palate. Subtle tropical fruit richness and a thread of apricot follow, joined by beautifully integrated cedarwood and a clean, wet-slate minerality. The finish is laser-focused and long. A super expressive, multidimensional wine from winemaker Jeff Gaffner.
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.
The Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay from Jeff Gaffner is wonderfully fragrant, zesty and fresh—exactly as Hyde is meant to be. Pure citrus notes rise from the glass, nuanced by white-flower aromatics and crushed-almond accents, all embraced by sumptuous, well-integrated oak spice. The medium-bodied palate builds both richness and volume before giving way to a host of saline, rocky mineral characters that carry the wine through a long, invigorating finish.
Holy Zinfandel—this is honestly one of the tastiest Zins I’ve sampled in years. Kudos to Jeff Gaffner (winemaker and dad to Jason and Tyler, the ‘Fighting Brothers’), though the real triumph here is the internal balancing act: blending the many personalities of Zinfandel into a wine that feels wholly complete and seamless. Even at 15% alcohol, it tastes cool, balanced and refined. Classic red-berry Zin fruit lifts from the glass, while the core delivers fantastic concentration of mixed-berry and brambly-spiced flavors. Suave, seductive and silky, it envelops the palate and finishes with savory-spice nuances. A joyful, soulful wine.
Such an alluring nose of anise, fennel, and lemon cream and French pastry, apricot jam and flinty minerals, all coming together on the palate framed by richer tropical notes of grilled pineapple, and white peach, with butterscotch cream and lemon zest, supported by zingy acid tension and a toasty oak finish. This Roberts Road Vineyard Chardonnay from Jeff Ganer is one of the more richer styles of Chardonnay he produces, and if you love that style this is your bag baby.
From Durell Vineyard. The sandhill at the top of this site isn’t sand at all but diatomaceous earth, and Gaffner works with three clones planted there: Wente, See, and Rued. The nose is intensely mineral, with a chalky edge, salted Marcona almonds, flinty notes, and well-measured toasty oak spice. The palate has real depth and flavor, showing apricot, white peach, pear, and yellow apple, all carried by a saline-toned minerality. A touch of lemon-cream lift comes through on the finish, a hallmark of Gaffner’s long, slow, cool fermentation with malolactic completing later.
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.
Serres Ranch
The Serres family launched the brand in 2018, with the inaugural vintage released in 2022; they currently produce about 500 cases each year. Tim Milos and Derek Irwin are the winemakers.
The Toots Rosé is made entirely from Aleatico—a grape variety most common in Italy, typically blended into red wines, yet thriving on the Serres Ranch, where just six acres are planted. Fermented and aged in stainless steel, it’s an exceptionally expressive rosé with a rich, luscious quality and a satiny texture. Ripe strawberry and cherry tones lead the way, lifted by a fresh pop of grapefruit or blood orange and a zippy, mouthwatering finish. Super refreshing. The Serres family launched the brand in 2018, with the inaugural vintage released in 2022; they currently produce about 500 cases each year. Tim Milos and Derek Irwin are the winemakers.
The Watriss is a Bordeaux-style blend named for the Watriss family, who owned the Serres Ranch in the 1800s. The composition shifts vintage to vintage; in 2021, it’s 30.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Malbec, 21% Cabernet Franc, and 21% Petit Verdot. This is a bold, full-bodied red with a rich nose of dark berry fruit and toasty oak that leans into cigar-box spice. The palate shows firm, building tannins and a cool, polished character to the dark berry fruit, layered with loamy earth that carries through the long finish.
Named after Proprietor Taylor Serres’ older brother, Marshall, this blend is composed of 76.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 5% Malbec, and 3.5% Petit Verdot. All the fruit comes from a seven-acre block replanted in 2016 to multiple clones and rootstocks; each small lot is fermented separately before final blending. It’s a fantastic, full-bodied and robust Cabernet-based red, opening with rich cigar-box and dark-chocolate notes, toasty oak spice, and gobs of inky dark fruit. The palate is powerful, with muscular tannins and a righteous, indulgent, full-bodied finish. The most potent and forceful wine in the lineup, yet it still carries a polished edge to all that unctuous richness.
Named after Taylor Serres’ younger brother, Buchanan, this is a Merlot-heavy blend and always has been. Their Merlot has historically been sold to producers like St. Francis and Gundlach Bundschu. It’s a bold, robust expression with super-rich dark berry fruit, plenty of intensity and power, and generous toasty oak spice. This is no wimpy Merlot. Ripe mulberry notes unfold on the palate alongside warm brown and Asian spices, leading to a lengthy, full-bodied finish.
Skipstone
Skipstone is a 200-acre estate located on the western hillsides of the Mayacamas Range in Sonoma’s Alexander Valley, focused on producing Bordeaux varieties grown on its certified organic and certified sustainable estate. Skipstone is guided by husband-and-wife team Laura Jones, winemaker, and Brian Ball, general manager. Jones brings a thoughtful, precision-driven approach shaped by global experience and her tenure at Aubert Wines, while Ball oversees the estate with a steady, long-term vision rooted in vineyard stewardship and brand building. Together, they are elevating Skipstone’s Alexander Valley estate wines with a focus on site expression and balance, a philosophy they also explore through their personal Chardonnay project, Sphaerics.
Sourced from the oldest vines on the steep, gravelly hillsides of the Skipstone estate, this wine was aged 19 months in 70% new French oak. It’s impeccably polished from the first sniff to the last sip, with ultra-smooth, satiny tannins that glide across the palate like polished obsidian. The fruit profile is deep and dark, leaning toward blue-toned fruit layered with notes of sage and pine forest. Subtle cocoa powder nuances linger on the long, saline, acid-driven finish.
Added to the portfolio in 2021, this Cabernet Sauvignon was born from a desire to explore vineyard sources beyond the Skipstone estate. Aged 19 months in 60% new French oak, it offers a seductive red-fruited profile with notes of red apple skin, cherry, raspberry, and cranberry. Fragrant hints of sagebrush and bay laurel weave through the bouquet, adding savory complexity. The palate is medium-bodied and layered, with crunchy apple-skin tannins lightly dusted in cocoa powder. As the wine opens, deeper tones of dark berry fruit, wet slate, and loamy earth emerge, all carried by a subtle salinity that extends through the long finish.
An interpretation of a Right Bank blend, this wine takes its name from the fault line that runs through the Skipstone vineyard. Aged 19 months in 68% new French oak, it presents a distinctly different aromatic profile from the rest of the range. The bouquet is lifted and spicy, with notes of smoked and sweet paprika, a hint of coriander, and layers of blackberry, black cherry, and spiced plum. Crushed slate minerality emerges on the palate, adding structure and tension. The texture is slightly gritty in the best way, offering grip and precision.
The introduction to the Skipstone lineup, this wine is crafted from the four red Bordeaux varieties planted on the estate and aged 19 months in 40% new French oak. First released in 2017, it serves as an elegant entry point to the Skipstone portfolio at $75. The aromatics are pure and expressive, offering vibrant notes of black cherry, blackberry, cocoa powder, and tobacco, layered with deep forest tones and a thread of mineral tension. On the palate, it’s medium to full-bodied with beautifully ripe, crunchy red and black fruit, laced with graphite and accented by delicate red floral notes that bring lift and finesse to the finish.
A barrel selection of the finest Cabernet Franc blocks on the Skipstone estate, this wine was aged 19 months in 100% new French oak. Exceptionally refined, it captures the pure essence of the variety with lifted aromatics of sagebrush, tobacco, bay leaf, blue slate, and a touch of paprika. Medium to full-bodied, it offers generous layers of dark, ripe black fruit supported by crisp, finely etched tannins. There’s remarkable harmony between the fruit’s richness and the wine’s savory, mineral-driven tension, resulting in length and precision. The structure is so compelling it nearly eclipses tasting descriptions, leaving only one lasting impression: sheer deliciousness. And in 10 to 20 years, this wine will evolve into something truly extraordinary—worthy of patience and a place in the cellar.
A barrel selection of Skipstone’s best Cabernet Sauvignon blocks from the estate, this wine was aged 19 months in 100% new French oak. It is strikingly polished, pure, and seductive—full-bodied yet effortlessly silky in texture. The palate evokes the sensation of a perfectly ripe blueberry dusted with cocoa powder, layered with earthy notes reminiscent of a redwood grove after rain—loamy soil, red bark, and cool forest air. The tannins are exquisitely fine and powdery, supporting a finish that lingers for what feels like minutes. Structural yet seamless, this wine’s quiet power and underlying tension give it poise and vitality. It’s so graceful and integrated that you might miss its depth if you’re not paying attention—but you’ll love the palate energy and tension no matter what.
Valette
Dustin Valette was born and raised in Healdsburg in a French family where food was central to daily life. He started cooking professionally at 13, eventually working for major chefs—Michael Mina, Charlie Palmer, Thomas Keller—and at 17 headed to New York, attending the CIA in Hyde Park while spending weekends exploring food and wine. He still remembers the bolognese sauce at a friend’s house that first opened his eyes to the depth of flavor possible. In 2008 he made his first garage wine, and by 2013 he was producing 250 cases. “I’m not a winemaker,” he likes to say, “but I felt I was making good garage wines.” As he began sourcing Pinot Noir from iconic vineyard sites, he realized the difference between the instinct of a chef and the technical knowledge of a winemaker. The brand shifted from idea to reality in 2016, when he partnered with Jesse Katz and Bob Cabral—Katz bringing a Bordeaux sensibility, Cabral a Burgundian one. Today the lineup also includes contributions from Tom Rochioli, David Ramey, and Michael Browne. Every wine is conceived through the eyes of a chef, with Dustin thinking first about how each bottle will meet, shape, and elevate food.
Wonderfully rich baking-spice notes evoke walnut–cardamom pastry, French buttered croissant, and wet river stones, all wrapped around cherry and apple fruit. The mousse is incredibly frothy, building with beautiful lightness and textural lift, while hints of white truffle and a streak of saline acidity add a savory freshness that’s undeniably delicious.
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.
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.
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.
It offers that classic David Ramey Chardonnay profile, with a crisp, bright, and vivid personality. Lemon peel and fresh citrus notes are layered with subtle, gorgeous cedarwood accents, sea spray, and intense mineral character. The wine is lush yet cool, showing lovely candied ginger and quince, carried by saline-laced acid tension and lingering white floral notes. Long and delicious, it’s made for rich, fatty seafood—broiled lobster is heaven with this.
All estate fruit from Tom Rochioli. There’s a wonderfully lush, creamy richness here, underscored by very pretty, lacy acidity. Notes of lemon oil and a creamy center are layered with wildflower honey and gorgeous French pastry nuances. It’s delicious on a stick—haha. Absolutely long and layered. Pair it with whole roasted goose or turkey thighs—unctuous, with crisp, crunchy fat—or roast chicken in a mushroom sauce. Anything poultry, really. Pheasant for sure: the gaminess of the bird and the richness of this Chardonnay will crush your soul with goodness.
Williams Selyem Estate
Williams Selyem’s estate sits on land once used for pasture, dairies, and orchards—a reminder of the winery’s humble beginnings in Burt Williams’ garage, where he and Ed Selyem first experimented with repurposed dairy tanks. Those shallow, four-foot-deep stainless-steel tanks remain central to the winemaking today. Their shape allows for traditional foot-treading, a thinner and more temperature-stable cap, and gentle extraction—all key to the signature texture of Williams Selyem Pinot Noir. Winemaker Jeff Mangahas explains that early, focused extraction over five to six days, followed by hand punch-downs, creates finesse rather than harsh tannin. The approach is uniform across the portfolio: roughly 25% whole cluster, no pumpovers, and aging in 40–50% new François Frères oak.
Fermentations run about two weeks before the wines move to barrel for malolactic fermentation and the first sulfur addition. Jeff maintains as many solids as possible until bottling, using only mid-elevage and pre-bottling rackings—after extremely cold storage—to naturally clarify the wines without filtration. The result is a house style defined by purity, texture, and seamless structure, shaped as much by the winery’s unconventional equipment as by its long-standing commitment to gentle, precise winemaking.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
