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Sourced from Doyle Vineyard Management in New York’s Finger Lakes region—renowned for cultivating native grapes, hybrids, and vinifera for wineries across the state—this red was crafted from vinifera grapes cold-soaked for 24 hours, fermented whole berry for six days, then aged 10 months in a mix of French and American oak. This is a truly intriguing wine that lures you in with expressive red berry fruit, spiced with cinnamon and underscored by espresso bean and thick, maple-cured bacon notes. The medium-bodied to medium-full palate delivers baked cherry fruit and cherry pit nuances that linger on a long, salty mineral finish.

Airy Acres Vineyard is a 21-acre certified sustainable estate vineyard on the west side of Cayuga Lake in New York’s Finger Lakes region. This 2021 Cabernet Franc was fermented on the skins for approximately 14 days in bins, then pressed and aged for 12 months in French oak barrels that were at least two years old. Pale in color—almost rosé-like—it opens with a subtle lift of high-toned acidity on the nose before revealing a supple, red-berry palate layered with spice and espresso bean nuances. Serve well-chilled alongside hard, salty cheeses for maximum enjoyment.

The Indigo Syrah from Sonoma Mountain is the most powerful expression in the lineup—akin to the Appellation Series, but dialed all the way up. Aged for 28 months in 100% new French oak, this bottling is the dark knight of the Syrahs: brooding, intense, yet lifted with precision. Supple blackberry fruit leads the charge, accented by violets, dark cherrywood, and deep brown baking spices. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, layered with dark cacao and salted, saline minerality that carries through an everlasting finish. Intense and muscular, yet refined by freshness and spice, this is a Syrah of commanding presence and exceptional tension.

“When we’re assembling the blends for the vintage, we put together an über-blend,” says winemaker Justin Harmon. From that exercise come tiny-production bottlings—about 50 cases each—of Rosetta and Babel. These wines are set aside in neutral barrels, left to rest for an additional year in the quiet corners of the cellar before release. This wine leads with super high-toned dark berry fruit layered with cinnamon spice and floral lift. The palate has a cooler presence, with tremendous concentration of rich black fruit and finely knit, sinewy apple-skin tannins. Broad-shouldered yet focused, it’s held together by crunchy acidity that drives freshness and tension throughout. At this stage, it remains tightly coiled, with exceptional structure and energy. There’s no doubt this wine is still unwinding—but even now, it’s profoundly delicious and promises remarkable evolution with time.

This Montepulciano (augmented with 5% Aglianico) from Arrowhead Creek Vineyards offers a heady mix of sweet red berry fruits, with fine-grained tannins that provide good presence and build intensity on the mid-palate. The wine is balanced by vibrant blood orange acidity, complemented by smoky mineral notes, toasty cedarwood, and crushed prairie herbs.

From Arrowhead Creek Vineyards comes this 95% Malbec (supported by and 5% Aglianico). This is a focused, meaty red wine, with nuances of black olives, licorice, and a charcuterie, all delivered with intensity through the medium-bodied finish.

This wine is made similarly to Babcock’s Pinot Noir: not stem-heavy, but fermented in small open-top bins with regular punchdowns. Fermentations are allowed to rise into the upper 80s or low 90s°F before being inoculated on day two. By day four, the team conducts 4–5 punchdowns daily, pressing off between days 10–14 with a bit of residual sugar left to finish fermentation in barrel. Malolactic fermentation is inoculated, and the wine spends 18 months in barrel, with up to 50% new French oak depending on the lot. A bold, velvety, dark-fruited wine layered with lavish oak spice, toasty cedarwood, and roasted coffee notes. Full-bodied and framed by supple tannins, it supports juicy blackberry and black raspberry fruit, mingling with savory black truffle, loamy earth, and dark chocolate truffle on the long, satisfying finish. Quite a powerhouse.

Quite a bold, savory red wine building out of the glass with brandied black cherry and blackberry fruit, leather, tobaccoa and black pepepper, rose stem and dried rose petal notes framed by a salty mienral complexity and cocoa powder tannins that linger through a coffee bean and wet slate finish. Plenty of dark fruit and spice complexiy and great mouthfeel here. A very satisfying wine, ideal for brisket.

Bending Branch Winery’s Tallent Vineyards Mourvèdre from the Texas Hill Country is sourced from vines planted at 1,620 feet in Hickory sandstone soils. The wine undergoes whole berry maceration and is aged for 24 months in oak. Bright red-toned fruits, reminiscent of strawberry and black currants, are tinged with vanilla and persist on the medium-bodied palate. The wine finishes with a long, expressive note of espresso bean, adding complexity.

The Roussanne Estate Reserve from Bingham Family Vineyards, sourced from their High Plains vineyards, kicks off with fragrant notes of prairie grass, chamomile tea, and honeycomb. Medium-bodied on the palate, it offers a creamy richness that builds with layers of coriander cream, peach cobbler, and a touch of salted caramel cream. Despite its depth, the wine retains a bright and refreshing character, finishing strong with an excellent balance of richness and vibrancy.
Fermented in barrel and aged for up to 16 months in 20% new French oak. Grapes are sourced entirely from the 7-acre Blackmon Ranch Vineyard in the Texas Hill Country AVA. This is a bold expression of Cabernet from this site, with inky dark berry fruit, toasty oak spices, black cherry, graphite, and pressed wildflowers. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, with mineral-laced, fine-grained tannins supported by a solid beam of mouthwatering acidity and freshness. The lengthy finish carries a touch of mesquite smoke. Impressively structured and complex, this is a wine to enjoy now and over the next decade. Made by Winemaker Tony Offill, who also makes wine for William Chris Vineyards.

The County Line Red Blend from Blackmon, sourced from the Texas Hill Country AVA, is a rich and expressive wine, offering abundant black currant fruit, fig, dark cocoa, and toasty oak notes, all creating a beautifully layered profile. Full-bodied, it features plush, velvet-textured tannins and plenty of grippy acidity, which helps maintain freshness and vibrancy throughout. Well-balanced and tension-filled, with a mid-palate richness that builds complexity, this red is both inviting and sophisticated. The winemaker is Anthony Offhill.

This is a brooding, intense, and nicely structured Texas Hill Country Merlot from Blackmon. It presents spiced black cherry and plum fruits, complemented by fine cedarwood spices. Medium-bodied on the palate, it is framed by velvety tannins that provide smooth texture and depth. The wine is layered with ironstone minerality, carrying through to a lengthy finish.

A 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Front Vineyard, this red is made from hand-selected fruit and aged for 34 months in new French oak. Absolutely polished and classic, it offers blackberry and blue fruit aromatics alongside graphite and new wood cedar. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, with a minty freshness that emerges through firm, taut, mineral-laced tannins and subtle white pepper on the long, satisfying finish.

This Petite Sirah was aged for 22 months in French oak, and opens with black currant fruit layered with sage, wild fennel, and blue fruit aromatics, all building on a medium-bodied palate. Notes of kirsch and apricot pit emerge, adding complexity. The wine zigzags between fruit and savory intensity before leveling out on a fine bed of woodsy tannins and tobacco leaf on the finish. A great pairing for richly spiced Indian dishes, especially those made with lentils.

This wonderfully well-knit and expressive Pinot Noir from the iconic Fiddlestix Vineyard is bright, juicy, and lifted, with savory deep forest pine accents. Gentle tannins frame notes of salted dark chocolate and ironstone minerality, carrying through a spicy, medium-bodied finish.

The 2021 Brander Reserve is a savory, layered Cabernet Sauvignon, medium- to full-bodied, with red and black fruit woven throughout. A host of savory notes—walnut husk, tobacco leaf, and cigar box—intermingle with dried sage, finishing on a deep, earthy register of loamy soil, black olive, and licorice. Super savory and best enjoyed alongside herb-dusted pork loin or espresso-rubbed roasted meats.

This Cabernet Franc from the Blackwater Draw Vineyard in the Texas High Plains is a heady, floral-scented red with vibrant red fruit flavors. The wine is framed by blood orange acidity and crunchy apple skin tannins, which build on the finish and culminate in a burst of sweet Indian spices.

Brennan Vineyards’ 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon from Newburg Vineyard in Comanche County is a well-balanced, unfussy, and easy-drinking red. Packed with vibrant strawberry and raspberry fruit, it’s complemented by notes of fruit leather, panna cotta, and coriander cream. The wine’s full-bodied expression of Cabernet is supported by robust tannins, adding structure while maintaining a smooth and approachable character.

This Mourvèdre from the Blackwater Draw Vineyard in the Texas High Plains is like strawberry fruit leather in a glass. Medium-bodied, it shows velvety tannins complemented by nuances of white pepper, charcuterie, and agave nectar. The tannins assert themselves, framing a dry finish while the mid-palate maintains a juicy character. Lingering notes of currants and cassis add complexity.

This Cabernet Franc comes from the rain-soaked 2021 vintage—a challenging year when July rains arrived early and lingered. As is typical of the vintage, the wine is on the lighter side, with owner David Pittard noting it reflects the Finger Lakes’ acid-driven, leaner style. Red cherry and plum fruit lead the nose, accented by coriander, cumin, and cedarwood spice. On the palate, ripe, firm tannins support notes of crunchy pomegranate seed and a fresh, elegant frame. Fermented in stainless steel and open-top one-ton bins (inoculated), then aged in mostly neutral French oak barrels.

Aged for 32–34 months in 70–80% new French oak. This is a bold, powerful, and intense Cabernet, with lovely high-toned notes of wild sage and scrub brush, layered over black cherry, spiced plum, kirsch, and dark chocolate. Hints of graham cracker crust emerge on the long, polished, and expressive finish.

The Carménère is picked slightly earlier than Counoise but after Cabernet Sauvignon, and is very low-yielding yet remarkably hardy, according to Ben Calais. Medium- to full-bodied, it offers a solid base of acidity, with high-toned, spicy, herbaceous notes of sagebrush. Inky dark berry fruit layers in alongside meaty nuances and black pepper, all carried through to a mineral-driven finish that brings freshness and balance to the supple tannins. Aged for up to 34 months in 60% new French oak.

Sourced from two sites—Family Vineyards and Bolen Vineyards in the Texas High Plains—the 2021 vintage saw reduced Merlot yields due to a spring cold spell. Aged for 32 months in 80% once-used and 20% new French oak, this wine offers striking aromatic richness and impressive mid-palate breadth. Supple-textured tannins frame spiced plum and black raspberry flavors, layered with notes of bright sagebrush, green tobacco, and cola nut that carry through a long, expressive finish.

Kærskov Vineyard, located in the center of the Los Olivos District AVA, is a high-density site planted 6’ x 3’ on clay-loam and river-stone soils. Ryan Carr planted the vineyard in 2014 and continues to farm it today. This Syrah was aged for 20 months in one-year-old French oak. Dark berry fruit is interwoven with anise, fennel seed, and cedarwood spice, all building across the full-bodied palate with chalky tannins and a lingering charcuterie-and-dried-violet finish.

This Sangiovese comes from two vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley—Woodstock Vineyard and Open Gate Vineyard—both farmed by Carr’s winemaker and owner, Ryan Carr. The wine was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels. It’s an immensely pleasing, full-flavored, and fairly robust Sangiovese, with powerful, crisp tannins and plenty of inky dark fruit, loamy earth, black truffle umami, and tobacco notes leading to a long, earthy, and spicy finish.

An atypical Chianti expression, with lots of earth and very deep dark cherry fruit, dark spice, and plush, velvety character. – J.R.

This 100% Cabernet Franc was aged for 18 months in 50% new Hungarian and French oak. Sourced entirely from Clone 1 vines at White Cat Vineyard in the Livermore Valley AVA. A pretty and elegant expression of Cabernet Franc, offering a refined nose of currant fruit, tobacco, turned earth, and dried wildflowers. Medium-bodied on entry, with a wealth of juicy currant and spiced plum fruit, layered with fine tobacco, hints of vanilla, and pops of new cedarwood, all framed by expressive acidity on the refreshing finish.

Diamond is a historic American hybrid white grape, once prized over a century ago for sparkling wine production. This bottling channels that legacy with a vinous, green apple character layered with hints of honeydew melon and wildflower honey. The palate bursts with a full squeeze of lime juice—bright, grippy, and crunchy—with a tactile, super-expressive finish. Fascinating and distinctive. Just 168 cases made.
This wine is part of a separate label from the Gatlin family, made entirely from A-grade ENTAV clones—meticulously sourced and planted in Texas by Dan Gatlin himself. Grown in Gillespie County within the Texas Hill Country AVA, each clone yields an average of 1 ton per acre. Fermented in open bins with cooling plates and hand punchdowns over 7–10 days, the wine is aged for 12 months in 20% new French oak followed by another 12 months in neutral barrels. The texture here is fabulous—silky yet structured—with tannins that carry a saline, Earl Grey tea-like character. Juicy, mouthwatering acidity lifts flavors of currant, spearmint, and crushed cacao nibs, layered with subtle tobacco leaf and cigar box nuances.

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Sourced from Doyle Vineyard Management in New York’s Finger Lakes region—renowned for cultivating native grapes, hybrids, and vinifera for wineries across the state—this red was crafted from vinifera grapes cold-soaked for 24 hours, fermented whole berry for six days, then aged 10 months in a mix of French and American oak. This is a truly intriguing wine that lures you in with expressive red berry fruit, spiced with cinnamon and underscored by espresso bean and thick, maple-cured bacon notes. The medium-bodied to medium-full palate delivers baked cherry fruit and cherry pit nuances that linger on a long, salty mineral finish.

Airy Acres Vineyard is a 21-acre certified sustainable estate vineyard on the west side of Cayuga Lake in New York’s Finger Lakes region. This 2021 Cabernet Franc was fermented on the skins for approximately 14 days in bins, then pressed and aged for 12 months in French oak barrels that were at least two years old. Pale in color—almost rosé-like—it opens with a subtle lift of high-toned acidity on the nose before revealing a supple, red-berry palate layered with spice and espresso bean nuances. Serve well-chilled alongside hard, salty cheeses for maximum enjoyment.

The Indigo Syrah from Sonoma Mountain is the most powerful expression in the lineup—akin to the Appellation Series, but dialed all the way up. Aged for 28 months in 100% new French oak, this bottling is the dark knight of the Syrahs: brooding, intense, yet lifted with precision. Supple blackberry fruit leads the charge, accented by violets, dark cherrywood, and deep brown baking spices. The palate is medium- to full-bodied, layered with dark cacao and salted, saline minerality that carries through an everlasting finish. Intense and muscular, yet refined by freshness and spice, this is a Syrah of commanding presence and exceptional tension.

“When we’re assembling the blends for the vintage, we put together an über-blend,” says winemaker Justin Harmon. From that exercise come tiny-production bottlings—about 50 cases each—of Rosetta and Babel. These wines are set aside in neutral barrels, left to rest for an additional year in the quiet corners of the cellar before release. This wine leads with super high-toned dark berry fruit layered with cinnamon spice and floral lift. The palate has a cooler presence, with tremendous concentration of rich black fruit and finely knit, sinewy apple-skin tannins. Broad-shouldered yet focused, it’s held together by crunchy acidity that drives freshness and tension throughout. At this stage, it remains tightly coiled, with exceptional structure and energy. There’s no doubt this wine is still unwinding—but even now, it’s profoundly delicious and promises remarkable evolution with time.

This Montepulciano (augmented with 5% Aglianico) from Arrowhead Creek Vineyards offers a heady mix of sweet red berry fruits, with fine-grained tannins that provide good presence and build intensity on the mid-palate. The wine is balanced by vibrant blood orange acidity, complemented by smoky mineral notes, toasty cedarwood, and crushed prairie herbs.

From Arrowhead Creek Vineyards comes this 95% Malbec (supported by and 5% Aglianico). This is a focused, meaty red wine, with nuances of black olives, licorice, and a charcuterie, all delivered with intensity through the medium-bodied finish.

This wine is made similarly to Babcock’s Pinot Noir: not stem-heavy, but fermented in small open-top bins with regular punchdowns. Fermentations are allowed to rise into the upper 80s or low 90s°F before being inoculated on day two. By day four, the team conducts 4–5 punchdowns daily, pressing off between days 10–14 with a bit of residual sugar left to finish fermentation in barrel. Malolactic fermentation is inoculated, and the wine spends 18 months in barrel, with up to 50% new French oak depending on the lot. A bold, velvety, dark-fruited wine layered with lavish oak spice, toasty cedarwood, and roasted coffee notes. Full-bodied and framed by supple tannins, it supports juicy blackberry and black raspberry fruit, mingling with savory black truffle, loamy earth, and dark chocolate truffle on the long, satisfying finish. Quite a powerhouse.

Quite a bold, savory red wine building out of the glass with brandied black cherry and blackberry fruit, leather, tobaccoa and black pepepper, rose stem and dried rose petal notes framed by a salty mienral complexity and cocoa powder tannins that linger through a coffee bean and wet slate finish. Plenty of dark fruit and spice complexiy and great mouthfeel here. A very satisfying wine, ideal for brisket.

Bending Branch Winery’s Tallent Vineyards Mourvèdre from the Texas Hill Country is sourced from vines planted at 1,620 feet in Hickory sandstone soils. The wine undergoes whole berry maceration and is aged for 24 months in oak. Bright red-toned fruits, reminiscent of strawberry and black currants, are tinged with vanilla and persist on the medium-bodied palate. The wine finishes with a long, expressive note of espresso bean, adding complexity.

The Roussanne Estate Reserve from Bingham Family Vineyards, sourced from their High Plains vineyards, kicks off with fragrant notes of prairie grass, chamomile tea, and honeycomb. Medium-bodied on the palate, it offers a creamy richness that builds with layers of coriander cream, peach cobbler, and a touch of salted caramel cream. Despite its depth, the wine retains a bright and refreshing character, finishing strong with an excellent balance of richness and vibrancy.
Fermented in barrel and aged for up to 16 months in 20% new French oak. Grapes are sourced entirely from the 7-acre Blackmon Ranch Vineyard in the Texas Hill Country AVA. This is a bold expression of Cabernet from this site, with inky dark berry fruit, toasty oak spices, black cherry, graphite, and pressed wildflowers. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, with mineral-laced, fine-grained tannins supported by a solid beam of mouthwatering acidity and freshness. The lengthy finish carries a touch of mesquite smoke. Impressively structured and complex, this is a wine to enjoy now and over the next decade. Made by Winemaker Tony Offill, who also makes wine for William Chris Vineyards.

The County Line Red Blend from Blackmon, sourced from the Texas Hill Country AVA, is a rich and expressive wine, offering abundant black currant fruit, fig, dark cocoa, and toasty oak notes, all creating a beautifully layered profile. Full-bodied, it features plush, velvet-textured tannins and plenty of grippy acidity, which helps maintain freshness and vibrancy throughout. Well-balanced and tension-filled, with a mid-palate richness that builds complexity, this red is both inviting and sophisticated. The winemaker is Anthony Offhill.

This is a brooding, intense, and nicely structured Texas Hill Country Merlot from Blackmon. It presents spiced black cherry and plum fruits, complemented by fine cedarwood spices. Medium-bodied on the palate, it is framed by velvety tannins that provide smooth texture and depth. The wine is layered with ironstone minerality, carrying through to a lengthy finish.

A 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from Front Vineyard, this red is made from hand-selected fruit and aged for 34 months in new French oak. Absolutely polished and classic, it offers blackberry and blue fruit aromatics alongside graphite and new wood cedar. Medium- to full-bodied on the palate, with a minty freshness that emerges through firm, taut, mineral-laced tannins and subtle white pepper on the long, satisfying finish.

This Petite Sirah was aged for 22 months in French oak, and opens with black currant fruit layered with sage, wild fennel, and blue fruit aromatics, all building on a medium-bodied palate. Notes of kirsch and apricot pit emerge, adding complexity. The wine zigzags between fruit and savory intensity before leveling out on a fine bed of woodsy tannins and tobacco leaf on the finish. A great pairing for richly spiced Indian dishes, especially those made with lentils.

This wonderfully well-knit and expressive Pinot Noir from the iconic Fiddlestix Vineyard is bright, juicy, and lifted, with savory deep forest pine accents. Gentle tannins frame notes of salted dark chocolate and ironstone minerality, carrying through a spicy, medium-bodied finish.

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