The 2021 Barolo Ravera is captures all the signatures of this site. Iron, white pepper, sage, mint, chalk and red-toned fruit all grace this sculpted, vibrant young Barolo. I especialy admire its energy and tension. Clean mineral... Read More

The 2021 Barolo Prapò is fabulous. It offers up an exotic mix of dark fruit, lavender, graphite, plum and scorched earth, with firm, muscular Serralunga tannins to back it all up. Readers will have to be patient with the... Read More

This is a long-celebrated blend of 85% Sangioveto (another name for Sangiovese) and 15% Malvasia Nera from one of the headline estates of Castellina in Chianti. The Castellare di Castellina 2019 I Sodi di S. Niccolò (with... Read More

Because the Vecchie Vigne was not made in 2022, fruit from the old vines was directed to this wine instead. The Paitin 2022 Barbaresco Serraboella Sorì Paitin is a beautiful wine with dark elements of graphite, dusty root,... Read More

In contrast to the bigger, richer Deus-Ex Machina, the 2020 Châteauneuf Du Pape La Combe Des Fous is all about finesse and elegance, probably due to the inclusion of Cinsault and Vaccarese in the blend. Deeper ruby/purple-hued,... Read More

The 2021 Pinot Noir Zotovich Vineyard is one of the most ethereal wines in the range. Kirsch, dried red cherry fruit, orange peel, cinnamon and pine give the 2021 a bright upper register of aromatics. Delicate and sensual, the... Read More

I loved the 2021 Pinot Noir Sanford & Benedict Vineyard, which is up with the best in the lineup. Ripe red fruits (cherries, strawberries, mulberries) as well as some spice and pretty floral notes emerge on the nose, and it hits... Read More

Bold and muscular, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Slope comes from the Immortal Estate Vineyard, which sits on the red volcanic soils on the Sonoma side of the Mayacamas mountains. Including 2% Petit Verdot and pouring an opaque... Read More

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Vaso is gorgeous. Crushed flowers, sweet red cherry fruit and spice are all beautifully lifted. This mid-weight, nuanced Cabernet is all class. Best of all, the 2021 will be a joy to drink young. A... Read More

A gorgeous nose of hazelnuts, cherries, raspberries, button mushrooms, tea leaves and vanilla bean. It’s vibrant and fruit-forward, with zesty and racy acidity and tight-knit tannins. Tight, cool finish. From Yamhill-Carlton... Read More

The finesse and beauty of this wine are rather breathtaking, with currant, mint, spearmint, sandalwood and blackberry aromas that follow through engagingly to the palate. It starts off medium-bodied, but then grows on the palate... Read More

Black fruit coulis, intense spice aromas and some smoke on the nose. Powerful and robust in the best possible way, the tannins are remarkably polished for a Rhone red with stacks of mourvedre in it. Very compact core, but also... Read More

One of my favorite wines at this address, the 2022 Les Hauts-Lieux, derives from vines planted on a cooler, higher elevation on calcareous soils. These grapes, including more Mourvèdre (20%), are picked 15 days later than... Read More

The red 2021 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Barberini actually sees less new oak than the white version (about 70% is aged in barrel). Leather, earth, spice, vanilla, black cherries and plums all appear on the nose, while the full-bodied... Read More

Complex aromas of iron, iodine, raspberries, blue fruit, mussel shells, lemongrass and orange peel. Medium- to full-bodied with crunchy fruit and a lightly chewy finish. A barrel selection of the best wines of the vintage. A little... Read More

Bold, beefy and vivid, with moderate tannins and snappy acidity around red beet, sour cherry and savory mushroom notes. Medium-boded and packed with complexity, showing the winery's inclination toward high-tension wines. Drink... Read More

Winemaker: Thomas Rivers Brown

A deep, opaque ruby-violet in the glass, it’s immediately aromatic, with notes of dark fruit, dried rose, pie crust, and oak. It’s powerful yet decadent, with tightly knit tannins that... Read More

The 2022 Quartet Red Wine blends 71% Cabernet Sauvignon from Coombsville with 16% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 6% Syrah, all from Carneros. With only 19% new French oak, it's barely noticeable on the complex nose, which offers... Read More

The 2021 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard is bright and effusive, with a gorgeous presence and tons of sheer class. Inky blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and mocha infuse the 2021 with notable depth. This fleshy, expressive... Read More

Rich black cherry and strawberry fruit, with impressive density and palate weight. The balance is good, with fur-coat tannins and admirable freshness. Yet again, this vintage turns out a wine seemingly far too good for the climatic... Read More

Newer vines on six different rootstocks, planted in 1988 to Wadenswil and Pommard clones. This wine offers bright fruit aromatics with pine-bough accents. The palate is a display of tangy red fruits, cranberry, pomegranate and... Read More

The 2021 Backlit is an effortlessly balanced, expressive blend of 50% Syrah, 17% Mourvèdre, 17% Grenache and 16% Carignan. Matured for 20 months in 33% new French oak, its oak spice is already well integrated into a core... Read More

The 2021 Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands) is bright, nervy and beautifully focused. Crushed rose petals, mint, sage, dried herbs and anise are finely delineated in this classy, mid-weight offering from Adam Lee. The 2021 could... Read More

The 2023 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard is expressive of the place out of the gates, with the site’s rockier terrain coming through in the more structured profile of the wine, with notes of dark stones, lavender, and black... Read More

The 2020 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Castello di Ama San Lorenzo is fabulous. It offers up a compelling mix of blackberry, graphite, crushed rocks, spice, lavender and black pepper, showing striking inner sweetness, gorgeous... Read More

What functions as an entry level wine from this great estate, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Les Petits Morlet is bright and juicy, with wild cherry, tobacco, and leafy herbs notes in a sweetly fruited, round, creamy, and undeniably... Read More

The 2019 Nobile di Montepulciano Costa Grande is deep and intense yet youthfully coy, lifting up with an understated blend of black cherries, stone dust and Christmas spice. It impresses with its purity and energetic character.... Read More

The 2021 Falcoeira A Capilla was produced with the red grapes that were picked after September 10, a field blend of Mencía, Brancellao, Sousón, Garnacha Tintorera and other grapes from 45 terraces of a south-facing... Read More

This wine that changed the perception of Galician reds in 2010, and the 2021 As Caborcas is lighter and more aromatic, reflecting a more Atlantic but challenging year when they had to work hard to deliver this beauty. The vines... Read More

A touch of stewed plum fruit, though quite reserved aromatically. There's some welcome body and fruit here, and the alcohol is relatively mild. Finishes dry and savory. Well balanced and very drinkable.

This Pinot Noir is from a unique plot in the Chehalem Mountains appellation in the Valley's north end. The dry-farmed, biodynamic site is one of the oldest plantings of Pinot Noir in the Willamette, having been planted by... Read More

The entrancing 2019 Munjebel Rosso FM (Feudo di Mezzo Sottana) blossoms in the glass, with a dusty mix of sweet minty herbs and bright cherry complemented by a hint of cinnamon sugar. Its textures are like pure silk slowly draped... Read More

Bright and vivid pinot with cherries, cranberries, dried rose hips and dried herbs on the nose. Medium-bodied, clean and refreshing on the palate, offering vivid red berry and citrus notes. Crunchy and minerally. Drink or hold.... Read More

Concentrated, vivid fruit to this, with an intense nose of morello cherries, cassis, baked strawberries, grilled herbs, licorice and semi-dried tomatoes. Lemon zest, too. Medium-to full-bodied with ripe, integrated tannins. Long... Read More

The 2016 Brunello has delicate savory aromas of rosemary, dried raspberry, and floral forest floor. There is freshness and pure ripe fruit that fills the palate, with blood orange, dried red cherry, and fresh tomato leaf as well... Read More