The 2021 Chardonnay Estate features gregarious yellow apples, pie crust, toast and baking spice aromas with flinty streaks. The palate is silky and weightless, with a shimmery feel derived from its flinty mineral character and... Read More

Size: 2.3 ha (5.51 ac)
Variety: Chardonnay
Vine Age: Planted in 1917 and 1963
Terroir: Early-ripening site, this is a monopole with the old stone walls of the Clos still bordering the parcel. Historically, the “quart”... Read More

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

An impressive, substantial Sancerre, with just a hint of toasty brioche, which adds a touch of delicious opulence, but this is mostly about freshness and elegance, with dried herb oil, chives and a saline beam of energy on a well-integrated... 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

This too possesses enough wood to merit pointing out on the smoky nose of white flowers, wet stone and soft quinine whiffs. The elegant, intense and focused medium-bodied flavors exude evident minerality on the unusually powerful,... Read More

Not only is Wombat Creek the vineyard with the highest elevation in the collection (100 meters up the hill from Applejack, circa 400 meters elevation), it is also the most southerly. Planted to the I10V1 clone, this is an interesting... Read More

The Applejack Vineyard is planted across the hill, at the same altitude as the Primavera Vineyard on gray clay over mudstone, and picked within a few days of that site. The 2021 Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir included 50% whole... 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

The 2022 Vintage Tunina is distinctly savory, with a burst of rosemary, incense and flint stone giving way to freshly sliced green apples. It feels wiry, with salty mineral tones up front and a core of ripe orchard fruits that... Read More

Very firm and dark, laced with graphite, ash and crushed rock aromas, then black pepper, white pepper and lean, savory mineral flavors animate the palate. Fine-grained tannins and a medium body. Here the soil is very rich in iron... Read More

Very structured, almost thick in tannins, with deep black cherries and violets on the nose, then white stones, iron, iodine and earthy accents on the palate. While substantial in texture and more medium than light in body, it's... 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

One of the greatest Rose's from the Loire!

5-Star Producer of Sancere, a very limited wine.

100% Pinot Noir
80+ year old vines
Direct press rosé
Indigenous yeast
Fermented in large ancient demi muids (80+ years old)... 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

The 2019 Chester-Kidder is exotic and earthy in style, with ashen stones, graphite, black currants and hints of rosemary forming its bouquet. This is silky and sleek, with racy acidity propelling its mineral-tinged red and black... Read More

Grape Variety : 100% Chardonnay

Dosage : between 2 and 4 g/L - Extra Brut

Harvest : 2018

Bottling and disgorgement : according to the moon cycles

T E R R O I R

Vineyard located in Festigny and Le Breuil

Soil : clay and limestone... Read More

The 2022 Flor, Jonata's blend of 85% Sauvignon Blanc and 15% Sémillon, is rich and expansive in the glass. Citrus peel, chamomile, dried flowers and spice reveal themselves with a bit of time in the glass. Saline notes... 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 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 2022 Where Dreams Have No End Chardonnay pulls the taster close with a mix of crushed rocks, lemon oil, wildflowers and gingery spice. Silken and round, it sweeps easily across the palate with ripe pit fruits and pretty inner... Read More

Quinta de Muradella’s Muradella Tinto is crafted from a single vineyard planted between 1999 and 2000 using heirloom cuttings. This distinctive blend includes Mencía, Zamarrica, Bastardo, Caíño Redondo,... 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

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 deeper straw color, the 2021 Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard is ripe with delicate incense, ripe white peach, and orange blossom. Medium to full-bodied, it’s long on the palate, with great balance. It’s slightly more... Read More

The 2021 Chardonnay Quartz Creek Vineyard is fabulous and also a step up from the 2020 tasted alongside it. Effusive floral top notes open first. Silky and creamy on the palate, with gorgeous finesse, the 2021 is, first and foremost,... 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.

One of the best surprises of our sparkling journey has been discovering the extremely high potential of Pinot Noir at Bearwallow for sparkling wine. As the program has been refined in collaboration with Rodolphe Peters, (Pierre... Read More

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

Incorporating 10% Petit Verdot and 2% Merlot from a mix of sites in the Columbia Valley, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Père De Famille reveals a healthy ruby/purple hue to go with beautiful cassis fruits interwoven with notions... Read More

The 2021 Chardonnay Mae Estate opens with hints of chalk that give way to white peach, red apple, almonds and floral perfume on the nose. The palate has a textural breadth that emphasizes its deep core of savory fruit, and a foil... Read More

This has a very fresh and polished character with sliced pears, white nectarines, crushed stones and citrus leaf. Lots of floral undertones, too. Medium- to full-bodied. Sleek textural mouthfeel and steady acidity gives freshness... 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 bright yellow straw-hued 2021 Chardonnay Casteel is elegant and floral, with a more refined perfume of lemongrass, delicate baking spice, green apple, and fennel. Silky and refined, a note of citrus oils coats the palate with... 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

The latest iteration of Laurent-Perrier's NV Brut Cuvée Rosé is showing brilliantly, bursting from the glass with notes of smoky red berry fruit, apples, blood orange, pomegranate and warm biscuits. On the palate,... Read More

There's a touch of orange peel on the nose along with notes of tart red fruit. Despite the lightness and delicacy there is concentration on a creamy palate, where lemon and strawberry play off each other. The finish reveals... Read More