The Marchesi Antinori 2019 Tignanello was born in a classic growing season that saw some cooling summer rains and relatively stress-free conditions. This is an elegant and extremely polished wine made with mostly Sangiovese and... Read More
The 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard (a 1,750-case blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot, and 3% Merlot) boasts explosive aromas of incense, creme de cassis, minerals, and flowers. It is medium... Read More
Focused, with cassis, bitter plum and raspberry coulis notes that have freshness and tension, while a mineral edge adds range and cut on the finish. Light-handed toast lets it play out nicely and should age well. Best from 2022... Read More
The 2015 Chardonnay Bootlegger's Hill is a powerful wine that shows a more phenolic expression of Chardonnay. Winemaker Nico Cueva gave the 2015 12 months in oak followed by 3 months in concrete. Even that longer aging has... Read More
Dark, succulent and inviting. The biggest and most powerful of the Sonoma Coast Pinots, the 2015 Pinot Noir Gap's Crown is ample and voluptuous, but it will also need time to be at its best. There is no shortage of drive to... Read More
Dark, succulent and inviting. The biggest and most powerful of the Sonoma Coast Pinots, the 2015 Pinot Noir Gap's Crown is ample and voluptuous, but it will also need time to be at its best. There is no shortage of drive to... Read More
One of the more tight and backwards efforts from this vineyard, the 2013 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard was mostly destemmed (19% whole clusters) and aged 16 months in 46% new French oak. Medium-bodied, focused and downright racy... Read More
Aged 16 months in 47% new French oak, the medium ruby colored 2016 Pinot Noir Garys' Vineyard opens with a touch of alcoholic heat and balsamic, with a pretty perfume of dried rose petals, cranberries and tangerine peel underneath,... Read More
Always one of the most distinctive wines in the range, the 2015 Pinot Noir Giusti Ranch packs a serious punch. Black cherry, plum, lavender, spice, menthol licorice and dark spices imbue the Giusti with real personality and class.... Read More
Aged 16 months in 48% new French oak, the 2016 Pinot Noir Giusti Ranch has a medium ruby color and offers baking spice-laced cranberry sauce, raspberry and strawberry preserves with hints of rose petals, blueberries, loam and... Read More
Aged 16 months in 48% new French oak, the 2016 Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard has a medium ruby color and slowly offers nuanced scents of rose petal, sage, crushed stone, Bing cherries and bright red berry fruit with accents of amaro... Read More
Aged in 40% new French oak for 11 months, the medium ruby colored 2017 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands offers a wonderful perfume of cranberry jelly, raspberry and strawberry preserves, boysenberry and rose petal perfume with... Read More
The 2012 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is a beautiful wine that comes from four vineyards, Gap's Crown, Griffin's Lair, Terra de Promissio and Walala. It has a deep ruby/semi-opaque color that is followed by a youthful, rich... Read More
The 2016 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast was aged in 44% new French oak, 16% concrete tank and 2% wood tanks, ranging from 10-15 months depending on the vessel. Medium ruby, it's scented of cranberry sauce, woodsmoke, loamy earth... Read More
The 2016 Pinot Noir Thorn Ridge, from a site in the Sebastopol Hills, is perfumed and light on its feet. Sweet dark cherry, mint, violet and spice are nicely layered in this bright, chiseled wine. Above all else, the Thorn Ridge... Read More
The 2014 Syrah Capo dei Putti saw an amazing 38 months in fully 94% new oak, and it was showing superbly when I tasted it, unfurling in the glass with brooding aromas of blackberry preserve, cherries, bay leaf and a remarkably... Read More
The 2014 Syrah Capo dei Putti saw an amazing 38 months in fully 94% new oak, and it was showing superbly when I tasted it, unfurling in the glass with brooding aromas of blackberry preserve, cherries, bay leaf and a remarkably... Read More
The 2019 Grenache Distenta I is composed of 76% Grenache, 9.3% Syrah, 8% Mourvèdre, 4.3% Petite Sirah and 2.4% Viognier. It was fermented with 43.5% whole clusters (predominantly Grenache) and matured for 23 months in 26.5%... Read More
The 2019 White Wine Distenta 1 is a stunning—and unique—blend of 41% Roussanne, 26% Chardonnay, 14% Petit Manseng, 12% Viognier and 7% Gelber Muskateller. Fruit comes mostly from estate vineyards, with 46% from Eleven... Read More
The 2019 Syrah Distenta I is composed of 83.6% Syrah, 3% Mourvedre, 5.2% Petite Sirah, 6.2% Grenache, 1.4% Muscat and 0.6% Petit Manseng. “I think Muscat is the number-one white grape for me to blend with reds,” Manfred... Read More