New Reviews

Grapelive.com Wine Reviews

April 2025

2021 Odonata, Grenache Rouge, Sparkling Wine, Hook Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands.
Again I was impressed and thrilled by the new set of releases from Odonata, and I especially loved the latest Grenache Rouge Fizz, which shows off a dark ruby hue and a Champagne style mousse with a dry, but expressive palate of strawberry, plum and tart cherry fruits, a touch of lees brioche, wet stones, mineral notes, a light sense of anise and candied orange and subtle florals. The Odonata Sparkling Grenache Rouge by winemaker Denis Hoey, sourced from the Hook Vineyard that is all Tablas Creek clone Grenache set on sandy loams, is a macerated on the skins to be a red Methode Champenoise bubbly. Made from these old vines in the Santa Lucia Highlands, this unique bubbly is exciting and lively on the palate, but with an elegant mousse and a depth of flavors. Hoey employed, as noted in prior reviews, a full skin maceration and primary fermentation in stainless steel, exactly as a normal red wine would have, before going through its patient journey of lees aging and riddling in bottle to become this ruby colored and crisply dry bubbly that was lovingly hand crafted to thrill the senses. Odonata Wines was founded in Santa Cruz back in 2005, but really has become a full fledged estate winery, after relocating to Monterey’s wine country in 2014 when they moved into the old Marilyn Remark Winery property.

There’s always a lot to like at Odonata, based on River Road on the edge of the Santa Lucia Highlands, and while I usually am drawn to their Syrah, Pinot Noir and Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon here, I really liked the new 2021 Malbec and the Grenache Rouge Sparkler. As noted in my prior review of Odonata’s Sparkling Riesling, Hoey has a real talent for these fun bubbly wines, in the past I’ve enjoyed the Chardonnay, a more traditional Champagne inspired bubbly and even a Sangiovese version, and of course there is a lot to excited about from this winery, with new releases, including the 2022 SLH Pinot Noir, the Hook Vineyard Syrah, a Brunello style Sangiovese and as mentioned, the brilliant set of Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon(s). This sparkler, as per normal with Odonata, saw the grapes picked a couple of days early to keep freshness in the wine and once the primary fermentation was completed, which was on the skins for about two weeks, I believe, the wine was then transferred to a stainless tank for a short period before the complex and lengthy bottle aging began for this Grenache Rouge. Denis and team then “en tirage” bottled the wine with added yeast and sugar that start process of creating the luxurious beading small bubbles in the bottles. Be sure to get out to Odonata to taste the latest limited offerings and or check them out online sat their website.
($46 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2020 Terre Stregate, Aglianico “Manent” Sannio DOP, Campania, Italy.
I found Terre Stregate at the Tre Bicchieri tasting in San Francisco, it’s a winery from Campania that I hadn’t seen before and I really enjoyed their elegant example of Aglianico del Sannio, which caressed the palate with loads of supple richness of red berry fruit, wild dusty spices, minty herbs, delicate earthiness and licorice notes. Not overly complicated or build for aging, this is drinking lovely right now and much less rustic or tannic than old school version, which is not a fault and it will be a good start point for exploring wines from this region and the Aglianico grape. The plum, cherry and red currant fruits almost become creamy in the mouth, but there’s more complexity than meets the eye and the wine is much better with food, even a bit of hard sheep cheese will bring out this wine’s personality. The Campania region, once almost forgotten, has regained its Roman era fame and is really turning out some remarkable wines, and some are absolutely lovely values as this Terre Stregate Aglianico proves, and while not always easy to find, they merit some chasing down.

The Terre Stregate, which means “Land of the Bewitched”, was originally established back in 1898, but was abandoned as a winery for the better part of 200 years before being restored in 2004 and is now making waves under the Iacobucci family and their winemaker Nicola Trabucco. Located in the Sannitic Hills, Terre Srtegate has sloping vineyards in Matese that sit above the Telesina Valley and the Calore River in the remote Campania region in Italy’s southern reaches. Terre Stregate is mostly known for organic olive oils, but have been getting praise for their Aglianico, as seen here, and a fine Falanghina white, a Tre Bicchieri winner, which I hope to try soon. For their Manent Aglianico del Sannio, Terre Stregate does a care sorting of the grapes and de-stems the berries, fermenting in cool tanks before pressing the wine to small barriques for about 6 months of aging. This has produced fine, almost silky tannins and a very round mouth feel, while preserving a good amount of acidity. The clay and calcareous soils and organic farming in this very Mediterranean warm terroir helps retain freshness and balance, with the wines of Terre Stregate offering up a clean sense of place, as this dark garnet and lightly floral one delivers.
($20 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive

2021 Weingut Haart, Riesling Estate, Mosel, Germany.
Haart’s slightly off dry Estate Riesling is nicely generous and fresh in the mouth with hint of sweetness on the light framed palate, it shows off bright slate driven details and is an easy quaffable style that is very flexible with cuisine options. The main attack gives racy lime citrus, juicy apple, peach and quince fruits, along with crystalized ginger spice, smoky flint stony notes and delicate florals. I tasted this delicious Riesling at Carmel’s Toro Sushi Restaurant, which has an exciting menu and a great German and Austrian wine list, and it was brilliant with some spicy selections and an array of shell fish and raw fish options. This wine saw a slow fermentation in stainless steel tanks as well as some old oak barrels, and as the winery notes, the wine was lightly filtered and bottled 5 months after harvest, to provide vibrancy and purity of form, as seen clearly here in the finished product.

The Mosel’s Haart winery, who’s family’s viticultural tradition dates back to 1337, lies only a few meters from the Mosel river, on, as the winery notes, the romantic, peaceful Ausonius riverbank where the famous Piesporter Goldtröpfchen vineyard begins its uphill climb with classic slate soils and a great Riesling terroir. In 2015 owner Karl-Theo Haart’s sons Johannes and Marcus Haart took over the family business and are continuing their long tradition of ultra steep sloped Riesling wines, creating wines that are expressive, age-worthy and mineral intense. The winery explains that their cool fermentation(s) with natural yeasts, and allowing for some residual sugars, make for wines that are extraordinarily fresh, fruity and balanced even after many years in bottle. It is also notable that Haart employs biodynamic and full organic farming with the vines, on very steep hillsides, all being hand tended and picked, which adds to the energy and quality found in the wines, again, as witnessed here in their basic estate bottling.
($27 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive

2019 Château de Beaucastel, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Rhône Valley, France.
This 2019 vintage of Château de Beaucastel’s classic Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc is drinking well right now and was a star bottle at a recent blind Rhône tasting with a rich and complex palate that shows of a finely balanced array of mineral, fruit, spice and textural presence in the glass and is nicely lively, making it an impressive effort again from one of France’s great estates. Light gold and straw colored in the glass with delicate florals and orchard fruit on the nose that leads to a full mouth of apricot, lemon curd, tangerine, golden fig fruits, as well as clove spice, a touch of oily creaminess, wet stones, almond, citron and soft wood notes. The beautiful Châteauneuf-du-Pape white wine at Beaucastel is very limited as they only have about 7 hectares of white vines planted with Roussanne playing the lead role here, as the winery notes, representing 80% of the blend. For the 2019, there’s Roussanne 80%, Grenache Blanc 15%, along with a small amount of Picardan, Clairette, and Bourboulenc. Even under heat stress and little moisture, this 2019 is way more pleasing than would be expected and I can highly recommend this wine to those that love these top notch Rhône whites, it is a terroir driven class act and thrills the senses.

Château de Beaucastel’s history dates back to 1549, when Pierre de Beaucastel purchased the land and built a manor house, which gave the property its Château, but it largely didn’t interesting here until In 1909, when, as the winery says, another Pierre “Pierre Traminer” purchased the estate, which he later transferred to his son-in-law Pierre Perrin. Today, the fourth and fifth generation of Perrins run this famed Rhône icon, all of who pioneered a biodynamic culture as a philosophy here. Their innovative approach to organic farming in 1950 and then biodynamic farming in 1974, Famille Perrin has committed to full sustainable wine growing, which many other Rhône stars have followed. The vineyards of Château de Beaucastel are located on historic land where each of the 13 approved grapes varietals of the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation are planted. The Châteauneuf Blanc vines are set on what the winery calls Molasse seabed of the Miocene period and covered by diluvial alpine deposits, including the famous galets (rounded stones) and the mix of varietals are all hand picked. For this wine Beaucastel gently presses the grapes to 70% tank and 30% to barrel for fermentation and aging, after which, the wine is bottled after 8 months, keeping a degree of freshness, as seen here. I recently also enjoyed the 100% Roussanne Old Vine version, which was absolutely incredible, so it is best not to overlook the whites here.
($125 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2022 Whitcraft, Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills AVA, Santa Barbara County.
The light ruby hue in the glass belies the depth, complexity and elegance found on the silken medium bodied palate here in Whitcraft’s beautiful appellation bottling from the Sta. Rita Hills with layers of pure and stony Pinot fruits, delicate spices, ultra pretty rose petal and lilac florals, a subtle earthy note, along with low alcohol freshness and a long finish make this wine very compelling. This vintage saw a who’s who of elite Pinot Noir sites within the Sta. Rita Hills, including Pence, Donnachadh, Fiddlestix, Sanford & Benedict, La Rinconada, and Radian vineyards, all of which combine to enhance the soulful and top quality nature of this brilliant native yeast fermented, unfined and unfiltered California Pinot Noir, which was aged about a year in used French oak. Even with some spiky heat and difficult conditions, winemaker Drake Whitcraft did his usual magic here, this 2022 comes in just about 13% and is very well balanced, adding some wild strawberry, pomegranate, chalky notes and stemmy cinnamon to the core of crushed raspberry and dark cherry fruits.

The Whitcraft Winery, as mentioned before in my prior reviews, (was) founded back in 1985 by Chris Whitcraft, who had hosted a local wine radio program in Santa Barbara County for more than a decade helping him get to know the famous local and California winemakers of the time. It is noted, by the winery, that Whitcraft learned his craft from some of the best winemakers in California, including legends like Joe Heitz (Heitz Cellars), Dick Graff (Founder of Chalone Winery and its AVA), and Burt Williams (Williams Selyem & Morning Dew Ranch) to name a few. Sadly and too young Chris passed away in 2014, but his son Drake, a talent in his own right, continues to carry on and is making seriously good and age worthy wines, with a non intervention and more natural approach, such as this one. These 22’s are showing fantastic, like this one, and the already reviewed single vineyard Radian, so I’m really excited to see how Drake’s 2023s turn out, as it was such a perfect cool vintage for Chardonnay and especially Pinot Noir! The Sta. Rita Hills, with its windy and well drained sandy soils, continues to be one of the state’s hot spots for cool climate wines and Whitcraft’s efforts are not to be missed!
($55 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2022 Domaine Cartaux-Bougaud, L’Étoile, Chardonnay, La Côte des Vents, Jura, France.
Sébastien Cartaux and his wife, Sandrine’s Domaine Cartaux-Bougaud is a recent discovery for me, and I wrote about their beautiful Pinot Noir in my previous review of their wines, and this L’Étoile, Chardonnay, La Côte des Vents is distinctive and expressive Jura white that leans more on reductive Burgundy like character, though it has a subtle regional quality that reminds of where it’s from. The color is an evolved golden/yellow in the glass and it is really mineral toned and starts with lemon, apple and pear fruits, with a touch of hazelnut, wet chalk, verbena and clove spice in a medium bodied and textural wine. Made without the non topped traditional Jura under flor methods, this La Côte des Vents, from old vines in the L’Étoile zone still feels very Jura and there is a delicate oxidative, dried fig, waxy and burnt orange element that adds a rustic complexity that is not big distraction from the quality here. The 20-hectare estate, which was organic-certified in 2022 produces a couple of Chardonnays and Savagnin from AOC L’Étoile, as well as reds made from Poulsard, Trousseau, and Pinot Noir, as mentioned, from the Côtes du Jura. While this La Côte des Vents is an enthusiast offering, I highly recommend it for Jura fans.

This intriguing Jura Chardonnay La Côte des Vents (“the slope of winds”) comes from vines planted in 1973 on steep slopes with thinner and stony topsoils with that ancient limestone underneath, and because of this serve terroir, the Cartaux-Bougaud team treats it special, giving it a noticeable different treatment than the most traditional Chardonnay bottling with a much less oxidative style and allowing more transparent detailing. The winery says that this La Côte des Vents spends its life entirely in more inert vessels (steel and concrete) for a year to build on its finely etched lines, instead of living under flor in barrels as the regular almost sherry like bottling does, making this a bit more Chablis like with purity of form, chalky and steely, while still being a bit Jura in the glass, as noted above. The Jura’s Domaine Cartaux Bougaud, run by Sébastien and his wife Sandrine Cartaux who took over from their parents, Anne-Marie Bougaud and Guy Cartaux in 1993, is a small family estate that is relatively young for the region, with their first harvest done back in 1973 on a small parcel in L’Étoile area. This remote mountains region has many exciting producers that are just beginning to be stars as a generational change takes hold here in the Jura and it is exciting times, with Cartaux-Bougaud being a label to search out.
($41 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2023 Filomena Wine Company, Cabernet Pfeffer Rosé, Sileto Vineyard, San Benito County.
The bright orange/salmon hued Filomena Cabernet Pfeffer Rosé, handcrafted by Luke Nio, who is formerly winemaker at Morgan Twain-Peterson’s Bedrock Wine Company and Green & Red Vineyard, is zesty, mineral crisp, and shows off cool toned, but expressive fruit layers including tart plum water, sour cherry, currant, orangey citrus, along with a touch of dried lavender, saline infused wet rock, Asian spice and extremely delicate seeped floral notes. Cabernet Pfeffer, also known as Mourtou, is a distinct grape varietal that is believed to be a late 19th-century crossing of Cabernet Sauvignon and an as of yet unknown vitis vinifera vine and was often confused with Gros Verdot, though it is now known to be an unrelated grape. Cabernet Pfeffer, known as either Cab Pfeffer or just Pfeffer, is almost entirely found on the central coast, especially in San Benito County, though a few vines are still in some heritage vineyards in the Sonoma and Napa valleys. Nio’s Filomena Rosé, with an extra year on it, reminds me a bit of Clos Cibonne, with a sense of depth and maturity, one of world’s most interesting Rosé offerings and I think it has another year or so to fully evolve, which is pretty impressive. I recently tried a few new releases from Filomena and they were exceptional, I highly recommend checking them out, with the Vermentino and Massa Estate Cabernet being real gems.

Filomena Wine Company, founded by winemaker Luke Nio in 2014, is celebrating a decade of releases, has a tiny production with a focus on beautifully crafted small lot wines, with some unique varietals getting a spotlight, like one of my new favorite Filomena wines made from the rare Austrian varietal Saint Laurent, which I have reviewed here at grapelive.com and this Rosé made from the rare Cabernet Pfeffer. Nio used grapes cool from a night time pick and he did a gentle foot-trod, allowing for skin contact to last overnight and getting some structural extraction, adding to the complexity, which has benefited this long cool vintage. Then the Cabernet Pfeffer was whole cluster pressed to stainless steel where is saw an indigenous yeast fermentation and a short lees aging. The results are again as impressive and they are refreshingly tasty, putting this Cabernet Pfeffer dry Rosé into the same league as some of my must have California examples, right up there with Arnot-Roberts Touriga Nacional Rosé and the Bedrock Ode to Lulu, the Mourvedre based pink that is a Bandol style Rosé and tribute to the matriarch of Domaine Tempier. As mentioned California is doing some thrilling Rosé wines and this one is a standout. Sadly, I understand that the Sileto family have called it quits on this vineyard, with some exotic and rare varietals now getting the axe, but Nio has found another few vineyards from which to get Pfeffer, so we hope there with continue to be wines like this.
($25 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2022 Lioco, Carignan, Sativa, Mendocino County.
The dark purple/garnet hued Mendocino Sativa Carignan, which Lioco gets from 70 year-old, dry farmed Carignan vines, with a tiny bit of Valdiguie, all organically farmed, is perfectly capturing the ripe and chewy nature of vintage with good fruit density, supple tannins, pretty aromatics and a nice spiciness. Pretty full bodied and thickly layered with blackberry, sweet plum, currant and Italian cherry fruits leading the way, along with sage, lavender, anise, violets and a touch of sandalwood, making for a very satisfying red wine that showcases the best features of this varietal. In recent years I’ve really enjoyed Ridge’s, Desire Lines and Sandlands Carignane or Carignan offerings, all of which prove this grape has a place and a future in California wine and Lioco is right up there. The Sativa, the winery says, is sourced from vines planted on south-facing exposures at 2200-2400 feet on a mix of hard shale and clay soil. Uniquely, this Carignan was fermented with 100% whole cluster and got some extra elevage to all come together, it is a very expressive and joyous wine that is best enjoyed with a hearty meal. Lioco is widely admired for their terroir driven California wines which are old world inspired, with this one paying tribute to our own winemaking traditions in the state.

One of my favorite wines in the Lioco lineup year after year, their Carignan, sourced from a few historic Mendocino County ranches, with some vineyards on the valley floor, though some sites were at high elevation, but all were what the winery calls “Heritage” dry-farmed and head-trained vines, set on a combination of soils ranging from red clay to hard rocky soils. All of which makes for a tasty and complex version of pure Carignan, a grape with deep California roots and unfairly always over shadowed by Zinfandel and Petite Sirah, and historical presence in Languedoc, as seen in some fabulous Corbieres wines, as well as being a minor player in Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This version is typically fermented, as the winery notes, in a mix of open-top tanks with (a) submerged cap during maceration and saw good extraction, as the mission here was to make a more serious version that the juicy and more quaffable version. After primary fermentation is complete, the top Carignan usually is matured for about 18 months in neutral oak puncheons, as to allow the wine to show off its natural character, and that was highly successful here with this edition that I highly recommend. Lioco, founded in 2005 by the husband and wife team of Matt & Sara Licklider, does some fabulous Chardonnay too, so don’t overlook anything here.
($44 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2023 Casale del Giglio, Bellone, Anthium, Lazio IGT Bianco, Italy.
I’ve been following Casale del Giglio for more than 15 vintages now, and these wines are always a treat, especially their Bellone white, made from this ancient and rare varietal that has been at home to the Lazio region for many hundreds of years and makes for a mineral driven, though richly textured white with medium/full palate and ripe orchard fruits. This 2023, tasted at this year’s Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri tasting in San Francisco, is a beauty with a lovely and inviting golden bright hue in the glass and layers of peach, lemony citrus, fig and melon fruits, as well as having a a mix of spices, white flowers, a touch of almond, exotic tropical mango notes and subtle creaminess. This wine is pure and elegant, but with a nice lively cut of acidity that lifts the flavors and provides just the right amount of tension to make this wine very attractive with a range of cuisine options. This wine, elevated from the basic version by its old vine, 60 plus years, concentration and richness and well worth the search in finding it, this Anthium and the Cesanese red are iconic Lazio offerings.

The highly regarded Casale del Giglio, as noted in prior reviews, was founded in 1967 by Dino Santarelli in virgin territory, after falling for the Agro Pontino valley in Lazio’s south called Latina near the ancient city of Satricum. He found a perfect place for viticultural exploration and Casale del Giglio has never looked back, making some of the most interesting wines from a vast selection of native and non-native varietals, like Cesanese and this Bellone as well as Viognier, Syrah and Petit Verdot. Casale del Giglio makes an eclectic array of whites and reds all of which are worth checking out, and all are fabulous values. The thick skinned and heat resistant Bellone grape, mentioned in literature by the likes of Pliny the Elder, has been in the Latium region since Roman times and enjoys this micro climate which has sandy soils, sea breezes from the Anzio coast and loads of hot Summer days that allows good ripening of these unique elongated plumb berries. After a brief skin maceration, the Bellone Anthium was gently and slow pressed and allowed to go through a natural fermentation and short lees aging in tank to promote transparency and keep its mineral nature. Again this was a fine showing of Casale del Giglio and I highly recommend these wines.
($30 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2020 Sordo, Barolo DOCG, Piemonte, Italy.
As I mentioned in my prior review, the San Francisco stop of Gambero Rosso’s Tre Bicchieri tour was where I got a chance to experience these outstanding Sordo wines and meet Sordo’s next generation, Paola Sordo, who was pouring her family’s latest Barolo efforts, including the beautiful and firmly structured 2020 Barolo “Normale” that is stuffed with top pedigreed fruit from some of the region’s best crus. I was thrilled by the vintage here, it was impressive for depth, balance and backbone, making for a very serious Nebbiolo wine with classic layers of brandied cherry, damson plum, huckleberry and orange fruits, along with earthy truffle, minty herbs, cedary wood notes, crushed flowers, chalky stones and salted black licorice. This dark brick/ruby red Barolo is taut and has a full bodied palate with fine grained, but slightly rustic tannin and a nice lift of acidity, it drinks well, but should age too, best to enjoy with a hearty meal. Interestingly, I found the Cru Perno bottling more silky and delicate at this stage, with this basic, well priced, bottling having more grip and more presence, though I loved the Perno for its haunting length and elegance. The individual plots, mostly around La Morra, all have distinctive terroir elements, adding to the complexity to this effort, with a mix of elevation and soils, including classic calcareous Marls, mineral rich clay and sandy patches.

The Sordo estate was originally established in 1912 when Giuseppe Sordo began to cultivate vineyards and make wine in the small village of Garbelletto in the Castigione Falletto zone of Barolo. Now Sordo is run by Giorgio Sordo, who took over from his late father Giovanni in 2001, and the wines were overseen by oenologist Armando Cordero, who has also passed, who helped raise the quality here and was a traditionalist in the making of winery’s classic Barolo wines. Sordo does eight bottlings of Barolo and estate has a total of 53 hectares under vines, spread over the townships of Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d’Alba, Monforte d’Alba, Barolo, Novello, La Morra, Verduno, Grinzane Cavour, Vezza d’Alba and Volpeglino, all top sites for Nebbiolo. The lineup includes a Barolo normale that is blend of multiple crus and villages, plus efforts from the single cru vineyards of Rocche di Castiglione, Parussi, Villero, Monprivato, Gabutti, Monvigiero, Ravera and this Perno. The winemaking here is traditional with 100% Nebbiolo (Barolo) grapes that were all de-stemmed with a stainless steel temperature controled fermentation, with the submerged cap maceration lasting 4 to 7 weeks, and the juice was allowed to go through natural malo-lactic in tank. After that the Barolo was aged for 24 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, then put back in stainless vats for another 6 months and bottle for 6 months before release.
($40 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2022 Pieropan, Soave Classico DOC “Calvarino” Veneto, Italy.
I got a chance to re-visit the glorious Pieropan Soave offerings, which again prove that region and the Garganega grape found in this Calvarino cru example are capable of great things, with this 2022 showing outstanding form. Tasted at the San Francisco Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri tasting, this Pieropan Calvarino is again a charmer with bright and energetic character with a delicate white blossom nose and stony detail showing off lemon/lime, peach and a hint of green apple fruit. It has a complex background that gives snappy herbs, almond oil, leesy notes and lingering mineral and orange blossom. This dry and precise Calvarino, a bit more subtle than the 2019 I last tasted, but still has a nice mouth watering saline, refreshing acidity and a steely presence, to go with a medium bodied and elegant palate. The winery notes that, Calvarino, that was first bottled as a single vineyard wine in 1971, is situated in the heart of the Soave Classico zone and is a cornerstone of the Pieropan’s family vineyards, who bought this cru site back in 1901. The name, they say, was derived from ‘Little Calvary’ referring to the difficulties in working the land here and the tortuously winding path that takes you from top to bottom. The winery notes that, Calvarino, with its unique volcanic influence, was first bottled as a single vineyard wine in 1971 and is situated in the heart of the Soave Classico zone and is a cornerstone of the Pieropan’s family vineyards, who bought this cru site back in 1901. The name, they say, was derived from ‘Little Calvary’ referring to the difficulties in working the land here and the tortuously winding path that takes you from top to bottom, but it is a labor of love at Pieropan.

The Pieropan Calvarino Soave Classic is a distinct and beautiful with crisp detail and surprising depth, it highlights Pieropan’s commitment to quality and this wine’s unique terroir character, but it also, as I have been mentioning for a few years now, puts a spotlight on incredible rise in greatness of Italian white wines in general and in Soave in particular. The Catina Pieropan, originally founded in 1880, continues to lead the way in this region and this Calvarino is one of stars, and I highly recommend this bottle and exploring Soave wines. The Pieropan winery, like Inama and Prà, makes a stellar Soave and were one of the first to do single vineyard wines, like this Calvarino, up at close to 300 meters, which comes from 30 to 60 year old organic vines set on a hillside in the Classico zone on complex volcanic soils with tufaceous elements and basalt, which gives this wine its soul and terroir flavor profile. The Calvarino is made from 70% Garganega and 30% Trebbiano di Soave, which is another name for Ugni Blanc, and crafted using hand-picked fruit, usually in two harvests to select only the best and the ripest grapes. The winemaking focuses on purity with the grapes getting a gentle de-stemming and crushed with the free run juice being fermented separately at cool temps in glass-lined cement tanks, where the wine is also aged for a year with lees contact before bottling. As always, Pieropan has done a masterful job with the latest lineup and this wine is a superb meal wine with enough depth and substance to go with many cuisine choices, though it is exceptionally good with Linguini and Clam pasta, as well as a nice pairing with roast poultry. I sampled the Pieropan Classico, the cru La Rocca, which is equally outstanding and a distinctive alternative version, and this Calvarino, which maybe was my favorite on the day.
($30 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2019 Pietradolce, Vigna Barbagalli, Etna Rosso DOC, Sicily, Italy.
The gorgeous Pietradolce Barbagalli Etna Rosso shows off terroir and high elevation depth, aromatics and structure in one of the world’s most unique wines with a rich layering of dark cherry, brambly raspberry, balsamic strawberry and blood orange fruits, smoky iron like mineral spices, dried flowers, a touch of vanilla, anise and roasted herbs. This 100% Nerello Mascalese old vine and high elevation sourced wine shows off the concentration, elegance and complexity you’d expect from a Grand Cru Burgundy and feels wonderfully silken on the medium/full palate and the finish is distinctively long and lingering, making for an exceptional example of grape and place. The Northern Etna micro-climate of this Contrada, the winery says, is characterized by strong temperature variations, and the sandy soil, rich in volcanic rock, contributes to its uniqueness. I’ve loved the more basic Pietradoilce, which means “Sweet Rock”, offerings, but this Vigna Barbagalli is rare stuff indeed and a thrilling experience in the glass, which I was lucky enough to taste at this year’s Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri event in San Francisco. Etna has become one of the old world’s most prized regions, for both white and red wines, with vines on the high slopes of Europe’s most active volcano!

Pietradolce, as mentioned in my prior reviews, is owned by Michele & Mario Faro and was founded in 2005 on the Northern slopes of Mount Etna and based in Solicchiata, Castiglione di Sicilia, in the province of Catania, all their wines are 100% estate grown and bottled with only the native grapes to Etna, which are bush vine, or head trained to reduce the need of irrigation in the volcanic sandy loams that also have abundance mineral elements. While the basic Pietradolce Rosso, also a single vineyard wine, is the winery’s entry level offering mostly from their younger vines, with a range 40 to 50 year vines, it’s 100% Nerello Mascalese that is grown at close to 2,000 feet above sea level, the Barbagalli is from older vines and much deeper in concentration. These 100 to 120 year vines are what forms the Barbagalli Etna Rosso, Pietradolce’s purest expression of Etna, comes from a very small pre-phylloxera plot in Contrada Rampante up at 900 meters above sea level. Mount Etna has a special micro-climate that is cooler than other areas in Sicily with big swings in day to night temps in the shadow of the volcano, which helps retain the vibrant acidity. This Etna Rosso, all hand harvested and macerated on the skins for about 20 days and fermented in raw cement “tulip” vats before being raised for 20 months in lightly toasted French oak Burgundy style barrels, which seems perfectly judged and allows for transparency and textural excellence.
($169 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

2021 Cume do Avia, Arraiano Branco, Galicia, Spain.
The Cume do Avia wines come from East of Spain’s Rías Baixas, where lies the Ribeiro D.O., which is one of Spain’s most historic wine regions where they makes thrilling, natural and fresh modern low alcohol offerings, such as this delicious Arraiano Branco blend. The winery notes that both red and white wines have been made here in the Ribeiro region for nearly a thousand years, and while incredibly popular with Sommeliers and insiders, they remain under the radar to the mainstream. This bright, delicately aromatic and vibrant wine, which is light bodied and racy with a fine saline and mineral quality is a mix of 53% Treixadura, 17% Albariño, 14%, Loureira 13%, Lado and 3% Caíño Branco, all native varietals here. The palate shows off tangerine, green apple, crisp peach and green melon fruit, along with lime blossom, minty herbs, bitter almond and wet stone, making it great with sardines, clams, oysters, mussels and or Summer cuisine. This cool region really retains good acidity and the mix of clay, igneous rocks and metamorphic soils add to the mineral tones and complexity here, giving a depth of flavor, but low alcohol, with this one coming in just under 11%. This Arraiano Branco, which is a little deeper than a Vinho Verde wine from across the border in Portugal, but similar in style, was native yeast fermented and aged in stainless steel, for about 6 months, which promotes that freshness and transparency. Treixadura is very underrated grape, capable of producing steely wines on par with Premier Cru Chablis, and you can see that core here in this one, with the other grapes providing a nice background voice and complexity.

Cume do Avia, as I’ve stated in prior reviews, is one of Spain’s most interesting newer producers and led by Diego Collarte and his brother Álvaro, who both grew up in Vigo, makes some beautifully crafted terroir driven Galician wines from very close to the Portuguese border, made all from native varietals grown with organic methods. I have been following the wines of this region for more than 15 years and I’m still discovering so many intriguing new treasures that has been producing wines since pre-Roman times, and Cume do Avia is a great find, mostly known for their collection of reds, which include a mix of rare grapes such as Caiño Longo, Souson and Brancellao. Though, that said, I’m really impressed with the whites too, like this one. These Atlantic influenced wines, as this one shows, are great alternative whites for the warm days of summer ahead and is sublime with shellfish and briny sea foods, as well as soft cheeses, its salty brightness makes it compelling for those that like bone dry lighter framed wines. The vineyards, which were planted in 2008, are set on wide terraces with good exposures and inter-planted with more than a dozen indigenous grapes. Cume do Avia’s lineup is filled with low alcohol and rawly transparent offerings that have a natural feel to them, those that like other new stars from Galicia, like Laura Lorenzo, Luis Rodriguez, Guimaro and Nanclares will instantly feel comfortable with these lovely wines. I recommend Cume do Avia’s Dos Canotos Tinto, their Colleita 9 Tinto (red) and their white wines, and the Colleita 9 Branco (white) especially, along with this unique one too.
($25 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive

2021 Domaine Clos de la Bonnette, Vieilles Vignes Syrah, IGP Collines Rhodaniennes, France.
One of the surprise wines of the night, during a recent blind Rhône varietal tasting, this gorgeously pure Domaine Clos de la Bonnette old vine Syrah way over performed its price point and you can tell it has a more serious pedigree that the label would suggest. This dark opaque purple/garnet hued wine comes from all organic vines above of the Tupin-Semons area in Ampuis, which is just bordering Côte-Rôtie AOC and has a very terroir influenced medium bodied palate of boysenberry, damson plum, blueberry and cherry fruits, along with a pretty sense of violets on the nose, as well as savory tones, delicate earthiness, grilled herbs, graphite, anise, black olives and peppercorns. The tannic structure is firm, but supple in the mouth and nice acidity heightens the experience here and the finish is lingering with hints of mocha, cedar and creme de cassis coming through, it will impress any Syrah fan and is best enjoyed with a hearty meaty meal. I absolutely loved this wine and I am looking forward to trying more from this winery in the future, I also highly recommend chasing down this under the radar IGP Collines Rhodaniennes Syrah that is sourced from vines planted between 1950 and 1972.

I don’t remember having Domaine Clos de la Bonnette before, but this wine really has peaked my interest in this winery which was established in 1992 by wife and husband team, Isabelle Guiller and Henri Montabonnet and is best known for their Condrieu and Côte-Rôtie bottlings, as well as restoring some ancient terraces and long lost vineyards, obviously to good effect, as seen in their wines. The Guiller-Montabonnet family, who had grown organic fruits and vegetables since 1970 have deep roots in the Rhône and have done lots to revive old traditions and promote historic ways of life and culture here. The complex terroir here includes the harsh Mistral wines and cool nights, even with the warm Summer days and the soils are, just outside of Côte-Rôtie, clay based schist, alluvial stones and have depleted silt, which leads to the balance and depth of fruit. For this wine, Domaine Clos de la Bonnette uses all carefully hand picked grapes, 100% Syrah, with 90% de-stemmed berries and 10% whole cluster, that sees a 20 day maceration. The primary fermentation is done with natural indigenous yeasts and saw daily pump overs and punch downs, after which the wine is racked to used French oak 228L barriques where is was matured for 12 months. Clos de La Bonnette is very much an estate to follow, I’m thrilled this wine was included in the tasting, and tasted blend, as it proved without prejudice that it was a fabulous example of varietal and place, along being a terrific value!
($35 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2023 Lyndon Fog, Pinot Noir “Chillable Red” Monterey County.
The all new Lyndon Fog Cellars has a fun and easy to drink set of releases to enjoy, each being clean and straight forward, including this joyous Chillable Red, a lighter framed and limpid Pinot Noir based wine that is a bit more structured and filling than a Rosé and as the name suggests is best served on the cooler side. The palate is medium bodied with Pinot fruit leading the way with bright cherry, red peach, blood orange and brambly raspberry, along with subtle florals, a hint of watermelon, mineral tones, a touch of heirloom tomato, herb tea and rosewater. This wine, when chilled is nicely crisp and will bring smiles to picnics, beach parties and warm outdoor meals. The other wine in the Lyndon Fog set I liked, was their dark hued, cool climate and spicy Syrah, which comes from the stony Zabala Vineyard in Arroyo Seco.

Lyndon Fog is a new label coming out of Monterey, founded with these debut 2023 releases, by winemakers Glen Caughell, of Constellation Brands and Laurel Livingston, formerly of Wild Horse and Tablas Creek, who is now on the winemaking team at the I. Brand and Family Winery. Glen and Laurel say that their 2023 Chillable Red Wine was made from Pinot Noir grapes sourced here in Monterey County and that the grapes were only on skins for 3 days, giving the wine its vibrant ruby color. The juice, they add, was fermented in stainless steal, producing a wine that sits in between a rosé and a light, dry, but fruit pleasing red wine that is highly quaffable, without pretense or too cool for school. This was my first tasting with Lyndon Fog and there’s a lot to like about these value priced small production project, with their Grenache, and especially their Syrah, as noted, being more serious efforts, and I look forward to following them in the future.
($17 Est.) 86 Points, grapelive

2021 Whitcraft Winery, Grenache, Stolpman Vineyard, Ballard Canyon AVA, Santa Ynez Valley.
The limpid light ruby hued Stolpman Grenache by Drake Whitcraft is again a beautifully desirable example of elegant, lighter framed and sexy Grenache in California with a palate that echos past version that shows off Italian cherry, plum, red currant, pomegranate and wild raspberry fruits that are silky and feel very Pinot like. Whitcraft, while maybe best known for stylish and individual Pinot Noirs and classy Chardonnays, also does Grenache, as seen here, as well as some other rare varietals, including Trousseau and Gamay Noir, which he does in a lighter and transparent fashion, like this Grenache and as this vintage shows. In the background, as it opens up this Grenache firms up with some velvety tannin, but allows a loads full of florals and spices to emerge with geranium, cinnamon, pepper, anise and a subtle sultry earthiness to balance the fruit, making for a lovely wine that embraces its style and sense of place. Drake Whitcraft, as I’ve mentioned before, who is one of California’s bright stars, has honed his methods and this wine is now crafted with the whole bunches that are typically gently foot-trodden and then see a semi-carbonic maceration that is kicked off by a pied de cuvée (vineyard yeasts) and mainly all free run juice to avoid bitter phenolics and tannins. This is very quaffable stuff and highlights the quality fruit coming off the Stolpman vines, which have a top notch pedigree. The Stolpman vineyard in the Ballard Canyon AVA, set on sandy limestone hillsides, is farmed with organic techniques and regenerative viticulture, which Drake says, involves building the soil by adding organic matter to promote a healthy ecosystem. I was grateful to taste this Grenache recently along with Whitcraft’s excellent 2022 Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir, which has some incredible fruit sources listed here and should be on Pinot lovers watch lists, and the brilliant and very serious Zotovich Chardonnay, it is an enthusiast effort with classic white Burgundy reduction and mineral charms.

Whitcraft Winery, as noted here in past reviews, has been handcrafting and, as the winery notes, unadulterated wines in Santa Barbara, California since 1985, originally with Chris Whitcraft as the winemaker and now with his son Drake making the wines, after his dad passed unexpectedly in June of 2014, just before the harvest of this wine. Chris himself was influenced by some legends, with the winery explaining that he learned his craft from some of the best winemakers in California, including Joe Heitz (Heitz Cellars), Dick Graff (Founded Chalone Winery and its AVA), and Burt Williams (Williams Selyem & Morning Dew Ranch) to name a few. Since Drake took over he has made a name for himself, being part of awesome generation of winemakers in the state that are doing honest and authentic wines, in much the same mold of Jason Drew, who also cut his teeth in the Santa Barbara area before moving his Drew Family Cellars to the Anderson Valley. Drake who got a great education from his father, as well as some of the big stars of the Santa Barbara, Santa Maria, Santa Ynez and Sta. Rita Hills regions, like the late Jim Clendenen of ABC, but has adopted his own winemaking style and stamped his name as one of the biggest talents in the area. His winemaking regime, as mentioned, sees a lot of whole cluster fermentations with stem inclusion, sustainable and organic grapes and mostly neutral wood aging, which is old world influenced, looking to retain energy and allow for purity in the wines. Whitcraft says that his signature varietals are Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Syrah, but I gotta say his Gamay and Grenache are always charming, low alcohol, treats (under 13%) when I can my hands on these very limited bottlings! The Grenache, which was hand bottled, was matured in well seasoned barrels for around 11 months, with just a tiny amount of SO2 and was unfined and unfiltered, its clarification was through gentle racking. Again, I highly recommend these Whitcraft wines, they really deliver in the bottle and age well, especially their single vineyard Chardonnay and Pinot Noir offerings.
($48 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2012 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Anie, Hermitage “La Chapelle” Northern Rhône, France.
The gorgeous 2012 La Chapelle Hermitage, drinking incredibly well and with extreme purity, is obviously highly pedigreed stuff in the glass, this wine was tasted blind, but you could absolute not mistake where it was from and the noble class it delivered. As always, the La Chapelle, 100% Syrah, classically portioned with a full body, heightened aromatic perfume and an inviting deep inky color that leads to a remarkably pure cascade of flavors in the mouth, giving layers of boysenberry, damson plum, kirsch, blueberry compote and creme de cassis as well as gorgeous crushed violets, a touch of graphite, lightly toasty cedary wood, delicate anise, earthy camphor, peppercorns, fig paste, roasted herbs, bacon and black olives. The structural elements are mature and elegant, highlighting the reserved nature of the vintage, it almost caresses the palate with the grace of a Grand Cru Burgundy, though with all the complexity and impact you’d expect from such an iconic wine. In modern versions of La Chapelle, the grapes (mostly from the Meal cru in 2012) are all de-stemmed, fermented with native yeasts and macerated with punchdowns and pumpovers with the wine allowed to stay on the skins for close to two weeks post dryness. The wine now is aged 12 months, mostly in used French barrels with just about 15% to 20% new and with a portion that is aged solely in concrete eggs, which is to allow for exceptional transparency and structural detail here. The latest releases are now known as Domaine de La Chapelle Hermitage, paying tribute to its history, which dates back to the 13th century, and its future with the Frey family certifying all of these vines organic in 2016 and elevating this wine to new heights. The winery notes that in 1224, a knight named Henri-Gaspard de Sterimberg returned from the Crusades and sought solace on the hill now known as Hermitage, where he built the Saint Christophe chapel and began cultivating vines. He was deemed a hermit and was the inspiration behind the name of the Hermitage appellation. The 65-acre La Chapelle vineyard, named for the Saint Christophe chapel, captures some of the best terroir of the world and has been the inspiration of Syrah producers around the world. A big thank you to Monterey winemaker, Russell Joyce, who brought this beauty to a recent blind tasting of Rhône inspired wines, making for a glorious “AH HA” experience!

The Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aine, as mentioned in my prior reviews, now owned by the Frey family, led by the talented Caroline Frey, has been an iconic estate in the Northern Rhone and one of the big three in the region along with Guigal and Chapoutier, most known for their fabled La Chapelle vineyard in Hermitage, Syrah’s most holy site! There’s been wines made here since pre-Roman times, but it was Antoine Jaboulet’s plantings in 1834 and focus on quality which really started to establish the area as one of the major wine producing appellations of the world, after he past the land was passed on to his two sons Henri and Paul, who’s name became company label. The Frey family, who bought the fade glory Jaboulet in 2006, have become big time players in premium French wine production having serious quality properties in Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux, which includes Chateau La Lagune in Haut-Medoc and Château de Corton André in the Cote de Beaune. Caroline Frey, who studied in Bordeaux is one of France’s stars and has her hand in many projects, with even a biodynamic high elevation vineyard in Switzerland, of which I am excited to try the wines from. The Jaboulet lineup is full of quality efforts, but without question Frey’s La Chapelle, which is now its own separate label (winery) and singular wine, is the top priority and it continues to be one of the most coveted wines in the world. As the winery states, the Hermitage appellation, in the Northern Rhône, is a single 650 ft hill above the Rhône River. It is part of the ancient Massif Central and Hermitage hill has a diversity of soil types from four geological eras that have merged here with granite from the primary era, fragments of limestone from the secondary era, hills from the tertiary era, and glaciations from the ice ages. These 45 to 100 year old vines are grown on steep slopes and see the cooling influences of the La Mistral wind, which help give this area its long hang time, depth of flavors and richness, with ripe fruit and seductive savory notes This all has allowed this place to become the varied and complex terroir that has made Hermitage so legendary, as seen in the wines like this one, which, no matter how hard we try, cannot be replicated. I have said many times, I love the Syrahs of Caroline Frey, especially the Crozes-Hermintage Rouge “Domaine de Thalabert”, which is much more in my budget, but this one does standout and its a wine that should be on any Syrah enthusiast’s bucket list.
($149-300 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

2021 Filomena, St. Laurent, Ricci Vineyard, Carneros AVA, Sonoma County.
It was great to catch up with Luke Nio’s Filomena lineup, all of which again was impressive, especially my favorite St. Laurent red that always just hits right with its dark violet/purple color, light florals, snappy spices and plummy fresh dark fruits on the medium bodied palate. As I’ve said before, this has to be one of the best new wines to emerge in the last few years, made from this rare Austrian grape by Luke Nio, who was winemaker at Morgan Twain-Peterson MW’s Bedrock Wine Company and Green & Red Winery, the Filomena St. Laurent is a ridiculously good red wine with Cru Beaujolais like personality, pretty aromatics and some whole bunches vibrancy and lift, this is such tasty medium bodied stuff I can’t imagine not have a few bottles around now! This 2021 leads with black cherry, wild plum, blackberry and a little blood orange fruits, along with shaved cinnamon stick, lilacs, a touch of leafy herbs and wonderfully supple tannins and underlying acidity, making it an easy quaffer and also seriously good with simple cuisine, like burgers and or pasta dishes. Nio, as noted here in my prior reviews, has been into wine throughout his life, being brought up near some 100 year old Alicante Bouschet vines in Sonoma and going to UC Davis, he’s been a wine traveller doing harvests in New Zealand, at Hawkes Bay, where he gained a love and insight into cool climate Syrah as well as doing stints throughout Sonoma, including being mentored by Richard Kasmier of Kaz Winery, who was doing natural wines before it was cool to do so, all of which has paid off now he has his own micro label and hand crafting his delicious Filomena offerings, which he founded in 2014.

The St. Laurent grape, as noted before, is extremely rare here in California with only a few acres planted, but has deep roots in Austria, though it is also found in Germany and in the Czech Republic, it is a highly aromatic dark-skinned variety that has a slightly earthy almost Cabernet Franc like profile at home, Its origins are still uncertain though it is widely believed to be a crossing of Pinot Noir and so far an unknown second parent (grape). In Austria, St. Laurent is the third most popular red grape variety after Blaufrankisch and Zweigelt and is primarily grown in Lower Austria and Burgenland, while in Germany, where it is known as Sankt Laurent, it is extremely rare as a single varietal wine and is commonly used as a blender and or in Rosé. Also, St. Laurent was crossed with Blaufrankisch to create Zweigelt, which has gone on to become much more popular than its parent, though St. Laurent has been making a comeback with a few serious versions turning some heads, like Brundlmayer’s excellent example. Luke has really made St. Laurent his own, it was fermented with about a third whole cluster, using native yeasts with a semi carbonic primary in tank before a gentle foot trod and a a pressing at dryness, after which the wine was racked to a combination of stainless barrels and large French 400L puncheons. The St. Laurent was raised for nine months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered without any additions or as Nio says, no shenanigans, with ultra low sulfites to preserve all of the wine’s natural flavors and freshness. Nic does some other interesting stuff too, including a Rosé of Cabernet Pfeffer, plus a chillable red version, a fine dry Vermentino from Dry Creek Valley, plus a new and deeply flavored Cabernet Sauvignon with Bordeaux like character coming off the historic old Durney Vineyard, AKA the Massa Estate, in Carmel Valley, a wine that has good vibes for a Carmel Valley native like me!
($25 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2023 Kintari, Vermentino di Gallura Superiore DOCG, Saraja, Sardinia, Italy.
The bright, light gold hued and mineral toned Kintari Saraja builds nicely on the medium bodied palate and has a good textural mouth feel with green apple, peach and zesty citrus fruits and is a solid example of Sardinia’s only DOCG wine. There’s everything you’d expect from a Vermentino di Gallura with steely notes, wet stone and subtle tropical essences with a dry and crisp vitality that makes it great with classic Sardinian sea foods.

As noted, Vermentino di Gallura is Sardinia’s only DOCG appellation, and it covers only 100% Vermentino-based wines from an area at the northern end of the island with the DOCG including a range of dry and sweet versions, along with sparkling wine. These Vermentino di Gallura wines, from vines set on mainly granite and sandy soils, done dry like this one, are typically fermented and lees aged in stainless steel, using riper grapes to promote body and richness. They also have a good acidic backbone and a fine tension with saline, light herbal notes, as well as delicate florals, which allows for a surprisingly good aging potential, as this one shows.
($22 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive

2022 Mauro Marengo, Dolcetto d’Alba DOC, Piemonte, Italy.
The wines of Mauro Marengo are exciting offerings and it looks like Daniele Marengo is a rising super star in Piemonte, and Barolo in particular, with an excellent set of new releases now hitting the shelves, including his valued priced Langhe Nebbiolo and this beautifully crafted garnet hued Dolcetto d’Alba, which is drinking seriously delicious. Dark berry, mixed spice and floral notes lead the way on the nose and leading on the medium bodied and nicely firm palate with brambly crushed blackberry, plum, currant and cherry fruits, along with supple tannin, mountain herbs, violets, dusty peppery spice and grilled fennel notes. Daniele Marengo’s Dolcetto sees a fermentation that lasts between 8-10 days with a couple of daily pump-overs depending on the vintage. After pressing, it checks into 25hl steel tanks for hibernation until the following spring. Depending on each vat’s level of reductive elements, they may be racked three to four times during élevage and then again once or twice prior to bottling, all of which creates a wine of aromatic intensity and purity of form that is ready to drink right away, as this one shows. I really enjoyed this Dolcetto and suggest searching it out and enjoy it with a traditional Italian meal.

The US importer The Source Imports says the Marengo family’s technical direction, as mentioned in my first review of Marengo’s Nebbiolo, was given to Daniele, the latest generation here, at age twenty-two, his personal taste and style of wines led him to pursue freshness over power and ripeness, and to highlight their Novello-based high-altitude vineyards, which you can see here. He also turned their attention to soil health and the incorporation organic farming in their vineyards. The cellar work, as the importer adds is gentler now, and new techniques have been employed, but the traditional style didn’t disappear in the profile, it was just complimented. In recent years, to down play ripeness, Marengo harvests a little earlier, have even considered doing whole cluster and submerged cap fermentation(s) when those traditional methods need a boost. Daniele gently extracts tannin and tries to retain acidity, and ages his varietal wines in a combination of concrete vats and medium-sized oak botti, or in this case stainless steel. These younger, no pretense offerings from Marengo are studied examples that thrive on their purity of form with clean lines and structures. This approach, which is a success to me, promotes transparency and authenticy of terroir and varietal character, in this case that’s all good!
($22 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2021 Chandra Kurt Collection “Glou Glou” Chasselas, Valais, Switzerland.
This bright and fresh Glou Glou (highly quaffable) Chasselas from vineyards near Geneva, Switzerland, is all from sustainable grown grapes that are hand harvested, that see a slow, cold fermentation in stainless steel tanks, with a short aging period lasting two months in tank under cold temperatures and bottled quickly with a small amount of trapped CO2 from the primary fermentation, giving a heightened almost Txakolina like feel. At its age now the spritz is very subtle and there’s a sense of roundness, which is not a bad thing and the palate retains plenty of acidity and mineral driven flavors with tangerine, peach and green apple fruits along with wet stone, verbena, almond and a light herbal note. Drink now and be sure to keep an eye out for a new vintage of this fun lighter framed white. Chasselas, which is also found in Alpine French regions, can over chop, making very generic wine, but done with some yields and handled well can be very lovely wines, and Valais is very capable of producing outstanding examples, with the best versions, like those of Cave Caloz and Caroline Frey, being highly prized and sought after.

It is said that Chandra Kurt is the queen of Chasselas, having written the book on this fascinating and quintessential Swiss variety “Chasselas – from Féchy to Dézaley” A journey to discover the treasures of the Vaud vineyards, and she has created with various winemakers a great way to start exploring this grape. One of the most refreshing styles of Chasselas, according to her importer Eric Solomon of European Cellars, are the first wines of spring bottled with just a touch of trapped CO2 and made in a manner that capture this variety’s racy minerality, citrus, and floral notes which Chandra has captured perfectly with her Glou Glou Chasselas. The Valais region produces some fabulously serious wines, both white and red, and this area deserves much more attention, it sits up between 300 to 800 meters above see level and sees lots of Alpine sunshine on an interesting set of soils, including Alluvial clay and gravel, as seen here, allowing for perfect ripening of the grapes. This Chandra Kurt offering is a basic and fun version to start a journey into Swiss wines, which I recommend, but for more serious stuff, also look for Sandrine Caloz’s organic wines at Cave Caloz, especially her version of Chasselas (also known as Fendant) and her unique Cornalin, a native red grape.
($28 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive

2022 Pont de Gassac, Pays d’Herault IGP Rouge, Languedoc-Roussillon, France.
This Pont de Gassac Rouge, a unique blend of 30% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 10% Grenache, made by the famous vignoble du Mas de Daumas Gassac as part of their Moulin de Gassac label is a juicy, distinctive and enjoyable wine with deep fruit, spice and subtle earthy rustic charms. The wine-making amphitheater here in the Herault has ancient terraces, a mix of grapes and steep hills close the Mediterranean Sea, in the South of France in the Languedoc that provides for excellent ripening and had long been overlooked for quality wines, until the Guibert family started the famous Mas de Daumas. I had not had this Pont de Gassac Rouge before, so I was excited to try it, and it didn’t disappoint with a medium/full palate of boysenberry, currant, blueberry, plum and candied cherry fruits, along with hints of peppercorns, sweet fig, minty sage, anise, a touch of earth, dried lavender, crushed violets and savory tobacco notes. The slightly tannic and earthy background helps cut into the supple fruitiness, ripe grapey youthfulness in the mouth and this wine is best with simple meaty dishes and or hard cheeses. The Mas de Daumas estate, as noted here before, founded in 1971, by the legendary Aimé Guibert, first produced their Cabernet Sauvignon based red in 1978 with the help of Professor Emile Peynaud, a renowned œnologue, who had famously been an advisor to the Chateaux Margaux, Haut Brion, and Mission Haut Brion, who was a believer in the site and who helped Guibert make the wines, even by phone when needed. Peynaud was a leading light in French wine and at the time of the first Daumas Gassac vintage in 1978 he noted “I’ve advised the greatest producers in France, but never before been lucky enough to be present at the birth of a Grand Cru”, as Mas de Daumas Gassac calls itself.

The Herault area of the Languedoc is blessed with sea breezes from the near by Mediterranean Sea and complex terroir influences with a combination of schist in hilly slopes, classic limestone soils in the main wine-growing plateaus and plains, and some pebbly alluvial terraces, all of which allows for a vast array of grape varietals to flourish here. The are 32 different grapes allowed in the IGP Pays d’Herault zone and while known for their focus on the noble Bordeaux red grapes, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, the Guibert family, who’s Grand Vin Mas de Daumas is an iconic wine, has also embraced some other varietals and makes a tasty set of table wines under their second label, Moulin de Gassac, all value priced offerings. These include highly quaffable Rosé, White and Red versions, but on the more serious side they added this Pont de Gassac, which fits nicely between the basic bootlegs and the Grand Vin. This Pont de Gassac was 100% stainless steel fermented and aged, seeing a traditional maceration and matured for about 9 months before bottling. The main red varietals found here include Cabernet Sauvignon, Carignan, Cinsault, Grenache, Merlot, Mourvèdre, Pinot Nor and Syrah, which this wine being a well put together mix of the Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Grenache. The Guibert family’s Mas de Daumas Gassac Grand Vin Rouge is a unique Bordeaux driven blend made from about 80% Cabernet Sauvignon along with about 20% of other grapes which could include Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Syrah, Tannat, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Pinot Noir, with later vintages having some Dolcetto and even some Nebbiolo. The main Mas de Daumas Gassac estate is set on iron rich red soils in a glacial formed valley in the Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert – Cité d’Aniane area of the L’Herault region of the Languedoc, and the wines, including the white, a blend of Chenin, Gros Manseng, Viognier and Chardonnay, should be on your wish list.
($20 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive

2022 Andreola, Dirupo, Brut, Valdobbiadene Prosecco DOCG, Sparkling Wine, Italy.
I can’t believe I’ve not mentioned Andreola Prosecco in my reviews, as it is the one I drink the most and especially their crystalline, ultra pale and crisp Dirupo Brut, my favorite of the offerings. I got a chance to revisit the Andreola collection at this year’s Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri tasting in San Francisco, all of which are award winning wines and again I found the Dirupo Brut to impress with its fine creamy, but vibrant mousse, purity of flavors, lemony citrus, peach, green apple and melon fruits, subtle luxurious yeasty notes, white blossoms, delicate savory elements, vivid acidity and fresh mineral tones. This is a wonderful expression of terroir and tradition in the bottle and its dry precision is perfect for any occasion, sublime with starter courses and easy to love as a sipper too. I highly recommend these Andreola Valdobbiadene Prosecco offerings, they are heightened efforts the rise above the sea of generic versions.

The Andreola says that their Dirupo Brut is a Valdobbiadene DOCG Prosecco that best expresses the hilly terroir from which it originates, made from indigenous varietals, with the blend including 90% Glera, also known as Prosecco, 5% Bianchetta and 5% Perera grown in the steep slopes up between 200 and 500 meters. This dry example is soft pressed and sees a cool temperature controlled fermentation, to preserve fresh details and the pretty aromatics. The Dirupo is aged on the yeast 6 months in stainless steel tanks and gets its soft persistent mousse through the traditional Charmat method in large vat over 30 to 40 days, adding the bubbly energy to the wine, unlike the ancient forms of bottle fermentation, as seen in Champagne or Cava. Winemaker and owner Stefano Pola continues to set high standards here at Andreola and he transmits the layers of minerals, calcareous marl, sandstone and conglomerate rock soils and terroir in this beautifully crafted Prossecos. These Andreoa will be great to celebrate Prosecco Week in May!
($24 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2021 A. Rafanelli, Cabernet Sauvignon, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County.
The latest Rafanelli Cabernet Sauvignon, made by Shelly Rafanelli, is a gem and a sumptuous dark fruited and deep wine with classic Rafanelli expressiveness and dimension, showing off polished tannins, a fine balance and finessed use of new oak. The full bodied palate is fresh and youthful with loads of blackberry, currant, plum and black cherry fruits, hints of anise, acacia flowers, sage and tobacco, as well as smoky French oak framing and lingering creme de cassis. This purple/garnet Cab, which has a tiny bit of Merlot added, really impresses in the glass, adding a subtle loam, graphite and spice background details, and I think it will only get better with bottle age. The A. Rafenelli winery, as I’ve said before, became a cult hit with California wine lovers in the 1990s, especially under David A. Rafanelli, Shelly’s dad, who certainly brought this little known winery to the world’s attention with a series of outstanding wines, that rivaled all the top Zin producers, most notability the likes of Ridge, Turley and Biale, putting Dry Creek in the spotlight. The younger Rafanelli, Shelly has employed fermentations in small open top tanks with full extraction and a cool maceration period, after which the wines, like this one, then see between 18 and 22 months in exclusively French wood with about a third new, and the rest in 1 and 2 times filled barrels.

The A. Rafanelli Winery and Vineyards, as I’ve noted in prior reviews, was founded by Alberto and Letizia Rafanelli, both Italian immigrants, back in the early 1900’s when they settled in the Healdsburg area with their family, as the winery notes, and started growing grapes and making wine. Things didn’t really get going until after prohibition, but after which their son Americo Rafanelli took over the family business and then moved the winery to its Dry Creek Valley location in the early 1950s, where he focused on premium grape growing. Most of the grapes and or wines were sold off until the early 1970s when he started his iconic A. Rafanelli label with mainly Zinfandel offerings, along this very limited bottling of Cabernet Sauvignon. David, who got his degree in Viticulture from UC Davis, really brought quality and direction to Rafanelli, with his mid to late 1990s bottlings being absolute stars and that has continued to current releases, with his daughter Shelly making the wines. She came to the winery after graduating from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, with their excellent enology program, and worked side-by-side with her father until becoming the head winemaker in 2000. She and her husband Craig Fehlman, who manages all of their vineyards, are carrying on the family tradition, and taking the wines to the next level, which is no mean feat. There’s a lot to admire here at Rafanelli, they are making soulful wines that are faithful to their traditions, but still will appeal to those new to their wines.
($75 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2023 Bortolomiol, Bandarossa, Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG, Millesimato Extra Dry, Sparkling Wine, Italy.
I usually like the drier style sparkling wines, with Extra Brut and Brut Nature being my absolute favorites, but that said this Bortolomiol “Bandarossa” Extra Dry Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG is wonderfully expressive, rather than sweet in the glass and is delicious with crisp detailing and a fine mousse. I tasted through the excellent lineup at Bortolomiol at the Gambero Rosso Tre Bicchieri Tasting in San Francsico earlier this year and I was impressed by the purity and distinctive quality in the collection with this one a surprise standout and it is easy to love and even better with food. The palate is lightly yeasty, clean and flows smoothly with lemon/lime, creamy peach, wet stones, a delicate hint of tropical essences and rosewater. This is delightful and would be great for picnics, as an aperitif at a celebration and good with lighter style desserts, like lemon tarts or apple pie. I certainly would have this with sushi, especially the spicier rolls and or enjoy this one with a lazy brunch.

The Bortolomiol Extra Dry Prosecco “Bandarossa” (red band) is a traditional style sparkling that the winery says was crafted with selected and ancient yeasts, already used by Giuliano Bortolomiol in the 70s, making this sparkling wine extremely unique, adding that it gives it the most elegant and refined aspects of these grapes, even with the overt fruity palate. The 100% Glera (Prosecco) grapes are slowly and gently pressed off the skins and fermented cool, at very low controlled temperatures, which brings out the aromatics, keeps everything vibrant and the flavors exceptionally pure. Bortolomiol, founded by the late Giuliano Bortolomiol, is run entirely by women, with Ottavia as the Matriarch and her daughters Maria Elena, Elvira, Luisa and Giuliana all playing key roles here. The vines, all sustainably grown are set on steep hillsides and terraces, as they’ve been fsince the 17th century and the climate with dramatic differences between day and night temps perfectly ripen the grapes and produces a fine balance. I highly recommend this crowd pleasing, softly sweeter bubbly and I suggest exploring the collection here.
($19 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive

2022 Casale del Giglio, Cesanese, Lazio IGT Rosso, Italy.
The dark garnet hued 2022 Casale del Giglio Cesanese is a beauty and full of rustic charm, it shows off a supple full bodied palate of dusty plum, cherry, brambly spiced wild berry and earthy currant fruits, along with dried flowers, a touch of truffle, leather, anise, raw cedar, thyme, and minty herbs. I have long been a fan of this winery and this grape with this edition being one of the most complex and rewarding to date. The rare Cesanese Comune grape, which is more commonly known as just Cesanese, has been around since Roman times, it is a red Italian wine grape variety that is grown and is mostly likely native to the Lazio region, just outside Rome. Cesanese has three Denominazione di origine controllata (DOC) regions dedicated to it, these are Cesanese di Affile DOC, which habits own distinctive clone similar to wha you see in Brunello with Sangiovese, Cesanese di Olevano DOC and Cesanese di Piglio DOC, by Casale’s version is labeled just as an IGT Rosso. The organic vines, up to 30 years old here, are well above 300 meters up and set on a complex mix of volcanic soils and limestone, which adds to the mineral note, lift and spicy notes here.

As I said in my first reviews of this estate more than 15 years ago, the winery Casale del Giglio was founded in 1967 by Dino Santarelli in virgin territory, after falling for the Agro Pontino valley in Lazio’s south called Latina near the ancient city of Satricum. He found a perfect place for viticultural exploration and Casale del Giglio has never looked back, making some of the most interesting wines from a vast selection of native and non-native varietals, like Cesanese and Bellone as well as Viognier, Syrah and Petit Verdot. Casale del Giglio makes an eclectic array of whites and reds all of which are worth checking out, and all are fabulous values. The Cesanese, which has been around since 385 B.C. at least, grown on quite hilly slopes, is late ripening and soaks up the Roman sunshine and keeps healthy acidity, it has small clusters, but medium sized berries that are slightly elongated or oval shaped. For vinification, Casale del Giglio does a native yeast fermentation with a submerged cap, giving the Cesanese up to 30 days of maceration on the skin in total and uniquely matured in a combination of cherry wood tonneaux and oak barrels. This is a fine effort, focused on authentic character and again, is a killer bottle for the price
($24 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2021 Kühling-Gillot, Nierstein Riesling, Rheinhessen, Germany.
The beautiful, almost classically style dry Nierstein Riesling by Kühling-Gillot is all from organic VDP Erste Lage (Premier Cru) vines and was fermented with native yeasts and aged in old Stück and Doppelstück barrels on the fine lees for about 7 months. The chiseled mineral driven Trocken Nierstein Riesling is bright gold in the glass and shows off the slate and clay soils of the vineyard to near perfection with flinty spicy notes and zesty firm citrus and orchard fruits on the racy, but vinous palate including green apple, bitter peach, lemon and quince. This is quite serious stuff, not austere, but clearly a thinking person’s wine and its steely details, lip smacking acidity and varietal purity is what Riesling enthusiasts crave. The riper years are more generous and open, so this one will appeal to those that admire delicacy and finesse over fruit density. I recently tasted through a selection of the Kühling-Gillot offerings, all of which were lovely, in a small trade tasting, and this one, was a wine I came back to a few times, I was highly impressed by the focus and subtly.

The Kühling-Gillot estate in the Rheinhessen is owned by Carolin Spanier-Gillot and H.O. Spanier, a power couple, making an awesome selection of small production wines from unique terroirs that allow for expressive examples of many varietals, not just Riesling, which they are best known for, including Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Scheurebe and Gewürztraminer. Carolin, who’s family has made wine for hundreds of years here, says she’s proud to continue the family’s legacy and to cultivate biodynamic Riesling and Pinot Noir on organic-certified sites in the dry-farmed landscape between Bodenheim and Oppenheim. She took over the property in 2006 and has turned into a world renowned winery, with the Rieslings here earning top marks, especially the dry versions from Cru sites, like this one, along with the more famous GG bottlings. Oliver Spanier and his team makes the wines, which employ spontaneous natural fermentation with a range of vessels used for maturing the wines, with Stainless steel tanks, Burgundy barrels, along with traditional German Halbstück (600L) Stück (1200L) and Dopplestück (2400L) oak casks used. There’s a well of riches within the Kühling-Gillot lineup and I highly recommend exploring them as soon as possible.
($56 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

March 2025

2021 Weathereye Vineyards, Syrah, Estate Vines, Red Mountain AVA, Washington State.
The dark black/purple Syrah from Weathereye and the talented Todd Alexander, who seems to have the magic touch, is a deep, hedonistic and complex wine that reminds me of Guigal’s Château d’Ampuis Côte-Rôtie with its rush of dense black fruits, violets, creme de cassis and earthy fig notes leading the way. The full bodied palate is powerful and layered with boysenberry, blueberry compote, sandalwood, graphite, licorice and bitter coco, as well as having a background of peppercorns, umami, tapenade and smoky vanilla. The tannins provide ample grip and structure, but feel lush and ripe, making this wine rich and velvety with a long finish, best to enjoy this Syrah with roasts, lamb, grilled beef and or hard cheeses. These tiny production reds and whites, include this Syrah, Grenache, Clairette and Marsanne, as well as a Tempranillo and a Bordeaux blend to name a few. I believe the grapes here were all or mostly de-stemmed and carefully sorted with intense maceration for maximum pigment and extraction with close to two years of barrel aging in luxurious new French oak. These Weathereye also remind me of Sine Qua Non and Saxum in mouth feel and exclusivity, and I can imagine the same following.

The Weathereye Vineyards estate is high atop of the famed Red Mountain was purchased by Washington State wine advocate Cameron Myhrvold in 2004. His then hired Ryan Johnson, viticulture guru, to plant the vineyard and hired Todd Alexander, probably the hottest name in Washington winemaking circles, to make the wines here, all of which was a masterstroke. These wines first broke on the scene with the 2018 vintages that were received to critical acclaim and created a cult like following, with the mailing list now having a big wait to get on, especially for the reds, like this Syrah and the Grenache. While rewarding now, especially with meaty dishes, this Syrah looks like a wine that will age nicely too, maybe if you are lucky enough to have some I might suggest holding it for 3 to 5 years. I am so grateful, for a friend on the mailing list, who shared this one with me and I have the Grenache to try soon, as well. Alexander, who also makes the famed Force Majeure wines, captures the terroir here with very opulent wines, as this one displays to near perfection. This 2021 actually was even better and more investing on day two and I am excited to follow Weathereye in the future, especially as the vines come into full maturity and the production levels rise enough to be a bit easier to get!
($85 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

2021 Elderton, Cabernet Sauvignon, Barossa Valley, Australia.
The deep, dark purple/garnet and complex 2021 Elderton Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon is made from grapes sourced at their Nuriootpa and Craneford estate vineyards, making for a rich full bodied effort with a wonderful depth of fruit and nice balanced mouth feel and long finish pushed on and on by polished tannins. This Cab has a distinctive array of blackberry, blueberry, currant, plum and dark cherry fruit on the luxurious palate along with hints of violets, creme de cassis, licorice, dried rosemary, mocha/vanilla, menthol and cedary wood notes. What I really am impressed with is the low heat impact, acidity and the subtle loam and savory undertones that keep things from being too much, allowing this wine to be a nicely behaved company with a meal. Elderton has a fine collection of clonal material and vineyards, including some higher elevation parcels, as well as soil diversity with sandy loams, red and brown clay and black cracking clay, all of which infused their wines with complexity, lift and Barossa’s powerful concentration of fruit. I have followed Elderton bottlings since some late 1990s efforts, in particular the Shiraz, which a sexy and robust and I highly recommend them for those exploring Barossa Valley wines

Winemakers Jules Ashmead and Brock Harrison at Elderton did a masterful job of taming the tannins, while also delivering loads of extraction, they carefully managed the cap and cool fermented the Cabernet Sauvignon fully dry on the skins before pressing to a combination of used and new French oak barrels where the wine finished malos. After maturing in barrel, almost until bottling, the lots were blended to best capture the vintage and and provide for that balance of flavors and form, which in this case was exceptional, as the wine feels perfectly proportioned and full of character. I have always enjoyed Elderton, especially their Shiraz offerings, and the wines are very fairly priced for the quality seen in the bottle. The Elderton estate was, as the winery notes, was first planted on the banks of the North Para River in Nuriootpa in 1894 by early German settlers, the Scholz family. In 1916, it was purchased by Samuel Elderton Tolley who named the Estate Elderton, but eventually the property was left almost lost and in ruins until the Ashmead family took over and created the Elderton label in 1982 and since then things have been on the right track, as the current wines show. The highlights at Elderton include their single vineyard and signature Command Shiraz, one of Australia’s elite wines, along with Penfold’s Grange and Henschke’s Hill of Grace!
($35 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2018 Fattoria di Bacchereto – Rosella Bencini Tesi, Terre A Mano, Carmignano DOCG, Tuscany, Italy.
Rosella Bencini’s Carmignano DOCG is a rare bottling and is beautiful authentic and complex wine with a structured core of Sangiovese, making for a natural and nicely rustic wine deep in flavor and great with a hearty meal. Dark garnet in the glass and sultry on the full bodied palate with blackberry, mulberry, currant, plum and strawberry fruits, along with cedar, minty herbs, earthy truffle, leather, spicy tobacco leaf, dried flowers and hint of mocha. This wine sees maceration and fermentation in concrete tanks with native yeasts only, then matured in French 350L Tonneaux barrels for 28 months, after which another 6 months in bottle before release. Carmignano, a unique Tuscan region, only a short distance west of Florence is largely under the radar, but is a high quality terroir. Carmignano, as I’ve mentioned before my reviews, also was the first to include Cabernet Sauvignon in the official blend, along side Sangiovese and as well as the native Canaiolo Nero grapes. According to the historic rules here, to be classified as a Carmigniano DOCG Rosso, the wine must age at least 8 months in oak or chestnut barrels, and it must contain at least 50% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo Nero, and or 10-20% of the Cabernet Sauvignon, a varietal that was said to have first been introduced to the area by another Medici, Catherine, the wife of the King of France. Fattoria di Bacchereto’s main interest is their Carmignano DOCG Rosso, but their non DOC or DOCG bottlings, including this IGT Bianco, a super limited bottling, and a 100% Sangiovese IGT Rosso are very much worth checking out too.

Fattoria di Bacchereto, one of only 14 producers who make Carmigniano wine in the DOCG Carmigniano, the smallest appellation in Italy, is owned by Rossella Bencini Tesi, who inherited the estate after her father and brother sadly passed away in the 1990s. Though having no prior experience herself in the winemaking process, Tesi put management of the winery into the hands of experts until she was introduced to biodynamic and organic techniques in 2000. After which, she, I understand then implemented these methods at her winery, and through this, she saw a dramatic change in the environment and resulting wines she produced. Over time, these malnourished vines were revitalized, the soils became healthy and the terroir enhanced, turning a little known estate into a model for the region. Interestingly, not only is Carmignano the smallest region in Tuscany, but it is also one of the oldest appellations worldwide, having been first registered in 1716 by Cosimo III de Medici, the Grand Duke of Tuscany. It is a hilly and heavily forested area, again not too far from Florence, indeed, it was the preferred hunting grounds for the noble Medici family when they resided there during the season. In most vintages this wine is 75% Sangiovese, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon and around 10% Canaiolo, with this smoothly textured 2018 really developing nicely, it should go another decade easily and provide rewarding pleasures all the way. Fattoria di Bacchereto’s main interest is this Carmignano DOCG Rosso, but their non DOC or DOCG bottlings, including their IGT Bianco, a super limited bottling, and a 100% Sangiovese IGT Rosso are very much worth checking out too.
($48 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2019 Weingut Wittmann, Riesling Trocken, Aulerde VDP Grosses Gewächs, Rheinhessen, Germany.
A friend opened this fantastic GG from Wittmann with a casual dinner the other night and as no stranger to Wittmann it was no surprise just how good his bright golden hued 2019 Aulerde Grosses Gewächs was, drinking on similar terms as a Les Clos Grand Cru Chabis with exceptional stony character and energy. That said, there’s an added dimension here that sets these GGs apart with this one revolving around lime, white peach, green apple and quince fruits, along with mineral intensity, lemon verbena, orange oil, chamomile, yeasty notes and lingering wet chalk. The GG’s usually see the organic Riesling grapes being all hand picked and carefully sorted before seeing a gentle pressing to fuder to age. The fermentation was “Sponti” using native yeasts and the Westhofener saw a full 10 months on the lees, in the large neutral oak casks, which explains the beautiful play between dynamic energy and luxurious roundness. Wittmann is known especially for the Grand Cru fruit from the legendary Morsteiner and the Brunnenhäuschen Crus, but Aulerde is awesome too, a warmer site, adds subtle tropical notes, with a pure nose, depth and vibrancy due to fruit coming from old vines that were planted in 1949 and 1959.

The Wittmann family estate, as mentioned in prior reviews, based in Westhofen, under the direction of Philipp Wittmann, one of Germany’s finest winemakers, has been certified organic since 1990 and biodynamic since 2004, but the Wittmann family has a long history here and has been growing grapes and producing wine in the Rheinhessen village since 1663. Today, according to the winery, Wittmann cultivates 62 acres of vines in the rolling limestone hills found in the southern part of the Rheinhessen region, just to west of the Rhein river valley. They have been pioneers in developing the full-bodied, well-balanced style of dry wines, of which Philippe with his talents, has gained a huge following for, especially for his GGs and Premier Cru offerings like this one. Of course, Riesling is the dominant grape variety here at Wittman, as the winery adds, accounting for 65% of the estate’s vineyard area, but they also produce Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir, as well as Silvaner, plus small amounts of Scheurebe, Chardonnay and a few other things, like St Laurent I believe. If you’ve not experienced Wittmann’s wines, now is the time, especially the Erste Gewächs and Grosses Gewächs, like this one. A big thank you to my friend and wine professional Alex Lallos, who again, showed off tremendous generosity by sharing this wine with me, which was stunning on the night and should continue to develop over the next 5 to 10 years.
($70-100 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

2021 Mauro Marengo, Langhe Nebbiolo DOC, Piemonte, Italy.
This is seriously delicious dark ruby/garnet and aromatic Langhe Nebbiolo is from the youthful talents and insightful winemaker Daniele Marengo at Mauro Marengo, who’s wines I just tried recently for the first time, and makes for a Nebbiolo with true varietal character and structure on the palate, while being easy to enjoy even its youthful form. There’s a lot to admire here and this wine delivers what some people would say is a “Baby Barolo” performance in the glass, showing off classic dark berry, red currant, brandied cherry, damson plum and blood orange fruits, along with mineral tones, delicate rose petal and violet florals, minty herbs, savory earthiness, black licorice and chalky notes. This bottling is sourced from various plots high on the plateau inside the località of San Grato and Zora, and at the top of the famous Barolo crus of Ravera and Terlo, with high elevation vines that are set on red clay, calcareous sand and marl, that add to the freshness, depth and tension here. The sense of place is very obvious here and the fine grained tannins make this wine a good companion with some robust cuisine and or rustic country inspired meals, in particular meat and or wild mushroom dishes. This was first experience tasting this label and I was thrilled by what I tried and I do look forward to sampling the Barolo efforts from Mauro Marengo in the future, especially after finding such quality in this Langhe Nebbiolo.

The US importer The Source Imports says the Marengo family’s technical direction was given to Daniele, the latest generation here, at age twenty-two, his personal taste and style of wines led him to pursue freshness over power and ripeness, and to highlight their Novello-based high-altitude vineyards, which you can see here. He also turned their attention to soil health and the incorporation organic farming in their vineyards. The cellar work, as the importer adds is gentler now, and new techniques have been employed, but the traditional style didn’t disappear in the profile, it was just complimented. In recent years, to down play ripeness, Marengo harvests a little earlier, have even considered doing whole cluster and submerged cap fermentation(s) when those traditional methods need a boost. Daniele gently extracts tannin and tries to retain acidity, and ages his varietal wines in a combination of concrete vats and medium-sized oak botte. This Langhe Nebbiolo was fermented naturally with native yeasts in both stainless steel and concrete, with the maceration lasting about 25-27 days with daily pump-overs, after which it saw large cement vat and bigger wood cask for under 6 months before blending to tank. This 100% Nebbiolo wine is impressive, especially for the price, in terms of mouth feel and substance, it offers loads of purity and bang for the buck, and I will be following Mauro Marengo closely and I recommend look for this effort and their tasty Dolcetto as well.
($26 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2022 Quinta do Ameal, Loureiro, Vinho Verde, Portugal.
The ultra pale gold 100% Loureiro Vinho Verde by Quinta do Ameal, which comes in super dry, low alcohol (just about 11%) and brisk, has a light steely body and a fine salty character with zesty lemon/lime, white peach, tart melon, almond, white flowers, delicate herbs and wet stone. This organic and lovely white wine really shines in the glass and is a fabulous Summer wine, great as a aperitif and refresher, but is best with a mix of fresh sea foods, especially oysters, clams, squid and or mussels. Vinho Verde, a region between Lisbon and Porto, is home to many affordable wines, usually a mix of varietals that include Alvarinho (Albarino) and Loureiro, as seen here in this fine and exciting example. The winemaking here is clean and employs exclusively stainless steel tank to promote terroir and varietal purity with absolute transparency and to deliver fresh details. These wines traditionally are drunk young and are highly quaffable no pretense wines, with this Quinta do Ameal providing drinking pleasure, I highly recommend searching it out and enjoying it over the next two to three years.

One of Portugal’s most enjoyable and vibrant white wines, the wines of the Vinho Verde region are outrageously good values and Quinta do Ameal is maybe the best one, year after year, it always delivers a clean, crisp and easy to love wine that any bistro and or sea food place would be happy to have on the wine list. Ameal’s US importer, The Source Imports, notes that José Roquette, the owner of Esporão, Portugal’s largest organic wine company, purchased Quinta do Ameal in 2019 from the recently retired Pedro Araujo. The Quinto do Ameal is located in the heart of the Lima Valley, within Vinho Verde DOC, the most northwesterly zone which borders the Atlantic Ocean, not too far from Lisbon, to the west and separated from Spain by the Minho River to the north. Ameal has 14 organically farmed hectares of Loureiro, with the vines grown on the vineyard’s igneous granite bedrock and sandy topsoil with cool Atlantic breezes that give these wines there mineral notes and vibrancy. The Loureiro grapes are all hand-harvested, whole cluster pressed, naturally fermented over 12-15 days at low temperatures, as the winery notes, and then shortly aged sur-lie in steel to make this classic bottling.
($22 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive

2016 Vigne del Malina, Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Italy.
The Vigne del Malina lineup is absolutely stunning and shows off the quality of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia terroir, with their Pinot Gris, Chardonnay, which I reviewed already, and this exceptional Refosco being an elevated example of this rare, to us in the States, native grape, all impressing me. This dark garnet 2016 Refosco dal Peduncolo Rosso, which saw 36 months in large Slavonian oak Botti and then 48 months in bottle, has a purity and refinement of tannin, making it wonderfully developed and mature with a lovely velvety mouthfeel showing off a medium/full palate of dusty plum, dried cherry, red currant and earthy red berry fruits, along with savory tones, tobacco leaf, cedar, roasted herbs, subtle Asian spices, delicate floral and truffle notes. While I was initially really intrigued by the Chardonnay by Vigne del Malina, this Refosco, with its unique and distinctive character, grew on me and the lingering aftertaste reminded of experiences I’ve had with nicely mid term aged Bordeaux and obviously the attention to detail and care in the grape growing here has really paid off. Refosco, also known as Teran in Coatia, has minor plantings in California, has a red stem and a deep pigmented skins, with chewy tannins and phenolic bitterness, which have been tamed well here by Vigne del Malina. The 2016 vintage in Italy was a top red wine year across the country and this wine shows that off with depth, ripeness and structure.

One of the most intriguing winery discoveries at the 2025 Tre Bicchieri (Gambero Rosso) Tasting, was the Bacchetti family’s “Vigne del Malina” label, with a top notch set of Venezia Giulia regional wines. As mentioned in my first review, the Vigne del Malina estate is set between two ancient streams, the Malina and the Ellero, with tons of alluvial stones scattered throughout the vines. Again it was a great pleasure to taste the wines with Erica Bacchetti, of Vigne del Malina, who is the international face of the winery and part of a talented young generation in Italian wine, which is an impressive group of vignerons that are leading the country forward into a new golden era. The terroir here in this part of the Friuli-Venezia Giulia is distinct with its soil composed of alluvial gravels and large stones, along with a unique micro-climate, with what the winery calls high thermal excursions, that are constantly ventilated by the wind channeled by the pre-alpine valleys. All allowing for perfect ripening and retention of acidity, perfect for grapes like Chardonnay, as I reviewed earlier, plus Pinot Grigio, which I also tried and loved, along with the Refosco red grape, indigenous to this area of Northeastern Italy like Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and of which is, as seen here, put into bottle with a great sense of grace and purity. The Vigne del Malina label, imported by H. Mercer Imports, which has a selection of older vintages, like the 2009, is a winery to watch for and these wines are well worth chasing down, as this wine proves. Again a big thank you to Erica Bacchetti for showing me her wines and giving me a greater insight into this region.
($35 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2021 Weingut Wagner Stempel, Weissburgunder, Reserve, Rheinhessen, Germany.
The Wagner Stempel lineup is a compelling set of wines and I was grateful to taste through a good sampling of Daniel Wagner’s latest offerings, especially this Reserve Weiussburgunder (Pinot Blanc), a grape that has dramatically been elevated in terms of quality and popularity in Germany, with a beautiful and textured profile of elegance in the glass with a light golden hue and a mineral driven medium bodied dry palate. The steely Reserve Pinot Blanc start begins with a lovely mix of apple, honeyed peach, lemony citrus and golden fig fruit, along with flinty wet stones, subtle white flowers, tangy herbs, a touch of bread dough, oyster shell, saline and almond nutty notes. There’s plenty of energy in this wine and it’s impeccable in terms of balance and detail, this would go wonderfully with a wide selection of cuisine choices from fleshy fish, poultry, pork and creamy farm cheeses. Wagner Stempel has some very intriguing high elevation vineyards, with Heerkretz or Höllberg, which are visible from afar, offering up very distinctive terroir influences. These steep areas, which are some 250 million years ago, are set on ancient magmatic rock that have formed the mountains here like, as Wagner Stempel’s importer The German Wine Collection notes, balconies of an antique amphitheater, which see great exposures and provide complex flavors. This wine is sourced, exclusively from old vines and parcels around Siefersheim, with extremely stony sand, gravel and clay soils, including a high level of shell calcium, and a sub- soil of porphyry rock that is volcanic in origin, adding to the mineral and spicy tones to the wine. For the Reserve Weissburgunder, Wagner Stempel did a slow pressing to medium sized traditional German oak casks for fermentation and lees aging, providing the roundness and depth here.

The rise of Weingut Wagner Stempel has been steady and with precision, these wines are truly a study in quality and terroir, highlighting also the elevation in status of the Rheinhessen beyond a few cult heroes such as Wittmann and Keller and there are some outstanding under the radar producers doing great stuff, not just with Riesling, but with a wide range of grapes. So, there’s a lot of excitement here, though the Rheinhessen is the biggest wine-region in Germany, it has array of soil types, climates and grape varieties with some fabulous unique terroirs. Not that long ago the region was maybe best known for the production of Liebfraumilch, mass produced low quality off-dry wines, like Blue Nun and other forgettable labels. The historic and famous vineyards around the villages Westhofen, Flörsheim-Dalsheim or Siefersheim have now become coveted sites, producing some of Germany’s most sought after and expressive wines and the region’s pioneers have created a dynamic must visit region with many top notch and affordable wines being made here, like these by Daniel Wagner at Wagner Stempel. The Wagner family has owned the winery since 1845, but the vineyards were part of a mixed farm and until recently under Daniel, they were producing just those dreaded bulk-wines. While doing some fabulous Riesling, Wagner calls himself a “grapevariety hoarder”, loving to play around with Silvaner, Pinot Blanc, as seen here, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc to name a few, all of which are well worth searching out. As of now, the Wagner’s have a mix of 50% Riesling, 20% Pinot Blanc, 14% Pinot Noir and St. Laurent (reds), 12% Silvaner and about 4% Scheurebe. All of vines here are certified organic and the estate has been a full VDP member since 2004, making 99% dry wines, like this tasty Pinot Blanc. In my recent tasting of Wagner Stempel I really enjoyed their Rosé and their basic estate bottling of Riesling, but this Reserve Weissburgunder was the standout.
($30 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2023 Castello di Perno, Dolcetto, Ciama N’Aut Rosso, Piemonte, Italy.
The dark colored and floral Ciama N’Aut semi-carbonic whole cluster fermented Dolcetto is a juicy, but dry almost Beaujolais like style red from Barolo producer Castello di Perno, who are fast becoming a go to winery in the Alba area, and this compelling easily quaffable wine is delicious. The bright and crunchy Ciama D’Aut Rosso, 100% Dolcetto was old school whole cluster, foot trodded and quickly fermented and raised to be a fun and rustic wine that shows off blackberry, currant, cherry and tree picked ripe plum fruit, along with a bright array of spice and herb notes, as well as orange rind and minty zesty details. There’s hints of tannin, earth and chalky stones, but the fruit and low alcohol make this a wine to enjoy now and is best with simple cuisine choices, like picnic or beach lunches, burgers, pasta and or hard cheeses.

The estate, an ancient Castle in the hills above Monforte d’Alba, Castello di Perno was a lesser known property in Barolo, but after Giorgio Gitti purchased it and the estate in 2012 from the famous Einaudi family things started to get exciting and these wines are great discoveries. I absolutely fell in love with the 2018 Nizza DOCG by Castello di Perno, who are mostly known for their cru (Perno) Barolo, and tasting it blind I almost thought it too was Barolo or Nebbiolo, such is the unique personality and elegant power in this 100% Barbera, and I also enjoyed this Dolcetto and the rare Nascetta white too. While, so far I’ve really only mentioned Perno’s extra wines, there Barolo offerings are very serious efforts and still are top notch values for the money and I highly recommend digging into the full collection of wines here. The Barolos see aging in large Austrian Botti and then are cellar matured in bottle for up to 4 years and are tightly wound classics that deserve your attention. That said, I love ready to go reds, especially the Langhe Nebbiolo, this Ciama D”Aut Dolcetto and the mentioned Barbera.
($20 Est.) 88 Points, grapelive

2022 Weingut K. Wechsler, Scheurebe Trocken, Rheinessen, Germany.
I am a big fan of Scheurebe, a rare German varietal and especially the versions made by Müller-Catoir and Kruger-Rumpf, so tasting this new to me example by the talented Katharina Wechsler at Weingut Wechsler in the Rheinhessen was a nice highlight of my week and this is definitely a wine I’ll be getting for personal use this Summer! This steely dry version is wonderfully balanced and expressive in the glass with a glowing gold hue in the glass with fine stony aromatics and a medium bodied palate with layers of wild peach, lemon/lime, passionfruit, muskmelon and grapefruit, along with subtle candied pineapple, ginger/clove spice, wet stones, saline and a touch spearmint tea and bitter almond. Coming from highly regarded Rheinhessen cru sites, Wechlser’s Scheurebe Trocken, like their fantastic Rieslings, is sourced from organic and biodynamic vines that are at good elevation that allows for this wine’s excellent intensity and tension on the palate. The Weingut K. Wechlser, based in Westhofen, the same rarified area as made famous by Philippe Wittmann and Klaus-Peter Keller, is led by the youthful talent of Katharina Wechsler, who is crafting her exciting wines from highly regarded parcels in the Rheinhessen’s most legendary vineyards, including the VDP Grosse Lage Morstein and Kirchspiel crus, with this basic Trocken seeing some Kirchspiel and Benn grapes. I must say, after tasting Katharina’s 2020 Trocken and her Kirchspiel single cru bottling, I was left spellbound by her wines and I had looked forward to following her efforts and this mineral intense Scheurebe is exciting stuff! This compelling and unique bone dry Scheurebe, was a wine that I didn’t want to move on from at a recent tasting by their importer The Source Imports, it is really impressive.

Scheurebe, one of my favorite under the radar varietals, is an unique grape found primarily in Germany, but also in Austria where it can also be called Sämling 88, Scheurebe was created by German viticulturalist Dr. Georg Scheu, (hence the name, which was made official in 1945) in 1916, when he was working as director of a grape-breeding institute in Alzey in the Rheinhessen region, by crossing Riesling with an unknown wild vine, though not confirmed and according to official Austrian sources it is in fact a cross between Riesling and Bouquet Blanc. Scheurebe, while not well known in America, is an expressive white grape and the wines do have a Riesling like personality, but far more overt and sometimes with a dense flamboyant nature with a cloying tropical side, but elevated dry examples are fabulous, as this Wechsler shows. The Scheurebe Trocken I believe was 100% stainless steel fermented and aged without any stirring from vines that are set on a combination of different soils including clay marls, limestone and loess that adds to the transparency and personality of Wechlser’s wines. Katharina uses low SO2 and the wines don’t feel muted, they are expressive and rewarding, with this one being a great way to discover this grape and producer. The twist here was Wechsler, who is experimenting with skin fermentation(s) or orange wines and some interesting cloudy wines, did allow for some skin maceration on this wine, giving an extra dimension of complexity, aromatics and phenolic structure, though this wine is clear, without overt pigment and sublimely balanced. This Scheurebe has a soulful personality that seems to slowly unwind and seduce with time in the glass and will be perfect when pairing it with food, I really want to try it with pure Sushi, like Toro and or Saba, but I can also see it go nicely with baked ham and or lemon chicken dishes.
($25 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2023 Christophe et Fils, Chablis, White Burgundy, France.
Again and Again I’m thrilled by these Christophe et Fils Chablis wines, and this 2023 is maybe the best yet with a gorgeous tension between concentration and steely mineral intensity, it rises above its regional label, in fact I wouldn’t have been surprised if this was presented as a Premier Cru, such was the quality and complexity it shows in the glass. Brilliant pale gold and aromatic, the crisp and precision crafted 2023 Christophe Chablis shows off lime, apple, bitter peach and hints of lemon curd fruits, along with clove spice, flinty notes, subtle yeasty notes and loads of wet stones and classic chalky detail. There’s terroir purity here that absolutely never waivers throughout and a lingering oyster shell, saline and citrus that makes this wine great with food, it easily pairs with poultry, white fish and or soft cheeses. The Christophe et Fils Chablis is made with minimal intervention in the cellar, the hand picked Chardonnay grapes were pressed and then settled for 24 hours before being racked into another tank where it went through a natural yeast fermentation in stainless steel tanks for 1-2 months. The juice typically sees a single stirring of the lees (batonnage), which is usually employed only in cold vintages to add texture and then the wine, which went through malolactic (fermentation) was then aged about 8 months, again solely in stainless steel vats, before bottling with low SO2.

As I’ve said before, even the Christophe et Fils Petite Chablis, from the family’s original vines, is absolutely gorgeous as well, but this regular Chablis AC is at another level, on par with many much more expensive Premier Crus, even by some famous names, such is the precision and quality here. As noted, with a holistic view to farming and a very gentile touch in the cellar these Christophe et Fils Chablis bottlings are true terroir driven wines, they are vibrant and expressive in a way that really captures the essence of the region and winemaker Sebastien Christophe is a star. His story is awesome and there is a lot more to come, but as a young kid with just a couple of acres of average vineyard land at best, plus a small half hectare parcel of Petit Chablis, he has risen fast, seemingly out of nowhere to become of of the region’s brightest and most gifted talents, with now three of the most heralded Premier Cru parcels in the region, Fourchaume, Mont de Milieu and my all time favorite Montée de Tonnerre! In recent years Sebastien even added a few rows of Blanchots, of which is now his most rare offering. Christophe has vines set on Chablis’ classic soils, with a combination of the legendary Kimmeridgian limestone marls and Portlandian limestone scree with various topsoil mixtures of clay and rocks, all of which give these distinct Chardonnay wines their unique and coveted personalities. I am grateful to have tried many vintages of Christophe, and I highly recommend exploring their full collection of offerings, but this regular bottling of Chablis should be the must grab first wine.
($34 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2019 Rivetti & Lauro, Sotamà, IGT Rosso, Valtellina, Italy.
The Sotamà IGT Rosso is a unique Valtellina blend of Nebbioilo and Syrah grown on sandy clay dominated soils at high elevations in this remote area in Lambardy in one of Italy’s Alpine regions that sees some fantastic Nebbiolo offerings. This vintage of Rivetti & Lauro’s Sotamà is made up of 90% Nebbiolo and what the winery says 10% Shiraz (Syrah) that gives this wine its charm, distinction and singular personality with a full bodied palate of brandied cherry, damson plum, strawberry and blueberry fruits, as well as some Umami savory elements, wild herbs, licorice, a touch of cedar, baking spices, mocha, earthy truffle and dried flowers. This wine was created from hand harvested grapes, 100% de-stemmed, that were fermented and macerated in small stainless steel tanks with gentle extraction, after which it was aged 12 months in one time filled French oak barrels. In recent years I’ve become a fan of these Rivetti & Lauro wines, especially the cru Valtellina Superiore, especially the gorgeous Sassella bottling. The Nebbiolo dominates here, but the Syrah plays a nice role, adding blue fruits, a meaty note and the vanilla scented and toasty oak frame this wine with a sense of grace and this wine is a tasty value, making it an easy to recommend effort. I have added Rivetti & Lauro to my list of Valtellina producers to follow, along with another new favorite, Tenuta Scerscé, as well as long time favorites Nino Negri, Nobili, Alfio Mozzi, Conti Sertoli Salis and in particular Ar. Pe Pe (Arpepe). These vineyards of Valtellina are the largest terraced wine-growing area in the whole of the Italian mountains and its remote location make it an under the radar gem and a bit of a mystery to uncover with glorious rewards in the bottles.

As I’ve said before, If you’d not discovered Valtellina, above Milan and the lake district, yet, it is a great time to get started and this wine should be one on your list of must try options from this intriguing part of Northern Italy. The wines here are age worthy with supple tannins and Rivetti & Lauro say the wines tell the tale centuries of history and local traditions, that are infused in the place. These vineyards are the largest terraced wine-growing area in the whole of the Italian mountains and its remote location make it an under the radar gem and a bit of a mystery to uncover with glorious rewards in the bottles. The Valtellina region, as mentioned in my reviews from here and prior notes on Rivetti & Lauro wines, is a high Alpine valley in the Lombardy region of northern Italy, bordering Switzerland and renown for its mountain Nebbiolo wines, which have really gained worldwide attention in recent times, even though this area has flourished since Roman times. During the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries, the Valtellina region belonged to what was know as the Three Leagues (the “Grey Leagues”), which was then a mutual-defense zone that was independent of Switzerland, but was part the easternmost Swiss Canton of Graubünden. This remote area in which German, Romansh, Lombard and Italian languages are all spoken, the region became known variously as Veltlin, or Westtirol (West Tyrol) in the 1800s, and today it is one of the most respected wine regions. The Rivetti & Lauro Uì Sassella Valtellina Superiore DOCG, as mentioned is one of my favorites here, but this Sotamà is really delicious and easy on the wallet and will go great with a variety of cuisine and dishes, with meat and hard cheeses being good options to bring out its best.
($23 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2022 Ancien, Pinot Noir, Jouissance, Russian River Valley AVA, Sonoma County.
Coming from a small family vineyard in the Russian River Valley, Ancien’s Jouillence Pinot Noir is a gorgeous, ripe and silky dark garnet/ruby wine with beautiful depth of fruit including rich black cherry, wild plum, raspberry and strawberry on the medium/full palate, along with well judged oak framing, rose petals, cinnamon, Earl Grey tea, briar spice and subtle blood orange. This wine is very much in the same vein as top Sonoma Coast and Russian River producers, with a similar feel to labels made by Peay, Cattleya, Peter Michael, Aubert and Occidental (Steve Kistler) to name a few. Winemaker Ken Bernards fermented this Jouissance Pinot Noir in one ton, open-top tanks after filling by gravity and employed, what the winery says was a warm fermentation with a combination of native and isolated Burgundian yeasts that produced they add what was an excellent and focused flavor extraction, complemented with traditional punch-downs by hand. The wine was aged entirely in Francois Freres cooperage, with about 40% new, and it was racked once, gently, prior to bottling. Only 151 cases were made of the Ancien Jouissance Pinot Noir

Ken Bernards started Ancien Wines in 1992, it is a small boutique, mainly Pinot Noir producer, hand crafting around 5,000 cases a year, once based at the historic Haynes Vineyard in Coombsville, east of the city of Napa, that sources grapes from top sites throughout California. Ken grew up in Oregon, and says he was impressed by the handful of pioneers who embraced the challenging and romanticized Pinot Noir grape even while very little wine culture existed at the time. Bernards says an evolving interest in wine led him to work his first harvest in Napa Valley in 1986, while still pursuing his degree in chemistry at Oregon State University. Bernards explains that his Jouissence Pinot was sourced from vines in a single vineyard established and farmed by Mark Lingenfelder at his home estate with primary clones 667 and Pommard used in this vintage. Ken makes note that Mark’s decades of experience as a vineyard manager and consulting viticulturalist have provided him the depth of experience to reach the pinnacle of grape growing at his own property, which he pretty much farms by himself. Even though difficult, the small yielding 2022 vintage shows off loads of concentration and structure in the glass, with this Pinot Noir being highly expressive and it should develop nicely over the next 3 to 5 years.
($58 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2020 Bodegas Muga, Rioja Reserva, Rioja Alta, Spain.
The deeply saturated dark garnet and ruby edged 2020 Muga Reserva is wonderfully polished and pure Rioja with a lush full bodied palate of blackberry, black cherry, plum, mulberry and Mission fig fruit layers along with a elegant sandalwood element, long smooth tannins, a touch of loamy earth, anise, creme de cassis and delicate dark floral notes. As per normal, the Muga Reserva, which the winery says is composed of 70% Tempranillo, 20% Garnacha, 7% Mazuelo, and 3% Graciano, is made in Muga’s traditional and sustainable style of Riojan viticulture, which they add, is in fact organic, but uncertified. These vineyards are planted in the coolest and highest elevation sites of the Rioja Alta and grow on terraced parcels with calcareous clay soils from the Tertiary or Cenozoic period. The climate is continental with some cooling Atlantic influences up at this area, making for powerful wines, but with a sublime balance, as this one shows. This vintage follows Muga’s recent form of impressive mouthfeel and impeccable balance, making this one very rewarding even in its youthful form and offers serious drinking for an exceptional price, when compared to Bordeaux and or California offerings. The bit of American oak used here adds to the luxurious nature of this wine, giving hints of cedary spice and toasted coconut, as found in top traditionally styled Rioja wines, with the French oak proving a touch of smoke, supple creaminess and graphite to this beautiful Tempranillo based effort, it’s a wine that will best enjoyed with a full and robust meal, especially lamb, steak and or duck breast.

One of the noble family’s in Spanish wine, the Muga’s, who founded the winery in 1932, as I’ve mentioned in prior reviews, and run now by Isaac Muga and Aurora Caño continue to be great ambassadors of the Rioja region and the heritage here. Muga pays great respect for traditions here in the region and takie great pleasure in preserving and protecting the environment and terroir. The lineup here is vast and delicious, every wine a treat, from their light white Rioja Blanco and Rosé (Rosado) to their Tempranillo based, powerful reds.like this Reserva. As noted, the Reserva, coming from mature vines, some of which were planted between 1926 and 1976, is 100% de-stemmed and the grapes are rigorously sorted, as the winery notes, then it sees an indigenous yeast fermentation from a vineyard pied de cuve in custom made open top oak fermenters that were produced here at the winery. The 2019 Muga, after fermentation and cool maceration, was then pressed and racked over to French and American oak barrels, seeing a light egg white fining, where the wine is aged for 24 months, after which it rests in bottle for another 12 months. The combination of French and American oak is well proportioned and adds to the wine’s supple tannin(s) and luxurious mouth feel, adding a seductive element without being over done, very much in line with a quality growth Bordeaux. Rioja is seeing a serious re-awakening period these days, with dozens of exciting new wines and this is a great time to re-discover this region, and this classic wine is a great way to start exploring the range of wines and producers. There’s a lot to admire in Muga’s collection, as seen here and as well as the delightful Rosé that I just reviewed.
($36 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

2022 Mauro Veglio, Barbera d’Alba DOC, Piemonte, Italy.
The dark ruby/garnet 2022 Mauro Veglio Barbera d’Alba is tangy fresh and bright with a crunchy array of red fruits, these include Bing cherry, plum, red currant and tart blackberry, along with hints of spice, minty herbs, anise and blood orange. This is pure as pure gets and without any oak it makes for a very fresh quaffable red wine that really needs to be enjoyed with food. While I love the upper end Barolo offerings here, I am liking these more everyday varietal bottlings, which are great with pasta, pizza and simple meat dishes. Alessandro Veglio, who took over the winery recently, and brought along his inheritance parcels, from some prime crus, with him. These vines, located, as the winery notes, in mainly the Eastern slopes in the Barolo zone and set on classic marls (clay and limestone) and sandy soils, make for some serious and complex wines, especially the Nebbiolo efforts.

As I’ve noted in prior reviews, I discovered the Mauro Veglio wines only in the 2017 vintage, they offer a stylish series of Barolo wines, from many highly regarded Cru sites, as well as a terrific normal Barolo bottling from the younger vines that is an awesome bargain. As noted before here, Veglio makes a very nice set of Nebbiolo, Barbera, like this one, and Dolcetto wines, with the exceptional value “Angelo” Langhe Nebbiolo, that is a new go to. Mauro Veglio, a traditional winery, has a long family history going back generations in the Piemonte region, with the varietal wines typically getting a maceration on the skins in stainless steel tanks before the grapes are pressed with fermentation and aging in stainless tanks as well. These tank fermentations, with the Dolcetto, Barbera and Nebbiolo, lasts about 6 days, with its malolactic fermentation also taking place in the tanks to preserve aromatics and fresh details, as this one shows. Clear, juicy and transparent this Barbera is fun and drinks without pretense, drink it for the next 2 to 3 years, but no waiting needed.
($25 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive

n.v. Domaine de Marzilly – Champagne Ullens “L.P.M.” Meunier Extra Brut, France.
The 100% Meunier Le Petite Montagne cuvée by Champagne Ullens at Domaine de Marzilly is a gorgeous Extra Brut Champagne, which was a wonderful early birthday treat for me, with brilliant mineral tones, luxurious texture and depth, it shows off lemony citrus, golden fig, crisp apple, yeasty brioche, white blossoms, wet stone and hazelnut. This wine and winery were totally new to me, I learned that it was founded by Max Ullens de Schooten, an architect from Brussels, who was doing historical renovations and he was told about a stately building in ruins near Hermonville, in the Massif de Saint-Thierry, the most northerly part of Champagne, which sparked his passion for Champagne. This pale golden La Petite Montagne is pure Pinot Meunier, mostly from the Massif de St-Thierry, a subregion that covers the lieu-dit of Marzilly, which again a new area for me, but an exciting one that I plan to re-visit as much as possible, as it was exceptional and complex in the glass.

Domaine de Marzilly – Champagne Ullens was created by Belgian-born architect Maxime Ullens in 2012 making a new label and turning out some brilliant hand crafted wines, like this all Meunier bottling, which saw two years on the lees with this one being disgorged in August 2020. In an effort to restore his domaine in Hermonville Max turned to Claude and Lydia Bourguignon to provide a micro-biological analysis of the soils. The Bourguignons, who have a great reputation, are well-known in wine circles for their soil analyses in the Burgundy vineyards, discovered old ungrafted vines In the forest on sandy soils that had survived years of neglect, as phylloxera does not like sand. Examination of local records showed that this part of the domaine had indeed been a vineyard before the first world war and is a truly historic site, but was never put on the regional map of classified Champagne vineyards. The winery says the L.P.M. Meunier, as noted above, comes from a single Lieu-Dit and was vinified and aged 11 months in specially coopered used French oak barrels before getting another 24 months in bottle. Thank you to my friend Alex Lallos, who always seems to find new and thrilling Champagnes, and shares them!
($65 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2020 La Ca’ Növa, Barbaresco DOCG, Montefico Cru, Vigna Bric Mentina, Piemonte, Italy.
Brilliant stuff, this Montefico Barbaresco by La Ca’ Növa, is pure and deep Nebbiolo that while still firm and youthful is already singing and rewarding in the glass, even without decanting, showing off beautiful floral aromatics and a classic profile of brandied cherry, damson plum, mulberry/currant and dark berry fruits, along with cinnamon spice, light cedar, tilled earth, minty herb and black licorice. The tannins are velvety and ripe, but they are there and give this dark garnet wine a serious presence and I’m sure it will age fabulously well, though it will be impeccable throughout its life, I should have bought more on pre-arrival. In the last five years, La Ca’ Növa has become a real go to for top quality Barbaresco that is not a huge hit on the wallet and I highly recommend chasing down their current releases, especially this one. This single cru Barbaresco, like all the wines here at La Ca’ Növa was fermented traditionally 100% de-stemmed with native yeasts with everything done by hand using smaller sized open top barrels, as was done in older and simpler times. The maceration, as noted previously, is interestingly done with a large wooden spoon used to stir the musts, which the winery notes, is very difficult and time consuming work that helps extract a much richer color as well as more polyphenols. Before becoming a winery they were growers, even selling grapes to Gaja, until they began bottling under their own label. They prefer to age their Barbaresco in Austrian, rather than the classic Slavonian oak botti and the owners don’t have much in the way of modern technology. The Montefico Cru is located in the northwest part of Barbaresco, where there is a good presence of marl in the calcareous clay subsoil and while under the radar supplies some fantastic grapes to some very coveted estates.

The La Ca’ Nova estate, as noted in previous reviews, is a little family winery set in a farmhouse from 19th century, in the center of Barbaresco, it was founded in the ’70s, and is run by the Rocca brothers who split between themselves the different roles needed, from the cellar and vines to public relations and admin work. This estate, as mentioned in my prior reviews, has winemaker Marco Rocca guiding the wines here, with the property located just outside of the historic village of Barbaresco, producing authentically styled wines that way over deliver for the price, especially this famed Montestefano cru version. Marco’s main passion is his Nebbiolo parcels and his trio of Barbaresco wines, but he also does Dolcetto, Barbera, as well as a entry level Langhe Nebbiolo. All of which should be searched for, but especially the Barbaresco DOCG, Montefico and Cru Montestefano, as they way over deliver, they are fantastic at their price point. The winery has prized parcels, set on marl, clay and limestone soils, mostly within in the Montefico and Montestefano crus, as well as nice sites within the Barbaresco DOCG zone. La Ca’ Növa is a set up in an old farmhouse from 19th century, it is situated in the center of Barbaresco. The vineyards themselves are treated in full respect of the environment and farmed sustainably allowing for the natural vegetative cycle of the vines, with those at the Montefico and Montestefano crus being their joint signature wines and most coveted vines. These La Ca’ Növa Barbarescos really got my attention with their 2016s, and I usually grab a couple of each of their offerings, including the Barbaresco “Normale”, this Montefico, and in particular their Montestefano, which typically is the most desirable in the lineup, though this 2020 Montefico is absolutely outstanding. It should be said, the Barbaresco Montefico Vigna Bric Mentina is a wine that if tasted blind and told it was a $150 bottle, you’d say it was worth every penny!
($50 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

2023 Muga, Rosado, Rioja, Spain.
The tasty and quaffable Muga Rosé (Rosado) 2023 from this famous Rioja producer is made from a blend of Garnacha (Grenache Noir) and Viura, an indigenous white varietal, is beautifully pale pink in the glass with a fresh, mineral toned and dry palate with sour cherry, ruby grapefruit, red apple skin, a mix of spice, wet stone, tangy herbs and delicate rosewater notes. Crisp and steely to start with bright acidity the Muga Rosado adds some textural pleasing elements making this wine a joyous Summer offering and even with an extra year of age it is showing extremely well and is a great value.

Muga says that the vineyards, used to make their Rioja Rosé are located in two distinct zones and their geology has a direct influence on the expression of the varieties grown in them. The first, they add, vines in the Valle del Oja, are characterized by its calcareous clay soils, typical of cool zones, which provides the wine with good structure, balance and acidity. The second zone, the Valle del Najerilla, has ferrous clay soils which give the wine a more mineral character and complexity. All of which are on display in this vintage’s version. Tank raised and aged, the Muga Rosé continues to be must have wine that goes great with or without food and is lovely as an aperitif, an afternoon sipper or beach wine.
($16 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2021 Weingut Mönchhof, Spätlese Riesling “Mosel Slate” Mosel, Germany.
One of the best ways to celebrate Riesling’s 590th birthday is with this wine from Mönchhof, a producer with records dating back to the 12th century it is one of the oldest estates in the Mosel, dedicated exclusively to the cultivation of Riesling. This 2021 vintage full-bodied and slatey Spätlese is a prime example of pure, sweet, but balanced high quality terroir driven Riesling, offering what Wines of Germany USA says, exquisite fruit, mineral intensity and heightened aromatics, all with excellent aging potential, all of which is certainly proved with one taste of this wine. I’m a long time and big fan of Robert Eymael’s wines, both at J. J. Christoffel and his historic Mönchhof estate here in the Mosel, and this Mosel Slate Spätlese delivers a rich layering of smoky sweet peach, apricot, quince, candied lemon, pineapple and crisp green apple fruits, along with hints of wet flint, red spices, honey, subtle rose hips, white flowers and bitter almond notes. The mouth feel is still youthfully lively and tangy enough to cut into the creamy sugar and really helps balance this Riesling out, making it great with a range of cuisine choices. So today we celebrate Riesling, on its birthday, and the life of Rudi Wiest, formerly of The German Wine Collection, who has sadly passed away after a glorious life promoting and selling German wines, he introduced me to Mönchhof and I will always be grateful for that

The Mönchhof Estate, formerly owned by the Cistercian abbey of Himmerod, and founded back in 1177 is, as mentioned above, one of the oldest wineries on the Mosel with its modern cellars dating back to the 1500s and famous for its select plots in the fabled Ürziger Würzgarten and Erdener Prälat. The Eymael family in 1804 purchased the estate after secularization, when the Church was forced to give up much of its lands throughout northern Europe from Napoleon at an auction in Paris. The estates top vineyards are comprised of the very steep parcels mainly in the Erdener Treppchen area set on blue slate along with veins of volcanic and iron rich soils that add an exotic spicy quality to the wines. All of Eymael’s vineyards, as I’ve mentioned in prior reviews, are planted 100% to Riesling with original rootstocks, which are old clones and farmed sustainable and hand tended, as required by the serve slopes the vines hang on to. This estate is on the level of more flamboyant and well known and traditional addresses, like Dr. Loosen, Schäfer, Selbach and Prüm, but has somehow remained under the radar and the wines are wonderful values, especially the Prädikat collection of Kabinett and Spätlese offerings, in particular the Ürzig Wurzgarten bottlings. Mönchhof, as noted previously, produces primarily fruity style, off dry Kabinett, Spatlese and Auslese wines, though rumor has it Eymael and Volker Besch, his right hand man winemaker, are going to maker a serious lineup of Trockens in the coming years, which is very exciting. Thanks to Wines of Germany USA and The German Wine Collection for sharing this bottle with me to enjoy Riesling and share my experiences!
($29 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2023 Flanagan Wines, Viognier, Bennett Valley, Sonoma County.
This 2023 Flanagan Bennett Valley Viognier is absolutely stunning in the glass with crystalline purity, mineral intensity, textured form and beautiful aromatics with a seductive layering of apricot, gooseberry, lemony citrus and subtle tropical fruits, along with bitter almonds, honeysuckle, orange blossom, wet stone and soft wood creaminess. This was a hugely pleasant surprise on a recent trip to wine country and stumbled across this very limited wine at the Napa Valley Vintner’s Collective, which hosts some small family wineries and rare labels, with Flanagan being one of the featured producers. I had not had their Viognier before and wow, this vintage is a beauty, showing off steely precision, zesty acidity and deep richness in a wine that clearly takes its inspiration from Condrieu, the holy grail of Viognier, in the northern Rhône. Flanagan’s original vineyard, planted to Syrah and just a tiny bit of Viognier, in Bennett Valley, which, sits up at close to 1,200 feet of elevation on the southwest facing slopes of Bennett Mountain in Sonoma County has meager rocky soils and with volcanic cobbles with excellent drainage. The Flanagan Viognier is rarity with only about 5 barrels made, but not particularly cheap, on the upper end for this varietal in California, though that said, not many versions get this good and Viognier fans will find it wonderfully rewarding stuff.

For the Flanagan Viognier, the winery says that the fermentation was done in neutral barrels which they add is more directed at texture development than at an oak flavor profile, after which it was then aged in Atelier and Millarf French oak barrels with a light toast with 40% new wood used. The Bennett Valley, tucked west of Sonoma Mountain, is a cool climate Sonoma terroir that benefits from ocean breezes from the Petaluma Gap, San Pablo Bay to the south, as well as Bodega Bay and the Pacific Ocean to the west, but with a sunny exposure that perfectly ripens Rhone and Loire varietals, especially well suited in this case Viognier that has brilliant mineral tones and fresh acidity. The 2023 vintage which was exceptionally cool, saw the grapes get extra hang time, allowing for ripe intensity, but lower alcohol levels, all helping this Viognier shine and show off its best character. Flanagan, which does some exciting single vineyard Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs, Chardonnays and a Bennett Valley Syrah, as well as a set of Bordeaux style wines, is definitely a winery to check out. I am excited to try some more of the collection here, my previous experiences with Flanagan had been positive, but limited to their Syrah. The Viognier, from the 2023 vintage, really is a home run, sublimely balanced and a tasty expression of this varietal, and with only about 124 cases available it be a bit harder to find.
($65 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2022 Masca del Tacco, Ru Rappaio, Primitivo di Manduria DOC, Puglia, Italy.
An under the radar, value priced and tasty red wine at the recent Tre Bicchieri tasting by Gambero Rosso in San Francisco was this dark berry fruited Primitivo from Masca del Tacco in Puglia, a brand new discovery to me and one I’ll be keeping an eye on! This deep garnet Ru Rappaio Primitivo di Manduria is lush on the palate and lively, lightly floral with a dusty spicy background, much like an old vine Zinfandel, showing off a full bodied mouth of black raspberry, plum, candied cherry and huckleberry fruits, along with chocolatey tannins, lavender, minty herbs, anise and sandalwood notes. Great packaging with the stubby bottle and quality inside to match, it is a fine example of this varietal and I highly recommend chasing it down. Those that like the classic California Zinfandels will really be impressed here with this offerings.

The highly praised Masca del Tacco’s Lu Rappaio, that in Apulian dialact means “the bunch” is almost 100% DOC Primitivo di Manduria with traditional Apulian bush vines in the vineyard, which is on mineral rich red soils that has ancient organic matter infused. The winery says the processing of the grapes is done with a low-frequency de-stemmer, designed to preserve the integrity of the berries. Maceration and fermentation in steel at cool controlled temperatures, then maturation and refinement on the lees. After which the wine is typically rested in traditional used wood casks for close to a year before bottling. Primitivo, also known by its Croatian name Tribidrag and more famously Zinfandel in California is a mainstay in this part of Puglia and is great way to explore Italy’s South, and Masca del Tacco is a producer to look for, as this delicious vintage shows.
($20 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2023 Weingut Leitz, Riesling Spätlese, Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreuz, Rheingau Germany.
The Leitz Magdalenenkreuz Spatlese, as I’ve said before, is a happy place wine for me, is always expressive and pure, the name of this vineyard, translates to “the cross of Mary Magdalene,” and named after a red sandstone cross that can be found amongst the vines here. Johannes Leitz, one of the Rheingau’s best producers, nicknamed this wine his “Maggie” and it has always been a traditional favorite of his and mine, so for many reasons it was the perfect wine to celebrate with at a recent visit to The Slanted Door restaurant in Napa Valley. The celebration included the life of the late Charles Phan, founder and chef of The Slanted Door, who I’ve followed from the Mission in San Francisco to here in Napa, as well as Riesling’s 590th birthday which is on March 13, along with my own birthday that comes up next weekend. This absolutely spot on, bright pale gold and delicious 2023 Leitz “Maggie” Spätlese flows across the slightly sweet palate with fleshy peach, apricot, green apple, tangerine and tropical fruits, as well as slatey flint, petrol, wet stones, white flowers, chamomile and dried spicy ginger notes. This youthful Riesling easily played along with all the courses, Vietnamese inspired, refreshingly cleansing the palate and provided a serious engagement of the flavors. The mineral intensity and nice acidity cuts into the residual sugar and I couldn’t imagine a more pleasing way to enjoy a traditional Riesling.

The Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreuz vineyard, a highly regarded VDP site, is located east of the village of Rüdesheim and is influenced by the wider part of the Rhein and the soils here are comprised of mainly sandy loam, loess, a touch of clay and with much less slate than down Rhein, in the Rüdesheimer Berg crus.The climate here makes for fatter less edgy hedonistic wines, I mean, as mentioned before in my reviews, it is better suited to producing richer Rieslings, that has more mouth feel and more fruity presence, and it is an ideal site, as Leitz notes, for a riper expression of Riesling that is perfect for Spätlese. To highlight the terroir and to express transparency, this Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreuz is precision made with 100% stainless steel and it is wine of ultra clarity that is always rewarding, concentrated and complex even in its youth, though it should drink fantastical well for a decade or longer too. I am always so pleased with this wine and even though I usually drink Leitz’s Trockens, I do try not to miss this bottling that also goes fabulous with hotter Asian cuisine and spicy foods in general, as seen here with Leitz’s 2023 version. The Leitz Rüdesheimer Magdalenenkreuz, or Maggie, Spätlese usually comes in between 7.5% to 8.5%, but drinks well balanced and highlights the single vineyard terroir here, which it should be noted, really being a perfect transmission of place into the bottle. Again, this is one of my go to wines, it is a great way to celebrate Riesling’s upcoming birthday, especially since it was originally born in the vines of the Rheingau, not too fa from where Leitz is located and this vineyard sits.
($30 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2021 Weingut Karthäuserhof, Riesling Trocken, Schieferkristall, Ruwer-Mosel, Germany.
The steely, zesty and racy bone dry 2021 Schieferkristall Trocken by the famous Karthäuserhof winery based in the Ruwer Valley, off the Mosel, is full of energy and shows off pithy lime, earthy melon, peach, green apple and tart quince fruits, along with smoky slate, wet flint, bitter almond, citron oil, rosewater and orange blossom in a fine lighter framed Riesling. It’s always a treat to sample these wines and this was no exception with its vivid purity and terroir driven flavors, though it truly is at its best with food, I really enjoyed it with a combination of sushi offerings, especially a fatty toro tuna roll. Karthäuserhof, one of the top ten oldest wineries in the world, a founding member of the VDP, also does some monumental dry Grosses Gewächs, which are highly coveted, slate intense and age worthy collectors items. While almost entirely known for Riesling, Karthäuserhof does a few other varietals, including Pinot Blanc, a grape that is showing a lot of promise throughout the Mosel region. The dry Trockens, like this one, off dry, fruity and nobly sweet Prädikat wines at Karthäuserhof, show off the many facets of the rich history and terroir influence here and I’ve always enjoyed the Kabinett and Spälese level wines here, as I’ve said many times before. A big thank you to Karthäuserhof’s importer The German Wine Collection for showing off a range of estate grown efforts from Karthäuserhof and their Bruno line, where I tasted this wine.

Originally founded in 1335 and run by Carthusian monks, Karthäuserhof has close to 700 years of history making wine from a small estate on the Ruwer, an offshoot of the Mosel and is one of the most iconic wines of the region, with the same family running the winery since Napoleon’s time and the secularization of Europe’s vineyards. The 19 hectare vineyard of Karthäuserhofberg, long recognized for its outstanding quality, is a Grand Cru site and has different exposures that allows Karthäuserhof the flexibility to make both outstanding dry and sweet wines, all set on iron-rich grey and blue slate, very typical of the Ruwer Valley, giving the wines here their distinctive terroir character, The Ruwer Valley which is one of Germany’s smallest winemaking regions, doesn’t get much attention, but these Karthäuserhof wines are ones to search out. All sustainable and traditionally made from hand picked grapes, Karthäuserhof uses a hands off approach in the cellar with a combination of stainless steel and old fuder (oak) being used for fermentation and aging. The Schieferkristall Trocken, a baby cru style bottling, typically sees exclusively stainless steel fermentation and elevage with some lees maturing to add some roundness to this vibrant and vigorous Riesling. This was another serious Riesling to help celebrate the upcoming 590th birthday of the Riesling grape on March 13, 2025 and I highly recommend Karthäuserhof and their second label Bruno offerings, which are exceptional values.
($48 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2017 Capanna, Brunello di Montalcino DOCG, Tuscany, Italy.
The 2017 Capanna Brunello is a wonderful surprise in a weaker vintage for the region and shows off a beautiful and complex full bodied palate of mulberry, currant, plum, cherry and strawberry fruits, along with cigar wrapper, mocha, minty herbs, cedar and anise. This dark garnet Sangiovese is nicely balanced and has very pretty florals on the nose and finishes very persistent and the tannins are well integrated at this point making it easy to love now. The Capanna winery, owned by the Cencioni family since 1957, was founded by Giuseppe Cencioni, together with his sons Benito and Franco, is located in the Montosoli area, north of Montalcino, one of the most prized area in this famous Tuscan region. Today Capanna is run by the third and fourth generation team of Patrizio and Amedeo Cencioni who farm and make the wines here with respect to the past with their traditional Brunello bottlings. Capanna’s Brunello is, of course, de-stemmed 100% Sangiovese that is carefully selected in their oldest vineyards that sees fermentation with maceration of the skins for close to three weeks at a controlled temperature and spontaneous malolactic fermentation, both in truncated cone-shaped Slavonian oak vats. After which, as winery notes, the wine is racked to large Slavonian oak barrels from 10HL to 32HL for about 36 months, then aged further in the bottle for at least 6 months before release.

The historic hilltop town of Montalcino is about 70 miles south of Florence, closer to Siena, and notably has a warmer and drier climate than that of its neighbor, Chianti, with a complex mix of soils from volcanic to limestone and with rocks and shale as well. The Sangiovese grape is king here, as it is in Chianti, but Montalcino has its own clone called Sangiovese Grosso Brunello clone and has many unique individual terroirs. The Brunello di Montalcino DOCG (normale) wines by law must be aged a minimum of four years, including a minimum of two years in barrels or wood casks before release. The Capanna vineyards, some of which date back to the 1960s, are all located in the Montosoli area, as mentioned, in the Northern zone, which is considered one of the best in the Brunello, producing wines of depth, power and age-ability. The winery adds that this particular micro-climate is characterized by an optimal thermal excursion between day and night, getting cool air coming from the Mediterranean Sea even in the hottest months, combined with the favorable characteristics of the soils composed of galestro, all delivering wines with great structure, good acidity, elegant and fruity, as seen here. This 2017 might not be the vintage to lay down for long, but there is loads to admire here and I’d say it is already entering a good window, no patience required for a rewarding experience, but it should go another 5 to 7 years with ease. I’ve personally had great luck with Capanna Brunellos and highly recommend them for savvy Brunello di Montalcino, as they still offer a lot of value for the money.
($60 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2020 Bindi Sergardi – Tenuta I Colli, Chianti Classico DOCG “Ser Gardo” Tuscany, Italy.
A new discovery for me, this 2020 Bindi Sergardi – Tenuta I Colli Chianti Classico, 100% Sangiovese, was drinking beautifully with a purity and transparency of form that I really admire with a medium/full bodied palate of classic flavors that include dusty plum, dark berry, red currant, brandied cherry and strawberry fruits, as well as earthy tones, tobacco leaf, anise, cedar and minty herbs. A touch of mineral (graphite) and leathery savory notes come through in the glass, but there’s a nice ripe feel and smooth tannins, allowing this dark garnet, lightly spicy and delicately floral Chianti Classico to shine throughout and linger on and on. For best enjoyment, as per normal with traditionally styled Chianti Classico, you’ll want to have this fine effort with food, in particular I’d say wild bore ragu pasta, earthy mushroom dishes, hard sheep cheeses or rustic meaty county cuisine. The Ser Gardo is dedicated to Niccolò Sergardi, who was the Governor of the city of Siena back in 1530) and called “Ser Gardo”, which translates to Sir Guardian of the city. The Bindi Sergardi winery, with a variety of vineyards throughout Tuscany, is now run by the dynamic Alessandra Casini Bindi Sergardi, who says she is grateful to live in close contact with nature and relishes the challenges of grape growing with the weight of history on her shoulders and Maddalena Casini Bindi Sergardi, who also feels connected to her linage and to this unique terroir.

My friend and winemaker Giuseppi Cossu was excited that I got to try the latest from Bindi Sergardi and sent a note saying that they have a hugely talented female proprietors with the wine coming from vineyards around the Chianti Classico zone of Castenuovo Berardegna, with high hillside vines, set mostly on chalky calcareous soils. He calls these Bindi Sergardi offerings very natural and traditional Old School wines. Bindi Sergardi, which dates back to 1349, makes their Chianti Classico with 100% Sangiovese, grown on hillside plots, on “Alberese” limestone soils, that are close to 350 meters above sea level, making for a high-elevation site that sees warm days and cool nights. The winery notes that their Tenuta I Colli estate has been in the family for 23 generations – as it was the family that built the village surrounding the estate back in the 1400s, in the historic townships of Monteriggioni and Vagliagli north of Siena. The winemakers, Stefano di Blasi and Federico Cerelli say that fermentation takes place in stainless steel vats where maceration lasts 18 days at a controlled temperature of 28/30° C. After the alcoholic fermentation the wine is transferred into large oak barrels where it undergoes malolactic fermentation and where it remains for more than a year for further refinement. The finished bottled wine is then stored close to another year in the cellar prior to its release, all done to preserve terroir and give the wine time to show off its best features as seen here with the 2020 vintage. This is a prime example of Chianti Classico to look for that I highly recommend to drink over the next 5 to 7 years.
($35 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

n.v. Broadbent Selections, Madeira, Verdelho, 10 Year Old, Portugal.
The latest release of Broadbent’s Verdelho 10 Year Madeira is lovely and vinous on the palate with vibrant with zesty burnt orange citrus, dried apricots, crystalized mango with a delicate nuttiness, hints of toffee and a tangerine aftertaste. This very balanced Madeira that can go with many after dinner options and with a subtle sweetness and great focus makes for a highly enjoyable experience. This amber nectar is a truly a joy in the glass, with its subtle maderized molasses and fruity nature, goes beautifully with cheese plates and or creme brûlée, Madeira is a great alternative to either Tawny Port or Sherry. Madeira, which was originally a historic and tasty mistake, is a fortified wine made on the Portuguese island of Madeira, in the North Atlantic Ocean, where mainly British ships traditionally stopped to stock up before a voyage to the new world, which literary cooked as they sailed across the Equator. Madeira is produced in a variety of styles ranging from dry wines, like Rainwater, which can be consumed on their own, as an apéritif, to sweet luxurious wines that are usually consumed with dessert. Madeira’s wine industry dates back to the 16th century and the Age of Exploration, when Madeira was a regular port of call for ships traveling to the East Indies, with the earliest examples of Madeira that were unfortified tended to spoil before reaching their destination, making the producers start adding distilled cane sugar alcohol, which created a whole new wine segment. The classic Madeira or noble grape varieties include Sercial, Verdelho, as seen here, Terrantez, Bual, Bastardo, Moscatel and Malvasia, as well as the workhorse Tinta Negra Mole grape, now known officially as just Tinta Negra. The four main types of Madeira wine in the modern era are Sercial, Verdelho, Bual, and Malmsey. Typically Sercial and Verdelho, which are drier and lighter, havie an alcohol content generally around 18% to 19%, with Bual, slightly sweeter, hovers around 19% to 20% alcohol and Malvasia, called Malmsey, can reach 20% to 22%.

So many times, as I’ve mentioned before, Madeira, Port, Marsala and Sherry get overlooked as wine, or thought of as an old persons tipple, so it is nice to see some real excitement coming out of these areas, especially as a new generation emerges from the shadows, both as producers and drinkers of unique styles of wine. Not that there is a huge youth movement in Madeira, but there does seem to be a new vigor and life coming forth, and this now well established series of 10 year Madeira(s) from Broadbent are hugely responsible for invigorating to this seemingly dusty or old school wine segment. As explained in many texts, Madeira is noted for its unique winemaking process which always involves oxidizing the wine through heat, which stabilizes the wine, and usually solera aging. The younger blends (three and five years old) are now produced with the aid of artificial application of heat to accelerate the aging process. The older blends, or Colheitas (single harvest) and Frasqueiras, are produced by the canteiro method with fortification with grape spirit. Madeira’s mountainous volcanic island terrain and oceanic climate is notoriously difficult to cultivate, so vineyards are planted on man-made terraces or poios of red and brown basaltic bedrock. Because of the way these wines are aged, Madeira can be very long-lived in the bottle, and those produced by the canteiro method will survive for decades and even centuries, even after being opened. I really enjoyed these Broadbent Madeira over the years and they’ve become a welcome addition to the fine lineup of quality and affordable Madeiras, and compete well with the Rare Wine Company series of older Madeiras, giving customers lots of choices. The single grape series of 10 Year Madeira(s) in this Broadbent Selections lineup includes from drier to sweeter, Sercial, Boal and Verdelho, as well as the classic 10 Year Malmsey, which has always been most people’s favorite. In the late 1980s, the Symington family of Portugal invested in the Madeira Wine Company and contracted Broadbent to promote and create a market in the United States for Madeira, which helped see a successful reawakening of this style of wine.
($49 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2017 Weingut Rings, Riesling Trocken, Saumagen VDP Grosses Gewächs, Pfalz, Germany.
The gorgeous, bright golden hued and wonderfully evolving 2017 Rings GG, which comes from the chalky limestone single vineyard Kallstadter Saumagen a highly respected VDP Grosse Lagen in the Pfalz, shows off loads of yellow fruits, powerful dry extract, well integrated acidity, a saline stony element, exotic tropical notes, spice and sublime mouth feel. The palate has impact with density and complexity with vigorous lemony citrus, green apple, apricot and quince fruits, along with clove, almond, lychee, verbena, chamomile, plus that chalky stone and mineral intensity. The Rieslings are spontaneously fermented and see a long time on lees and are partly aged in traditional, big wooden barrels with some getting a little stainless depending on the vintage if needed to preserve purity and energy. Rings, though actually founded in 2001, things didn’t really came together fully until 2008, when Steffen and his brother Andreas got together here, at their Freinsheim winery, and these mostly self taught winegrowers have now become rock stars within their region and in Germany, as well as building a cult like following here in the States! Those that are fans of the Pfalz region will want to get to know this winery and soon!

As we get closer to Riesling’s 590th birthday on March 13, 2025 I am focusing on some really incredible versions of this grape, and Rings has provided an outstanding dry example to celebrate with. Once the Riesling party is done for another year I will follow up with the rest of the Rings collection, I have reviewed Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc, but there’s some reds to talk about. I was really thrilled again to try the latest releases from winemakers Steffen and Andreas Rings, who have Weingut Rings in the Pfalz, because they are now one of the superstars of Germany and are doing some innovative wines that are on the cutting edge, like their fantastic “Kalk & Stein” a unique Chardonnay and Pinot Blanc blend, a unique Bordeaux style red blend, a set of Burgundy like Pinot Noirs and their top notch Rieslings, like this Kallstadter Saumagen GG. The winery, as I noted before, employs certified organic methods in the vineyards, using things like buckwheat, radish and clover as cover crops to help aerate the soil and attract useful animals, along with using horse dung to fertilize the soil naturally. They also do rigorous sorting during take off leaves selectively and work with low yields. Importer German Wine Collection in California is getting a small allocation of Rings, so while not easy to get, I suggest searching for their wines.
($108 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

2022 Sadie Family Wines, Cinsault “Pofadder” Swartland, South Africa.
As I’ve said before, South Africa has some of the best Cinsault wines in the wold and Sadie’s Pofadder Cinsault is maybe the most sought after there is, and this 2022 vintage proves why with exceptional balance and complexity. Beautifully dark ruby in the glass and filled with red fruits, pretty florals, spices, licorice and subtle savory tones in a medium bodied wines that delivers wild plum, cherry, bramble berry and earthy currant fruits. Sadie says he basically fill the concrete tanks whole cluster to about 50% and then de-stem 50% to get some juice in the tank to have the initiation of fermentation, which starts natural. The maceration/fermentation lasts for about 30 days on the skins and then he presses the grapes in an old basket press. Post fermentation, Sadie adds that the wine is then transferred into some 28 year old conical wooden casks that do not impart any wooden flavors and the age and the saturation of the wooden staves also make for a very slow reaction of the resultant wine with oxygen. The Pofadder Cinsault is left on the lees for 11 months and then racked to another concrete tank for an additional month to settle clean, with stellar results ending up in bottle. As this wine opens up in the glass it gets deeper, but with velvety tannins, and more expressive, making for an elevated experience and I suggest letting it take its time and enjoy it with a meal.

Eben Sadie, the winemaker, is a legend and no one in the wine industry has anything but admiration for him and his wines, and while largely South African wines remain a mystery to most of the public, Sadie’s wines, as I’ve said before, are nothing short of world class brilliant. These wines have helped redefine my opinion of top end South African wines, along with Baadenhorst, Hamilton-Russell and old school Kannonkop. While the Columella Rhône inspired blend is a wine enthusiast and serious collectors wine, Sadie does a few bottlings that don’t pain the wallet as much, these that I recommend are, this beautiful 100% Cinsault Pofadder, the 100% Tinta Barocca Treinspoor, the 100% Chenin Blanc (called Steen locally) Skerpioen, the Palladius white blend, which sees a combination of Chenin Blanc, Grenache Blanc, Clairette Blanche, Viognier, Verdelho, Roussanne, Marsanne, Semillon Gris, Semillon Blanc, Palomino and Colombard, making it the white version of the Columella and the 100% Grenache Noir Soldaat. The 2022 Pofadder Cinsault really is an exciting example of this varietal which is most commonly found in the Languedoc, like Corbieres, the Rhône, where it is one of the minor Châteauneuf du Pape grapes and Provence, but is also has long times homes in South Africa, Australia and California. While usually blended Cinsault can be fabulous as a solo varietal wines, as seen here, and I highly recommend chasing some down.
($99 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

2020 Sordo, Barolo DOCG “Perno” Piemonte, Italy.
The gorgeous Tre Bicchieri winning 2020 Perno Cru Barolo from Sordo drinks like a Burgundy with a velvety tannic backbone, beautiful aromatics and deep layers of black cherry, damson plum, earthy red currant and mulberry fruits, along with mineral notes, truffle, cedar, minty herbs and salted black licorice. This elegant full bodied Barolo, which came from Perno Cru in the Monforte d’Alba zone which has, as the winery notes, chalky Tufaceous soils, it’s primarily made up of iron rich stones and detrital rock, along with sandy and clayey elements from the Langhian Stage of the Miocene Epoch, making it a unique terroir. This Perno saw a classic stainless steel fermentation using 100% Nebbiolo grapes that were all de-stemmed with temperature control with the submerged cap maceration lasting 4 to 7 weeks and was allowed to go through natural malo-lactic in tank. After that the Barolo was aged for 24 months in large Slavonian oak barrels, then put back in stainless vats for another 6 months and bottle for 6 months before release. Everything looks to have been done right here, and the Perno delivers in the glass, while still youthful, it really is an elegant and rewarding wine already, I love the transparency and the excellent lingering finish.

The Sordo estate was originally established in 1912 when Giuseppe Sordo began to cultivate vineyards and make wine in the small village of Garbelletto in the Castigione Falletto zone of Barolo. Now Sordo is run by Giorgio Sordo, who took over from his late father Giovanni in 2001, and the wines were overseen by oenologist Armando Cordero, who has also passed, who helped raise the quality here and was a traditionalist in the making of winery’s classic Barolo wines. Sordo does eight bottlings of Barolo and estate has a total of 53 hectares under vines, spread over the townships of Castiglione Falletto, Serralunga d’Alba, Monforte d’Alba, Barolo, Novello, La Morra, Verduno, Grinzane Cavour, Vezza d’Alba and Volpeglino, all top sites for Nebbiolo. The lineup includes a Barolo normale that is blend of multiple crus and villages, plus efforts from the single cru vineyards of Rocche di Castiglione, Parussi, Villero, Monprivato, Gabutti, Monvigiero, Ravera and this Perno. The San Francisco stop of Gambero Rosso’s Tre Bicchieri tour was where I got a chance to experience these Sordo wines and meet Sordo’s next generation, Paola Sordo, who was pouring her family’s latest Barolo efforts, and I was left very impressed by what I tried, especially this beautiful Perno bottling and I highly recommend searching it out.
($65 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2019 Vigne Del Malina, Chardonnay, IGT Venezia Giulia, Italy.
One of the most intriguing winery discoveries at the 2025 Tre Bicchieri (Gambero Rosso) Tasting, was the Bacchetti family’s “Vigne del Malina” label, and their stunning no oak and no malo 2019 Chardonnay, which was mind-blowingly pure, stony, aromatic and elegant, like Chablis, but unapologetically Italian. The estate in Vigne del Malina is set between two ancient streams, the Malina and the Ellero, with tons of alluvial stones scattered throughout has produced a wine of style, subtlety and grace with a medium bodied steely palate and a beautiful pale golden hue in the glass, it delivers an array citrus and apple fruits with delicate orange blossoms, lemony tones, wet rock, a touch of peach, clove, hazelnut and lemon oil. Because of the maturity through bottle aging there’s a lovely play of texture and tension making for an exceptional and exciting wine. Imported by H. Mercer Imports, this wine is going be a tough get with the outstanding reviews, but well worth the chase and it will be best with food and allowed to open up fully, I’d suggest a poultry dish and or soft farm cheeses.

The Chardonnay, grown on stony alluvial soils was hand harvested and saw a soft whole cluster pressing with what the winery calls a static sedimentation clarification and a non malo-lactic fermentation in tank. Then the wine was matured with 10 months aging in stainless steel tank, after which another full 48 months of aging in bottle before release. The terroir here is distinct with its soil composed of alluvial gravels and large stones, along with a unique micro-climate with what the winery calls high thermal excursions, that are constantly ventilated by the wind channelled by the pre-alpine valleys. All allowing for perfect ripening and retention of acidity, perfect for grapes like Chardonnay, as seen here, plus Pinot Grigio, which I also tried and loved, along with the Refosco red grape, indigenous to this area of Northeastern Italy, and I to tree the Refosco and was really impressed. It was a great pleasure to taste the wines with Erica Bacchetti, of Vigne del Malina, who is the international face of the winery and part of a talented young generation in Italian wine and look forward to following these wines!
($35 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

2023 Weingut Spreitzer, Riesling Spätlese, Lenchen Eisenberg “303” Rheingau, Germany.
Tasted from a barrel sample, the 2023 “303” Lenten Eisenberg Spätlese is a show stopper and a great way to start celebrating Riesling’s 590th Birthday on March 13, with beautiful lush fruit and texture, but with a fine elegant balance. The medium bodied palate is layered with apricot, apple, mango, pineapple and tangerine fruits, along with flinty stone, clove spices, citrus oil, white blossom and lime sorbet notes. A sublime sweet table wine that will thrill with adventurous cuisine, but an excellent choice with some heat and Asian chili dishes or ginger beef. The “303” is in honor of a historic moment in Riesling history when the Spreitzer’s grandfather picked his Riesling grapes at the highest recorded sugars of all time. This wine comes from that same sub-parcel called Eisenberg (iron-hill) from which a TBA was picked in 1921 with the then-record must-weight of 303o Oechsle. The winery also notes that (the) Eisenberg can be found on the 1867 Royal Prussian quality map as the highest quality category in the Rheingau. The Lenchen parcels, part of the VDP Grosse Lage, overlook the widest part of the Rhein and this area gets an almost lake effect climate, warmer allowing for high sugars and early ripening grapes, so the Spreitzer’s can make a wide array of styles. Old fuder (German oak cask) was used to ferment and lees age this one, which is a signature Spätlese. One of the oldest family wineries in the Rheingau, Weingut Spreitzer, which I visited in 2016, is located in the tiny hamlet of Oestrich in the middle Rheingau is run now by Andreas and Bernd Spreitzer, who took over from their father Josef in 1997 and have really done an amazing job elevating this historic estate. One of their prize holdings, is the Lenchen Vineyard with its VDP Grosse Lage Rosengarten being the elite parcel here, it is set on mostly of gravelly loam and loess soils and not far from the Rhein and the winery itself.

The historic Riesling story, as explained to me and that I’ve reported on here in the past, begins historically with Count Katzenelnbogen, German wine extraordinaire, logged the first evidence of the Riesling grape near the Rheingau region on March 13, 1435, hence the birthday. One of his administrators bought a new white grape variety from a vineyard in Rüsselsheim for 22 shillings, and it caused a stir, as this grape variety, now know as Riesling, was much better in terms of quality than was typical for the time with its later ripening and its being more resistant to frost, and with a much more expressive aromatically. Thus, the Riesling legend was born and soon it was transported to other parts of Germany, maybe most notably the Mosel where it gained favor with Roman Catholic controlled vineyards in the region. So happy 590th birthday to Riesling and bravo to Bernd and Andreas Spreitzer for producing such gorgeous version of Riesling from not very away from where the grape was born! During my visit with Andreas in the 2016 harvest period I got a chance to see a lot of his vineyards and tasted in the ancient cellars and in the modern tasting lounge the Spreitzer’s have. It certainly was a fantastic experience and a beautiful place that I recommend to visit when you tour the Rheingau region. The whole area should be on your short list of paces to taste when in Germany and Spreitzer is not far from some other famous spots like Kloster Eberbach and Schloss Vollrads, as well as being close the Geisenheim University and just up Rhein River from Rudesheim, one of the Rhein’s most picturesque villages. I was thrilled to catch up with Andreas Spreitzer this last Summer and taste through his upcoming releases, including this one. In the current lineup, I can honestly say there wasn’t a dude and I highly recommend any of their wines, and while these 2023s are fantastic, the 2021s and 2022s shouldn’t be overlooked, especially the GGs.
($54 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

February 2025

2023 Domaine François Crochet, Sancerre Rosé, Loire Valley, France.
One of Sancerre’s most exciting vignerons François Crochet, most known for his Sauvignon Blancs, does a fabulous and mineral toned dry Pinot Noir Rosé and this 2023 version is drinking beautifully right now and should for another year with ease. The Crochet Rosé shows off a crisp and refreshing light palate with loads of stony goodness and delicate details with sour cherry, strawberry and ruby grapefruit leading the way, along with pretty rosewater, chalky notes, wild herbs and florals. François Crochet, who is highly regarded in the region, graduated from the famous enology school in Beaune and after school, he stayed in Burgundy working at Domaine Bruno Clair. A short maceration on the skins to get that gorgeous pale pink hue and tank fermentation was employed here and it was briefly matured before bottling to keep this wine as fresh and focused as possible.

The Sancerre region, as noted by The Source Imports, Crochet’s importer in California, sits on top of a series of hills and small valleys that were once under the ocean which deposited all sorts of calcium rich shells from ancient sea-life. Going on they add, In the case of Sancerre, the most famous rock here is called Kimmeridgian, which is made primarily of an ancient tiny sea creature that closely resembles today’s oyster. The rest of the vineyard land in Sancerre is a mixture of limestone marl, chalk and flint, as well as quite a lot of red and brown clay soils that are clearly marked with a good dose of iron. The conditions here are perfect for mineral intense and chalky wines, with Crochet making some sublime versions of red and white Sancerre offerings, with François’s cru Sancerre Blanc being one of my favorites, with Rosé being a tasty bonus in the collection. The exceptionally tasty treat, 2023 Rosé of Pinot Noir, will be great with Spring cuisine and is an elevated version of Loire pink that is well worth searching out.
($34 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2020 Domaine Arnaud Lambert, Saumur-Champigny Rouge “Moleton” Saint-Cyr-En-Bourg, Loire Valley, France.
Dark garnet, aromatic and richly flavored 2020 Saumur-Champigny Moleton Cabernet Franc is a powerful and beautifully structured with a classic profile that shows off blackberry, plum, currant and black cherry fruits, as well as stony chalk, bell pepper, crushed violets, earthy truffle, cedary spice, delicate leather and minty anise. This wine, made by the talented Arnaud Lambert, is full bodied, gripping and has long and elegant finish, it is absolutely outstanding and should age for decades! Lambert farms more than 40 hectares of organic vineyards in Saumur’s continental climate with unusually dry conditions due to the rain shadow effect of the Massif Armoricain. In this part of the Loire, near Anjou, the vineyards are set on Tuffeau limestone bedrock with topsoil variations of clay and sand, with that chalky influence being clearly on display in the wines. Still wines from Chenin Blanc and Cabernet Franc are vinified and aged in variations of steel, concrete, and small and large wooden vats without added sulfites until bottling. This Moleton was fully de-stemmed and macerated for 3 weeks in cement usually with winemaker Arnaud Lambert employing a unique infusion technique with the first 3-4 days of pumping overs and the remaining 16-18 days with only wet the cap maceration. The winery says the wine was then racked to barrel where it aged 24 months 20% new and 80% in one and two year old French oak 225-liter barrels. Lambert adds that was only racked once after Malo-lactic fermentation and after being in the barrel the wine saw an extra 5 to 6 months in stainless steel tank before bottling. This vintage is elevated with a more concentrated and ripe nature throughout the region and I especially find the Cabernet Francs benefiting, as this gorgeous Moleton delivers with a polished tannic backbone.

The Domaine Arnaud Lambert, based in Saint Cyr en Bourg – Brézé, is making some of the finest Chenin Blancs and Cabernet Francs in the region, as I’ve mentioned in my prior reviews, this is an exciting producer I’m always thrilled try. Arnaud Lambert, who began as part of a father and son team with his late father Yves, made a name for himself when he took over at the historic estate of the Château de Brézé, one of France’s great properties and one that the French royals, as noted by the winery, used to exchange wines of Brézé annually for Château d’Yquem Sauternes. I have had a few outstanding wines from Château de Brézé over the years, so it was exciting to see Lambert’s personal offerings and get insight to his direction as a vigneron. I understand that Lambert is pushing the appellations of Saumur and Saumur-Champigny to invest in quality and focus on individual terroirs and lieu-dit sites, as he does, like in this wine. The goal is to re-discover the regions premier vineyards and exploit its full potential through organic viticulture and less-is-more, precise winemaking, which he himself adheres to. Over the last few years, I’ve become a huge fan of Arnaud’s and this special cru Moleton is a real standout in the collection and I highly recommend it to all Cab Franc lovers and Loire enthusiasts, but don’t miss any of his offerings, many of which I’ve reviewed here at grapelive.com, with both the Franc based wines and the Chenin being equally excellent. In particular, I should say, you’ll want to look for Lambert’s Brézé Chenin, which is a sublime terroir driven wine. The Brézé cru is a unique site due to its relatively high elevation and Tuffeau, the chalky limestone, soils here that gives these wines their distinct stony, saline rich and oyster shell character. While still under the radar, Lambert’s wines are right up there with some of the legends, like Clos Rougeard, these are serious efforts that demand attention and are great with food.
($68 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

2023 Desire Lines Wine Co., Sauvignon Blanc, Kick Ranch, Fountaingrove AVA, Sonoma County.
If you are looking for very distinctive, limited and highly quality Sauvignon Blanc at a great price, look no further than the latest Kick Ranch Sauvignon Blanc from Cody Rasmussen at Desire Lines Wine Co. and enjoy a burst of cool vintage intensity. This wine is aromatic and full of beautiful tension on the palate, while also having a lovely textural quality with layers of gooseberry, grapefruit, white peach, melon, lime/lime and quince fruits, along with sour herb, guava, mineral tones, almond paste and wet stones. In 2023, Rasmussen de-stemmed a small portion of the grapes and soaked them on skins overnight, before pressing the following morning. He adds that The inclusion of this little bit in the blend, with the usual direct press wine, has pushed the citrus and tropical fruit aromatics forward and added a density and richness to the palate that really suits the racy 2023 vintage character, and I agree completely. After spending ten months on fine lees in barrel, including one new barrel from the illustrious Fassbinderei Stockinger in Austria, Cody notes, I found some really depth and complexity, not typical for this varietal in California, making this a real sleeper in the lineup, and a killer wine. I usually, sadly, miss talking about the Sauvignon Blanc, but this time it is too good not to mention and I highly recommend it, and all of Rasmussen’s collection, this is a mailing list to join, no question.

As mentioned here many times in recent years, Cody Rasmussen, who along with his wife Emily started Desire Lines Wine Co in 2016, has made this label one of the best new wineries in California, with some stellar releases, especially his Syrah and Riesling bottlings, which I really love and have reviewed often here. Rasmussen has an amazing touch with these wines and California wine enthusiasts really should get on his list, and check out his new releases. As already noted, Cody has great experience already under his belt, having been the assistant winemaker at Bedrock Wine Co and being mentored by Morgan Twain-Peterson MW, who is one of America’s great winegrowers and a Master of Wine. Desire Lines Wine Co. says that the 2023s’ stunning beauty was the result from an exceptionally wet winter that recharged drought-stressed vines, and an unusually cold growing season that kept acids high with plenty of hang-time on the vine for flavors to ripen and concentrate, all while phenolics resolved. Rasmussen explains that everything we’ve learned about California Riesling, own-rooted old-vine Carignan, and coastal mountain Sauvignon Blanc came to fruition in 2023 thanks to these historically unusual weather conditions. So, I can confirm, throughout California the 2023 wines are elevated and are not to be missed, especially the Desire Lines offerings, from the incredible Riesling bottlings to the Syrahs, these are excellent small lot wines and unreal values too. I have loved every wine here, though I absolutely have to have the Shake Rigde Syrah and the Cole Ranch Riesling every year, and the Carignan based Evangelho Red is a Favorite too.
($35 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

n.v. Rosavica Benotti, Bruno Chinato, Roero, Piemonte, Italy.
The dark ruby and brick edged Nebbiolo Roero fueled Bruno Chinato by Rosavica Benotti is wildly aromatic stuff with loads of vivid and bitter mountain herbs, crushed flowers, grilled orange, sour rhubarb, cardamom, cinnamon, cola and a background of tart cherry, damson plum, truffle and licorice. This speciality liqueur is a Piemonte rarity and most famously made with Barolo in the best versions and is a noted health digestive, but would be brilliant in a Negroni! Rosavica Benotti, who make one of my new favorite Nebbiolo wines, uses a proprietary blend of Nebbiolo wine, fortified spirt, sweetener, a blend of selected herbs and spices, including gentian, cinchona (china) bark, orange peel, vanilla, cloves, and other local botanicals. This edition of Bruno Chinato NV was made using a base of 2017 vintage Roero Nebbiolo, which adds a certain pedigree and gives depth and complexity that is highly appreciated by lovers of this lovely after dinner treat. Chinato can be used for cocktails, or as an aperitif, with soda and lemon slice, but traditionally it is a digestif or paired with a dark chocolate dessert.

Rosavica Menotti’s winemaker, Ermanno Cordero, as I understand it, like many Piemontese, has long been an admirer of traditional Chinato, an Amaro like fusion of wine, sweetener, herbs and spirt, especially the one by legendary Barolo producer Augusto Capellano, whose grandfather is believed to have been the originator of the recipe for Barolo Chinato. In my long experience in wine, only a few Chinatos have made me go mmmmmm, one of those was the legendary Capellano Barolo Chinato and more recently G.D. Vajra’s own Barolo Chinato, so I was intrigued by this one from Rosavica Benotti, which is more vividly expressive than the other two mentioned, but one I would go again. The very limited Rosavica Benotti Bruno Chinato is finished at a local distillery in nearby Calamandana, where some top quality local Vermouth is made. Chinato, less sweet than vermouth, bitter and herbal, will not appeal to the masses, but luckily, Rosavica Benotti does an exquisite selection of Roero Nebbiolo, a fine Langhe Nebbiolo, Langhe Dolcetto and Barbera d’Alba, all of which I highly recommend. This winery is a fabulous new discovery for me, it dates back to the mid 1950s, though didn’t start bottling their own wine until 2015, and is now a label to watch!
($68 Est. – 750ML) 94 Points, grapelive

2023 Au Bon Climat, 60% Pinot Gris & 40% Pinot Blanc, Santa Barbara County.
The zesty, steely and crisp Au Bon Climat white blend, which this vintage is 60% Pinot Gris and 40% Pinot Blanc, is bright pale gold in the glass and bone dry and zingy on the lighter framed palate that shows off racy lemon, tat pear, quince and Granny Smith apple fruits. There’s plenty of lip smacking acidity and some delicate florals, along with hints of sea shore, wet stone, bitter almond and herb notes, making this Alsatian inspired white a refreshing spring and Summer wine that will pair nicely with briny sea foods. While obviously known for outstanding and legendary Piont Noir and Chardonnay, Au Bon Climat has a long history of doing fantastic blended whites, especially their famous Hildegard, a blend typically 55% Pinot Gris, 40% Pinot Blanc and 5% Aligoté. A few years on now from the loss of the legendary Jim Clandenen, Au Bon Climat continues to be a force in the wine world and produces a brilliant array of coastal marine climate wines. I always can count on the ABC Santa Barbara Pinot, it’s always a delightful bottle and a super value, but again don’t overlook the whites here!

The Au Bon Climat Winery says that the grapes here were harvested with low sugar and high acidity, the crisp Pinot Gris portion of the blend supplies the energy, while the Pinot Blanc delivers minerality and depth. The majority of Pinot Gris is harvested from Sierra Madre Vineyard and the Pinot Blanc portion is from the famous Bien Nacido Vineyard, the jewel of the Santa Maria Valley appellation. The 2023 vintage experienced a prolonged and cool growing season, which helped give extra hang time with exceptional acidity, as seen here in this exceptionally brisk and zingy white. The winemaking started with the Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc grapes being carefully harvested by hand, whole-cluster pressed and barrel-fermented in neutral French oak. This vintage, the winery notes, saw full Malolactic fermentation being allowed to complete in barrel and the wine is rested on the fine lees for 6 to 8 months, blended and racked back to barrel for a couple of months before bottling. Jim’s kids Isabelle Clendenen and Knox Alexander Clendenen have done a great job of continuing the quality, style and personality of Au Bon Climat and I recommend checking out the current collection of wines.
($22 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive

2022 Domaine Bechtold, Pinot Gris “Nef des Folles” Vin d’Alsace, France.
Alsace has seen some changes and there has even been a number of wineries exploring skin maceration whites, and one that really caught my attention for complexity and balance was this brilliant Bechtold version with a lovely cooper/pink hue in the glass and a dry vibrant palate. This “Nef des Folles” (Pinot Gris), which translates to “the nave of the mad” an ode to this unique skin contact and no sulfur natural and organic wine, is a compelling effort with bright citrus, red apple, strawberry and quince fruits, a subtle savory tone, a light touch of spice, saline, minty herbs, florals, wet stone and delicate orange tea notes. The Pinot Gris grapes, according to the winery, come from the Obere Hund vineyard and are macerated for twelve days on its skins and aged in a single old foudre, making for more textural pleasure, while retaining crisp mineral detailing, as seen here. With air you get more leesy elements and a long finish, this wine will show its best with food, especially soft cheeses and ham dishes.

The Domaine Bechtold, with some impressive vineyard sites in Alsace, is run by Jean-Marie Bechtold, who is the fourth generation to lead here and has an outstanding reputation for producing top notch classically styled wines. The winery notes that Jean-Marie began working with his father in 1980 and took the reins in 1995 and now works with about 12 hectares of vines, with parcels in the Grand Cru Engelberg being his most prized. The estate itself is located in Dahlenheim, west of Strasbourg in the slopes of the “Couronne d’Or”, a region of Alsace with 2000 years of viticultural history. Bechtold is conceded a traditional Alsace estate and has long embraced organic farming and now Jean-Marie Bechtold, as the winery adds, is currently making the conversion to full biodynamic viticulture. To be true to each terroir and family style, Bechtold’s fermentations are mainly all done in stainless steel tanks with the objective of capturing the fresh acidity and typical dry style of the region, along with an elegant personality and a lighter feel, while this one is an outliner, but still delivering the core style. Bechtold, whose wines I’ve enjoyed for many years, does an excellent set of varietal offerings and an outstanding Crément bubbly, all of which I recommend.
($28 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive

2022 Arianna Occhipinti, Il Frappato, Terre SiciIiane I.G.T. Rosso, Sicily, Italy.
The newest release of Arianna Occhipinti’s Il Frappato is quite reserved and is best with food to bring out its shy fruit, but really blossoms in the glass as it fully unwinds revealing a vibrant array of red fruits, mineral tones, a transparent earthiness, exotic spice and minty herbs. I was thrilled by how good this wine was on day two and three, as I followed its progress, which brought out the full palate of flavors and richness. There’s a bright sense of natural acidity and silky tannins, weighted like a Pinot Noir or Cru Beaujolais, but with interesting lingonberry, tart huckleberry leading the way here, along with a classic core strawberry, hints of truffle, fennel, walnut, delicate lilac florals and loam. One of Sicily’s most coveted wines, Arianna Occhipinti’s Il Frappato is a natural wine icon and her signature wine made from her estate vines in the Vittoria region in southeast of the island, the native home to Frappato. The Occhipinti family, Arianna and her uncle Guisto Ochhipinti of COS Winery has almost single handedly brought fame and attention to this region and Frappato!

The Frappato grapes, as noted before in my previous reviews, are organically grown on the red sandstone and chalky (limestone) soils that are the hallmark on this side of the Island at just under 900 feet of elevation with an average vine age of 40 years, which shows in the subtle concentration of flavors and the energy of holistic farming approach that Arianna employs. According to her cellar notes the Il Frappato sees a long maceration with 50 days of skin maceration, with 100% indigenous yeasts for fermentation with absolutely no additions or manipulation and very low sulfur if any. The is always a sultry, raw charm and personality that mirrors Occhipinti in her wines, they are singular and authentic without flashy adornment, like this dark ruby/garnet Il Frappato that shows ultra transparency, coming from traditional aging, it saw 14 months in large neutral Slovenian Oak barrels. The latest unfiltered and all organic Il Frappato, that comes in at 12.5% natural alcohol, is fresh, ultra dry and highly quaffable, it shows off a flexible personally that makes it great with a range of cuisine choices and should drink nicely for 3 to 5 years. I hadn’t had the Il Frappato in a couple of vintages and it shows that Occhipinti is evolving as a winemaker and I am exciting to try the rest of her current releases in the near future.
($45 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2021 Cantina Luca Leggero Villareggia, Langhe Dolcetto DOC “Retro” Canavese, Piemonte, Italy.
A very new discovery, Luca Ledger’s beautiful and transparent dark garnet/ruby Langhe Dolcetto DOC “Retro” from the Alta Langhe’s Canavese area in Piemonte is a tasty red wine with dark fruits, floral tones, a light dusting of spices, fine tannins and sweet and sour herbal notes. This medium bodied Dolcetto, which saw 7 months in stainless steel tank, has a mix of huckleberry, black cherry, currant and brambly blackberry fruits on the slightly earthy, nicely dry and mineral palate. The winemaking at Cantina Luca Leggero is, as winery notes, natural, diverse and carefully tailored to each wine, utilizing amphorae and large oak barrels. Terracotta (clay) Amphorae, as Luca notes is an ancient method of winemaking, is a vessel which allows the wines to mature gradually while preserving the distinctive grape aromas. Large oak barrels, used exclusively for red wines, impart depth and complexity, softening tannins and harmonizing flavors, while the Dolcetto, as mentioned above, saw exclusively the stainless steel. This 2021 Retro Dolcetto was a joy to experience and reminded me again of how much I like this grape, in fact the very first case of wine I ever ordered and bought was an old school Dolcetto d’Alba in the early 1980s.

The Luca Leggero Winery, based in the small Piemonte village of Villareggia, specializes in organic and sustainable winemaking, with a signature collection of red and white wines, led by their Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG. The winery says Luca’s journey into winemaking began at the young age of sixteen when he started experimenting in his home cellar, learning the intricacies of grape pressing, fermentation, and refinement. Going on a few years, Leggero planted his first vineyards in 2011, after which Luca established his winery with a focus on Nebbiolo, as well as Docetto, as seen here, along with the mentioned Erbaluce. Everything is done with a respect for nature and Leggero is committed to environmental sustainability, working with organic principles and making wines that show off terroir influences. The “morenic” soil of Villareggia, in the Canavese zone of the Alta Langhe, where the Leggero vineyards are located, is rich in sand and rock fragments from the movements of ancient glaciers. This unique soil composition, the winery explains, forces the vine roots to grow deep in search of nutrients, resulting in concentrated grapes that produce mineral-rich wines. This producer was a happy new discovery, imported to California by Tanaro River Imports, and I’m excited to try the whole lineup of Luca’s wines, especially the Erbaluce di Caluso DOCG white and the Amphora raised Nebbiolo, both of which sound like very interesting offerings.
($27 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2023 Domaine Sylvain Bailly, Sancerre Blanc “Terroirs” Loire Valley, France.
Super bright, steely and crystalline pure this Bailly Terroirs Sancerre shows off loads of gooseberry, lemon/lime, tart white peach and muskmelon fruits along with zingy and saline rich acidity, wet stone, tangy herbs and a lingering pithy note. Delightfully fresh, with subtle aromatics and vivid in the glass, begging for some briny shellfish, creamy cheese and or sunny day, this wine delivers everything you’d want of Sauvignon Blanc and is extremely quaffable, but seriously focused and terroir driven. Domaine Sylvain Bailly’s terroirs, according to their importer Beaune Imports, have sustainably farmed vines and composed of roughly 60% chalky soils and 40% clay-based soils, which adds to the balance and complexity in the wine, as seen here. These days, with so many generic and or boring whites, Bailly is a top option in this price point, it is happy with being an aperitif and or with a full meal, drink over the next couple years.

The Domaine Sylvain Bailly Sancerre estate, which has roots that go back to around 1700, has close to 12 hectares and is made up of 23 independent parcels, with most of their vineyards located near to the small village of Bué with mostly Sauvignon Blanc vines in both Sancerre AOC and the near by Quincy AOC. Today Jacques Bailly, son of Sylvain Bailly, runs the estate with the help of daughter Sonia, who joined the domaine as winemaker in 2007. For the Terroirs cuvée Bailly employes all inox fermentation and aging here to highlight purity and deliver the clear expression of the chalky limestone and capturing all the energy and every fresh detail of the Sauvignon Blanc grapes grown in this part of the Loire Valley. This is a wine that I always feel gives a perfect reflection of vintage and is wonderfully quaffable and guilt free. This estate is a reliable go to for quality and a little bit extra dimension, whether it’s this bottling of Sancerre or their under the radar Quincy, which I like almost as much and I highly recommend them.
($30 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2006 Weingut Dönnhoff, Riesling Spätlese, Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg, Nahe, Germany.
One of the last all Helmut Dönnhoff wines, before turning the the winery over to his hugely talented son Cornelius, is this golden nectar, which is a beautifully mature Spätlese from a difficult year and shows just how good this producer is and how good the terroir here in the Nahe is! Young or well aged, these Dönnhoff wines are always treats for which I am always grateful for, especially when they are surprises, and this Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg Spätlese was a perfect way to start countdown to Riesling’s birthday on March 13, when it turns a spritely 590 years old. It’s also only a few days from my own birthday, which usually also involves celebrating this grape. The 2006 Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg, which is a deep golden/amber in the glass, has a rich palate of apricot compote, quince jam, lemon marmalade, lychee, honeyed apple and dried pineapple fruits and the sweetness has tamed significantly and it is coming nicely into full balance and in a lovely window, with hints of clove, wet stone, smoky mineral, petrol fumes, a mix of spices, bitter almond, rosewater and chamomile. Typically the Dönnhoff Spätlese offerings are done exclusively in stainless steel with between 6 to 9 months of lees contact, allowing for distinctive elements from each vineyard to shine through and they do develop wonderfully in the bottle for those that are patient. Still very lively with a good vein of acidity, this 2006 should go a bit more, but is complex and texturally rewarding right now. I was lucky enough to taste through some of the 2023s and they are looking like brilliant vintage to stock up on, and while the dry efforts, especially the GGs due out this fall, are sublime, don’t forget to grab some of the sweeter wines. This bottling sometimes gets released as a cellar aged “R” or Reserve, currently available in the 2018 vintage, and is one to look for, along with the classic Oberhäuser Brücke Riesling Spätlese, Norheimer Kirschheck Riesling Spätlese and my usual favorite Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Riesling Spätlese.

The VDP Grosse Lage (Grand Cru) Schlossböckelheimer Felsenberg is set on complex mineral rich, volcanic igneous roc kor porphyry soils and is one of Dönnhoff’s most prized vineyards, it is capable of sublime dry and or sweet wines, and in this class a beautiful maturing Spätlese. Cornelius Dönnhoff, who took over from his dad Helmut in 2007 or so, runs the estate with precision and has become one of Germany’s best winemakers. To preserve laser-like focus and clarity in the wines, the grapes are pressed as soon as possible, almost always within a couple of hours of harvest, with each parcel farmed to produce the purest expression of the site. Cornelius ferments both in wood and tank, using traditional German casks, like 1200L stückfass and 2400L doppelstück, as well as stainless steel, all with spontaneous yeasts employed. Donnhoff’s cellar, as Riesling guru Terry Theise was first to tell me, is unique in its capacity to hold all of its production entirely in stainless steel or in cask, allowing for the ideal élevage for any wine at any point during a vintage. The Dönnhoff’s are responsible stewards of the environment and use organic methods in the vineyards, and although the Nahe is a dry region, dry farms the vineyards to encourage deep rooted vines. The winery adds that the soil is covered with organic material like straw and compost to preserve water and to avoid evaporation and erosion in the heavy rains that can hit this region and its steep slopes. Again I’m looking forward to writing more about the current releases here at Dönnhoff, which were fabulous, to celebrate Riesling’s upcoming birthday, so watch this space over the course of the next four weeks or so. Wines of Germany (part of the German Wine Institute) reminded me, Riesling, from its first written mention in Germany’s Rheingau region in 1435 to its continued reign as one of the most loved and versatile white wines, Riesling has proven that it’s not just a wine for history books—but one that fits every modern palate, too. Whether you love it dry, sweet or somewhere in between, there’s a German Riesling, especially here at Dönnhoff, that’s perfect for any wine enthusiast!
($55 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2023 Olek Bondonio “Grignleo” Piemonte Grignolino DOC, Piemonte, Italy.
The absolutely delicious, fun and nicely rounded “Grignleo” Piemonte Grignolino DOC is made at the highly regarded Olek Bondonio winery in Asti by his assistant winemaker Sindi Mandiqi and, as I understand it, named after her dog and in his memory. Lightly garnet/ruby in the glass, this fresh Grignolino is a bit Nebbiolo like with sour cherry, strawberry, burnt orange and tart plum fruits, along with a pop of peppery spice, mineral tones, dried rose petals and a hint of earthy leather. This vibrant red wine can be served with a slight chill and be enjoyed as an aperitif with a meat board. Bondonio, now famous for cult Barbaresco, was late getting into wine, despite his noted ancestry with 200 years of grape growing and highly-regarded vines, including his holding of Roncagliette cru parcels in Barbaresco, which is just down his driveway, immediately abutting Gaja’s famous Sorì Tildin! Olek only began his foray into wine in 2005 with the encouragement of his Polish mother, hence his first name, who told him if he was interested in making wine off the family vineyards, he should do it. Bondonio is not ego driven and relies on natural, minimum intervention winemaking, based in the family’s 200 year-old farmhouse called ‘La Berchialla,’ where keeps his Botti wine barrels, once where cattle were kept. It’s noted that one of Olek’s ancestors of the farm La Berchialla, a General Guglielmo Como, was a key founder of the famous Produttori del Barbaresco. I believe, this 2023 Bondonio Grignolino “Grignleo” is Sindi Mandiqi’s first vintage, and is an admirable effort and a great quaffable wine to enjoy over the next year or two.

The Grignolino grape, which has a mixed reputation, is as most experts believe to native to the Monferrato hills, located between the towns of Asti and Casale, and is a red Italian wine grape variety almost exclusively found in the Piemonte region of northwestern Italy, not to far from Torino. Grignolino makes for typically light colored wines and rosés with very fruity and floral aromas, and it can have strong acidity and rustic tannins, though modern styles have more gentle macerations and show the grape in a more silky way that had been the case in older times. The name Grignolino derives from the word grignole which means “many pips” in the local Piedmontese dialect of the Asti region, which had been the reason for bitterness and harsh flavors. Grignolino has now found its way to the new world, once a curiosity it has found a happy home in California and Australia with even famous Napa producer Heitz Cellars being long time makers of Grignolino. But, the younger generation of Piemonte winemakers has turned up the quality and the number of delicious versions is on the rise, as this wine shows. The Grignolino wine is fermented in large cement tanks with native yeasts and aged in large Botti, with Slavonian Gamba and Stockinger (Austrian oak) used. Everything at Bondonio is raw and transparent in style and every grape is organic and there’s only the very minimum use of sulfur, with the wines being vastly different to his legendary neighbor. While best known for the Barbarescos, like his Starderi and signature Roncagiette, Bondonio does a set of Barbera, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo offerings, as well as this Grignolino and the rare Pelaverga, all of which are tasty and I recommend chasing them down.
($26 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive

2023 Chalone Vineyard, Chenin Blanc, Estate Grown Heritage Vines, Chalone, Monterey County.
As a long time Chalone admirer, it is great to see the label rebound and be taken seriously after a few years in the wilderness and I really liked their latest old vine Chenin, from mainly vines originally planted back in 1919. This unique California version, now under the care of winemaker Greg Freeman, sees a bit different treatment, with 100% stainless steel fermentation and ultra short tank aging, making for a pure, bone dry and electric style wine. The palate is ripe and forward, with lovely concentration and loads of crisp acidity, it shows of honeyed peach, quince, apple and lemony citrus, along with subtle herbs, white blossoms, chalky stones and a hint of verbena. The estate picks were fairly quick but there was some variation of Brix and that gives this bit of sweet and sour accent and it should be structured enough to age, it will be interesting to see how this Loire inspired Chenin Blanc develops, especially since I recently really enjoyed the 2012 and 2014 versions. Chenin Blanc is seeing a wave of enthusiasm in California and there’s a lot of good stuff available wide array of top notch producers from Santa Barbara to Mendocino.

The historic Chalone Estate, as I’ve noted in prior reviews, is mostly known for some classic Pinot Nor and Chardonnay wines, is in the middle of a serious re-birth and I am excited for the newest collection of wines, but the early years in the 1970s were blessed with some classic Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Chenin. There’s been a few owners here, especially after the death of Richard Graff, who along with Phil Woodward, made this label one of California’s best, rivaling the likes of contemporaries like Mount Eden, Hanzell and Joseph Swan to name a few. In the past the Chenin had been done in a combination of barrel and tank and then blended, and it some years it was almost off dry, which helped some vintages age, but now done super dry and stainless only it seems less patience will be required. Chalone, as a terroir is chalky with veins of limestone and rolling hills that get cool breezes from the Ocean, but is significantly warmer than in the past, so certain varietals are finding it difficult to be as elegant and focused as they once were, but so far the Chenin is still doing all the right things. It’s plain to see that Pinot Noir and even Syrah are suffering when you get a hot year here, but thankfully 2023 and 2024 were cool vintages and there’s a lot of excitement.
($30 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2023 Clos Canarelli, Corse Figari Blanc, Vermentinu, Coscia, France.
The Clos Canarelli Corse Figari Blanc, 100% Vermentino aka Vermentinu, as locals call it, is a brilliant white wine, one of my absolute favorites of the Mediterranean region with presence, tension and vinous pleasure, it never fails to impress and thrill in the glass. Loaded with zest and mineral intensity this vintage is slight smoky reductive with flinty notes and a medium bodied palate of tart peach, tangerine, earthy melon and crisp apple fruits, a touch of spice, almond bitterness, wet stones, wild herbs, a subtle round wood feel and a fresh salty sea shore element. This bright gold and stony wine, by the legendary Yves Canarelli, is from all organic and biodynamically certified vines planted in 1997, set on pure granite based soils, which helps keep that fresh detail and the mentioned mineral intensity. For this bottling, Canarelli employs a gentle whole cluster pressing and tank fermentation with a small portion of which is barrel fermented and sees partial malolactic, with aging done in mostly in large foudres, along with some older, neutral small barrels. As mentioned before, I love all of these Canarelli wines, and while most are from native grapes, they do have some international varietals still mixed in here with smatterings of Cinsault, Syrah, Muscat and Grenache, to go along with ancient Etruscan imports like Sciaccarellu (Mammolo) and Niellucciu (Sangiovese) which are now considered long time indigenous grapes. Canarelli has also brought back to life grapes like Carcaghjolu Neru, Biancu Gentile and Minustellu, that were almost lost to history.

Clos Canarelli, as importer Kermit Lynch notes, is based near the remote village of Tarabucetta, outside of Figari on the southern tip of Corsica, and along with Abbatucci, is one of Corsica’s leading lights, handcrafting a stunning array of wines based on traditionally native grapes. Yves Canarelli has made quite an impact not only in Corsica, Lynch adds, but in mainland France as well, such are the glories from his cellar. As a former student of economics who turned to enology, Lynch continues, Yves strikes a fascinating balance between thoughtful intellectual and ardent traditionalist. Since taking over the family domaine in 1993, he has championed the restoration of native Corsican varietals, bringing attention to some long forgotten rarities like Carcaghjolu Biancu, Paga Debiti, Barbarossa and Biancu Gentile, to name a few. The appellation Corse Figari lies along a plateau just inland from the coast, where grapes have been farmed since the 5th century B.C. and even though Figari is regarded as the most ancient growing region of Corsica, it still is way under the radar. Kermit Lynch believes it has taken pioneers like Canarelli to bring it to the world’s attention. If you’ve never had Corsican wines, you must try these Clos Canarelli wines, especially their Corse Figari Rouge, made from 80% Niellucciu, 15% Syrah, 5% Sciaccarellu, and this Corse Figari Blanc Vermentinu, both of which are standard bearers of quality and terroir. In recent years, as I’ve written in some of my reviews, Canarelli has done a limited series of white and reds that are Amphora raised, which are really standouts in his lineup ad I highly recommend searching them out, they are worth the extra pennies, or big bills, but the regular bottlings like this are seriously rewarding too.
($45 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2019 Ridge Vineyards, Zinfandel, Pagani Ranch, Sonoma Valley.
The glass staining dark purple/garnet Ridge Pagani Zinfandel again shows off a full bodied palate of black raspberries, sweet plum, creme de cassis, sandalwood, Turkish fig, sticky lavender and mocha notes. This 2019 vintage, which saw 90% Zinfandel, 6% Petite Sirah and 4% Alicante Bouschet in the blend, is deep and has lovely aromatics with subtle toasty sweet wood, dark florals, all spice and mineral toned graphite notes and even open 24 hours holds nice acidity and feels perfectly structured in the mouth. Sonoma Valley’s Pagani, like Bedrock and Old Hill Ranch dates back to the late 1800s and is Heritage Vineyard, interplanted traditionally with historic vines led by Zinfandel, which is clearly dominate in this Rigde version. Like their classic Lytton Springs, in Dry Creek, there is a dose of old vine Alicante Bouschet here, which acts like a secret sauce here and adds to magic, while the Petite Sirah adds color, chocolate and a bit of a backbone to the Zinfandel main course. Ridge brought in Shauna Rosenblum, in 2022, who’s family has Zin in their veins, to make the Sonoma wines, following John Olney, Mr Lytton Springs, and she’s done a fabulous job of continuing the excellence we’ve come to expect in these wines. As this 2019 finished up it really filled out adding some savory briar and subtle earthiness which was even more compelling.

The Pagani Ranch, as I’ve mentioned before, was originally planted by Felice Pagani in the 1890s and many of the old vines still provide the base for this wine, even though Ridge’s blocks have seen some re-planting with some young vines coming into production with the 2015 vintage, though overall most of the acreage here consists of 100 plus year old vines, which are, as you’d expect, mostly Zinfandel along with a small percentage of Alicante Bouschet, Mataro (Mourvedre) and Petite Sirah. Ridge, as the winery notes, has produced a Pagani Ranch bottling each year since 1991, adding that the foggy mornings here, on this picturesque site just off Hwy 12 near the town of Kenwood, the gravel, loam and clay soils and the old vines make for small yields and energy filled berries that makes these wines compelling with fruit density and savory complexity with moderate tannins, all of which allows these wines to be enjoyed young, but still have good aging potential. Ridge promotes sustainable and organic methods and makes these Zinfandel wines with low intervention using native or indigenous yeasts and natural malos. The Ridge wines are most all aged in specially extended air dried American oak barrels, with this wine seeing mostly used wood and saw an elevage of about 12 months before bottling. I, as noted many times, am a huge fan of Ridge’s Zin blends and Carignane bottlings and I highly recommend chasing down this Pagani.
($55 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

2020 Domaine du Bel Air – Gauthier, AOC Bourgueil Rouge “Grand Mont” Loire Valley, France.
The depth and complexity here in the Gauthier’s 2020 Domaine du Bel Air Grand Mont Bourgueil Rouge is nothing short of exceptional and it should age for an eternity in the bottle, maybe 25 years or more, but it is a gorgeously pure Cabernet France now too. This dark garnet and ruby edged beauty delivers a classic earthy seduction of Loire Franc with medium/full bodied palate of crushed blackberry, wild plum, red currant and black cherry fruits, along with a mix of violets, a light note of herbaceous bell pepper, leather, minty anise, cedar, chalk and truffle. The youthful tannins and acidity are gripping and catch your attention, but they are not harsh, they just remind you of how serious this wine is and the finish is outstanding, you’ll be rewarded for patience and best to enjoy it with a hearty meal. This is a sublime effort, and I tasted this on a day when I had the famed Clos Rougeard, which was glorious but this Bourgueil more than held its own.

Years ago, when importer Beaune Imports, while searching for a producer in the Bourgueil area of the Loire Valley, it was none other than the late legendary Didier Dagueneau who was the first to recommend Pierre Gauthier to them and his wines have been a big part of my own celebration of Bourgueil, along with the Bretons. Pierre Gauthier broke on to the Loire Cab Franc seen in 1979, and now with his son Rodolphe at his side making the wines his estate is one of the best of the region. As Beaune Imports notes, this master of Cabernet Franc farms 18 hectares in the village of Benais—the heart of the Bourgueil AOC, with all natural methods, employing a second late pruning and green harvests to improve quality and concentration. The Gauthier way is to de-stem 100% of their grapes and employ native yeasts for long cuvaisons in cement vats lasting up to three weeks after which the wine is pressed off to larger old barrels to be aged. The cru Grand Mont is one of the regions most prized vineyard sites with the famous Tufa (chalky) limestone very much influencing the wines here, and this deep version is absolutely stunning.
($55 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

2023 Domaine Courbet, Poulsard, AOC Côtes du Jura, France.
The beautifully delicate and light pale ruby hued Courbet Poulsard is fresh, vivid and slightly savory in the glass with crushed berries and herbaceous aromas and a light framed palate of tart strawberry, sour cherry, orange and red peach fruits, along with stony/mineral tones, peppery spices, minty notes and a lingering earthy element. Coming from ancient seabed and limestone soils, this organic Poulsard, which was hand tended and harvested, saw a natural indigenous yeast fermentation and almost no sulfur. It’s well known that Poulsard has very loose bunches with very thin skins, making sorting very important for the best results. The Courbet’s red grapes are de-stemmed and this Poulsard sees a 24 hour cold soak and then is fermented and then aged a full year exclusively in stainless steel vat, all to produce a wine of purity and crisp detail, as this 2023 vintage perfectly and transparently shows.

Maybe a bit surprising, all biodynamic Domaine Courbet flies under the radar, but is one of the oldest and most traditionally natural family estates in the Jura and Château Chalon, which was originally founded in 1869 with vineyards, livestock and grains. Over generations Domaine Courbet gradually evolved to grow only grapes and make wine here for the last 50 years and is now run by the father and son tram of Jean-Marie and Damie Courbet. Their estate is tiny by modern standards at just about 7.5 hectares of vineyards, but with prime parcels in the famed Château-Chalon, as well as plots around Domblans and Menétru. Courbet’s US West Coast importer Beaune Imports says the reds, all farmed Biodynamic since 2005, like this Poulsard, the Trousseau, and Pinot Noir, are grown in light marne soils with some limestone, which contribute to the wines having distinct terroir. I was thrilled to taste through the current releases here at Courbet, courtesy of Beaune Imports and I was very impressed with the whole lineup, with the reds, especially the Trousseau and this Poulsard being standouts.
($40 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive

2021 La Marea by Ian Brand, Grenache, Central Coast.
Again I’ve focused quite a bit of attention on these new releases from Ian Brand, and his La Marea label, especially this exceptional Grenache value coming from his collection of unique and old vine vineyard sites in both San Benito and Monterey Counties, which shows off wonderful purity and varietal character. As seen in prior releases, the La Marea Grenache has an almost Pinot like silky palate with loads of juicy crushed red berries, plum, pomegranate and strawberry fruit(s) that is accented by subtle savory and earthy notes, fresh cut flowers, wild herbs, spice, anise and chalky stoniness. Good acidity, thanks to the cool climate effect of the vintage and the portion of this wine coming from the Ventana Vineyard in Arroyo Seco that provides energy and inner brightness, contrasting nicely with the more fruit density found in the warmer and old vine sites in the mix here. This late release 2021 vintage has really evolved beautifully and is drinking great right now, with this Grenache delivering a performance that goes way beyond the price and is very flexible with food choices, it should go well with all your favorite cuisines, but in particular it shines with grilled meats. Ian Brand has helped define modern Rhône style wines in the Monterey and San Benito area of the Central Coast, making a fresher, low alcohol, and transparent collection of offerings. The newest La Marea wines really are standouts for the price, be sure to check them out as soon as possible, and they are going to sell pretty quickly as Brand’s club members and mailing list usually snap them up fast.

Ian Brand’s La Marea Central Coast Grenache is sourced from multiple sites, including the famous Besson Vineyard, a historic vineyard with vines well over 90 years old, that is set on rocky soils influenced by decomposed granite, limestone and sand. All of which give this wine its concentration and tannic back-bone, was fermented mainly in tank using mostly de-stemmed grapes. The wine was matured for a few months in neutral French oak to allow for transparent nuance and varietal purity, which clearly has worked successfully here in this vintage, especially. This La Marea lineup is Ian Brand’s middle tier collection of Spanish inspired wines, mostly known for the fabulous Albariño, as well as this Garnacha style wine. As I’ve mentioned before, there are some similarities in the La Marea Grenache to the beautifully crafted wines from Spain’s Sierra de Gredos region in the mountains above Madrid. In recent years, as noted previously, we’ve seen some star examples of Grenache in California and not just the nose bleed priceed versions from Sine Qua Non or Saxum, but from producers like Ian Brand here, along with Turley’s Tegan Passalacqua, (Turley Cellars & Sandlands), Angela Osborne, (Tribute to Grace & Folded Hills), Sheldon Wines, Birichino, Randall Grahm, (Language of Yes), Stolpman, Tablas Creek and Whitcraft to name just a few. If you are a Rhône enthusiast, Brand does some must try wines, including his single vineyard series under his signature label with his Besson Vineyard Grenache and his Graff Mourvedre from the Chalone AVA being two I’d recommend, along with this one.
($25 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2023 Domaine Pêcheur, Cuvée des Trois Cépages, AOC Côtes du Jura, France.
The elegant, limpid pale ruby/garnet hued and delicately crafted Côtes du Jura Rouge “Cuvée des Trois Cépages” by Domaine Pêcheur is a pretty equal blend of Poulsard, Pinot Noir and Trousseau that delivers a smooth and fresh palate of bright cherry, strawberry, brambly huckleberry and burnt orange fruits, along with subtle earthiness, a stony element, briar spice, faint rose petal florals minty herbs and a light sense of cedary wood. This wine really captures the soul of the Jura region in the glass, it delivers a classic performance and is definitely a great wine to start exploring this unique winegrowing area. The domaine has many older vine parcels scattered in the slopes of the Côtes du Jura and does a range of small lot handcrafted wines, these include single varietal offerings of Chardonnay, Poulsard, Trousseau, Pinot Noir and Savagnin, along with a couple of blends, like this one, as well as a Crémant du Jura, which gets a full three years on the yeast. The whites, mainy done with oxidative complexity, still are vibrant and mineral driven, but will mostly only appeal to the hardcore Jura fans, though the reds are more crowd pleasing, especially this very easy quaffable Cuvée des Trois Cépages (Three Grapes Cuvée) that enjoys a slight chill and rustic cuisine.

The Domaine Pêcheur, founded in 1976, is owned by Christian, who studied at Lycée Viticole in Beaune, and Patricia Pêcheur, started with a tiny parcel of vines in the Darbonnay area of the Jura and now produce a classic selection of regional offerings, including a traditional Château-Chalon Vin Jaune and lighter framed and delicious reds like this one. The Pêcheurs, according to their importer Rosenthal Wine Merchants, currently have eight hectares with vineyards primarily situated on the hillside slopes of the villages of Darbonnay and Passenans with an extension into the fabled town of Voiteur for the production of their Château-Chalon. Rosenthal also notes that their vineyards are planted to the classic Jura mix of grape types, which includes Chardonnay, Savagnin, Ploussard, Trousseau and Pinot Noir. The average age of the vineyards here is between 35 to 50 years, which makes for good concentration and complexity in the Pêcheur wines, and the soils are a stony, pebbly mix of limestone, clay and dolomite that adds to the mineral intensity and terroir influence. The Pêcheur whites, as Rosenthal notes, are all barrel-fermented and barrel-aged with their Chardonnay spending two years in barrel without topping up or “non-ouillé” in the traditional sherry like Jura style, while the reds are gently macerated, mostly all de-stemed and then generally aged in small, older barrels for at least one year. I really like this Cuvée des Trois Cépages and recommend it to Jura fans, as well as those that haven’t yet experienced the region in any meaningful way.
($30 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive

2021 Terroir Al Limit, Terra de Cuques Negre, Priorat DOQ, Spain.
Coming from different vineyards around Torroja del Priorat, this Terroir Al Limit Terra de Cuques Negre with 50% Carignan and 50% Grenache is a beautiful blend of local varieties, that, as the winery says, perfectly captures the complex soul and soils of the Torroja terroir. The deep color and dark floral aromatics alone captivate and seduce the senses and the full bodied and firmly tannic palate complete the mission with a gorgeous array of boysenberry, black cherry, plum, blueberry coulis and currant compote, as well as mineral crunchiness, savory Umami, wild shrubs, dried herbs, flinty stone and licorice. The Priorat is widely known for areas of black slate and contrasting clay and sparse soils, with the winery explaining that the Llicorella soil grown Carignan establishes the structure, backbone and acidity while clay-born Grenache lends the elegant (and richness) expression of red fruit. The organically and biodynamically farmed vines range from 25 to 40 years old and grow up at 400 meters in elevation, which explains the intensity or fruit and good acidity seen here. The winery goes on to mention that the carefully selected grapes are vinified for about 10 days in whole bunches with wild yeasts in cement and inox tanks before before being pressed off and then the wine sees close to 8 months of further aging, also in cement and inox (stainless tanks), which is a savvy move away from the more oak driven wines of the 90s and early 2000s. The Catalan DO Priorat was formally created in 1954, noted for its black slate and quartz soil known as llicorella, is one of only two wine regions in Spain to qualify as (a) DOCa, the highest qualification level for a wine region, sitting the Priorat alongside Rioja in significance.

The Terroir Al Limit, as noted in prior reviews, has old vines planted mainly to Garnatxa Negra and Carinyena for their red wines, along with Garnatxa Blanca and Macabeu for the whites, which all are hand harvested, with direct, whole cluster pressing for the whites, and whole cluster fermentation for the reds, as seen here, all with, as noted above, indigenous yeast, and fermented and aged in concrete or steel tanks exclusively. Proprietors Jaume Sabaté, Carlos Masia and the very influential Dominik Huber, along with the talented winemaker Tatjana Peceric, have made this small label one of the most sought after in the Priorat region of Spain with Terroir Al Limit winery now having world wide fame, especially with the speciality importer Eric Solomon at European Cellars getting them into the hands of the American market. The Terroir al Limit label is the flagship range of wines, like this one, deeply inspired by the very old winemaking traditions of Burgundy. Dominik Huber has now fully embraced a biodynamic approach to viticulture, coupled with a gentle, non-intrusive winemaking style that favors whole-bunch fermentation, and concrete or amphora aging as an alternative to oak, which had at times hid the true personality and sense of place. I found this wine to absolutely spot on, reminding me of Saint Cosme Gigondas and Maxime Magnon in Corbières, who Carignan based wines are some of my favorites. Priorat’s history is long one, with grape growing and wine production dating back to the 12th century, when the Carthusian Monastery of Scala Dei was founded in 1194, introducing the art of viticulture here. These carefully selected plots of Garnacha and Carignan, pay tribute to traditions, are individually expressed through this collection of site-specific wines that set Terroir Al Limit apart and make them highly coveted, and I highly recommend them all, especially this one.
($60 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

2018 Clos Rougeard, Saumur-Champigny Rouge, Loire Valley, France.
The young and medium bodied 2018 Clos Rougeard Saumur-Champigny Rouge, 100% Cabernet Franc, starts with an earthy and red fruited nose and its garnet and ruby edged hue in the glass with a palate of red currant, blackberry, dusty cherry and tangy plum fruits, along with hints of anise, leather, wild mushroom, bell pepper and violet flowers. This wine, known as “Le Clos” is made from 15 separate organic clayey-limestone plots in Saumur-Chapigny area of the Loire Valley, which the winery says, preserves the natural crisp purity fruit of the Cabernet Franc grapes and expresses the often delicate and spicy floral notes, as seen here on Clos Rougeard’s gorgeous 2018 vintage. One of the first cult natural wines, the legendary Clos Rougeard, producers of unicorn bottlings of Cab Franc and Chenin Blanc, are not often seen out in the world, so it was a thill to try this bottle recently. It’s a rare occasion to try these highly coveted wines and this was perfect chance to make notes of a current vintage and savor it at my own pace. At Clos Rougeard, the wines evolve and refine over time, as they themselves say, they are best after many years in the cellar, though this 2018 was already showing fabulously well. The finesse and depth here are the results of minimum intervention in cellar, and two full years‘ barrel aging and several years’ bottle aging in the Foucault’s tuffeau stone cellars, seven meters below ground.

The famous Clos Rougeard, pioneers in natural winemaking in the Saumur area and totally organic for close to eight generations, produces some of the world’s greatest Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc in Saumur-Champigny, near the village of Chacé in the Loire Valley. The estate was taken over by brothers Bernard (better known as “Nady”) and the late Charly Foucault in 1969, even though it has been in family hands since 1894. As well documented over the last 20 to 30 years, Clos Rougeard has a cult producer, and collector item for the true enthusiast set, because of the high quality and extremely limited nature of the wines. Clos Rougeard makes around 2500 cases annually, and if you get any, you are very lucky indeed, especially the Brézé (Chenin) and the single cru Francs, led by the Les Poyeux, a wine to rival first growths and Burgundy Grand Crus and the Le Bourg, which the winery feels is the ripest and fleshier of the two. Staying true to their passion, Clos Rougeard has not used chemicals in the vineyard for over a hundred years now. Over the last 20 years I’ve been able to experience Clos Rougeard a handful of times and I’m always blown away with the depth and complexity of the wines, though there was a gap between the last time and this bottle of Saumur-Champigny Rouge, which allowed me to look and sample it from a new perspective, but with no less sense awe, these are iconic Loire Valley wines that should be on your bucket list. The loss of Charly a few years ago now, had been a huge shock to fans of Clos Rougeard, but the wines are still as rewarding and age worthy as ever.
($179 Est.) 96 Points, grapelive

2022 Domaine Barmès-Buecher, Riesling, Rosenberg, Vin d’Alsace, France.
I always love tasting the wines of Barmès-Buecher, who are one of my favorite producers in Alsace, joining Domaine Weinbach and Marcel Deiss, and this Rosenberg cru Riesling is an absolutely beautiful wine with pretty aromatics, a bright straw/gold hue in the glass and a smooth lush medium body on the palate. The nose is full of bright orange blossoms, stony notes and delicate rosewater leading to classic layering of lime, apple, quince and golden fig fruits, along with a striking minerallity, a touch of tropical lychee, clove and cardamom spice, flinty wet stone and spearmint. This dry, but lush and saline infused Riesling begs for food, I’d love to enjoy this one with cracked crab or grilled lobster tail, though it would be lovely too with ham and cheese, such is the flexible nature of this wine. According to the winery, due to its north/northeast orientation of the Rosenberg vineyard Riesling cru gets a more lengthy maturation on the vine, this adds to the brilliance of detail, complexity and elegance, as seen here. The Rosenberg slopes sit on clay, limestone, flint and chalk, which adds to the depth of flavors and very much influence the personalities of the Riesling wines made from here. These Barmès-Buecher bottlings, imported by Sacred Thirst Imports, are extremely well crafted wines that are pretty rare, but well worth the chase to find, adding to the rewarding feeling when you catch one.

The Domaine Barmès Buecher, originally founded in 1985, which is pretty recent history in this region, is a small family owned Alsace estate located in the town of Wettolsheim, which has some 16 hectares across the prime crus of Wettolsheim, Wintzenheim, Turckheim and Eguisheim. This highly regarded domaine is run by Geneviève Barmè, and along with her children Sophie and Maxime, who farm Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Pinot Gris, Muscat, Sylvaner, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Auxerrois and Chardonnay with all biodynamic practices. Barmès-Buecher has a collection of massale (clones) selections in their organic vines, and along with a careful attention to yields they see a dynamic quality of fruit, and with what the winery says is minimal intervention in the cellar, results in a range of wines that truly transmit the specific terroirs with transparency. For the Rosenberg Riesling, the grapes are all hand harvest with carefully selected clusters in the vineyard and in the winery with a gentile pressing over 12 hours before fermentation exclusively in stainless steel vat. This wine was made without malolactic conversion and was aged 9 to 12 months in a combination of 50% stainless steel and 50% used oak cask, with works well to promote exceptional balance. This winery is most noted for the poise and subtle expression of fruit and this Rosenberg Riesling hits that mark almost perfectly. I highly recommend searching out these Barmès-Buecher wines, with eye for their Rieslings, as well as their Pinot Blanc, which I also tasted, and their Crémant d’Alsace Brut Zero sparkling.
($38 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2022 Domaine Cartaux Bougaud – Château de Quintigny, Pinot Noir, Côtes du Jura, France.
I had not had the wines by Domaine Cartaux Bougaud in the Jura before this brilliant, dark ruby, delicate Pinot Noir AOC Côtes du Jura offering recently, which impressed me with lovely clarity and mineral tones and a medium silky body. The mouth is classic Pinot fruit with black cherry, briar laced raspberry, plum and blood orange layers, a nice mix of tea spices, a touch of truffle, earth, crushed roses and a lingering chalky note. The vineyards of Cartaux-Bougaud, I read, are planted on gentle to relatively steep limestone rock and marl sites with variations of clay, sand and silt topsoil mostly derived from the underlying bedrock, and sit between 250 and 300 meters of altitude. The wines, including the reds, like this Pinot Noir, see cool, mostly natural fermentations and the wine is in aged close to 12 months a combination of vessels including stainless steel, enameled concrete vats and ancient 228-liter French oak. Winemaker Sébastien Cartaux, I understand, is looking for transparency and purity, wanting to impart more savory notes, less fruity in profile, alongside the lifted fruit and flower aromas, which he implies is a more terroir driven personality or profile. I also tasted the AOC L’Étoile Chardonnay, which I liked, but this Pinot Noir stood out for the quality and it is definitely a wine to look out for and one I plan to buy for personal use.

The Jura’s Domaine Cartaux Bougaud, run by Sébastien and his wife Sandrine Cartaux who took over from their parents, Anne-Marie Bougaud and Guy Cartaux in 1993, is a small family estate that is relatively young for the region, with their first harvest done back in 1973 on a small parcel in L’Étoile area. The 20-hectare estate, which was organic-certified in 2022 produces Chardonnay and Savagnin from AOC L’Étoile, as well as reds made from Poulsard, Trousseau, and Pinot Noir, as seen here, from the Côtes du Jura. Their wines, according to the Cartaux’s importer The Source Imports, are crafted in numerous cellars, including the ancient Château de Quintigny, again as seen here with the Pinot Noir, using both traditional “ouillage” method with air space left in the barrel and the region’s unique oxidative aging process, essential for producing the renowned Vin Jaune, as well as topped up barrel wines, which show off a cleaner and fresher profile. The terroir here, as noted above, has the Jurassic era limestone soils, like the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir areas of Burgundy, which allows those varietals to really shine here, as this one does, but there’s also their Savagnin, Poulsard, Trousseau and Gamay to look forward to, plus Cartaux does some sparkling wines, which I hope to sample in the near future. The Jura is still a mystery and remains a region on the rise with a mix of old school and modern wines, plus a new generation also starting to make their present felt, there’s never been a better time to explore it.
($35 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2023 Renardat-Fâche, Cerdon, Méthode Ancestrale, Sparkling Rose Wine, AOC Bugey, France.
Made by a small family winery that is now on to their 18th generation, the Renardat-Fâche’s Cerdon Rosé from the Bugey region between Lyon and Geneva, in the Jura’s remote hillsides is a wonderfully expressive disgorged Pet-Nat that is absolutely delicious with a zesty palate garden strawberries, red peach, blood orange and sour red cherries, along with a hint of yeasty brioche, red apple, mineral notes, delicate florals and wild herbs. Fresh and vibrant, with a little kiss of sweetness, this Méthode Ancestrale bubbly is a fun all organic quaffable wine of easy and tasty seriousness, but without pretense, great for any occasion. The Renadat-Fâche winery is based in the small village of Mérignat and they farm a mix of grapes on a clay and limestone terroir, which brings out the complexity of fruit in the wine. The bright ruby Cerdon Bugey Rosé Sparkling Wine is blessed with low alcohol, just about 8%, and It is made from a combination of Gamay Noir and Poulsard, following those ancient traditional techniques.

The Renardat-Fâche Cerdon Bugey bubbly is done Pet-Nat style or “Méthode Ancestrale” which, as the winery notes, is a fermentation technique that makes it possible to obtain a sparkling wine without the adjunction of any yeast nor sugar, like is done in Champagne. The fermentation process here is natural, and uses only the yeasts and sugars contained in the grapes. There’s a first phase at Renardat-Fâche that happens in thermo-regulated tanks, where the fermentation process starts, in this case after a short skin contact to produce the bright Rosé hue. Then after a light filtration, the wine is bottled immediaty, and fermentation process continues, producing the bubbles and or a fine almost creamy foam. The Bugey region got its full AOC in 1958 and the sparkling Rosé here got its Cerdon Vin de Bugey certification in 2009 and Ranadat-Fâche has been at the top of the producers here since the beginning and continue to be the winery to set the standards for quality. Cerdon Sparkling Rosé wines are hand crafted wines that remain a unique rarity in the United States and I highly recommend getting out and discovering them as soon as possible, with this Renardat-Fâche version at the top of my go to versions along with long time classic producer Patrick Bottex, which usually is an easier find thes days.
($26 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2018 Sandlands Vineyards, Mataro, Enz Vineyard, Lime Kiln Valley, San Benito County.
The beautifully pure, dark garnet Sandlands 2018 Mataro, sourced from hundred year old vines in the Enz Vineyard in the San Benito County, shows of vivid layers of blackberry, Concord grape, plum and black cherry fruits, along with dark florals, mineral and earthy elements, cedar, wild sage, fennel and minty herbs. The full bodied palate is lightly tannic and still primary fruited at the start and there’s nice acidity, so everything is still very fresh, but it gets more evolved and richer with air. I have tried to hide away my bottles of Sandlands Mataro and this 2018 is just now showing off the beauty and complexities of this varietal Sandlands Vineyards, as noted here in my reviews, is the personal project of Turley Cellars head winemaker and vineyard manager Tegan and his wife Olivia Passalacqua. The line-up of Sandlands, as the Passalaqua’s add, encompasses many the forgotten classic California varieties, like this Carignane, plus Cinsault, Mataro (Mourvèdre), Zinfandel, Chenin Blanc, which is making a huge comeback and the extremely rare Mission grape, that are primarily grown on California’s decomposed granite (sand), from regions and vineyards that have been farmed for many generations, but have somehow, as Tegan puts it, remained the outliers of California viticulture. These vines are primarily old gnarly head-trained, dry-farmed and own rooted, with the vineyards Sandlands work with being sites that take us back to California’s roots. The wines here highlight the hardworking farmers of yesteryear and the honest and authentic wines of a different era, they pay tribute to the state’s fascinating history of rugged viticulture. Made using classic old school methods with lots of whole bunches, native yeast fermentation(s), with lots of gentle hands and feet being employed and aging or elevage being done in well seasoned (used) oak barrels.

The Enz Vineyard in the Lime Kiln AVA of San Benito County, most of which I learned from winemaker Ian Brand, who had in previous vintages made a great version also, was planted in 1922 on a north facing 5-10 degree slope, set on calcareous and granitic loam soils gets warm/hot days and cool nights that make for top notch Mourvèdre, aka Mataro and or Monastrell. Ian told me that the Enz Mourvèdre budwood was sourced from the original 1860s planting(s) in the Lime Kiln Valley, supposedly brought over by a vigneron when he emigrated from France. Mourvèdre, a grape that was originally from Spain, but maybe best known in France’s Provence as in the great wines of Bandol, like those of Domaine Tempier, as well as in the Rhône, especially in Châteauneuf-du-Pape where it is found in some elite wines like Beaucastel and Vieux Telegraphe. Old vines of Mourvèdre are found in Sonoma Valley and Contra Costa County, along with the Central Coast in places like this, in San Benito and Chalone, with more modern plantings found in Paso Robles and Santa Barbara County. Again, as I’ve suggested, If you are looking to explore this grape in California, I suggest you search out Ridge Vineyards, old releases Dirty & Rowdy, Cline Cellars and Bonny Doon’s Old Telegram, plus modern versions by Sandlands, Tablas Creek, Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah!, Desire Lines Wine Co., as well as Ian Brand’s latest stuff to name a few. This Mataro was really entertaining, especially over the course of two days, in fact it was much more enthralling on day two and was great with food, with meaty dishes being the best choice, but hard sheep cheeses also bring out extra depth here. I’m a big admirer of Tegan Passalacqua’s efforts here with his Sandlands Vineyards label, not to mention the Turley wines he oversees in his day job, and I highly recommend getting on his mailing list. The new releases from the 2023 vintage are coming out soon and I wouldn’t miss them, they look to be an elevated set of vines, my favorites include this one, plus his set of Carignane, Cinsault and Zinfandel reds, as well as his new Assyrtiko white, which is an exciting Greek varietal that has found a happy home in California.
($42 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2023 Thibaud Boudignon, Anjou Blanc, Loire Valley, France.
Since I first reviewed this Anjou Blanc, in the 2014 vintage, the wine has almost doubled in price and it is extremely hard to find, but this 2023 is beautiful and excitingly electric in the glass with a crisp mineral driven dry Chenin profile. This aromatic and vigorous medium bodied pure Chenin Blanc has a ice mouth-watering salinity and more expressive fruit than I remember from past vintages, with green apple, melon, pear, tart mango and quince fruits, along with subtle spice, flinty stones, dry honey and wild herbs. The ex-Bordeaux native, Thibaud Boudignon, who’s already a wine geek and Chenin hero, ferments this one, with all de-stemmed grapes from all biodynamic vines on mainly schist and clay soils, in a combination of steel and wood. Prior wines were extremely austere, while this one, maybe because of baby fat, shows a more generous nature, while still being poised and elegant, very impressive stuff and I think it will be a huge hit with Thibaud’s large following and Loire enthusiasts.

These Thibaud Boudignon wines are thrilling, but with a cult like following, and as mentioned in my prior reviews, they are almost impossible to find on wine shop shelves, so it is always exciting to get a chance to try new releases of his Anjou Blanc, which is, as seen before, a wonderfully dry expression of Chenin Blanc from the Loire’s Anjou region. The charismatic and talented Thibaud Boudignon, founded his own label in 2009, as noted previously, is all biodynamic and uses only native (indigenous) yeasts for his whites and no malo, but with this one he does use between 20% and 30% new oak with 228L, 350L and 700L size barrels. The Anjou Blanc is crafted from 100% Chenin Blanc from 35 plus year old vines set on shallow soils comprised of grey schist and rhyolite (volcanic) that give these wines they unique character and profile, which is very different from areas like Vouvray, Saumur, Chinon and or Montlouis. Boudignon also does some more austere and wonderfully balanced, very rare, Savennières too, which I was lucky enough to taste as well, the notes on those will follow in due course.
($58 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2024 Joyce Vineyards, Rosé, Arroyo Seco AVA, Monterey County.
The first American wine of the 2024 vintage for me is the Joyce Rosé, made from Grenache Noir and Gamay Noir grown on stony soils in the Arroyo Seco region of Monterey County, influenced by the cool Pacific and cool vintage, it is bursting with electric energy and ultra bone dry crispness! Winemaker Russell Joyce, who is one of California’s most committed Gamay producers, loves this combo for his Rosé and it is a fabulous delicately whisper pink hue in the glass and mineral driven on the fresh vibrant light framed palate with ruby grapefruit, sour cherry, strawberry water and crushed brambly raspberry fruits, along with saline, wet stones, wild herbs, a hint of rosewater and tart watermelon. This zest Rosé is loaded with zingy acidity and is great with mussels, claims, oysters and sashimi, it also makes for a low alcohol aperitif and palate refresher. The Gamay and Grenache play a ying and yang balancing act here with the high acid Gamay being tamed slightly by the more fruit and body of the Grenache, making a very unique California dry pink to enjoy young. The latest GSM at Joyce is another under the radar favorite of mine and all of the Joyce wines are exceptionally well priced and easy on the wallet.

Over the years, Joyce has championed the Arroyo Seco zone and from Riesling, Albariño and Sauvignon Blanc to Rhône and Burgundy varietals, he’s shown some of region’s potential, he says, the rocky soils, strong winds and heavy marine influence define the wines here. He adds, that he believes the wines should be a reflection of the terroir and not the cellar. To achieve that goal he is pursuing all organic farming practices and practicing sustainability in all aspects of his production, going on he feels that is imperative the showcase the very best quality and true sense of place. Joyce tries to avoid all additives, again explaining that he thinks that’s the best way to have greatest expression of terroir possible. There’s an exceptional clean and dynamic quality and character to all of the Joyce bottlings, he employed lots of inox primary fermentations, even with his native yeast fermentation, and there’s almost no new wood used here, everything is about purity and vivid flavors, as seen here in this brisk and refreshing Summer quaffer, that is available in magnums too. There’s a bunch of exciting things coming from Joyce and his red Gamay bottlings have a cult like following, but there’s also a very intriguing set of single vineyard, small lot, Pinot Noirs under his Russell Joyce Collection label that are worth searching out too.
($25 Est.) 90 Points, grapelive

2013 Pàcina, Il Secondo, IGT Toscana Rosso, (Castelnuovo Beradenga), (Chianti Classico), Italy.
The pure, dark hued and earthy Il Secondo, or “Donesco” IGT Rosso 2013 by Pàcina is a blend of 95% Sangiovese, 3% Canaiolo and 2% Ciliegiolo that is sourced from younger vines, around ten years of age, and is aged exclusively vat, mainly in cement tanks with some getting inox (stainless) depending on the vintage. A wonderfully mature full bodied palate shows of old school and raw Sangiovese character with brandied cherry, plum, brambleberry and reduced strawberry fruits, along with sous bois, tobacco, bay leaf, truffle, dried rose petals, minty herbs and leathery savory elements. The recent history of Pàcina starts in the 1960s with Enzo Tiezzi, a professor at the University of Siena, started living at the property and helped pioneer sustainable eco friendly wine growing in the region. Pàcina is located on the southern slopes of the Chianti hills where the soil, is what they call, the ‘Tufo di Siena’ which is chalk laced and typical of the area. This soil was deposited from prehistoric seas that covered the landscape during the Pliocene period and were, as the winery says, deposited about 5 million years ago. It is a predominantly sandy terrain of rolling hills with a warm southern exposure, which also contains, not just the mentioned limestone, but clay and small rounded pebbles known locally as “ciottoli” whose characteristic shape was moulded by the oscillation of the sea-waves and the flux of river water running off the hills. This is one of the most distinctive terroirs of the Chianti Classico zone and makes for beautifully age worthy tannic Sangiovese based wines with deep color and richness of palate, while retaining enough natural acidity to stay remarkably fresh in detail. Pàcina’s lineup is mainly native varietals, expressed naturally, though they do have some Syrah planted here as wetland that gets blended into a special bottling of “La Malena” that comprises 80% Ciliegiolo and 20% Syrah from a small parcel that was planted in 1993, making for a very unique wine.

Pàcina, the ancient Etruscan name for the god of wine, is an all natural estate in the Castelnouvo Beradenga area of Chianti Classico set in rolling hills not far from Siena and the site of an ancient Monastery that was founded around 900 A.D. Pàcina is now led by fifth generation winegrower Giovanna Tiezzi and her husband Stefano Borsa who continue the traditions of the Tiezzi family with organic farming and natural winemaking. The 60 hectares of the estate in Chianti Classico sees 10 hectares of cultivated vines, with the remainder being untouched woods, heritage grains, olive groves for pure Tuscan extra virgin oil and orchards. Like some of the other natural wine producers in Chianti Classico, Pàcina is, as the winery says, a story of stubborn passion for the sincerity and purity of their wines, to the point of renouncing, in 2008, of the Chianti Classico DOCG appellation, because their wines did not conform to, at the time, the internationalized standards of the panel. The Pàcina Chianti Classicos were also released a full 5 years after harvest and not the prescribed 2, so they are now labeled as IGT Toscano Rosso(s). The signature wine of the estate is the Pàcina Rosso, from old vines, with much the same make up of this Il Secondo bottling, usually a blend of 95% Sangiovese and small parts Ciliegiolo and Canaiolo, which also get solo varietal bottlings here. This top wine is fermented in cement and then spends 3 full years in a combination of large Slavonian casks, old 500-liter barrels, and cement vats, with no fining or filtering and ultra low sulfur. It’s a wine I look forward to trying soon, but this seductive and sultry Il Secondo is well worth chasing down itself, as this well aged 2013 shows. They, Pàcina, imported by Rosenthal Wine Merchants now, also produce a ripe and dark Rosé or Rosato, that is made from the free-run juice of a single tank of Sangiovese, which ferments naturally in concrete and spends 12 months in well-used 500-liter barrels, an additional wine to look for.
($34 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2021 Domaine Dagueneau, par Louis-Benjamin Dagueneau, Pouilly-Fumé “Cuvée XXI” Loire Valley, France.
The Cuvée XXI, maybe a one off, due to a challenging, small-yieldingvintage, which saw only about 40% of a normal crop and a high level of rot toward harvest, meant that Dagueneau in 2021 didn’t do their full collection of wines. Louis-Benjamin ended up blending his various cuvées that would typically be bottled separately into this one wine, so the pedigree here is staggering, as there was no Pur Sang or Silex. I absolutely loved the XXI and found it easier to enjoy in its youth than a more normal vintage, it may never be up to a better vintage, but it is damn good stuff with Dagueneau quality and integrity throughout, showing off intense mineral and stony character and racy lemon/lime, white peach, muskmelon and gooseberry fruit, plus a touch of leesy depth, saline, herbs, wet chalk and tangy acidity. Impressive in the glass, hinting at the Dagueneau grip and aging potential, but just divine as is, and maybe a lack of collector interest will make it easier to find and without the secondary markups being as high, for a producer that is so sought after. The wines at Dagueneau, as widely known, have always been raised in oak barrels and through the1980s which included extensive experimentation, there is always a mix of sizes, shapes and percentage of new wood. Mostly used barrels are employed to allow for complete single site transparency in these awesome Sauvignon Blancs. The winery says the oak use varies in degree depending on vineyard and vintage. The Dagueneaus over the years, it is also noted, have worked with many the world’s great artisan barrel makers to create some uniquely-shaped, cigar like, very low-toast barrels and small foudres to age their wines in. Even in a difficult or off year, such as 2021 proved to be, you can count on Dagueneau to overcome almost any shortcomings

The Dagueneau’s family history and wines is and will always be linked to the soils here with Kimmeridgian, clay-limestone and flinty Silex all playing a role here and tiny yields give age worthy structures and soulful mineral driven character. One of the wine world’s original rebels, the late Didier Dagueneau, who was one of France’s most iconic producers, was a fourth generation winemaker in the Pouilly-Fumé region, famous for his exploits as a motorcycle racer before turning to his historic collection to wine. He is most famous for his outstanding single parcel Sauvignon Blanc wines, which his started making in 1982 with his En Chailloux, were unlike anything else being made in the area, but his masterpieces, the Pur Sang and Silex parcels added in 1985 and 1988 respectively are the bottlings that made him famous. He brought passion and a Burgundy like thought process to his vines, in fact he was even mentored by the legendary Henri Jayer, as well as Sancerre maestro Edmond Vatan. Nothing was was left to chance and the incredible care he put into each of his vines was far beyond what anyone else was doing in his area of the Loire and he was just as precise and innovative in the chilly cellars he worked with. Sadly Didier was killed in a light aircraft crash in 2008 at age 52, and the world mourned, but not all was lost as his son has risen to the moment and has in the next almost two decades since has kept every bit of quality and character in the wines. It has been impressive to witness, with Louis-Benjamin thrown in the deep end with unbelievable expectations, and I’ve been lucky enough to have had many occasions to try just released and cellar aged versions of Didier’s wines as well as Louis-Benjamin’s and I can tell you the younger Dagueneau has now almost eclipsed his father and his quiet confidence and his respect for the traditions have Dagueneau world leaders in Sauvignon Blanc! Daguenau wines are true artworks and must try bucket list masterpieces, don’t miss an opportunity to experience any and all you can.
($139 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

January 2025

2012 Taittinger, Comtes de Champagne, Blanc de Blancs, Brut Vintage Champagne, Côte des Blancs, France.
I’ve been on a roll with top Grand Marque Tête de Cuvée Champagnes lately, recently trying vintage Dom Pérignon, Salon and a couple of contrasting Comtes de Champagne bottles, a rare 1975 Brut Rosé and this 2012 vintage, which was an unexpected treat a friend pulled out of his golf bag during a causal round on the links. So while, it wasn’t a sit down studied tasting, the 2012, at least served up in proper glassware, showed fantastically well and it was joyously rewarding and made up for a pretty sad, no birdies, round of golf. The youthful straw/gold Taittinger Comtes de Champagne was rich, full and beautifully expressive with steely mineral, fine small bubbles, vibrant, but creamy with apple, pear, lemon curd, quite, pineapple and peach fruit, along with toast, chalky stone, hazelnut, saline, honeycomb and doughy/yeast brioche notes. Everything was impeccably layered and balanced, not dull or flabby in any fashion whatsoever, even after getting bounced around this was wonderfully rewarding stuff, in a vintage that maybe isn’t as highly regarded. Interestingly a recent bottle of 2012 Salon, was no where near as poised and enjoyable as this Comtes de Champagne, though at this stage that is not unheard of, but still speaks to the measure found here.

Taittinger’s Tête de Cuvee the marvelous Comtes de Champagne has long been regarded as one of the finest bubblies, though it doesn’t get as much hype as Dom or Cristal. The 2002 Vintage of Comtes de Champagne is right up there with the best, I have had many legends from this marque including the 1985, 1988 and the 1990, and while the 2012 isn’’t quite up there with those, it is a gorgeous version and with the benefit of being easy to drink young without any guilt! The Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs Tête de Cuvée, the very best of Champagne Taittinger, comes from the exceptional terroir conditions found in the Côte des Blancs region, home to some of the world’s greatest Chardonnay vines. The chalky slopes are located south of Epernay and dominate the ancient limestone of the Champagne plain, with 95% of its vineyards planted exclusively to Chardonnay vines, which what Taittinger says, creates Champagne with a light, delicate aroma full of character and vitality. I find them, expressively mineral, rich in detail, elegantly powerful and luxuriously deep, especially the Comtes de Champagne bottlings, which age impressively as well. The hedonistic Comtes de Champagne is still crafted In the underground silence of the cellars dug out of the chalk quarries of Saint-Nicaise and it sees at least ten years of yeast/lees maturing with about 5% of each vintage getting new oak aging, proving just right amount of toasty charm here.
($179 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

2019 Combe, Trousseau, Stolpman Vineyards, Ballard Canyon, Santa Ynez Valley, Santa Barbara County.
The Jura inspired 2019 Combe Trousseau by Stolpman is deliciously light pale ruby and brick hued in the glass with a seductive earthy red fruit, dried roses and shared cinnamon start along with mineral/fliny notes, minty amaro herbs, bay leaf and persistent brandied cherry, strawberry and sour plum fruits. Smooth tannins, light body, very elegant and Pinot like in feel, this, 13.5% alcohol, natural style Trousseau has nice floral essences and lovely translucent length with a good acidic lift, all in keeping with the grape’s Jura heritage. California Trousseau has been championed by the guys at Arnot-Roberts, Raj Parr, Peter Stolpman, Drake Whitcraft, Tegan Passalacqua at Sandlands Vineyards and Pax Mahle of Pax Wines to great effect over the last decade, making a delightful and quaffable array of lighter style pale ruby red versions, like this Combe bottling, that should be served slightly chilled. The Trousseau grape, as I’ve said before, remains a bit of a mystery in its origins and is thought to have a distant relationship to Petit Verdot, but has been in the remote and high elevation region of France’s Jura for longer than anywhere else that we currently know of, where it is the top red grape and famous in the wines of Tissot, Ganevat (Pein Sud), Labet and Jacques Puffeney to name a few of my favorites. Trousseau is also often blended with Gamay, Poulsard, another rare Jura (pale colored) varietal, and Pinot Noir as well, both in its native home in the Jura as well as here in California. Interestingly Trousseau has been in California more than a hundred years, though it was only used to make a single varietal in the last 20 years, it had just been a mysterious red grape interplanted in heritage vineyards, mostly in the Sonoma Valley. For the Combe Trousseau, Stolpman uses 80% carbonic maceration with whole cluster and stems, along with 20% de-stemmed berries stainless steel tank. After primary fermentation the wine is racked with a gentle pressing to larger format neutral French puncheons 500L made from Vache forest oak.

Pete Stolpman’s most esoteric project is labeled “Combe” which he was spurred on to do with a push from Raj Parr, the famous Sommelier who is based in Santa Barbara, with the name referring to the French word for a small sheltered valley within a vineyard where Stolpman grows tiny parcels of Chenin Blanc, Mondeuse and Trousseau. Raj, who has been a driving force behind Jura and Savoie grapes grown in California, now has now got his Trousseau planted at his Phelan Farm in Cambria. As mentioned before here with some past reviews, Stolpman and Parr decided to make a light red Trousseau, like the classic Jura wines, like those of Ganevat, Puffeney and the legendary Michel Gahier, and a more geeky, a Trousseau Pet’ Nat or “Pétillant Naturel” an ancient method and faster way to make sparkling wine, it is a French term that roughly translates to “naturally sparkling, reviewed a couple of years back. The first vintage for the Combe Trousseau wines was back in 2014, and Pete now have 3.5 acres planted to the varietal, which because of the success of them, hardly seems enough, these are always instant sell outs, especially this bottling. The Stolpman wines are class acts, with their Syrah offerings being exceptional and in recent years they have been adding to their So Fresh lineup that started with their fabulous and playful Love You Bunches -The carbonic whole cluster Sangiovese. Peter Stolpman says, Raj, who started making wines in Lompoc in 2010 with Stolpman, lobbied him to plant Trousseau on the limestone, like many Jura vignerons do, and he believed the sunny warmth and cool breezes in the Ballard Canyon AVA would be ideal for this unique varietal that he was geeky for. Tasted over a few hours, this 2019 vintage kept up the charm and vitality, so considering the simple, low sulfur winemaking, this was a tip top showing for a California version of this grape, the finish even though such a light low alcohol wine was extreme long and pretty. There’s always something new going on at Stolpman and I just learned that Pete has some Jura white on the way, with a small parcel Savagnin bottling set to be released soon, so it is highly recommended to join their mailing list and or visit their tasting rooms in Los Olivios.
($34 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2022 Theopolis Vineyards, Petite Sirah, Estate Grown, Yorkville Highlands, Mendocino County.
The lean, edgy and deeply opaque purple/garnet 2022 Theopolis Yorkville Highlands Petite Sirah is similar, but ripe and fuller than the 2021 version, which was exceptional, showing off a bit less concentrated fruit density than prior versions, loads of spice, some meaty notes and lovely floral notes. The slowly opening and vigorous palate revolves around black fruits, a spicy crunch from the partial whole cluster and stem inclusion with mountain herbs, peppercorns, sticky lavender and feral notes. The mouth fills out with blackberry, damson plum, black cherry and tangy currant fruits, along with smoked meat, truffle, mocha, vanilla, cedar, smoky graphite and framboise. A good cut of acidity and subtle raw tannins make this vintage a nice companion to a robust winter’s meal and or BBQ. Theodora Lee’s The signature Petite Sirah typically in recent years uniquely sees about a third whole cluster and stems in the fermentation, which is done in open top five ton stainless steel vats and gets a cool and lengthy maceration on the skins before being pressed to barrel. The 2022 vintage, which saw some heat spikes and a little earlier picks, interestingly enough came in with just about 12% natural alcohol, which is a rare thing in Petite Sirah in the modern era, only 335 cases were made, and it was matured in French oak for close to 22 months with about 30% new wood used and the wine was bottled unfined and unfiltered. Petite Sirah, which originally came from the southwest of France and is really called Durif, it was a natural crossing of Syrah and Peloursin. The crossing occurred by chance when Syrah pollen ended up germinating a Peloursin vine back in the 1860s where the French botanist François Durif. Durif, hence the name, had kept a nursery of several grape varieties at his home in the commune of Tullins where he most likely had plantings of both Peloursin and Syrah. After coming to California early in the 20th Century the Durif was confused with Syrah and later acquired the names Petite Syrah and Petite Sirah, as it is more as today.

The Theopolis Petite Sirah, as I’ve said many times over the years, is a true terroir driven wine from terraced vines in the Yorkville Highlands, again has a thrill ride for the senses and an almost Northern Rhône, like a Cornas, quality from the mountain fruit, schist like soils and terraces vines, absolutely exceptional. I was completely seduced by this exotic 2021 Petite Sirah, and I recommend decanting and having it with a robust meal, Theodora suggests smoked brisket, BBQ ribs and wild game dishes, all of which, along with lamb, sound great to pair with this one. Again, as mentioned in my previous reviews, Theodora Lee’s Theopolis Vineyards, one of a hand of black owned wineries, is one of the top and most unique sites for Petite Sirah in California, her vines hug steep terraces in the Yorkville Highlands and have received amazing critical acclaim since being established in 2003, with her success first coming from the wines made by Mike Officer at Carlisle, and more recently with Paul Gordon’s Halcon version. Her own wines, which I first started tasting with her 2013 vintage have just got better and better as the vines come into full maturity. This lighter framed 2022 Petite Sirah really grew on me in the glass and should continue to fill out and get more deeply perfumed over the course of a few years and it should go another decade easily, I would advise giving it 3 to 5 years if you can, otherwise decanter and enjoy it with food. The Theopolis full collection of offerings, which include some small lot Pinots and more recently some red blended wines, like Theodora’s new Grenache based Rhône red blend that includes a bit of Petite Sirah, as well as her unique Petite Sirah Rosé and an off dry white made from a rare grape called Symphony, a crossing of, as Theodora notes, Muscat of Alexandria and Grenache Gris. Lee has added a brilliant cool climate mineral toned stainless Chardonnay as well, so there’s a lot of quality choices here. The Theopolis Petite Sirah, still flies under the radar, but it deserves more attention for the terroir and style distinction it delivers and it is a wine that adds to textural tapestry of original California wines. Petite Sirah, which rare in its homeland these days, has become an iconic California varietal, and I highly recommend including these one as must try version.
($42 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2018 Michel Gahier, Trousseau, Le Clousot, Arbois AC, Jura, France.
One of the Jura classics, Gahier’s 2018 Le Clousot Trousseau has a beam of stony red fruits, a light dusting of dried herbs, spice and subtle florals with a light palate of red apple, strawberry, sour cherry, pomegranate and tart huckleberry fruits, as well as leathery notes, tobacco, laurel, chalky tannin and fennel. A spot on example of terroir and varietal, definitely what Jura fan would be looking for, especially from one of the best in the region. Michel Gahier has learned from the best, as neighbor and friend of the now retired Jacques Puffeney, who many consider the grand master of Jura wines. Gahier I understand, harvests and vinifies his wines parcel by parcel. Each wine, his importer says, ultimately is derived exclusively from a single vineyard site. His whites are produced both ouillé (topped-up), more Burgundy like, and old school oxidative “sous voile” (left to form a protective veil of yeast), which is like Flor in sherry, though they all have a minerality that distinguishes them as jurassien. Gahier’s viticulture is all organic, the reds here are 100% de-stemmed, the yields are quite low, obviously making for more intensity. The grapes see a cold maceration followed by a cuvaison of approximately one month with some pigeage done in the initial parts of the process. The wines, both white and red, are bottled without filtration. Rosenthal continues that situated on a southwest-facing slope beneath his Grands Vergers vineyard, Le Clousot is a parcel of the domaine’s younger vines from which Gahier produces a Trousseau in the same fashion as his others, with this wine being a glowingly pale red, but with good persistence, slightly reductive (funky) and notable complexity.

As Neal Rosenthal, Gahier’s importer likes to say, the Gahier family has been resident in the Jura since 1525, and Michel lives right off the main square of Montigny-lès-Arsures, known charmingly as “The Capital of Trousseau. ”The Trousseau grape, as I’ve said before, remains a bit of a mystery in its origins and is thought to have a distant relationship to Petit Verdot, but has been in the remote and high elevation region of France’s Jura for longer than anywhere else that we currently know of, where it is the top red grape and famous in the wines of Tissot, Ganevat (Pein Sud), Labet and Jacques Puffeney to name a few of my favorites, along with Gahier of course, who is a Jura legend. Trousseau is also often blended with Gamay, Poulsard, another rare Jura (pale colored) varietal, and Pinot Noir as well. Gahier top cru it should be noted, “Les Grands Vergers” represents Gahier’s oldest Trousseau vines, planted in the 1940s on a gentle slope with superb exposure to the sun, contiguous with Puffeney’s legendary “Les Berangères” vineyard, and is one of the region’s holy grail wines. Also of intense interest is Gahier’s Chardonnay wines, especially those made from the local clone known as “Melon à Queue Rouge” that has skin color of which bleeds towards a red hue as it approaches the stem. Plus I recommend Gahier’s Côtes du Jura Rouge, “La Vigne de Fort” which is 90% Trousseau and 10% Pinot Noir, as well as his Champagne style Crémant du Jura 100% Chardonnay bubbly and the traditional Vin Jaune made from Savagnin that ages “sous voile” in old oak barrels for around seven years before bottling, it is a classic. Over the years, I’ve enjoyed tasting through the Gahier wines, and especially after Puffeney has now left the scene, though they remain quite rare and hard to get, this bottle was just one of the very few I had got for myself to personally enjoy.
($35 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2012 Salon, Brut Cuvée S, Blanc de Blancs, Le Mesnil, Grand Cru Champagne, France.
With striking aromatics, steely mineral, precise and a poised full bodied mouth feel, there’s not much wrong with the 2012 vintage Salon, except the unbelievably frightening price, making it a wonderful treat to sample, but of which I couldn’t justify buying for myself. I guess, to play in the luxury Champagne House game, the price is the point, which for Salon, you’d understand with its history and pedigree, but not many can throw down the black American Express card for case or two, more power to you if you can. The 2012 vintage maybe only lacks the energy and raw acidity that I remember in young Salon, but over all it is a confident and elegant Champagne with a pale straw/gold hue and a near perfect mousse with gorgeous small beading bubbles and lively impact that leads to a nicely structured palate of lemon, apple, tart peach and quince fruits, along with wet stones, chalky oyster shell verve, a deep sense of mineral, plus hints of clove, honey and lime blossom and a slow build of brioche, toast and hazelnut. The early opulence is a plus for those that dare open a bottle sooner v. later, though this vintage is not as electric as most, and I hear the 2013 is more close to the normal Salon’s of old. How does one explain Salon? Well, I might venture an answer, I have thought of Salon as a sparkling Meursault by an elite producer like Coche or Roulot, or maybe a sparkling Grand Cru Chablis. The Salon Le Mesnil is 100% Chardonnay from Grand Cru vineyards on the famous chalky white soils of the Côtes de Blancs, which give this rarity its true sense of place and soul with the grapes achieving full ripeness, but retaining striking vitality and steely intensity. Since I’m not wealthy in the league that makes it possible to drink Salon, the sister label Delamotte, sometimes declassified and or non-vintage versions of Salon make up for it and can e had for a fraction of the price seen here.

The Champagne Salon, is a single varietal, a single terroir and a single vintage from the Le Mesnil-sur-Oger Grand Cru, one of the world’s greatest Chardonnay vineyards, and makes for one of the most sought after Champagnes, marrying the prestige of the Grand Marques with soulful and site distinctive nature of the Grower Producers. Salon, was the mission and inspiration of the legendary Eugène-Aimé Salon, who founded Salon with the 1905 vintage, without question, it (Salon) is a powerful and mineral intense expression of Champagne which can be a terrifyingly disappointing wine when young, typically needed 10 to 15 years extra time in bottle, after disgorgement and release to begin showing its best, but noticeably in recent years has been more open and well mannered while young, as this subtle, rounded and almost delicately natured 2012 presents itself. The winery notes that Champagne Salon comes from the single hectare plot called “the Salon garden” and nineteen other small plots in Le Mesnil-sur-Oger which were originally selected by Eugène-Aimé Salon at the beginning of the 20th century. The wines, slowly pressed and lees aged, are matured in the cellars for an average of ten years, after which, as they finally start to reveal their complexity and finesse desired they are released, the 2012 was only the 43rd edition of Salon in a hundred and twenty years. Eugène-Aimé Salon created his Champagne, that became an unparalleled Blanc de Blancs initially for his personal pleasure only, with winery added that it was not until the 1920s that he was to share his creation with the rest of the world. I first was exposed to Salon with the1988 vintage and then again with the 1992 and 1996, all of which help shape my taste in vibrantly dry style Champagne, and even though I love the exotic nature and richness of Krug and some of exceptional Vilmart offerings, I am tend to be thrilled by Extra Brut single varietal wines, and while listed as Brut, Salon always feels drier to me and I am always grateful for the experience.
($1099 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2016 Domaine Tour Saint Michel, Châteauneuf-du-Pape AOC Rouge “Cuvée du Lion” Rhône Valley, France.
The Domaine Tour Saint Michel, which was completely unknown to me prior to tasting this 2016 Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge “Cuvée du Lion” impressed me me and I really enjoyed the mature velvety ripe mouth feel and lovely chocolatey layers of fruit on the full bodied palate, along with this wine’s poise, structure and additional complexity of spicy, earthy and umami elements. Made from blend of mainly Grenache, about 75%, Syrah, 20%, and about 5% Mourvèdre this Châteauneuf delivers ripe brambly boysenberry, sweet plum, fig and candied cherry fruit as well as intense licorice, minty notes, grilled herbs de Provençe, mocha, truffle, leather and delicate florals. This wine saw all hand harvesting, a careful double sorting, both in the cellar and originally in the vineyard. The grapes are 100% de-stemmed and the must went though a long maceration and gentle extraction process to avoid aggressive tannins. Aging was done mostly in concrete vats, for transparency, with only about 20% done in well used French oak cask to add some wood elements without interfering with the direct and pure nature of the wine. The Domaine grown vines, set on the southern are tended with sustainable methods and the picking is done at prime ripeness to ensure smooth and luxurious flavors and textures.

The Domaine Tour Saint Michel has a relatively short history as a producer in Châteauneuf-du-Pape being only a family estate for three generations, stating with Michel Fabre, the founder of the estate in 1930, just one year after the region became France’s first Appellation Control (AOC), who passed on his passion to his son, Henri. Henri, with his wife Eliane, built up the property, extending the estate holdings and today, Domaine Tour Saint Michel has 40 hectares, mostly within the appellation Chateauneuf-du-Pape. Now Mireille, Henri’s daughter, is running of the estate and has done so very successfully since 2007. She says she was inspired by the family tradition but also is noted for bringing a more modern approach to bring up the levels of quality here and promote terroir driven character in the wines. Her daughter, Magali, the next generation here, joined her in 2018 and is now getting her feet wet and looks to help lift this small, under the radar property get to the next level, and this 2016 shows there’s real potential to do just that. Magali has been key to adding a second label La Petite Tour, with some value options, to this estate, with a new range of wines from purchased fruit, with a Cairanne and a Ventoux, along with a Châteauneuf, being new highlights of the collection. The latest vintages of the top wines from Tour Saint Michel has been getting very accomplished ratings and reviews from the American wine press, which I’m sure has brought more attention here and from what I found in this 2016, I’m sure it is very much deserved.
($60 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2016 Domaine François Raveneau, Chablis “Butteaux” Premier Cru, White Burgundy, France.
Run by the brothers, François’ sons, Bernard and Jean-Marie Raveneau, Domaine François Raveneau, is one of the legendary Burgundy estates and arguably the top producer in Chablis, with an outstanding collection of vines, like this Premier Cru Butteaux. Yet, as their importer Kermit Lynch always says, they are humble and stay true to their father’s philosophy in both the vineyards, which is all organic and in the cellar, where a minimal intervention approach is maintained to produce crystalline mineral driven Chardonnays, like this intense flinty 2016 Butteaux. Set on classic clay and chalky limestone of the Kimmeridgian era, with vines that average over 45 years of age the Butteaux, is one of the quieter 1er Cru sites, compared to Vaillons, Montée de Tonnerre and Mont-Mains, but still capable of greatness and purity’s this 2016 version shows. The 2017s are softer and more evolved at this stage, while this 2016 is full of tension, grip and primary character still, quite impressively and I was thrilled with firm steely presence in the glass and its stony nature, it gives clear house style infused performance. The light pale greenish/gold hue is still youthful too, the nose is chalky and subtle with hints of white blossoms and clove spice, while the medium bodied palate possesses flinty lemon, tart peach, green apple, pear and quince fruits, along with racy acidity, ints of reductive hazelnut, matchstick, saline, wet rock, orange oil and more lip-smaking chalk. With air a sense of lees and wood come through, All in moderation and finely tuned balance, this is a wine that needs food. This bottle I sampled at a friend’s birthday party and was able to follow it for an hour or so, and it never toned down or let off the gas, it will need another few years in bottle to give its best, but I absolutely enjoyed it on the night regardless and it was great with ceviche, oysters and soft creamy farm cheese.

The Domaine François Raveneau, as mentioned before, founded in 1948, in the post war boom years, but it was under Francois’ sons, Bernard and Jean-Marie who brought international fame and fortune to this small estate, utilizing small prime plots of vines, including three Grand Cru vineyards (Blanchot, Les Clos, and Valmur) and six Premier Crus (Montée de Tonnerre, Les Vaillons, Butteaux, Chapelot, Mont-Mains, and Forêt). Now, the next generation is getting their feet wet here at Raveneau, though nothing is changing, as Bernard’s daughter, Isabelle, has joined in the running of the property, and it was her, who I saw briefly at Kermit’s awesome 50th Anniversary Portfolio Tasting a year ago last November. As you’d expect from a top producer, especially in Chablis, the winemaking is fairly strict, precise and traditional, the grapes are gently pressed with a pneumatic press and settled, then the juice is racked off its lees into cement cuves to ferment cool, lasting about two weeks. After which the wine goes through malolactic fermentation in barrel and aged for 18 months in mainly older oak wood and almost exclusively from barrel-maker Chassin, with only a tiny percentage of new oak employed in these stellar Premier Crus. I’ve been a long time admirer of Raveneau, and have been lucky enough to have tasted them with Kermit Lynch a few occasions and have poured a selection of them at tasting events in the past, these wines are unique and special, even for us long time professionals and industry veterans. Kermit Lynch reminds us always that, the wines of Domaine Raveneau are a rare find—exceptional because the vineyard holdings are almost entirely made of grand cru and premier cru fruit, painfully finite as so few are produced, outstanding because of their tremendous quality and consistency, which I have taken to heart, even if it is hard to see the current prices!
($439 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

1983 Dom Pérignon, Brut Vintage Champagne by Moet et Chandon, France.
One of the world’s most glamorous symbols, the iconic Dom Pérignon luxury Champagne is still a magic force in the wine world, and while many just buy it to be cool at the club, a well aged and cellared bottle is the real treasure, as this gorgeous 1983 showed recently at a surprise birthday party. Tasting Dom, young or old, still is a treat, it is a standard in the Tête Cuvées of the Grand Marques Champagne Houses, and while it is much or hyped and while there is many a fine sparkling wines that rival it, it is a lovely wine that can really shine on the right occasion. The deeply golden hued 1983 Is fully mature and the mousse is finely delicate at this stage, it is showing an obvious stage of old age, but still very much joyous on the medium bodied palate with baked apple, lemony citrus, pie crust, hazelnut, dried orange, autumn leaves, dried figs, toast and wet stone. Not far off what you’d find in an aged white Burgundy, but somehow a bit more lively and this bottle, with perfect fill and a cork that gently hissed as it came out without protest or crumbles, impressed all that tasted it, and it was up against a recent vintage of Salon! Dom Pérignon, a single harvest vintage wine, is always an assemblage of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay grapes, although the final composition changes every vintage, it is closer to equal parts than not. The earliest market release of the regular Dom vintage is usually after 8-10 years, with loads of lees aging and refinement in the bottle.

In recent years Dom Pérignon has added many special editions and cuvées to the lineup, including the P or Plénitudes series and the discontinued Œnothèque versions, which are exceptional, plus an artist label every new release, like the colorful Andy Warhal editions with the 2000-2002 vintages and late David Lynch version in 2003. My favorites of the later releases have been the 1990 and 1993 Œnothèque, and the regular bottling of the 1996, so it was very cool to try a privately cellared regular Dom, and it was outstanding. In recent years, I’ve been more in love with Extra Brut Grower Fizz, so this was a good reminder that these old Grand Marques have plenty of rewards to offer and shouldn’t be overlooked, as my friend Julia Macaletti, formerly of San Francisco Wine Trading Company, has always told me, she always stashes her Dom Perignon allocations away for a minimum of 20 years! It’s well reported that Dom Pérignon Champagne is named for a Benedictine monk who was an important historical figure and pioneer for Champagne style wine but who, contrary to popular myths, did not discover the Champagne method for making sparkling wines, but his efforts resulted in creating a huge high quality reputation of the Reims village and Champagne as a whole. Interestingly, as I was to learn, the very first vintage of Dom Pérignon was 1921 and was only released for sale in 1936, to those sailing to New York from Europe on the oceanliner Normandie.The Dom Perignon brand, was not well marketed early on and was given by Champagne Mercier to Moët (et Chandon) in 1927 as a gift for a wedding between the two families. After that it fortunes changed dramatically and the legend was born.
($350+ Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

2020 Domaine Serre Besson, Cru Vinsobres AOC Rouge, Rhône Valley, France.
The Serre Besson Cru Vinsobres, a new wine and producer to me, was a huge hit at a recent Rhône tasting, with this garnet hued and full bodied 2020 vintage showing off deep layers of dark and brambly boysenberry, plum, black currant and candied cherry fruits, along with touches of earth, peppery spice, wild sage (Garrigue), lavender, hints of violet florals and tarry licorice. There’s a sense of purity and energy flowing in this Serre Besson, which is a blend of typically 50% Grenache, 35% Syrah, and 15% mixed with portions of Cinsault, Mourvédre, and Carignan, that all add to the depth and balance. Serre Besson, which was founded in 2016, is owned by Victor Taylor, an American, and his partner Xavier Nyssen, who by chance came across an old selection of old vines with a for sale sign on the road. Since taking over here they have been busy converting the vines to full organic farming and fine tuning the wines in the cellar to show off the potential here, and this vintage is fabulous and delicious effort. The Serre Besson vineyard, which is up at 450 meters and was originally planted in 1961, slopes down from the forested mountain crest with Syrah planted at the highest elevation and the other varieties continuing on down the hill, with a total of 11 individual parcels.

The Vinsobres has, finally, been recognized as its own appellation, a fine terroir Northwest of Châteauneuf-du-Pape, closer to Gigondas, and it is a big upgrade from a generic Côtes du Rhone. I would argue this was long over due, to make this area its own AOC since it has a cooler climate, complex soils and provides for high quality grapes that are some of the best and age worthy in the Rhône region. Vinsobres, which was granted its AOC in 2006, planted mostly to Grenache and Syrah, which sees a higher percentage typically, but also sees some Carignan and Mourvèdre in the mix, deserves to be more widely known, as this wine, and others, like those from Saint Cosme and Gramenon certainly prove. The Serre Besson’s vines sit in hillsides with soils that are a mix of clay, limestone and river stones rich in calcite. Victor and Xavier, of Serre Besson, are fermenting mainly with indigenous yeast and use de-stemmed berries in cement tanks with, they say, a certain proportion of the stems layered back into the tank interspersed with the grapes. The blending of the lots, with most varietals done separately, is done the following spring and the wine is matured in a combination of cement tanks and in 400L oak ovals, about 25% new French oak, which allows for its satiny mouth feel and adds to the wine’s luxurious profile. I look forward to following the Domaine Serre Besson in the future and will definitely enjoy more of the current value packed vintage, which is drinking very nicely right now, but should continue to be rewarding for many years to come.
($25-34 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2015 Les Vins de Vienne, Conrdieu, Les Chambée, Northern Rhône, France.
Like some of Yves Cuilleron’s own efforts, especially his La Petite Côte, the delicately perfumed and stony 2015 Les Vins de Vienne Condrieu Les Chambée is a stylish effort with its own distinctive cascade of layers with a rush of honeysuckle, liquid mineral, crushed stones, peach/apricot and white licorice/fennel leading the way on the smooth refined palate that is almost like clarified cream without being heavy, it possesses graceful leesy mouth feel and has viscosity, but has energy and vigor as well maintaining a steely crisp integrity throughout. A warm vintage lushness is evident with subtle tropical note, but there’s an elegance and finesse here, along with a touch of flinty smoky mineral and saline elements that add complexity to the whole, as well as a natural vitality, that give a lift here. Les Vins de Vienne, a collaboration label between Northern Rhône stars, François Villard, Gaillard and the mentioned Yves Cuilleron, based in Seyssuel, started life by resurrecting ancient Roman vineyard sites that had been forgotten, and I first became aware of their team efforts with the glorious Sotanum (100% Syrah) back in the late 1990s. Across the river from the famous cru sites, most notably Hermitage, Côte Rôtie and Condrieu, on the hillsides north of Condrieu, near Vienne, in the northern part of the Rhône Valley, as mentioned, has Syrah and Viognier varietals mainly planted and Les Vins de Vienne produces three different IGP des Collines Rhodaniennes, including the Sotanum (red), the Taburnum (white) and Heluicum (red) from these vines. I do love the Sotanum 100% Syrah, old clone, Les Vins de Vienne, which is grown on Schist and Quartz soils that delivers a unique and rustic set of meaty flavors and lovely aromatics.

Over the Years the Cuilleron, Villard and Gaillard partnership Les Vins de Vienne added some impressive vineyard sites that didn’t fit their personal domaine labels, these include distinctive parcels spread among the top appellations and are all mostly single “Lieu Dit” bottlings, with micro editions from Côte Rôtie, Saint Joseph, Condrieu, as seen here, Saint Péray and Crozes-Hermitage. I have been a long time fan, as noted above, and I can’t believe they are still flying under the radar, especially with the quality to price ratio they deliver, year after year, and this Condrieu was a wonderful surprise in a lineup of Rhône wines, easily placing first with a bunch of educated wine enthusiasts. The Les Chambée is all Viognier grown on terraced plots with granite and loess soils and gently whole cluster pressed and fermented following tradition with indigenous yeasts in mostly used large French cask or Fûts. The Les Chambée, which sees a nine month elevage in barrel and is bottled typically without harsh filtering, is all hand crafted to promote terroir and varietal purity, which is exactly what is showing in the nicely mature 2015 version. I will note that the aromatics are toned down at this stage and the Les Chambée takes a while to full unwind, but wow, it does so with confidence and poise, this was excellent and expressive Viognier that goes beautifully with a variety of dishes, and soft cheeses, though I might suggest Moroccan lemon chicken, scallops, seared foie gras or pâte. In recent years I’ve gravitated to Yves Cuilleron’s own lineup, and interestingly enough, while I love his Syrahs, it has been his collection of whites that have impressed me most, especially his Saint-Joseph, the 100% Roussanne version called “Digue”, which is absolutely killer stuff, as well as the mentioned La Petite Côte Condrieu. If you’ve not heard of the Les Vins de Vienne label, you are not alone sadly, but you should search these wines out and again they offer a ton of pedigree and value.
($55 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

n.v. Eden Grapes “Gran Marselan” Limited Edition, Cuvée du Centenaire, Vin de France.
This deep garnet 100% Marselan non-vintage red wine starts with a full bodied array of flavors with red currant, plum, earthy cherry and raspberry fruits leading the way with mix of spice, wild herbs, bell pepper, a touch of cedary wood and anise accents. This intriguing wine from the Languedoc, specially crafted at Domaine Mas de Rey is well made and expressive version oof this grape. The brave, audacious and delicious Gran Marselan by Eden Grapes, and founder Christian De Rivel, was crafted to exploit the best individual features of this lesser known varietal, that was originally created by Professor Paul Truel in 1961 in Marseillan. Truel was one of the world’s leading ampelographers in the era, and he was looking to combine the structure and elegance of Cabernet Sauvignon with the disease resistance and rich flavors of Grenache to create Marselan. The quality seemed to be there with Marselan and it goes great in certain climates, but still remains almost unknown in the wine world. This wine is a tribute to Paul Truel and Marselan, also to honor Truel’s 100th birthday, who was born on April 27, 1924, hence the Cuvée du Centenaire on the label and that Eden Grapes decided to make this wine from a range of vintages to give a better representation of the grape. While I, most of the time, am not a fan of multi-vintage wines, I understand what De Rival was trying to do here, to provide a wine that educates as well as pleases the palate, allowing for more dimension and maturity in the glass. To craft this wine, De Rivel sourced the oldest Marselan vineyard in its original location, in the South of France, with 40 year old vines, organically farmed and hand tended, choosing very ripe and carefully sorted grapes. The macerations are done at cool temperatures and the wine each was aged 15 months in used French oak barrels, which were two year old medium toast barriques, with De Rivel painstakingly tasting the barrels to chose the final blend.

The unique French red varietal Marselan, that is a cross between Cabernet Sauvignon and Grenache has small berries and was created in 1961 by ampelographer Paul Truel near the French town of Marseillan, where it gets its name. Marselan, which is grown mostly in the Languedoc wine region, as well in the Rhône, plus Israel, it is gaining traction in Italy’s Tuscan Coast, with some plantings now found in the Northern Coast of California. Interestingly, It has also become very popular in China too and I have tried one wine from there that included a percentage of Marselan, which was probably my favorite Asian wine to date. Because of the small berries, Marselan, almost didn’t get to market, but it has made impressive inroads into some regions, where it rarely makes a solo varietal wine, usually it plays a smaller role in blends, which makes this wine even more important, allowing wine lovers a chance to see it purely on its own. The ancient seaport village of Marseillan, which it is believed to have been founded by the Phoenicians, is the oldest village in France, dating back to 600 BC, making it a World Heritage site with many historically significant artifacts and buildings. Located in the Hérault, not far from Marseille, this birthplace of Marselan has a Mediterranean climate and complex soils, making it one of the most interesting under the radar terroirs of the Languedoc, and home to cult favorite Mas de Daumas Gassac, considered the Grand Cru of the Languedoc. De Rivel notes that Marselan was often heralded as the “Grape of the Future” and adds that It thrives where other varietals falter, making it the perfect candidate for organic and sustainable viticulture. He continues that with the challenges posed by climate change, Marselan is a strong contender for the future of winemaking in many places, in fact it is now allowed to be included in areas of Bordeaux, single approval in 2019, though it still cannot be on the label. Just 143 cases were made of this Eden Grapes Gran Marselan bottling and each bottle is individually numbered on the back label, and while this wine may not rock every wine enthusiast, it certainly will appeal to wine geeks that are thrilled with true obscurity in the wine world.
($169 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2019 Bergström, Pinot Noir “Cumberland Reserve” Willamette Valley.
Winemaker Josh Bergström, a Portland native and first generation of his Swedish family to make wine here in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, has crafted a beauty from a difficult, but old school Oregon vintage with his 2019 “Cumberland Reserve” Pinot Noir which shows off a very Burgundy like palate of brambly red fruits, spice, mineral tones and a touch of reductive funky earthiness. Named for the road where Josh’s family grew up in Portland, Oregon, the Cumberland Reserve represents, what he says, a blend of some of the finest barrels from five estate-farmed vineyards, all carefully combined to showcase Oregon Pinot Noir at its best. This Cumberland Reserve bottling, Bergström continues, is the epitome of the (his) Bergström style with organic grapes and biodynamic practices in the vineyard and cellar, capturing the expression of a unique vintage’s character combined with a marriage of spice, mineral, and fresh fruit flavors. All of these things flow together here in this elegant Pinot Noir with layers of black cherry, mulberry/blackberry, tart plum, cranberry and bright orange fruits, along with briar, graphite, espresso, cola, delicate dark florals and subtle cedary wood notes. Bergström studied at university in Beaune, France, where he received a postgraduate degree in Viticulture and Enology, which has helped influence his Burgundy like style. There, he also met his Burgundy-native wife, Caroline, so he’s made his experiences last both in wine and in family. I’ve long admired these Bergström wines and I suggest a visit to the winery if you are touring the Willamette Valley.

This Bergström “Cumberland Reserve” Pinot Noir, as I’ve mentioned before starting with the 2010 vintage, is a stunning example of why Oregon continues to intrigue the wine world with this grape, without question it is a wine that seduces the senses and fills the imagination. The earthiness and acidity are remarkably like top Premier Cru Burgundy wines and the intensity and vigor are a welcome surprise considering some the difficulties of the vintage, which saw a damp and cool late season. Bergström, as noted in prior reviews, uses grapes from five estate grown vineyards now as noted above, while before it came from some of his favorite sites to craft this wine and he has in the past sourced some grapes from the famed Shea Vineyard adding some pedigree, while the Estate vines were maturing, and even though Josh Bergstrom is already a star and his wines highly acclaimed and in demand, this label still doesn’t always get the attention it deserves and this wine is an incredible value for the quality on display. This wine reminded of why I have always been a fan of this winery and it got better and more complex over the course of an evening and paired with food, which on the night was a spicy grilled salmon pasta dish. Gentle hand crafted winemaking with indigenous yeasts and lengthy elevage help make these wines very distinctive. The deep garnet/ruby hue in the glass was also very inviting and while I had tucked this bottle away for close to three years, it was beautifully fresh and transparent, making me believe it has plenty of years ahead. Bergström, obviously known for exceptional Pinots, with stunning set of single vineyard wines, also does fabulous Chardonnay wines, as well as a Rosé and a Syrah, all of which I can highly recommend.
($55 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2017 Cantina Roeno, Riesling “Praecipuus” IGT Riesling Renano TreVenezie, Italy.
This crisply dry and pure straw/gold 100% Riesling from Roeno shows off loads of unique character and has a mineral driven charm with zesty lemon oil, quince, melon, green apple and lime fruits, along with verbena, bitter herbs, flint, wet stone, saline and green almond notes.The Roeno Winery, which has a unique array of varietals planted, is located near the border between the Veneto and Trentino, in the land known as “Terra dei Forti” or land with no borders, with the estate surrounded by majestic Dolomite mountain slopes that flank the Adige River. There’s a bunch of cool things being made here and this wine really grew on me over a two day period and was great with an array of cuisines. The soils of Renano (part of theTrentino DOC) wine regions are complex, they include clay, limestone, dolomite granite, sand, and volcanic clay. This Renano Riesling, from true German clones, saw a soft pressing of the grapes and a short maceration before the juice is settled, allowing the green phenolics to drop out before being fermented in cool stainless steel tanks. The clean must is fermented using a carefully selected Geisenheim yeast culture, believed to be from the Mosel, and kept in temperature controlled vats, where this dry wine matured for about twelve months on the fine lees. The winemaking at Roeno, by Giuseppe Fugatti, leans on old German and Austrian traditions, pursuing freshness and transparency, as seen here.

The Roeno Winery, which has a unique array of varietals planted, is located near the border between the Veneto and Trentino, in the land known as “Terra dei Forti” or land with no borders, with the estate surrounded by majestic Dolomite mountain slopes that flank the Adige River. There’s a bunch of cool things being made here and this wine is just the tip of the iceberg and I highly recommend searching out these Roeno offerings. The Roeno wines, by the Fugatti family, who’ve lived and worked here for multiple generations have a range of imported options, which is still pretty limited in the States, though they do some Interesting stuff available, including this dry Riesling, that looks like one of their signature wines, along with a Teroldego della Vallagarina I reviewed recently. I also understand they have an ultra rare red made from 100% Enantio (which I had never even heard of) from vines planted in 1865. While Riesling has long been a staple in the Alto Adige, it is not a grape always associated with Italy, but in recent years the varietal has really come into its own here, with some Piemonte versions, especially those by the likes of G.D. Vajra and Germano being outstanding. That said, I have really enjoyed this “Praecipuus” by Roeno and the wines from this remote area that straddles the Veneto and Trentino area and I look forward to exploring the region further in the coming years or vintages. Imported to the United States by Giuseppe LoCascio’s Lucidity Wine Merchants, under the Omniwines banner, Roeno, might not be all that easy to find, but I highly recommend searching out their wines, especially this one, which is a great value too.
($20 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2020 Domaine Etienne Sauzet, Puligny-Montrachet “Les Referts” Premier Cru, White Burgundy, France.
Like all the Sauzet wines I’ve ever had, this beautiful 2020 Puligny-Montrachet Les Referts 1er Cru has intense mineral driven character and loads of youthful acidity, but still has an incredible, maybe vintage influenced, almost Grand Cru like concentration and depth, making for a top notch full bodied white Burgundy. Delicately pale straw/gold in the glass and with a subtle chalky nose, this wine takes a bit of time to unwind, but does so with feline muscle and underlying power, showing off lemon preserves, crisp apple, Bosc pear and zingy gooseberry fruits, along with clove spice, wet chalk, creme brulee, hazelnut and matchstick. A touch of lime, flint/gun metal, rosewater, saline and honey offer a nice contrast when the wine opens up completely. This is certainly one of the most luxurious of Sauzet Pulignys I’ve had, and that’s not a bad thing, it reminds me more of a Batard in terms of impact, while retaining acidity and tension, impressive stuff from start to finish, I really like what current keepers of this domaine are doing here. The Sauzet wines are all now biodynamic and sustainable practicing, with the domaine owned parcels being fully Ecocert certified, plus the winery makes note that they are green and all wines vegan friendly. The winery offers up quite the array of small Grand Cru and Premier Cru whites, which are sadly now only special occasion wines for me, but they do have a couple of values, including a Santenay and Saint-Romain. But compared to others in this quality level, Sauzet remains a solid value for the limited elite nature of the wines. The Puligny-Montrachet Les Referts cru just north of the village, about 13 acres in size total, is notable for its deeper calcareous clay marl and iron rich soils and it sits across the road from Meursault’s Charmes vineyard, which shares some of the same characteristics, though house styles make for very different wines of course.

The legendary Domaine Etienne Sauzet has a history that dates to the beginning of the 20th century, not too long for the region, when Etienne Sauzet inherited and bought several plots of vines in the famed village of Puligny-Montrachet, where this wine was born. These vines passed through the Sauzet family to Jeanine Boillot, Sauzet’s granddaughter. Jeanine and her husband, Gérard Boudot, managed the domaine, making many modernizations that improved the estate’s vinification process and introduced biodynamic farming, which has led to much improved vine health. Today the domaine is run their daughter Emilie and her husband, Benoît Riffault, who have continued making outstanding and electric Chardonnay here, these rarities, like this exceptional Puligny Les Referts, are among the most sought-after in all of Burgundy. My first experiences with the Sauzet wines were from the mid to late nineties and I was always blown away with the intensity and power those wine had, they remind me of what you see now in the wines of Jean-Marc Roulot and Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey with bracing minerality and energy. While Les Referts, which is lower on the slope and can be riper that higher sites it is not flabby here, though opulent in this vintage, which was aged 12 months in barrel on the lees, leading to a wine that is easier liven its youth. I have been lucky enough to have tried the legendary Le Montrachet in the past, but mostly I’ve sampled the Puligny-Montrachet offerings with Sauzet’s Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Hameau de Blagny being a constant favorite, along with the basic village Puligny and the always impressive duo of Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Les Folatières and Puligny-Montrachet Premier Cru Champ Gain bottlings. The US importer of Sauzet, Vineyard Brands has long been a source for great Burgundies, with the Haas family doing an amazing job of promoting excellent terroir driven and environment conscious producers, like Sauzet and they can be justifiably proud of their portfolio.
($189 Est.) 96 Points, grapelive

2002 Domaine Taupenot-Merme, Charmes-Chambertin, Grand Cru, Red Burgundy, France.
The beautifully mature, dark ruby/garnet hued and silken Charmes-Chambertin, by Romain Taupenot at Domaine Taupenot-Merme, starts with a nose of wilted roses, truffle, a hint of meatiness and evolved red fruits before revealing its Grand Cru force on the medium bodied palate with deep cherry, dried plum, fig and spiced raspberry fruits, along with black tea, cedar, espresso grinds, grilled orange and chalky notes. Taupenot-Merme’s small set of vines in Charmes-CHambertin were planted between 1958, 1968 and 1998 and are farmed all organic, since 2001, and allow for small yield power and complexity, as seen here. This 2002 is reaching maximum pleasure and was absolutely charming, pure and seductive lingering on and on, but it is not a flamboyant wine, and for Chambertin, it is wonderfully subtle, though there’s no doubt of its pedigree. Known for his lighter touch, Romain uses all de-stemmied berries and does the maceration and native yeast fermentation in stainless steel tank with gentle extraction, after which the wines, like this one, saw 15 months in French barriques with a slightly less then usual toast with about 40 % new oak. This fabled site is on classic limestone and clay soils with Taupenot only having a tiny .6 hectare plot, making for an exclusive and very limited bottling of Charmes-Chambertin. My main prior tasting of Taupenot-Merme was their Gevrey-Chambertin, with their 2016 being the last reviewed version, which is in my price range, and a lovely and rewarding Burgundy.

Romain and his sister Virginie Taupenot, of the highly prized Domaine Taupenot-Merme in the village of Morey, are the ninth generation of their family to run the domaine that has some outstanding and historical parcels in mainly the Côte de Nuits, with prime vines in Clos Saint Denis, Chambolle Musigny to the south and Gevrey Chambertin to the north to name a few. The family’s holdings, as importer Kermit Lynch notes, also extend to the Côte de Beaune, centered principally he says around the lovely hilltop village of Saint Romain, plus a special parcel in Corton. Lynch continues, this fabulous, or inspiring collection of top-flight Burgundian vineyards, at Domaine Taupenot-Merme, which a newer addition to his incredible portfolio, was created by the union of the Taupenot family from Saint Romain with the Merme family from Morey Saint Denis in 1963. Romain Taupenot has carried on the house style, which has been described as hauntingly elegant and gently delicate and my own experience with these wines would have me tend to agree and especially with wines such as this pristine and pure Charmes-Chambertin which has a velvety core even with the underlying power of this famed terroir. Reading up, I see that Domaine Taupenot-Merme have close to nine full hectares in the Côte de Nuits side of Burgundy and another 4.5 hectares in the southern zone of Côte de Beaune, so now Romain and Virginie now produce close to 7,000 cases and nineteen different wines, all of which are highly sought after. As mentioned, the village wines here at Taupenot-Merme offer a lot of value for the money, as noted above with the Gevrey-Chambertin, as well as the Chambolle-Musigny, but for something extra special the Grand Crus are very tempting.
($350-450 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

2019 Château de Beaucastel, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, Roussanne, Vieilles Vignes, Rhône Valley, France.
The Beaucastel old vine Roussanne is one of France’s great white wines, like Grand Cru white Burgundy, is one of the most brilliant and complex single varietal wines you’ll ever try, and the 2019 is an absolute stunner with exceptional layering, intensity and length. The straw/gold hued Roussanne is lovely in the glass, the nose is wonderful with liquid rock, white blossoms, fresh peaches and tropical notes, leading to a luxurious full bodied palate with apricot, golden fig, honeyed citrus and apple butter, along with touches of spice, chalky wet stone, anise, lychee and vanilla. The mouth feel is oily and viscous, but there is a nice cut of acidity and tension too, so everything is sublimely poised and this wine was excellent with a range of foods, though I recommend lobster tail, if given the choice. Over time I’m sure it will develop a more creamy creme brulee richness, as I’ve seen in this wine in prior vintages, but wow, this is perfectly delicious, if not spectacular right now. This wine rivals top Hermitage bottlings and is a must try for any serious wine drinker, especially those who are joyful hedonists.

Château de Beaucastel, one of the most coveted Châteauneuf-du-Pape producers, owned by the Perrin Family, was one of the first to promote all organic farming and are great leaders in preserving old vines and varietals. While obviously widely admired for their epic Châteauneuf-du-Pape reds, including the rare cuvée Jacques Perrin, Beaucastel does fantastic whites, with their classic Blanc, which a full range of white Rhône grapes, and this outrageously opulent 100% Roussanne. The wine is sourced from a plot of very old vines set on ancient seabed known as Molasse, with clay and limestone covered by diluvial alpine deposits, scattered by large pebbles or galets. For this unique Châteauneuf Blanc, Beaucastel carefully hand harvests, selecting ultra ripe fruit with the grapes coming to the cellars, cool, in small cases and then sorted for perfection, after which they were pneumatically soft and gently pressed. There is a settling of the juice to allow for green phenolics to drop out and the fermentation is done in 30% in oak and 70% in stainless steel tanks with the Roussanne getting bottled after a fine lees aging of close to eight months. These top family Perrin Château de Beaucastel wines never fail to impress me, make me grin selfishly, and it is always a treat to pop the corks, as this wine did.
($185-250 Est.) 96 Points, grapelive

1970 Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, Grand Cru Classé, Médoc, Red Bordeaux, France.
What a great surprise this beautiful and wonderfully drinking 1970 Château Lynch-Bages, which while showing its age, it gave a delicious performance with silky layers of dark fruit still very much leading the way on the soft medium bodied palate. The nose is slightly meat, delicately floral, with hints of autumn leafs, loamy earth and cedary spice, providing a nice gateway to dried cherry, stewed plum, currant and fig fruit. THere’s a fine veil of tannin that helps keep these structured and the dark garnet and brick red color is appealing and the finish is lengthy and lingers with wilted rose, anise and pipe tobacco. Château Lynch-Bages is located just outside the town of Pauillac, with just over 200 acres, set on a gravelly ridge overlooking the Gironde estuary. This well-drained site consists mainly of deep gravel beds over a limestone soils and it is planted mainly with red wine grapes, including 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. The winemaking is classic with maceration and full fermentation, primary and Malo-lactic, in stainless steel, after which the wines mature in French oak for close to 15 months, with close to 50% new oak in the Grand Vin.

The Fifth Growth Lynch-Bages Château (1855 Grand Cru Classé), overlooks the Gironde estuary and stretches over a beautiful gravelly hilltop. Ownership of Château Lynch-Bages, however, remains with the Cazes family. It’s widely noted that Château Lynch-Bages original ownerThomas Lynch was a descendant of the Tribes of Galway. His father John Lynch emigrated in 1691 from Galway, Ireland to the Bordeaux area and he inherited an estate in the village of Bages through his wife, Elizabeth, in 1749. The foundation of Château Lynch-Bages, as in that same year, Lynch then later passed it on to his son, Jean-Baptiste, upon his marriage in 1779. Jean-Baptiste handed over the supervision of Lynch-Bages to his brother Michel who maintained responsibility for the Château’s wines until 1824. The Lynch family then sold it to a Swiss wine merchant, whose family controlled the estate for over a hundred years. The Cazes family first took on Lynch-Bages in 1934 and while they have had partnerships with outside companies, they remain the guardians of this famous Château today. It is of interest that In 2017, the Cazes family acquired Château Haut-Batailley, a neighboring 1855 Grand Cru Classé estate in Pauillac, making for a fabulous set from this legendary terroir. I was, as noted above, impressed by this 1970 and it reminds me that well aged wines are prized treasures.
($257 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2023 Les Traverses de Fontanès, Cabernet Sauvignon, Vin de France, Languedoc-Roussillon, France.
The all organic old vine Cabernet Sauvignon, from vines planted in 1970, by Château Fontanès and biodynamic winegrower Cyriaque Rozier is a dark and rustically charming wine from the wilds of the Pic St. Loup area of Languedoc region with layers of black fruits, brambly spice, tobacco and anise notes. The juicy fruit forward full bodied palate is fresh and ripe, not overly tannic, showing a nice purity of form without any wood, giving currant, blackberry and plum fruits along with hints of mint, herbal and aromatic sage, crushed stones, delicate florals and a dry earthiness. The Mediterranean climate and clay/marl limestone soils lead to softer ripe tannins, but still having moderate alcohol, so wine is balanced and lively. I’m a long time fan of Cyriaque Rozier’s wines and while I usually grab his Pic St. Loup bottlings, which are more Rhône like with offerings led by Syrah and Mourvèdre being my favorites, but you can’t beat this for value and it is a perfect winter meal wine. I also should mention the Château La Roque wines Rozier makes, especially the Pic St. Loup Rouge and the Vieilles Vignes Mourvèdre cuvée, both killer values and the new 100% Assyrtiko, which I can’t wait to try soon!

Based in the Languedoc-Roussillon’s Pic St. Loup, Château Fontanès or Les Traverses de Fontanès was started by Cyriaque Rozier in 2003, as his importer Kermit Lynch notes, a highly acclaimed winemaker and vineyard manager at Château La Roque, and makes his own wines here in Pic St-Loup in the remote and ancient Languedoc region. Cabernet Sauvignon has long been in the Languedoc and was made famous in the region by Mas de Daumas Gassac and the Guibert Family in the l’Hérault, where they planted Bordeaux clones, rumored to be from the best selections at Château Margaux. While that wine is about 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, this Les Traverses de Fontanès is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, which isn’t recognized by the AOC here, hence the Vin de France labeling. Rozier’s vines are old and organic/biodynamic, all hand tended, and this wine is 100% de-stemmed and macerated and fermented in cement vats with temperature control with manual punch-downs and pump=overs to get that deep extraction. After fermentation the wine goes into stainless tank for between 6 months to a year before bottling, all to allow for the utmost transparency, as seen in this lovely 2023 version available now. There’s some real quality, authentic charm and charisma to be found in these wines and I highly recommend them
($18 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2023 La Marea by Ian Brand, Albariño “Alternative Cut” Kristy Vineyard, Monterey County.
The 2023 La Marea “Alternative Cut” Albariño, by Ian Brand, is juicy and steely fresh, highlighting the long ultra cool growing season, with pithy lime, green apple, peach and verbena leading the way on the zingy medium bodied palate along with hints of mango, quince and wet stones. This crisp and dry Albariño saw a bit of skin maceration or soaking, which adds a touch of phenolic grip and brings out a lot more personality, making for a unique California expression of this Galician varietal, which loves being close to the ocean, especially in the Rias Baixas region of Spain. Also found in Portugal’s Vinho Verde, Albariño has found a happy home here in the cooler zones of the state after first arriving here, originally in Carneros, in the late nineties when Michael Heavens brought cuttings back from Rias Baixas. In the mid 2000s Albariño came to Monterey County and it has thrived, with some fabulous example now being done here, including Ian Brand’s La Marea versions, as well as those done by Chesebro and Joyce. Brand, known for discovering almost forgotten sites, old vines and varietal rarities, has become one of his generations leading lights and voices, especially on the central coast and on granite, alluvial and ancient seabed based vineyards. Brand does three different labels, the Payson, which is value packed, which includes the awesome Rosé, the La Marea, Iberian inspired wines, where this wine is, and his signature I. Brand label, where you find the most limited and hand crafted efforts, like the 100 year old Grenache from the Besson Vineyard.

One of Monterey’s most satisfying, mineral driven and pure wines, the special edition of Ian Brand’s Albariño from the stony Kristy Vineyard, now called the “Alternitive Cut” sees a little skin contact and was originally done with a special batch of grapes that was vineyard yeast fermented or Pied de Cuve and was whole cluster pressed, giving more distinction and intensity of flavors. This vintage Alt Cut version is wonderfully stylish and, like I’ve mentioned before, is far more true in character with the Spanish Rias Baixas wines that inspired it. Like those wines from Spain, the La Marea Albariño, that is neutral barrel aged, goes well with fresh local sea food, in particular shellfish and briny stuff. As mentioned in prior reviews, Ian Brand has fallen in love with white varietals and sees Monterey County and the central Coast as prime terroir to really create some magical stuff. Most recently with a release of Arinto, a Portuguese varietal, along with his Melon de Bourgogne, Chenin Blanc, Arneis, the skin contact “Ramato” Pinot Gris, an orange wine called Super Toothy with Sauvignon Gris and the two versions of Albariño, including this one, rally expressing that potential, not to mention his outstanding Sauvignon Blanc and unique Chardonnay offerings, one of which is in the nutty almost Sherry like Jura style. In the future, Brand potentially looks to add some more Italian varietals and even some Assyrtiko, the Greek white grape, most commonly found on the island of Santorini, which Ian saw close up on a visit to the Greece last year. Of course, Ian loves his reds too and in the current collection there’s some absolute stunners, including his old vine Grenache, the Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc bottlings, especially the Bates Ranch editions, so I highly recommend getting on the mailing list here.
($32 Est.) 93 Points, grapelive

2011 Domaine Ramonet, Chassagne-Montrachet “Les Caillerets” Premier Cru, White Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, France.
Starting to show its age and getting a deep gold hue in the glass and very nutty and flinty on the nose, this 2011 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets Blanc still shows its pedigree and depth, in fact it was really lovely, especially since I tried a 2014 version recently that was totally premoxed and undrinkable. The premature oxidation phenomenon is sadly still affecting white Burgundies, even top names like Ramonet and weirdly somewhat hit and miss, with some older vintages seemingly not affected, and while this 2011 is feeling peaked, it is not a write off like the 2014 I tried was. The 2011 has classic baked apple, pear tart and lemon curd fruits, along with loads of hazelnut, clove spice, a touch of petrol, wet stone and butterscotch notes and was sturdy enough to handle some creamy cheese and a starter course, with a smooth richness on the medium/full bodied palate. For those of my generation, Ramonet was always a special experience, much the way the wines of Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, Coche-Dury and Roulot are revered these days. With the prices of Burgundy these days, you’d expect pristine wines that can age 15 to 20 years, but what a huge disappointment it would be to find them premoxed, some collectors are braver than I could ever be.

The Jean-Claude Ramonet Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Caillerets Blanc comes the classic chalky limestone slopes above the village of Chassagne from two parcels of Chardonnay vines planted in 1982 and traditionally made in the signature reductive style of this domaine, one of Burgundy’s most famous names, with close to 60% new wood used. The lees aging in barrique lasts for close to 15 months giving that rich and concentrated mouth feel, while retaining a liquid mineral intensity and vibrancy. The Ramonet wines are made now by the third generation of Ramonets, with Jean-Claude and Noël leading the way here at this legendary winery, following their family’s traditions and house style. The Ramonets hand pick their Premier Crus and cool press the grapes to tank for primary fermentation with natural native yeasts before being racked to barrel to finish up with the wine being rested on the full lees with being settled out. The Ramonets I hear are believers that the wine really benefits from the lees contact and adds depth and character with some stirring employed. The wine matures in the French oak, as noted above, for usually between 12 to 15 months and depending on vintage see anywhere between 35 to 65% new wood. This 2011, a vintage I had lots of joy with 5 to 7 years ago, is not getting any younger or better, but I enjoyed it none the less, but that said I wouldn’t let it go any longer in the cellar.
($350 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive

2017 Kobza Wines, Crémant Riesling, Sparkling Wine, Wirz Vineyard, Cienega Valley AVA, San Benito County.
The bright gold yeasty and nutty Kobza Crémant Riesling from old vines is dry sparkler that makes for a fun and delightful aperitif and or a starter wine to go with oysters or ceviche. This pure ancient method Riesling bubbly has a creamy, but vibrant mousse and loads of mineral intensity, stone fruit, citrus and brioche notes with delicate aromatics, a touch of earthiness, bees wax, verbena and clove spice. There’s a burst of lime, cider apple, minty herb and tart peach in the background along with a hint of rosewater that especially comes out with food, again making it a delicious and unique Sparkling wine, much in the vein of a German Sekt. Bottle lees aged, secondary fermetted, with a low dosage like feel and disgorged at Brut level, this Kobza Crémant was all handmade by winemaker Ryan Kobza, who has been Ian Brand’s right-hand man at his I. Brand & Family Winery for about a decade. Kobza’s own label has a collection of unique offerings, most from this old vine and historic vineyard in the wild’s of San Benito County and includes a set of dry Rieslings, a Rosé, a rare Cabernet Pfeffer (Mourtaou) and a Mourvèdre led field blend. Recently Kobza added a Santa Cruz Mountains dry Riesling that was impressive as well that fits nicely with his small collection of offerings.

The Wirz Vineyard, a heritage vineyard site in San Benito County’s Cienega Valley AVA, was originally planted back in 1903 and bought by the Wirz family in the 1940’s, with Pat Wirz still working this old vine gem. Kobza, as mentioned in my prior reviews of his wines, is enthralled with this place, he notes that, the entire vineyard is dry-farmed, head trained, and own rooted, just as it was done 120 years ago. The Riesling, where this wine, plus a dry still version come from, is a 50 year old parcel that is planted in a single contiguous block along a small creek, with rocky soils, while the reds here are an inter-planted, bush vine field blend of Zinfandel, Mourtaou (known also as Cabernet Pfeffer), Mourvèdre and Carignan with a bit of super rare Rose of Peru (Pais) and Palomino (the Sherry white grape) occasionally interspersed within. Ryan’s wines are all hand crafted with very low intervention in the cellar and mostly neutral wood aged, with the sparklers seeing lots of lees contact and old school love and care in the cellar. This micro winery based in Monterey County, run just by Ryan and his wife Natalie, is a small under the radar label that is sold mostly in local area restaurants and direct on the website. Kobza is a champion of rarities and lesser known varietals, as well as out of the lime-light terroirs, and I recommend checking out his wines.
($28 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive

2023 Weingut Dönnhoff, Riesling Trocken, Roxheimer Höllenpfad, Nahe, Germany.
The Dönnhoff ’23 vintage, especially the dry Riesling collection, like this gorgeous, crisply dry, spicy, delicately aromatic and crystalline Roxheimer Höllenpfad, is simply stunning and while the GGs will get all the major attention there some outstanding values here, as this one also proves. Honestly, it was incredibly difficult to chose a favorite in the samples of these 2023s from Cornelius Dönnhoff, but if I had to pick I would definitely say that the Hermannshöhle GG and the Felsenberg GG were my tippy top wines, while this Roxheimer Höllenpfad Trocken for the money would be one that would stock up on. The pristine and steely medium bodied palate shows of lime blossom, green apple, tart apricot, quince and tangerine, along with quinine, chamomile, almond, herb, flinty mineral spice, wet rock, lemon oil and saline. Zingy and youthfully energetic this Riesling also has the signature purity and elegance you’d expect of a Dönnhoff and it is complex enough to thrill the most jaded of Riesling lovers. There’s more to come with patience I believe and while I might be hard pressed not to enjoy this one right away, there should be extra rewards for those who wait, it should get another few years in bottle to fully express itself.

As told to me many times by Dönnhoff’s importer and staff, the famous Höllenpfad, is a wildly steeply vineyard in a small side valley of the middle section of the Nahe River and the named Höllenpfad which translates to“Path to Hell” is fitting for those that have to hand tend this dangerous slope of Riesling vines. They say the name is an old one, likely referencing both the vineyard‘s steep slope as well as the unique color of the red sandstone here. They also mentioned that the surrounding landscape is bathed daily in the rich, warm light of the evening sun as it reflects off the hillside‘s distinctive red soil, which makes for a distinctive wine. The unique Roxheimer Höllenpfad parcels, a full VDP Erste Lage or Premier Cru site, sit on limestone with veins of red sandstone, which clearly influence the profile and it is understood that the grapes here are tiny and explosively vibrant and carry that intensity straight through to the wines. Cornelius employs a natural yeast fermentation and used a combination of stainless and used large oak for this Roxheimer Höllenpfad, with about 9 months of lees aging before bottling. I also have to mention that Dönnhoff’s basic Estate Trocken, review coming soon and the Kabinett Oberhäuser Leistenberg, already reviewed here, are wines to search out too, for exceptional value.
($35 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2019 Bucklin, Otto’s Grenache, Old Hill Ranch Vineyard, Sonoma Valley.
This 2019 Otto’s Grenache from Will Bucklin is a dark hued, powerful and brooding vintage, quite different from the 2018, with earthy blackberry, currant and plum fruit leading the way on the robust palate, along with black pepper, cedar, sage, Provençal herbs, porcini, kirsch liqueur and salted black licorice notes. There’s a bit of rustic tannin, camphor, savory elements, good acidity and very delicate florals as well here, it what really started out as a tightly wound and firm wine that needed a good hour to unwind and show off a much more charming personality and pure varietal characteristics. Once fully open, and even better on day two, this Sonoma Valley Bucklin Otto’s Grenache, just pushing 14.3% natural alcohol, from the historic and famous Old Hill Ranch, site of the first Zinfandel vineyard in California back in the 1850s, there was a lot more depth of fruit adding juicy strawberry and boysenberry compote notes. As mentioned in prior reviews, the Bucklin wines typically see native yeasts, fermented and macerated primarily in stainless steel and then aged a year or so in mainly used barrels, which is why you get to see raw authentic flavors, varietal character and sense place all come together in the wines here. Again as written here previously, after graduating from UC Davis in 1986, Bucklin interned at Château Lafite Rothschild in Pauillac (Bordeaux) before heading to Oregon to further his learning experience, after which his took over winemaking at Old Hill Ranch for his family’s efforts, turning it into very celebrated and coveted small production winery under his Bucklin label. Bucklin is trying to make his wines in the vineyard and is as hands off as possible in the cellar, as he notes he is very committed to low intervention, but without any “Natural Winemaker” dogma attached, he does not add nutrients to the fermentations and only adds sulfur dioxide at very minimal levels to eliminate oxidation. I love the Zins here at Bucklin, but this Otto’s Grenache, with its Châteauneuf du Pape like depth and complexity continues to impress and intrigue me.

Bucklin produces only wines coming from their legendary Heritage family vineyard, the Old Hill Ranch planted in the middle of the 1800s, which is a total of 24 acres, broken up into seven different blocks from which Will Bucklin makes his nine different small lot wines, mainly Zinfandel of course, but also including this more recent Grenache Noir. Will Bucklin’s stewardship of Old Hill Ranch, as he says, follows in the footsteps of his stepfather Otto Teller, a renowned conservationist, for who this wine is named, started farming in Sonoma Valley in the late 1950s. Bucklin adds that Otto was an ardent organic farmer decades before the notion caught hold, especially here in the Sonoma Valley. Going on Bucklin notes that Otto was a disciple of Rachel Carson’s “Silent Spring,” and he refused to use what he called the treadmill of agricultural chemicals on his vines. He believed in dry farming, as Will does, because he knew it produced better wine, with cellar techniques used now, that as noted above, enhance the sense of place and to compliment the quality of the grapes grown here, which promote transparency and rustic charm naturally. The Bucklin’s have preserved the classic old block, as well as planted in the same method, newer parcels like this Otto’s, and the Bambino (young vine) Zinfandel block that sees many other black grapes inter-planted, including Petite Sirah, Alicante Bouschet, Grenache, Mourvedre, Syrah and Carignane. The elder 1880s vines include many others, as Bucklin explains, that through the use of DNA mapping he has documented three very rare varieties that otherwise only exist in the French Alps, most of which are found in the Savoie, Mollard, Persan, and Etraire de la Dui. There is also a small, but an important amount of white grapes too, such as Chardonnay, French Colombard, Chasselas, Muscat of Alexandria and Clairette Blanche that go into his white blend. It’s clear that Old Hill Ranch offers a special look back to California’s past, as well as a glimpse into the future, I highly recommend getting on the mailing list here! If you are a fan of Turley, Biale, Ridge, Storybook Mountain and or Bedrock, I think you’ll want to try out these Bucklin Old Hill Ranch offerings.
($38 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2022 Weingut Selbach-Oster Riesling “Rotlay” Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, Mosel, Germany.
The exotic, deeply rich and thrilling 2022 Rotlay block collection Riesling from Selbach-Oster comes from the cru Zeltlinger Sonnenuhr vineyard set on Devonian slate and vines up to 100 years old, and that were trained on single poles adjacent to the Mosel. I’ve been admiring these limited block selection wines from Johannes Selbach for more than a decade now, and this 2022 vintage is one of the best yet with a pale gold hue and a full luxurious palate of ripe apricot, candied pineapple, lemon curd, apple, lime sorbet and tangerine, along with smoky crushed flint, rosewater, lychee and lingering honey. At around 7.5%, these wine is very Auslese like, but definitely not a dessert wine, as it drinks much drier and mineral intense. than the residual sugar would suggest. I believe, that Selbach, included a high percentage of botrytis grapes, which seems very case when drinking, though there’s a great finesse here and a good cut of natural acidity that tames the sweetness and a complex savory element too, making it a wine that can be paired nicely with spicy Asian cuisine.

Johannes Selbach of Weingut Selbach-Oster does a special series of Rieslings that come from carefully select block in his best cru sites, like this Rotlay, which has an Auslese like richness, texture and feel in the mouth, but with less sweetness, more Spatlese level, if you can relate and the depth and length are exceptional. This wine comes off mainly old vines in the famous Zeltinger Sonnenuhr vineyard that Selbach feels gives the most interesting terroir characteristics and flavors. These special block wines, Bömer (Zeltinger Schlossberg), Schmitt (Zeltinger Schlossberg), Anrecht (Zeltlinger Himmelreich) and the Rotlay (Zeltinger Sonnenuhr) are hand picked everything at once, as Selbach notes, once optimal ripe, but including green berries, yellow berries, and botrytis berries, and he ferments them spontaneously in Fuder. This he says represents a traditional style and a true expression of terroir. The high sugar levels on the Oechsle (must weight) scale, as noted, well up into the Auslese echelon, means these wines, which I discovered in the 2010 vintage, are rich and luscious, as this 2022 Rotlay is, but also wonderfully detailed and elegant, they some of the most interesting and pleasure filled wines of the Mosel.
($65 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

2009 Capiaux, Pinot Noir “Pisoni Vineyard” Santa Lucia Highlands.
The dark crimson/ruby hued 2009 Pisoni Vineyard by Sean Capiaux is aging beautifully and is still remarkably youthful and shows off a bit of reduction, but opens up nicely to reveal a classic medium/full palate of black cherry, plum, blackberry and strawberry fruits, along with bramble and briar, a touch of graphite, orange tea, vanilla, a touch of truffle earliness and wilted rose petals. This wine is mature and silky, but impressively has a lively nature and fine acidity, making it finely balanced and great with food. These days Capiaux uses between 10 and 20% whole cluster, a 4-day cold soak and a natural fermentation in open top tanks. The maceration is uniquely done with what Capiaux says is Pulsair (cap management using compressed air) and traditional punch downs. The wine is then pressed to barriques for its secondary malolactic fermentation with the wine aging sur lie 11 months until he does the bottling. Interestingly these wines, even with Capiaux’s critically acclaimed efforts and Gary Pisoni’s fame, still are under the radar. so the price is reasonable and I highly recommend checking out the current releases.

I have been a fan of Sean Capiaux a long time now, who does a great lineup of Pinots under his own label, as seen here, and is the winemaker at O’Shaughnessy, on Howell Mountain in the Napa Valley. Sean Capiaux founded his Capiaux Cellars in 1994, with a focus of producing single vineyard bottlings of Pinot Noir from an array of top sites throughout California, including the famous Garys’ and Pisoni vineyards in the Santa Lucia Highlands. The legendary Pisoni Vineyard, originally planted in 1982 is primarily made up of decomposed granite with large deposits of quartz, with Gary Pisoni claiming to have brought cuttings back from La Tâche himself. Inspired by traditional Burgundy wines, Sean says his winemaking style is a blend of classic and contemporary, utilizing cutting edge fermentation equipment paired with natural hands on winemaking, with an emphasis is on balance. All the wines are naturally fermented, with indigenous yeast with long maceration(s) and elevage before being bottled unfined and unfiltered to preserve innate flavors and aromas. Capiaux adds that he uses minimal new oak and wines like his Pisoni usually sees about 33% new French oak. I see that Capiaux has added a new vineyard in the Russian River to his personal label lineup and I look forward to sampling that one at some point soon.
($65 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2021 Domaine Pierre-Yves Coiln-Morey, Chassagne-Montrachet “Abbaye de Morgeot” Cuvée Clement et Emma, Premier Cru White Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, France.
The extremely rare Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Abbaye de Morgeot Cuvée Clement et Emma, which I had not had before, was a stunning and very much in style for Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey with exceptional mineral driven character and purity, while still offering luxurious richness and exuberance in the glass. This 2021 is more classically steely and crisp, than what I hear the more concentrated 2020 version was, and I was thrilled with the less is more feel to this vintage, while enjoying the layers of lemony toned citrus, apple, pear, quince, melon and tart peach fruits, along with the hint of yeasty bread dough, wet stones, white blossoms, clove and toast wood notes. Good acids and incredible tension make this a brilliant and pedigreed medium to full bodied wine, I can imagine this lovely Chassagne gets creamier with age, but the thill as it is now is very compelling. The Colin family has some fabulous plots in some of the Côte de Beaune’s best vineyards, from Chassagne to Batard (Montrachet), and Pierre-Yves added some high quality vineyards to his own portfolio, expanding into the Côte de Nuits and to the Côte Chalonnaise, with great success, but is still most famous for his Saint-Aubin and Chassagne-Montrachet bottlings, like this one. The Abbaye de Morgeot is part of two main parcels on chalky limestone and clay with a gravelly topsoil on a southeast facing hillside that surrounds the Abbaye de Morgeot itself, that was once home to an order of Cistercian monks just south of the village of Chassagne. The coveted 21 acres of vines, with both Chard and Pinot here, the “Morgeot” lies above, and “La Chapelle” below, which (both parts) can be labeled Abbaye de Morgeot, overlook the abbey buildings.

Domaine Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey is a modern icon of Burgundy with Pierre-Yves and his wife Caroline Morey being one of the region’s power couples, like Jean-Marc Roulot and Alix de Montille, and now with the Colin-Morey sons Mathis and Clément joining the family domaine, the wines continue to be some of the most coveted in the world. This Domaine based in Chassagne, is the holy grail for white Burgundy, especially for the wine industry itself, rather than only the top 1% collectors, with many bottlings being affordable for mere mortals. That said, some of the Premier Cru wines here have truly been discovered and the rarity has sent prices past my wallet’s ability and I doubt I will be drinking PYCM much longer. Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey, as mentioned here in prior reviews, has made a brilliant career in Chardonnay, having worked along side his dad and brothers as the winemaker at his father’s domaine from 1994 to 2005, then stepped out on his own founding his own domaine in 2006. Pierre-Yves, as noted here, follows a strict protocol and method, using all sustainable and hand tended vineyards, with mostly organic practices in the vineyards, while in the cellar he ferments and ages his wines in barrel, with early picks being the norm, using indigenous yeasts and somewhat notably, he prefers larger format 350L French oak demi-muids instead of the classic 228L barriques, with his Lieu-Dit and Premier Crus seeing close to 30% new if not more, adding just the right amount of toasty accents. While the 2021s are less weighted and more subtle, I have been impressed for the quality across the range in these Pierre-Yves Colin-Morey offerings, especially the almost Grand Cru quality like Chassagne-Montrachets, and look forward to trying the 2022s, which I hear blend the opulence and density of the 2020s and the vibrancy of the 2021s to even better effect, not that I am complaining about either or.
($249-300 Est.) 95 Points, grapelive

1999 Clos du Mont-Olivet, Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Cuvée Unique, Rhône Valley, France.
I opened my last bottle of 1999 Châteauneuf du Pape, and with a touch of sadness and a slight disappointment the Clos du Mont-Olivet didn’t live up to my expectations, but there was enough there for a happy good bye to one of my favorite vintages. The color looked good, dark garnet with just a bit of bricky to it, and the palate had some pretty dried flowers, a burst of red fruits and a supple textural feel, but the end is near for this one, with decaying autumn leaves, beef bouillon cube, mushroom and stewy/dusty notes overtaking the fresher vine berry and plum fruits. There was a few minutes of balance and pleasure hinted at what a great wine in the past was here in this vintage of Clos du Mont-Olivet, so I highly recommend sooner v later on any Châteauneufs you might have been hanging on to. I recently has a ’99 Janesse and it was far more in a peak window, though I could see the evolution was heading. The Clos du Mont-Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape Rouge “Cuvée Unique” was a special North Berkeley Imports selection, aged exclusively in older foudre passed down from generation to generation of the Sabon family, who own the estate, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. For this version, the cépage was 80% Grenache, 10% Syrah and 10% Mourvèdre, coming from carefully selected parcels, with some classic galets and limestone soils, including the famous La Crau, and made with partial whole cluster. I may have been hoping for a better end of life performance here, but I will continue to age a few Rhône reds, including Gigondas and Châteauneuf du Pape, as some can be absolutely magic after 20 to 25 years, as seen most recently with a Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe!

The Domaine of Clus du Mont-Olivet was originally founded in the mid-16th century, but was established as a Châteauneuf producer in 1932, three years after the AOC was granted, has seen many historical changes, and now the estate today is run by Thierry Sabon, who has brought back a sense of elegance and traditional character to this famous label. Clos du Mont-Olivet, now imported by Skurnik Wines, encompasses parcels of mainly 60+ year old vines in the heart of the Châteauneuf du Pape AOC, plus some excellent Lirac vines as well. The wines now are considered more in the classical style, with what Skurnik calls heady, complex aromatics, and garrigue-laden fruit that tastes of the stones that comprise the fascinating soils of the area. Thierry’s minimalist approach in the cellar, which highlights terroir and transparency is bit different from some early vintages, that focused on fruit density and richness over finesse. These days, the main Châteauneuf du Pape red blend is close to 78% Grenache, 11% Syrah, 8% Mourvèdre and 3% Cinsault, all organic grapes, with 50% whole cluster and natural indigenous yeast fermentation and aged more than 12 months in 65% old foudres, 20% concrete, 8% stainless steel and 7% older barrels. This faded and slightly dried out Cuvée Unique 1999, which deserved to be enjoyed maybe 10 years old, still intrigued with lingering porporri, framboise, earthiness and minty licorice. The winery has a full range of wines these days and I recommend searching out the old vines Côtes du Rhône, which is a killer value, along with the Lirac Rouge and the three separate bottlings of Châteauneuf Rouge and the Blanc, which has 40% Clairette, 30% Roussanne, 14% Bourboulenc, 10% Grenache Blanc, 2% Clairette Rose, 2% Picardan, 1% Picpoul Blanc and 1% Grenache Gris in the bland.
($45 Est.) 86 Points, grapelive

2020 Cantina Fradiles, Muristellu – Bovale Sardo, Bagadìu, Isola dei Nuraghi IGT Rosso, Sardinia, Italy.
Like the impressive 2016, this deep garnet/crimson hued and aromatic 2020 Fradiles Bagadìu shows off a dusty full palate of black cherry, plum, mulberry and fig, slightly rustic, but wonderfully seductive with its earthy old world charm, with hints of cut tobacco, leather, iron and truffle, as well as minty wild herbs, dried flowers, cedar, grilled orange peel and red spices. Maybe a bit deeper and more vividly powerful than the 2016, but pretty similar in the best way possible with lovely mouth feel and tannins structure. This Bagadiu, as noted before, comes from mature 40 to 60 year old Bovale Sardo vines on granite soils, at close to 2,000 feet up that are all hand tended, that are, as mentioned all organic and the wine saw a native yeast fermentation in stainless steel, where it spent 6 months before being racked to large used oak casks for another 10 months. Fradiles, and winemaker Paolo Savoldo, makes just about 200 cases of this wine each year and not much of it gets to our shores, but I highly recommend searching it out. Over the past few years I’ve tried quite a few of these Fradiles wines and all have been delightful and educational, they are also great insight on traditional Sardinian grapes and cuisine, which these wines really excel with, especially this one that wants a meaty dish, like lamb to bring out its full range of flavors. While Cannonau (Grenache) still is Sardinia’s most famous red, wines like this show this island is no one trick pony and there’s always something new to discover here.

The Fradiles winery on Sardinia, as mentioned here is a quality producer and offering an outstanding array of truly authentic wines, including this one made from the distinctive native or indigenous red grape Muristellu also known as Bovale Sardo (which is thought to be related to Graciano), which is very different from Bovale Grande (Carignan). Interesting still to me is this deeply flavored varietal, which is very different to the Rioja Graciano wines I’ve tried, and after tasting this fabulous Bagadìu 100% Muristellu it actually reminds me more of the powerful Aglianico wines of Taurasi in Campania. This wine, oddly not allowed to be labeled under the DOC rules because it is all Muristellu, is just a IGT table wine, even though it delivers terroir and varietal character in spades. There is a lot of confusion about the mysterious native varietals on Sardinia, once though to have been brought here from Spain during the 200 years of Spanish occupation, but carbon dating and recent historic finds tend to point to Sardinian wine growing way before the Spanish came to the island, maybe a thousand years before! My friend and Sardinian born sommelier/winemaker Giuseppe Cossu, Impromptu Wines, has provided me with some incredible information on Sardinia and was kind enough to share this rare wine and varietal with me, first with the 2016 vintage and now with this 2020 vintage, both exceptional years here. Again, this Bagadiu is a compelling wine and complex wine, which retains good natural acidity, great with hard sheep cheeses as well as with grilled meats, wild boar and or the mentioned lamb, enjoy over the next 3 to 5 years.
($45 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2023 Cantina Gallura, Vermentino di Gallura DOCG “Piras” Sardinia, Italy.
The bright and expressive 2023 version of Cantina Gallura Piras Vermentino is fabulous and has more charm and personality that the impressive 2020 I had last year and I highly recommend chasing some of this down, it is a great wine and awesome value. This vintage shows off some exotic tropical notes to go along with its classic vibrant fruit intensity and mineral tones, delivering a medium/full palate of apricot, citrusy tangerine, Kaffir lime along with saline infused stone and orange blossoms. Grown up at elevation with granite soils with a topsoil of coarse granitic sand. Cantina Gallura is llocated in the town of Tempio Pausania on the foothills of Mount Limbara. The picturesque setting in this remote area of Sardinia sees ancient white granite mountains shaped by the North wind, where almost only you find cork-oaks and grape vines, unchanged for hundreds of years. The clarity and precise detailing, as I have remarked on in previous reviews, make this Piras wonderfully compelling and while it only saw a couple of months of aging and lees contact in the cellar. This light straw/gold Vermentino di Gallura gains a pleasing viscosity in the glass and makes for a wine that can deliver flexibility in cuisine choices as well as being a confident Summer sipper. Vermentino di Gallura is Sardinia’s only DOCG appellation, so far, and covers the northern end of the island. It was DOC status from 1975 until September 1996, when it officially was granted the DOCG.

The Cantina Gallura, as noted in prior reviews, a co-op, founded in 1956, is located in Tempio Pausania, that currently has 160 producers contributing their grapes, at the foot of the Limbara Mountain in an area of Sardinia that has some conditions that feel like a continuation of the Dolomite Mountains with ancient granite based, sandy soils. While sunny here there are cool Mistral like breezes that give these wines an extra degree of complexity and balance, as this Piras Vermentino di Gallura shows. Cantina Gallura does quite a series of offerings, all terroir driven and made with traditional methods with stainless steel primary fermentations, in most cases, though some whites see a barrel fermentation, and mostly used barrel or cask aging to promote freshness and transparency. The wines of the Gallura have always been prized and now Vermentino di Gallura has a full DOCG, confirming to the world that this one of Italy’s top sites and guarantees an extra degree of quality. Interestingly Cantina Gallura does a sparkling version too, which I hope to try at some point, especially if I get a chance to visit this mysterious and historic island. The winery is mainly known for their 100% Vermentino bottlings, with this all stainless steel ferreted and aged Piras being a single cru effort, expressing the true nature of the place and the grape. Not a wine that we usually see in the states, sadly, but it is imported by Vinity Wines in California, and it is one that deserves a search for!
($22 Est.) 94 Points, grapelive

2020 Turley Wine Cellars, Zinfandel, Kirschenmann Vineyard, Mokelumne River AVA, Lodi.
The dark opaque purple garnet 2020 Turley Kirschenmann Zinfandel is loaded with concentration showing off thick layers of blackberries, raspberries, sweet plums, Mission figs and smoky currant fruits, along with sandalwood, minty herbs, violet florals, camphor, vanilla and liqueur notes. This warm vintage full bodied effort will please the big Zin fans and it has opulent tannins and a dry Port like character with hints of chocolate cherry and prune notes. The Kirschenmann, as Turley notes, is particularly close to their heart as head winemaker, Tegan Passalacqua, owns and farms this renowned vineyard. The un-grafted Hundred year old plus ancient vines here at Kirschenmann are set on the silica-rich sandy soils of the east side of the Mokelumne River AVA. Passalacqua, as noted here in prior reviews, takes full advantage of he river’s cool waters and the delta breezes that keeps this arid and warm terroir in balance, allowing these head-trained, dry-farmed vines some protection from the Summer heat. Turley Wine Cellars makes forty-seven wines from over fifty vineyards, and as they add, the vast majority of which are single vineyard designate Zinfandel(s) and Petite Syrah(s) coming from all organic sites, most of which are certified organic by California Certified Organic Farmers. Turley’s Zins are 100% natural or indigenous yeast fermented, see loads of extraction and are aged in a combination of about 80% French and 20% American oak barrels with close to 20% new wood in each vintage, all of which gives these wine’s their signature balancing act between luxurious richness and authentic transparency. The Kirschenmann, which also has small amounts of Mondeuse, Cinsault, and Carignane, is always wonderfully rounded, polished and pure with a surprising degree of crisp detailing, impressive for a bigger wine that clocks in at around 15% alcohol, and while I personally like 2018s and 2021s a bit more, this 2020 is good stuff and goes great with food, especially BBQ and other meaty dishes and or hard cheeses.

Kirschenmann Vineyard Zinfandel comes from a hundred and eight year old vines on the East Side of Lodi’s Mokelumne River AVA, which was was originally planted back in 1915 and is set on silica rich, white sandy soils. Kirschenmann Vineyard is owned by Tegan Passalacqua’s family, and Passalacqua is head winemaker and vineyard manager for the famed Larry Turley, so he has incredible insight into these vines and knows how to get the best out of them. Passalacqua one of California’s great minds, who got his start by working in the lab in Napa Valley, has many talents, both in the cellar and in vines, and he has an impressive CV, having done stints in the cellars of Craggy Range in New Zealand, with Eben Sadie in South Africa and with the late great Alain Graillot in the Northern Rhone Valley. Turley, as I’ve mentioned before, along with Ridge Vineyards, Bedrock Wine Co., Carlisle, Martinelli and Biale are keepers of the faith in the modern Zinfandel, highlighting individual vineyard sites and making wines with bold full bodied character, with many of these from vines that were planted in the late 1800s. These producers, especially Turley, are making Zinfandels that are mouth filling, lush and dense with impressive palate impact, giving loads of hedonistic pleasure in their youth, but are serious wine that can age easily 10 to 15 years. The 2020 vintage was incredibly difficult and heartbreaking for many regions in California with many raging wild fires causing havoc for grape growers, with 80% of the state affected, but Passalacqua with Larry Turley’s blessing, didn’t take any chances with smoke taint and culled production to almost ridiculous levels to make wines they could 100% stand behind. Lucky for Zin fans, lots of vineyards with the heat of the year were picked before the smoke became an issue, as seen here, and so far all the Turley wines I’ve had were delicious and no issues. There will be some good wines from 2020, but you’ll need to be careful, so I recommend producers with high ethically standards like Turley, or else stock up on 2021, 2022 and 2023s all of which are outstanding years in California.
($49 Est.) 91 Points, grapelive

2010 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Anie, Crozes-Hermintage Rouge “Domaine de Thalabert” Northern Rhone, France.
After a fabulous series of successful vintages for this Domaine de Thalabert Crozes, from 2015 to 2021, Caroline Frey’s Domaine Jaboulet has become must have for Northern Rhône lovers, and it was great to see one of her first efforts, this nicely aged 2010 version drinking so well. Still possessing a dark purple/crimson hue in the glass, this 2010 Domaine Paul Jaboulet Anie, Crozes-Hermintage Rouge “Domaine de Thalabert” shows off a medium/full bodied palate of matured dark fruits, with evolved early elements and hints of bay leaf, fig, wild mushroom beginning to compete with crushed blackberry, wilted violet, blueberry, black currant, damson plum and reduced cherry fruits, as well as olive tapenade, cedar, brambly pepper and dried herbs, anise and tar. This wine has an aged subtlety at this stage, it will not suddenly be a La Chapelle and or a blockbuster, but that doesn’t mean you’ll be disappointed either, it is just that it is comfortable with its age and takes you down an elegant and transparent terroir driven route. I was thrilled with the grace of texture, depth of fruit, delicate wood, the retained acidity and the nice mineral tones that clearly shine here in this vintage of Northern Rhône wines, especially in value packed areas like Cornas and Crozes-Hermitage, making nice treats for budget collectors. As noted previously, the Thalabert parcel, a special terroir, is located in Croze’s pebble-strewn granite soiled lieu-dit of Les Chassis, which has owned by Jaboulet since its founding back in 1834 and is regarded as maybe the greatest set of vines in the Crores-Hermitage AOC, all organic and biodynamic. Frey uses partial whole bunches and well judged use of new wood, really putting the focus on the vintage and trying for authenticity, rather than power or flamboyance.

This famous Thalabert parcel, as I’ve mentioned before in prior reviews, is located in Croze’s pebble-strewn granite soiled lieu-dit of Les Chassis, which has been owned by Jaboulet since its founding back in 1834 and is regarded as maybe the greatest set of vines in the Crores-Hermitage AOC, all organic and biodynamic. The Domaine Paul Jaboulet Aine, now owned by the Frey family, led by the talented Caroline Frey, has been an iconic estate in the Northern Rhone and one of the big three in the region along with Guigal and Chapoutier, most known for their fabled La Chapelle vineyard in Hermitage, Syrah’s most holy site! There’s been wines made here since pre-Roman times, but it was Antoine Jaboulet’s plantings in 1834 and focus on quality which really started to establish the area as one of the major wine producing appellations of the world, after he past the land was passed on to his two sons Henri and Paul, who’s name became company label. The Frey family, who bought the faded glory Jaboulet in 2006, have become big time players in premium French wine production having serious quality properties in Champagne, Burgundy and Bordeaux, which includes Chateau La Lagune in Haut-Medoc and Château de Corton André in the Cote de Beaune. Caroline, who studied in Bordeaux, is one of France’s established stars now and has her hand in many projects, with even a biodynamic high elevation vineyard in Switzerland. The Jaboulet lineup is full of quality efforts, from humble Côtes du Rhône and Village wines to a set of pedigreed Hermitage Rouge bottlings, and I highly recommend exploring all that you can find or afford, with this Domaine Paul Jaboulet Anie, Crozes-Hermintage Rouge “Domaine de Thalabert” being one of my personal favorites, it is a wine that I really enjoy both fresh and youthful and with a bit of age, like I discovered here. When young I would suggest decanting and pairing it with robust cuisine, with meaty dishes like lamb and grilled steak being lovely with it, while mature wines go well with a bit less heavy choices and or a selection of hard cheeses.
($45+ Est.) 93 Points, grapelive