Mark Ryan

I always enjoy visiting Mark Ryan in Woodinville. The fun and festive, laid back atmosphere makes their Woodinville tasting room a must visit for neophytes and wine lovers alike. Over the past decade or so Mark Ryan has gained a great reputation for producing high quality and rich red wines. Mark Ryan McNeilly's story is really good, as I interviewed him earlier this year (http://www.washingtonwineblog.com/blog/2018/6/14/interview-with-mark-ryan-mcneilly-owner-of-mark-ryan-winery). He founded Mark Ryan Winery in 1999 and was largely self-taught as a winemaker. Mark finally settled on a Woodiville warehouse location in 2003 and has continued producing wonderful wines since that time. In particular his Long Haul and Dead Horse red wines have gained International acclaim and the current releases were just gorgeous. He is gaining a very good reputation for Vioginer. Mark’s 2017 Mark Ryan Viognier (WWB, 92) is a beautiful wine that shows really good range and poise. He also produces a crazy good Chardonnay, his 2017 Mark Ryan ‘Olsen Vineyard’ Chardonnay (WWB, 93). Not to be outdone his 2016 Mark Ryan ‘The Dead Horse’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 94) is a show-stopping rich wine that is one of the best 2016 red wines that I have sampled thusfar. Learn more about these great wines at http://www.markryanwinery.com Here is the great new lineup by Mark Ryan.

2017 Mark Ryan Viognier- Sourced from both the Olsen and Red Willow Vineyards, this standout bottling is best served a touch on the warm side for aromatics to be fully expressive. Once aroused, this unveils a bouquet of honeysuckle, white peach and mango, showing its exotic side. The combination of weight and astringency is really good here. Pink Lady apple, tangerine zest and lychee with starfruit flavors come to mind. Finishing with lovely heavy cream I can see this cellaring well for nearly a decade. Drink 2018-2025- 92

2017 Mark Ryan ‘Olsen Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Showing off a bright hue, this begins with aromas of toasty oak, lemon zest and banana. The texture to this wine is simply marvelous as the mouthfeel entices. Vanilla cream, Pink Lady apple and bananas foster flavors all beautifully combine in the glass. This is just a stunning effort by Mark Ryan that artfully combines tension and opulence. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2016 Mark Ryan ‘Wild Eyed’ Syrah- This 100% Syrah was sourced from Red Mountain and immediately shows off its inky color. Needing a one hour decant to be fully approachable, this Syrah begin with a rich bouquet of Asian spice, crushed mint and blackberry jelly with smoky undertones. The palate shows good minerality and richness, as dark and red fruits mingle with coffee ground flavors. Really well-balanced, this is classic Washington hot climate Syrah that has the potential to age well over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Mark Ryan ‘Lost Soul’ Syrah- The 2015 is an awesome effort by the talented winemaking team at Mark Ryan. Sourced from the esteemed Red Willow Vineyard in the Yakima Valley, this begins with aromatics reminiscent of black olive tapenade, blackberry cordial and black cherry preserves. The palate shows good richness and terroir. Earthy tones connect with black tea, blueberry pie and black olive tapenade. Rich, and downright impossible to resist right now, this great wine will be best enjoyed over the next eight to ten years. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2016 Mark Ryan ‘Long Haul’ Merlot- This inky colored Merlot wine has a touch (9%) of Cabernet Sauvignon blended in with lesser parts Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This starts off with aromatics reminiscent of red cherry preserves, mocha, anise and creosote. The palate shows a silky texture with a generous mouthfeel. Red bell pepper, red cherry preserves, mocha and crushed mint flavors all entice. This is a simply outstanding effort by Mark Ryan. Drink 2018-2030- 93

2016 Mark Ryan ‘Little Sister’ Merlot- The ‘Little Sister’ Merlot was sourced from the Columbia Valley. The wine shows a wonderful purity of fruit with bright bing cherry and herbal tones completing the enticing aromas. The palate is plush, revealing a nice decadence and minerality. A beautiful saline steak runs through this gorgeous Merlot that mingles red and dark fruits with mocha. Mark Ryan continues to impress and this bottling is no exception. Drink 2018-2030- 93

2015 Mark Ryan ‘Water Witch’ Red Wine- The 2015 ‘Water Witch’ is a blend of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon with 30% Merlot and a touch of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. This starts off with aromatics of loganberry preserves with milk chocolate shavings. Downright delicious flavors greet you on the mid-palate with milk chocolate, dark cherry and roasted figs. Enjoy this awesome wine over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2016 Mark Ryan ‘The Dissident’ Red Wine- The 2016 ‘The Dissident’ by Mark Ryan is a blend of largely Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Surprisingly the smaller parts of Cabernet Franc and Petite Verdot are showing prominently right now on the nose, as sage and earthy tones come out in full force. The texture to the wine is really gorgeous, with very light tannins up front. Red cherry candy, sagebrush, Arabica coffee and red bell pepper flavors emerge, enticing the senses. This is a truly sensational wine that will cellar well over the next decade or so. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2015 Mark Ryan ‘Lonely Heart’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2015 ‘Lonely Heart’ Cabernet is a gorgeous wine by Mark Ryan. There is a wonderful purity of fruit here. Deep, layered and decadent flavors await reminiscent of dark chocolate, black olive tapenade, black cherry compote and a touch of baking spices. Enjoy this great wine for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2016 Mark Ryan ‘Dead Horse’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Dead Horse’ is almost entirely comprised of Cabernet Sauvignon. Black tea, black olive tapenade, mocha and crushed mint aromatics all impress in the glass. The palate is exceedingly plush, showing wonderful richness and elegance. Black tea, mocha, anise, creme de cassis and black cherry cordial flavors all entice the senses. The tension and richness makes this a stunning bottling. Drink 2018-2033- 94

2015 Mark Ryan ‘Old Vines’ Cabernet Sauvignon-  The 2015 Mark Ryan ‘Old Vines’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a limited production wine that was aged in 80% new French oak prior to bottling. The oak influence is evident on the nose alongside dark fruits and coffee grounds. The balance and weight on the mid-palate is lovely. Dark cherry, cigar box, black olive and cassis flavors mingle nicely together. Drink 2018-2028- 93

Hartford Court

It is rare to find a winery that produces top Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Zinfandel. Hartford Court focuses on producing great cool site single vineyard wines from Russian River Valley, Green Valley, Sonoma Coast, Anderson Valley and Carneros. Founded by innovator, Don Hartford, grew up on a farm in Massachusetts. Following his completion of a BA he met his wife, Jennifer Jackson-Hartford of Jackson Family Wines, at Santa Clara University while he was completing his law degree. Don's prestigious legal career included working at Tokyo law firm, as well as a large San Francisco-based firm. Don was also was a partner in a small country law partnership, and served for a time as a winery general counsel and vice president. For more than twenty-five years, Don has immersed himself winemaking and winery management.

His winemaker, Jeff Stewart, crafts some stunning wines. A longstanding winemaker, Jeff has a degree from UC Davis in fermentation science, viticulture, and enology, and has been making Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and old vine Zinfandel in the Russian River Valley and Sonoma County for over 25 years. HIs new releases were truly excellent across the board. One of the great California Chardonnays that I have tried all year, the 2015 Hartford Court ‘Fog Dance Vineyard’ Chardonnay (WWB, 94) electrifies the palate with bright acidity and gorgeous creme brûlée flavors. This is one for the cellar. Just was good was the 2015 Hartford Court ‘Velvet Sisters’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 94) which like the name implies surrounds you with a velvety texture. It is a stunning wine that will age gracefully for more than a decade. Learn more about these gorgeous wines at https://www.hartfordwines.com Here are the great new wines by Hartford Court.

2016 Hartford Court ‘Russian River Valley’ Chardonnay- The nose starts off with honeysuckle, ripe pear and butterscotch. The texture, balance and bright acidity of this wine marvelously combines, leading to an exceedingly long, mineral and Meyer lemon cream driven finish. This is a simply outstanding effort that will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2018-2026- 92

2015 Hartford Court ‘Sevens Bench Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Located in the Carneros AVA, this brightly colored Chardonnay begins with aromas of roasted hazelnut, vanilla creme brûlée and wild mushroom. The palate is opulent and shows wonderful brightness and minerality. Meyer lemon custard, Pink Lady apple and kumquat flavors mingle with a lithe mouthfeel that ha both poise and weight. This is a memorable wine by Hartford Court. Drink 2018-2028- 94

2015 Hartford Court ‘Fog Dance Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The Fog Dance Vineyard has a strong influence from the Pacific Ocean and is set in the Green Valley. The wine shows a beautiful golden hue and opens with a bright bouquet of brioche, butterscotch and Meyer lemon cream. The palate has a wonderful seamless quality, with a lifted approach. Kumquat, poached pear, lemon meringue and creme brûlée flavors connect with the lovely tension. This is a stunner by Hartford Court and will continue to pick up lovely tertiary elements as it ages into the next decade. Drink 2018-2030- 94

2016 Hartford Court ‘Russian River Valley’ Pinot Noir- The nose entices with cedar undertones alongside red fruits and damp earth. The palate greets you with some mouth-watering acidity and a wonderfully smooth texture. Bright, with strawberry, red cherry and cran-pomegranate flavors, this outstanding Pinot Noir will cellar marvelously for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Hartford Court ‘Marin County’ Pinot Noir- The 2015 ‘Marin County’ Pinot Noir is a sensational effort by Hartford Court. The nose is highly complex with smoky and earthy aromas parading with red fruits. The palate has a wonderful astringency, weight and verve as the wine builds in the glass. Red cherry candy, guava puree and teaberry flavors connect with the minerality. Drink 2018-2030- 93

2015 Hartford Court ‘Land’s End Vineyards’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Land’s End Vineyards’ Pinot Noir is sourced from estate vineyards located in the Sonoma Coast AVA. There is a wonderful salinity to this wine that gently unveils red and dark fruits with smoke on the nose. The palate is rich and lithe showing off a huge range of flavors. Red cherry, pomegranate seed, cigar ash and wet stone with citrus rind flavors come to mind. This gorgeous and layered bottling will cellar marvelously over the next fifteen years. Drink 2018-2033- 94

2015 Hartford Court ‘Sevens Bench Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The Sevens Bend Vineyard is planted on rocky clay loam and utilizes Dijon Clone 777 and UC Davis Clone 37. Lavender, red cherry and wild strawberry aromas coat the glass. The gorgeous nose brings you back to the glass for more. As it continues to evolve in the glass, the wine shows off a nice combination of red and dark fruits with a silky smooth texture. Lithe, layered and rich this stunning wine will cellar marvelously over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2018-2033- 94

2015 Hartford Court ‘Velvet Sisters’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Velvet Sisters’ saw 16 months of 40% new French oak and is sourced from the Anderson Valley AVA. Needing time in the glass to develop, it slowly begins with a nice combination of citrus rind, red fruits and dark fruits all woven together in the glass. As the wine grabs some air, the wine takes on a darker fruit profile on the palate, still maintaining a citrus rind edge. Rich and decadent, yet restrained, this stunning wine will cellar well for the next fifteen to twenty years. Be sure to give this a two hour decant if enjoying in its youth. Drink 2018-2033- 94

2016 Hartford Court ‘Old Vine’ Zinfandel- This Russian River bottling begins with heady aromas of bramble, red currant jelly and cherry preserves with a touch of blueberry puree. The blue fruits on the nose surprise you a bit. The palate has racy acidity and wonderful weight that delights the senses. Blackberry pie, blueberry cordial and red cherry flavors all beautifully mingle in the glass. The structure and integrity of the wine, as well as the terroir, is just exceptional. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2016 Hartford Court ‘Highwire Vineyard’ Zinfandel- The Highwire Vineyard was first planted more than a century again in the Russian River Valley. Half of the vineyard is trained on a high trellis wire. The nose needs a one hour decant to fully develop in the glass. Once aroused there are ripe prune, blueberry coulee, creme de cassis and crushed mint aromas. The palate has a wonderfully silky texture, with a wonderful cominination of dark and red fruit that connect with the silky mouthfeel. Deep and seductive, this is an extremely sexy Zinfandel by Hartford Court. Drink 2018-2028- 94

Dominio De Pingus

A famed Spanish winery with a great story, Dominio de Pingus is a relatively new winery by Ribera standards, established in 1995 by Danish enologist Peter Sisseck. Peter learned about wine in Bordeaux prior to coming to Ribera and is in charge of the winemaking at Pingus. His wines were initially met with huge acclaim by Robert Parker in particular, who in high praise stated that the Pingus was “one of the greats and most exciting wines I have ever tasted.” The first vintage 1995 was a very limited production year, as only 325 cases were made with prices sky high for the region at a whopping $200 per bottle. Remarkably Pingus became considerably more rare when in November 1997 the ship transporting a U.S. bound shipment of 75 cases disappeared somewhere wrecked in the North Atlantic Ocean. The shipwreck caused wine prices to more than double up to $500 or more a bottle!

While I was in Spain I wanted to try the new Pingus release. Since the new release Pingus price was set at around $1000.00 a bottle, this was not a reasonable option for me. Instead, I purchased a bottle of the 2015 Dominio De Pingus ‘Flor de Pingus’ Ribera Del Duero (WWB, 94). The ‘Flor de Pingus’ like its older brother is comprised of 100% Tempranillo. The ‘Flor’ is sourced from younger vineyards in the La Horra zone, with most vines over 35 years of age. Typically 4,000 cases of ‘Flor’ is made with each vintage.The wine was truly gorgeous, deep and mineral driven. I loved the terroir of this second wine that truly captivated the senses but also was not nearly ready to drink. 

2015 Dominio De Pingus ‘Flor de Pingus’ Ribera Del Duero- Brimming with intensity, the 2015 'La Flor De Pingus' is a powerful Ribera which needs more than one hour of air contact before it begins to show its best stuff. It begins with wonderful aromatics of dark kirsch, toasty oak, chocolate and coffee grounds with earthy undertones. The mouthfeel and sumptuous texture is stunning and entices just as much as the earthy terroir driven character. Showing rich viscosity, this drifts into copious dark fruits and chocolate with fig compote and wild mushroom flavors that all mingle nicely. This is downright stunning, however readers should plan on cellaring this as it will continue to drink beautifully as it evolves over the course of the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2020-2035- 94

La Jota

One of the jewels of Howell Mountain, La Jota continues to impress with their new release bottling from a warm vintage in Napa. With superstar winemaker, Chris Carpenter at the helm, La Jota produces some rich, yet terroir driven wines that always reflect this special part of Napa. La Jota was originally founded in the 1890s by Fredrich Hess, an immigrant from Switzerland. Over time these wines received considerable accolades. Intriguingly they even received a gold medal for their wine at the World’s Fair of 1904 in St. Louis. La Jota wines are made from low yielding vines planted amongst 28 acres. The high altitude keeps the freshness and minerality to the wine that remains even in hot vintages like 2015. Vines are planted on volcanic soils at relatively high elevation which gives the red wines excellent richness and aging potential. The terroir of Howell Mountain also has colder temperatures at night, compared to the Napa Valley floor -- which leads to lower yields than the floor and also smaller but richly concentrated fruit. Being at higher elevation also protects the fruit from the intense temperatures sometimes experienced on the Napa floor.

Head winemaker, Christopher Carpenter has a B.A. in biology, as well as an M.B.A. in international business. After officially falling in love with wine, Carpenter completed the illustrious masters of viticulture and enology program at UC Davis. He took over as head winemaker at La Jota in 2005. HIs new wines were just incredible across the board. La Jota makes one of the best Cabernet Franc wines in Napa, and this years release, the 2015 La Jota Cabernet Franc (WWB, 95) is no exception as this wine delights the senses with herbal tones and seductive fruits with gorgeous terroir.  Not to be outdone, the 2015 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 95) has serious range and richness. It is a monster of a wine that will drink marvelously for decades. Learn more about these special wines at https://www.lajotavineyardco.com Here are the gorgeous new wines by La Jota.

2015 La Jota Cabernet Franc- The 2015 La Jota Vineyard Cabernet Franc was sourced from the La Jota Vineyard and the W.S. Keys Vineyard and was aged for 22 months in 78% new French oak prior to bottling. The nose is distinctly feminine with rose petals and red cherry preserves alongside violets, crushed mint and blueberry compote. The palate is deep and brooding, as the combination of weight, texture and tension is outstanding. Black tea, blackberry cobbler, crushed mint, and black cherry compote flavors all show a dark tone. Kudos to superstar winemaker Chris Carpenter on this gorgeous Cabernet Franc that is as good as any in Napa. Try to resist this great bottling for at least another year. Drink 2019-2040- 95

2015 La Jota Merlot- The 2015 La Jota Merlot was aged in 72% new French oak for 22 months before bottling. Legendary winemaker, Chris Carpenter, has blended in 10% Petit Verdot to this Merlot. The nose shows very pretty tones with red cherry, lavender, with toasty oak and and black raspberry cordial. The palate shows a brilliant minerality and seriously good weight, invoking black tea, milk chocolate, black cherry pie and lighter tones of sage. This is downright delicious now but really needs two more years to fully come together. Drink 2020-2040- 95

2015 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon by La Jota is a seductive blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Cabernet Franc, 7.5% Merlot, 6% Malbec and 3% Petit Verdot which was aged for 22 months in 65% new French oak prior to bottling. Needing more than a two hour decant at this juncture, the wine takes on glorious creme de cassis, Turkish coffee, blueberry cordial and wild thyme aromatics. The palate shows marvelous complexly and range. Black tea, blueberry compote, mocha and blackberry pie flavors all beautifully mingle in the glass. Rich and layered, this hedonistic effort will cellar marvelously for decades. Be sure to give this at least a two hour decant if enjoying in its youth. Drink 2020-2045- 95

2011 Oregon Pinot Noir Retrospective

Initially panned as a poor vintage, many wine critics, including myself, were downright incorrect in reviewing the 2011 vintage. What is now in the glass is typically something more linear, earthy and in its best edition, thoroughly intoxicating. It is clear that many of these wines were not ready upon release and needed time to develop in the bottle. I think that 2011 as a vintage, like 2007, is particularly challenging to rate, due to the range of quality in the wines. Originally upon release I saw this vintage as better than most Oregon wine reviewers, rating it 88, as I noted good and even great wines made upon release as well as some lean, bordering watery wines, particularly with some of the value Pinot Noirs that struggled with gaining adequate concentration. I have re-rated this vintage 90 as there are far more wines that are near or exceed 90 points. In fact, I tried a very high concentration of wine that I rated over 90 points. 

It is worth noting that when I review Oregon Pinot Noir I do not particularly reward deep and concentrated wines. I feel that a Burgundian style Pinot Noir from Oregon that is complex, layered and shows amazing range has the same potential for a high score than a Pinot Noir that shows marvelous concentration, richness and texture alongside good tension. Obviously with the 2014-16 vintages in Oregon, crafting wines in a Burgundian style is a good deal more challenging than producing wines that show more opulence and ripe fruit. 

Oregon Winemakers were typically positive about the 2011 vintage and saw the vintage as one that showed off some beautiful wines, despite obvious challenges with the growing season. Mark Vlossak of St. Innocent fame recently mentioned to me “Despite the latest ever beginning of harvest, the rains stayed away, and we were able to pick fruit with ripe tannins and great acidity, and make wines with less than 12.5% alcohol — essentially wines that will age beautifully.” The talented Tony Rynders of Tendril offered his thoughts on the 2011 vintage, noting “The 2011 was custom made for people that truly love Pinot Noir.  While somewhat austere out of the gate, the best wines of the vintage are still vibrant, youthful and complex. And the best is yet to come.” Josh Bergstrom of Bergstrom Wines commented “The common misconception in the wine world is that late and cool vintages often spell disaster. . . the delicious news to report is that the 2011 wines are very high in quality!” Brian Marcy of Big Table Farm had not been living in Oregon long when he came into the 2011 vintage. He commented “2011 was the coolest in 50 years. We picked at the end of October and were sorting fruit on Halloween. I think our wines were received really well. I was excited about the vintage early on and felt like I understood how the fruit had matured. There were some people who had maybe not the same winemaking approach that I had and the wines took longer to come around. We realized that these wines would have some longevity with the acidity and the tannin profile. They are gentle wines given that the Pinots are around 12% alcohol which is about perfect.”

Over the past few months I have been revisiting Pinot Noirs non-blind from the 2011 vintage in Oregon. I have been quite pleased with the results. At their best, these wines are highly compelling and memorable wines that show as well as wines made from any vintage in Oregon. A case in point, the 2011 Domaine Drouhin ‘Laurene’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 94) is a remarkable wine that shows a seamless quality that is remarkably elegant and glides through the mid-palate. With gorgeous range and tension, this wine is a stunning effort. I adored the 2011 Argyle ‘Nuthouse’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 92) as I had not visited this wine for many years and was really impressed with the minerality and range and focus of the wine. A revisit was necessary for the gorgeous 2011 Beaux Freres ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 92) which improved considerably after some air, revealing gorgeous earthy tones with dark fruits. Archery Summit produced a monumental effort with their 2011 ‘Arcus’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) which was highly Burgundian and complex, giving off lovely earthy tones that made it irresistible. Superstar winemaker, Robert Brittan crafted one of the best of the vintage, his 2011 Brittan Vineyards ‘Gestalt Block’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) which shows marvelous stony and earthy tones, with vibrant minerality and good richness considering the lack of heat during the vintage. While this vintage may not go down as one of Oregon’s finest, such as 2012 or 2014, I think that 2011 Oregon Pinot Noir is not only worth revisiting but worth rethinking as the vintage produced many excellent wines. 

A Blooming Hill Vineyard

2011 A Blooming Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir- Sourced from the Chehalem Mountains AVA, the nose takes on a nice combination of dark and red fruits with lighter earthy tones coming in. Slightly sweet, the palate is a bit out of balance with candied strawberry and guava with light damp earth flavors. Drink 2018-2022- 86

Anam Cara

2011 Anam Cara ‘Mark VI’ Pinot Noir- This Pinot Noir has a kiss of smoke with red fruits and peat moss aromatics. Slightly sweet, this appears to be a touch of out balance, with red fruits most dominant on the palate. Drink 2018-2022- 88

2011 Anam Cara ‘Heather’s Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The wine shows nice earthy aromatics alongside cran-cherry and citrus rind. The palate shows good acidity with lighter red fruits and citrus tones on the palate. Drink 2018-2022- 89

Archery Summit 

2011 Archery Summit ‘Arcus Estate’ Pinot Noir- The 2011 ‘Arcus Estate’ by Archery Summit is a stunning wine that shows marvelous range and tension. The wine was aged for 12 months prior to bottling. This shows cran-orange, wet stone, forest floor and spicebox aromatics fill the glass and marvelously amalgamate. The palate shows great mouth-watering acidity which makes it difficult for you to put it down. Blood orange rind, black truffle, red currant, red cherry puree and guava flavors build in the glass. Exceedingly delicious right now, this gorgeous effort will continue to cellar marvelously over the next ten plus years. Drink 2018-2030- 93

Argyle

2011 Argyle ‘Nuthouse’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the Eola-Amity Hills AVA, this great Pinot Noir begins with highly complex aromas of spicebox, red currant jelly, wild blackberry and black truffle crudo. The gorgeous aromas bring you back to the glass for more. The palate is silky and elegant, showing cran-cherry, guava, spiced currant and black truffle tones. This shows wonderful Burgundian character. Drink 2018-2028- 92

Ayoub

2011 Ayoub ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Estate’ bottling by superstar winemaker Mo Ayoub was sourced from a host of vineyards in the Willamette Valley. Showing a strong translucence the wine opens with strong earthy tones of peat moss and wet stone, combining with lighter citrus and wild blackberry elements. The palate shows a soft texture, as well as a good viscosity and sense of place, with earthy terroir and red fruit flavors dominating. Drink 2018-2024- 90

Big Table Farm

2011 Big Table Farm ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- This shows a lovely translucence. Right away a melange of red fruits with citrus tones mark the nose. Wild mushroom, forest floor and barnyard aromas combine in the glass. The palate shows a wonderful mouthfeel and richness considering the coldness of the vintage. This has good balance with red cherry puree, blood orange rind, strawberry and minerals mark the palate. Forward and delicious, this is drinking nicely right now. Drink 2018-2024- 91

2011 Big Table Farm ‘Sunnyside Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This shows a slightly muted nose with more earthy tones rather than fruit showing right now. The palate is silky smooth with earthy tones on the palate making their presence known. The richness on the mouth is inviting. Drink 2018-2024- 91

Brittan Vineyards

2011 Brittan Vineyards ‘The Puncheon’ Pinot Noir- ‘The Puncheon’ is a special project wine by Robert Brittan that was aged in French oak puncheons. This smells quite differently than the other Brittan wines with red fruits and high toned citrus blossoms with lighter damp earthy tones that build on the nose. The palate turns a different direction, revealing dark fruits with a striking minerality. The sterling, mouth-watering acidity is simply outstanding, as the volcanic earth element in the wine impresses. This is a gorgeous offering by Brittan Vineyards. Drink 2018-2026- 92

2011 Brittan Vineyards ‘Basalt Block’ Pinot Noir- The 2011 ‘Basalt Block’ Pinot Noir is a stunning wine by superstar winemaker Robert Brittan. On the nose this takes on lovely earthy aromatics with peat moss and wet stone that combine with wild blackberry cordial and a touch of chocolate. The palate is lithe and downright delicious, boasting mouth-watering acidity and a surprising richness. Black fruits combine with lighter citrus tones and peat moss on the palate. This is a gorgeous effort by Brittan. Drink 2018-2026- 92

2011 Brittan Vineyards ‘Gestalt Block’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Gestalt Block’ Pinot Noir by Brittan Vineyards starts off with a highly complex nose of rose petals, white pepper, wet stone, red cherry cordial and wild blackberry puree. The aromatic range is really impressive here. The vibrant minreality to this wine is simply gripping. Wild blackberry, red currant, thyme and peat moss flavors all impress. Intense with bright acidity, this is a stunning aged wine by superstar winemaker Robert Brittan. Drink 2018-2026- 93

Beaux Frères 

2011 Beaux Frères ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir- Currently a bit muted upon opening, the 2011 Beaux Freres ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir needs more than a one hour decant prior to enjoying at this juncture. Once aroused this awakens to beautiful citrus tones and red fruit aromatics that build in the glass. The palate shows a really good texture and roundness with delicate pomegranate seed, red cherry candy and blood orange flavors that entice. There his a good elegance to this lighter style Pinot Noir. Drinking nicely now, this has another six plus years of life left. Drink 2018-2026- 92

Cathedral Ridge (all wines sourced from Columbia Valley)

2011 Cathedral Ridge ‘Bangsund Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- There is prune and suggestions of sour cherry with cigar shavings on the nose. The palate shows good acidity and medium bodied red fruits flavors. This forward style Pinot Noir is drinking nicely right now. Drink 2018-2022- 88

2011 Cathedral Ridge ‘Bangsund Vineyard Reserve’ Pinot Noir- The Bangsund Vineyard is located 20 minutes east of Hood River. This shows a rich nose of raisin, damp earth, peat moss and and dark cherry cordial. The palate shows some good minerality with red fruits and a touch of dark fruits most prominent. Drink 2018-2022- 89

2011 Cathedral Ridge ‘Dampier’ Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The Dampier Vineyard is located in the Underwood Mountain AVA. This shows good brightness with light red fruits, cran-cherry currently most dominant. I like the tension in the wine but it comes off a bit lean. Drink 2018-2022- 89

Carlton Hill

2011 Carlton Hill Pinot Noir- Lightly colored, the wine displays spicy aromatics with red currant and red cherry rounding out the nose. The palate shows good brightness and minerality with delicate red fruits flavors. Drink 2018-2022- 88

2011 Carlton Hill ‘Estate Whole Cluster’ Pinot Noir-This takes on some nice earthy tones with red fruits that mingle on the nose. The palate shows good brightness but does not show a wealth of fruit, with peat moss flavors dominating. Drink 2018-2022- 87

2011 Carlton Hill ‘Estate Reserve’ Pinot Noir- The nose shows some spice with red and dark fruits and a touch of black tea. The palate is lithe but the wine reveals very little fruit, showing some earthy tones. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Chehalem

2011 Chehalem ‘Stoller VIneyard’ Pinot Noir-  The 2011 ‘Stoller Vineyard’ Pinot Noir by Chehalem is an excellent showing from this cool vintage in Oregon. This shows nice forest floor and wild mushroom on the nose with blackberry tones and white pepper playing second fiddle. This shows surprising high tones with wild strawberry, guava and cranberry alongside earthy touches on the palate. Drinking beautifully right now, this excellent Pinot Noir wine shows a wonderful brightness and mouth-watering acidity at this juncture. Drink 2018-2026- 91

2011 Chehalem ‘Corral Creek Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This excellent Pinot Noir is sourced from the Chehalem Mountains AVA. This translucent wine begins with aromas of damp earth, red currant jelly and wild blackberry cobbler. The nose shows some nice complexity. Red cherry, red currant cordial and forest floor flavors mingle nicely in the glass. Drink 2018-2024- 90

Coer De Terre Vineyard

2011 Coer De Terre Vineyard ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir- This Pinot Noir opens with a bouquet of citrus rind, red currant jelly and smoky undertones with damp earth and peat moss. Light and delicate, but lithe, this showcases red cherry, guava, tangerine rind and earthy tones on the palate. This is showing nicely and is not intended for those who desire more fruit in their Oregon Pinot Noir. Drink 2018-2024- 90

De Ponte

2011 De Ponte ‘Dundee Hills’ Pinot Noir- Showing an extremely light color for the AVA, this lighter style Pinot Noir shows off delicate red fruits and toasty oak on the nose with lemon zest undertones. The palate shows a surprisingly ripe mouthfeel, with delicate pomegranate, cherry and tangerine rind flavors with a good minerality. Drink 2018-2024- 89

Domaine Drouhin

2011 Domaine Drouhin ‘Laurene’ Pinot Noir-  The 2011 Domaine Drouhin ‘Laurene’ is a sensational effort from this cooler vintage in Oregon. This takes on a classic Burgundian nose with forest floor, white truffle oil, red currant puree and suggestions of white pepper. I love the elegance of this wine aromatically. The mouthfeel and texture to this wine screams elegance, as it is surprising that they were able to attain this level of concentration despite the coldness of the vintage. Red cherry puree, damp earth, cran-raspberry and orange zest flavors marvelously combine. Elegant and esteemed, this is a stunning effort by Domaine Drouhin that will cellar marvelously over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 94

Domaine Serene

2011 Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Pinot Noir- This my first visit to this wine for several years. The 2011 ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Pinot Noir was aged in French oak for 13 months prior to bottling in April 2013. Needing more than an hour decant to fully develop, the wine takes on some toasty oak aromatic character with a nice combination of red and dark fruits on the nose, alongside lighter forest floor tones. I really admire this nose. The mouthfeel is quite generous as the wine still reveals light tannins. Red currant jelly, red raspberry cordial, black tea and peat moss flavors all beautifully mingle. This elegant Pinot Noir has evolved beautifully and still has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2018-2026- 92

Evening Land

2011 Evening Land ‘Seven Springs Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Showing some good acidity and weight, the wine shows off beautiful dark fruits with a touch of citrus rind and forest floor on the palate. While this is drinking marvelously right now, it is best enjoyed in the short-term while the acidity remains. Drink 2018-2024- 90

Forris 

2011 Forris ‘Maple Ranch’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the Rogue Valley, this wine begins with volcanic earth, dark cherry and citrus rind aromatics that entice. I like the sense of balance to this wine once in the mouth. Wild blackberry, wet stone, black tea and cran-cherry flavors all come together nicely, adding a good sense of place to this excellent Pinot Noir. This is a really excellent effort by Forris. Drink 2018-2024- 90

King Estate

2011 King Estate Pinot Noir- I am very impressed with King Estate’s entry level wine from 2011. The aromas are really enticing here with lovely citrus tones with red fruits and earthy undertones. The palate is quite impressive that has surprising weight considering the heat of the vintage. Red currant jelly, orange rind, strawberry pie and cigar ash flavors all mingle in the glass. This shows some impressive astringency and a long finish. King Estate has crafted a really good value wine here. Revisiting this wine after several hours, I see this wine showing similarly good. While it is drinking very nicely right now, this should cellar for at least six more years. Drink 2018-2024- 90

2011 King Estate ‘Croft Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Croft Vineyard’ Pinot Noir shows a darker color than the King Estate entry level Pinot Noir. On the nose there are dark fruits with blackberry most prominent alongside black truffle crudo and peat moss on the nose. The mouthfeel is gorgeous here with blackberry pie, white pepper, wild mushroom and a touch of cocoa powder on the palate. This great wine is drinking nicely right now and should cellar well for another six plus years. Drink 2018-2026- 91

Kramer Vineyards

2011 Kramer Vineyards ‘Rebecca’s Reserve’ Pinot Noir- The 2011 ‘Rebecca’s Reserve’ Pinot Noir shows nicely on the nose with white pepper, black truffle and forest floor alongside some wild blackberry. The palate shows a beautiful mouthfeel revealing a degree of decadence. Cran-cherry, citrus rind, black truffle, crushed mint and forest floor flavors all mingle in the glass. This is showing marvelously right now. This is a complete Pinot Noir, a sensational effort by Kramer Vineyards and the talented Kim Kramer. Drink 2018-2026- 91

2011 Kramer Vineyards ‘Cardiac Hill’ Pinot Noir- Comprised of Pommard and Dijon Clone 115 Pinot Noir, this excellent bottling starts off with a bouquet of white pepper and cardamon with red fruits and lighter earthy tones. The range on the nose really entices. Once in the mouth the wine shows a silky mouthfeel with red currant, red cherry cordial, allspice and orange peel flavors. This is beautifully made Pinot Noir with a strong mineral streak. Showing well right now, enjoy this over the next six plus years. Drink 2018-2026- 90

2011 Kramer Vineyard ‘Heritage’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Heritage’ Pinot Noir by Kramer Vineyards begins with aromas of spicebox, white pepper, red currant and forest floor that build in the glass. This shows a wonderfully plush texture with white pepper, orange zest, cran-raspberry, forest floor and a touch of wild blackberry. This complex Pinot Noir is drinking marvelously right now. Drink 2018-2024- 90

Lange

2011 Lange ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir- This 25th vintage commemorative ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir wine was made by both Don and Jesse Lange. The wine needs a one hour decant prior to enjoying to show its fully aromatic spectrum. Once aroused the nose shows really good earthy tones with sage, black truffle and peat moss mingling with wild blackberry and white pepper undertones. The palate shows good viscosity considering the heat of the vintage. Chewy dark fruits collide with forest floor, wild mushroom and blood orange zest flavors on the palate. Finishing strong with a good mineality, this is drinking marvelously right now. Drink 2018-2026- 90

2011 Lange ‘Freedom Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The Freedom Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir is another excellent bottling by Lange. The nose shows wonderful funk with earthy tones dominating and citrus rind and red raspberry cordial playing second fiddle on the nose. The palate shows a silky texture and really good mouthfeel. The earthy aspects lessen on the palate with red cherry candy, cigar box and blood orange flavors rounding out this excellent wine. Drink 2018-2026- 90

Maysara

2011 Maysara ‘Cyrus’ Pinot Noir- The 2011 ‘Cyrus’ shows a nice translucency and delightful red fruits on the nose with a touch of cinnamon spice. There is a good sense of tension as this medium-bodied wine shows red currant, cran-cherry and orange rind flavors that connect to the minerality. With good astringency, and a lingering finish, this still has a long life in the cellar. This is pretty exciting and energetic wine right now. Drink 2018-2026- 91

2011 Maysara ‘Asha’ Pinot Noir- The 2011 ‘Asha’ Pinot Noir is currently displaying wonderful dark fruit on the nose with spicy red fruits mingling in. Medium bodied, this shows marvelous minerality and lip-smacking acidity as red currant, wild blackberry cordial and crushed mint flavors all come together. This still has a long life as well. Drink 2018-2026- 91

Panther Creek

2011 Panther Creek ‘Winemaker’s Cuvee’ Pinot Noir- The 2011 ‘Winemaker’s Cuvee’ by Panther Creek needs more than an hour of air to develop. Once aroused the wine shows pretty red fruits with floral and citrus tones on the nose. I am surprised by the level of minerality to this wine which is quite striking and adds to the mouthfeel. Red cherry candy, guava and citrus rind flavors all come together nicely. This lithe and polished effort is drinking better than when I first reviewed it. Drink 2018-2026- 90

2011 Panther Creek ‘Temperance Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The 2011 Panther Creek ‘Temperance Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is a really good effort. Similar to the ‘Winemaker’s Cuvee’ the wine improves following a one hour decant. The Pinot Noir takes on a highly Burgundian nose with orange rind and heavy forest floor elements aromatically. Bright, showing a soft mouthfeel, the wine shows off red currant, blood orange and mouth-watering acidity on the mid-palate. This is evolving quite nicely and still has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2018-2026- 91

Raptor Ridge

2011 Raptor Ridge ‘Estate’ Pinot Noir- Located in the Chehalem Mountains AVA, this excellent Pinot Noir shows lively cola, dark cherry and peat moss aromatics. The palate is juicy with good acidity and shows nice blood orange, rose water, wild blackberry and peat moss flavors. Drink 2018-2024- 89

2011 Raptor Ridge ‘Olenik Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The dark color draws you into this Chehalem Mountain AVA wine. The nose shows lighter dark fruits with toasty oak and peat moss. I like the combination of minerality, red fruits and citrus flavors that build in the glass. This is pretty terrific wine right now but this still has another six plus years of cellaring. Drink 2018-2024- 90

2011 Raptor Ridge ‘Goodrich Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This beautiful Yamhill-Carlton AVA bottling starts with white pepper, wild blackberry cordial and peat moss that build on the nose. The palate is bright and highly astringent with red currant, red cherry candy and lighter earthy undertones on the palate. I really like how this beautiful wine is showing right now. Drink 2018-2026- 90

2011 Raptor Ridge ‘Trig’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Trig’ Pinot Noir is my favorite of these 2011 bottling by Raptor Ridge and was sourced from both the Olenik and Goodrich Vineyards. The wine begins with aromatics of cran-cherry, thyme, peat moss and wild blackberry cordial. On the palate this shows a soft texture that races slightly ahead of the other 2011 Raptor Ridge Pinots. Red and dark fruits dance with a beautiful tension on the palate, with peat moss undertones. Drink 2018-2026- 91

St. Innocent

2011 St. Innocent ‘Shea Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The Shea Vineyard is a famed Yamhill-Carlton AVA property managed by Dick Shea. This awesome Pinot Noir was aged for 16 months in French oak prior to bottling. This wine takes on some nice earthy tones with forest floor, black truffle crudo and blackberry jam on the nose. The palate shows good freshness and intensity. Highly Burgundian and light on its feet, this reveals black raspberry and black cherry, with earthy flavors releasing the most power. Funky and enticing, this is an outstanding effort that appears to be drinking at its peak. Drink 2018-2024- 92

2011 St. Innocent ‘Zenith Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The Zenith Vineyard  is St. Innocent’s estate vineyard, located eleven miles northwest of Salem, Oregon. This 2011 Pinot Noir shows wonderful forest floor and wet stone character on the nose with blood orange rind, cran-cherry and cigar ash also coming in aromatically. The aromatic range is seriously good right now. The palate is silky smooth right now as the mouthfeel entices. The richness reminds me more of a 2012 bottling as there is a seamless quality to the wine that grips you. Red and dark fruits weave together, with also citrus and earthy tones quite primary. Downright delicious, this is a stunning bottling by eminent winemaker, Mark Vlossak. Drink 2018-2028- 93

Stag Hollow

2011 Stag Hollow ‘Yamhill-Carlton’ Pinot Noir- The 2011 ‘Yamhill-Carlton- Pinot Noir is a sensational value wine made from this cooler vintage in Oregon. The nose is really fantastic here with lovely terroir and a good combination of red and dark fruits. This Pinot Noir shows  nice minerality once on the attack with cran-cherry, red currant and red cherry with lighter earthy tones. This shows beautiful balance as this is a seriously good entry level Pinot Noir and is a downright steal at its price. Drink 2018-2024- 90

2011 Stag Hollow ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir- This ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir shows a beautiful nose of rose petals, red cherry syrup, plum and spice box aromas. The mouthfeel is simply sumptuous with good minerality. Red cherry candy, guava, black tea and forest floor flavors all impress. This is a stunner by Stag Hollow and the talented winemaker Mark Huff. Drink 2018-2026- 91

2011 Stag Hollow ‘Vendage Selection’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Vendage Selection’ Pinot Noir is a barrel selection wine made by the talented Mark Huff. The nose here is really powerful and shows a marvelous combination of earthy tones, red fruits and dark fruits with a touch of red rose petal. This has a vibrant verve and tension despite its age. The palate reveals a touch of citrus rind with boysenberry, cocoa powder, white pepper and white truffle flavors. The exceedingly long finish lingers. While this is drinking very nicely now, this still has a lot of life left. Drink 2018-2026- 91

Tendril

2011 Tendril Pinot Noir- Translucent in color, this shows an aromatic profile of dried red cherry, tobacco leaf, and red currant jelly. The palate plays off almost exactly the same way, showing largely red fruits with some lighter citrus and earthy components. I like the sense of balance here, as the bright acidity moves this nicely through the mid-palate. As far as entry level wines go, this is a pretty killer Oregon Pinot Noir. Drink 2018-2024- 90

2011 Tendril ‘Tight Ripe’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Tight Rope’ is a barrel selection made by superstar winemaker, Tony Rynders. Needing an hour in the decanter to fully develop. Once aroused, this shows bright red fruits with orange rind and peat moss aromatics that build in the glass. The palate has good mid-palate richness and a smooth texture. Red fruits and dark fruits mingle nicely, with lighter forest floor undertones playing second fiddle. This is an outstanding wine that has evolved very nicely but still has eight plus years of life left in it. Drink 2018-2026- 91

2011 Tendril ‘C Note’ Pinot Noir- Undergoing full whole cluster fermentation, the 2011 ‘C Note’ begins with aromas of cigar ash, wild blackberry and cinnamon. The palate is smooth, revealing some good acidity and a silky mouthfeel with fine tannins. Dark fruits and forest floor flavors dominate with black truffle crudo also showing nicely. Only 50 cases made of this great wine. Drink 2018-2026- 91

Utopia

2011 Utopia ‘Clone 777’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the Ribbon Ridge AVA, this translucent Pinot Noir opens with a bouquet of smoke, black tea and earthy tones. The palate shows a nice combination of red fruit and citrus tones with earthy elements connecting nicely. Drink 2018-2024- 89

2011 Utopia ‘Paradise Estate Reserve’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Paradise Estate Reeserve’ Pinot Noir  is a seriously good effort in this cold vintage. The wine starts off with aromas of black tea, black truffle crudo and peat moss that are delightfully earthy. The palate has a silky texture and lithe minerality. Red and dark fruits mingle with the minerals and forest floor tones, leading to a bright finish with mouthwatering acidity. This is showing brilliantly right now and can cellar for another five to seven years. Drink 2018-2024- 91

Youngsberg Hill 

2011 Youngsberg Hill ‘Natasha’ Pinot Noir-  The 2011 ‘Natasha’ Pinot Noir is a really good effort from this vintage. This translucent colored Pinot Noir starts off showing good earthy tones on the nose with wild mushroom, citrus rind and red cherry candy. The palate is lean and focused, with mouth-watering acidity. The brightness really shines in the wine with citrus and delicate red fruits lingering on the palate. This is highly Burgundian and still has a long life ahead of it. Drink 2018-2028- 90

Winter’s Hill

2011 Winter’s Hill Pinot Noir- Showing soft red fruits on the nose, with citrus tones, this is well-made wine is slightly out of balance on the palate with citrus rind and cranberry showing most dominantly on the palate. Highly astringent, this finishes with some good acidity. Drink 2018-2022- 86

Melka Estates

One of the great Napa wineries, Melka Estates was founded by Philippe and Cherie Melka. They produce an absolutely epic wine lineup that rivals the best in the valley. They source from some very exciting vineyards including La Mekerra in Sonoma and Jumping Goat in Napa Valley. The wines are powerful, focused and highly concentrated, showing immense range and terroir. Philippe Melka is a Bordeaux native that has a master’s degree in enology. He has a long resume, with previous stops at Château Haut Brion, as well as Dominus Estate and various stops in Australia and even Chateau Petrus. He has been in Napa on a full time basis since 1994 and has served as consulting winemaker at some of the great wineries in Napa, Sonoma and Washington State. He is truly one of the great consulting winemakers in the world. Philippe partners with his wife, Cherie, to craft the wines. She also has a highly impressive resume with previous stops at Bealieu Vineyards and Silver Oak prior to starting Melka Wines. She handles all business decisions for Melka as well as helps with the blending. 

The Melkas have crafted some new releases that were simply marvelous, coming from the warm, 2015 vintage in Napa and Sonoma. One of the great Merlots that I have tried all year, his 2015 Melka Estates ‘Mekerra La Mekerra Vineyard’ Merlot (WWB, 96) is a scintillating new wine that shows beautiful intensity and texture. This will have an exceedingly long life in the cellar. I absolutely adored the 2015 Melka Estates ‘Metisse Jumping Goat Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 97) which is the varietal at its best, showing insane range and a gorgeous mouthfeel. Learn more about these exceptional wines at https://www.melkaestates.com

2015 Melka Estates ‘Mekerra La Mekerra Vineyard’ Merlot- This Knight’s Valley Merlot was aged for 22 months in French oak (60% new) prior to bottling. The wine starts off with aromas of chocolate, spice box, mocha and tar on the nose. The mouthfeel and texture to the wine is phenomenal. Mocha, anise, creme de cassis and blueberry compote flavors all come together marvelously in the glass. The texture and viscosity is sumptuous. Drink 2018-2035- 96

2014 Melka Estates ‘Mekerra La Mekerra Vineyard’ Proprietary Red WIne- This wine is a compelling blend of 51% Cabernet Franc and 49% Merlot that was aged for 21 months in 60% new French oak. The nose is pretty and highly perfumed with rose petals, red currant jelly, red raspberry cordial and Christmas spice. The palate shows wonderful viscosity and tension, showing a really nice range of fruits from blue to dark to red fruits. The fruit weight her his marvelous as dark cherry, red raspberry cordial, and blueberry compote flavors with smoky undertones. There is is wonderful purity of fruit here. This is a complete wine that has a long time in the cellar. Drink 2018-2040- 96

2015 Melka Estates ‘Metisse Jumping Goat Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon-  The Jumping Goat Vineyard is located in the Spring Mountain AVA near Spottswoode which was planted in the mid-1990s. This inky colored wine is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon and 13% Petit Verdot that was aged for 21 months in French barrels. A glass-staining purple, this starts off with intense aromas of rose petals, creme de cassis, Turkish coffee and black olive tapenade with lighter earthy tones of damp earth. The mouthfeel is intense and highly viscous with creme de cassis, mocha, anise, sandalwood and espresso bean. The range and mouthfeel here is insanely good. This stunning wine will cellar marvelously for decades. Drink 2018-2040- 97

2015 Melka Estates ‘Metisse Martinez Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2015 ‘Martinez Vineyard’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a stunning bottling that was aged for 22 months in 85% new French oak prior to bottling. The Martinez Vineyard is located on Prichard Hill perched on top of Oakville. Melka Wines is the first winery to put the vineyard on the bottling. The wine is an intriguing blend of 55% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot and 20% Cabernet Franc. The wine shows exotic spice with deep creme de cassis, green bell pepper, mocha and anise aromas that build in the glass. The palate is exceedingly dense and plush with intense anise, creme de cassis, black olive tapenade and black cherry cordial flavors that impress. Drink 2018-2040- 96

2016 Melka Estates ‘Majestique Paderewski Vineyard’ Red Wine- This Rhone style wine is a blend of 40% Grenache with 28% Syrah and 32% Mourvedre that was all co-fermented. The wine was aged for 20 months in French oak prior to bottling. The nose is very pretty showing red rose petal and Christmas spice with red fruits that connect to lighter smoky tones. The palate shows bright acidity and wonderful richness and intensity. Smoke, pipe tobacco, red cherry Starburst candy and milk chocolate connect with light tannins. Showing good acidity and a soft texture, this is an outstanding effort from this great vineyard in Paso Robles. Drink 2018-2030- 94

2015 Melka Estates ‘Mekerra La Mekerra Vineyard’ Proprietary White- This 100% Sauvignon Blanc wine saw extensive barrel aging (22 months in 80% new French oak). The wine starts off with heady aromas of smoke, white peach, gooseberry and unripe pear. The silky texture to the wine is marvelous and shows a wonderfully rich viscosity. Nectarine, Pink Lady apple, apricot and lychee flavors all connect with a good minerality. With a wonderful motuhfeel and a silky texture this irresistible Sauvignon Blanc will cellar marvelously over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 94

Sojourn Cellars

One of the fantastic producers of Sonoma Pinot Noir, Sojourn Cellars was founded in 2001 as a partnership between two tennis buddies who discovered a mutual passion for great wine. Craig and Ellen Haserot work together with winemaker Erich Bradley, the former winemaker at Arrowood Winery in Sonoma. A native of Palo Alto, California, Erich learned about wine while helping his family develop their vineyard on a small ranch in Sonoma Valley. Erich has an intriguing background with a degree in Bio-chemistry from the esteemed University of Chicago and a degree in Philosophy and Modern European Intellectual History from the University of California at Irvine. Erich spent time as high school teacher and tennis coach prior to studying winemaking at the University of California at Davis and viticulture at Santa Rosa College. He had the great fortune to be mentored by eminent winemakers Richard Arrowood and David Ramey. In 1999, Erich worked as a harvest lab technician at Arrowood Vineyards and Winery, a position that extended into Assistant Enologist through 2002. Erich left Arrowood in January of 2003 and makes some beautiful wines for Sojourn.

Sojourn sources from some of the area’s finest vineyards, including Gap’s Crown Vineyard and the Durell Vineyard. I was seriously impressed with Erich’s new wines that really capture the region beautifully. The wines are rich but refined and show wonderful terroir in the glass. Simply delicious, the 2016 Sojourn Cellars ‘Gap’s Crown Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) evokes wonderful cola and red fruit tones that delights. Even better was their red blend, sourced from Napa, the 2015 Sojourn Cellars ‘Proprietary Cuvee’ Red Wine (WWB, 94) which is a dense and layered effort that will cellar marvelously for more than a decade. Learn more about this fantastic Sonoma winery at http://www.sojourncellars.com Here are the great new wines by Sojourn Cellars.

Sojourn’s tasting room is located in the town of Sonoma.

2016 Sojourn Cellars ‘Gap’s Crown Vineyard’ Chardonnay- This deep hued wine begins with aromatics of butterscotch, brioche and lemon zest, showing nice range. The palate has a wonderful astringency as lemon meriange, Challah bread and banana flavors connect with a long, lemon cream driven finish. The wine beautifully showcases this fantastic, historic vineyard. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2016 Sojourn Cellars ‘Gap’s Crown Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This ruby colored Pinot starts with cherry cola and raspberry cordial aromatics that mingle with wild thyme and wet stone. The palate is silky smooth, showing ripe red cherry, guava purée and blood orange flavors. The freshness, weight and intensity of this wine is gorgeous. Enjoy this over the next decade or so. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2016 Sojourn Cellars ‘Sangiacomo Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the famed vineyard in the Petaluma Gap this opens with a bouquet of dill, red cherry preserves and tea berry. Lithe and rich, the wine yields downright delicious red fruit flavors with good tension. This is a delight to savor right now. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2015 Sojourn Cellars ‘Proprietary Cuvee’ Red Wine-  Sourced from Napa (Oakville Ranch Vineyard and Vineyard Georges III Vineyard), this is an outstanding new release from a very hot vintage in the valley. This gorgeous, deep colored wine starts off with aromas of mocha, crushed mint and eucalyptus. The palate is lithe and downright gorgeous with intense graphite, creme de cassis, mocha and red bell pepper flavors. The weight is downright massive her. Memorable and highly approachable in its youth, this is a stunning wine by Sojourn. Drink 2018-2030- 94

2016 Sojourn ‘Reuling Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- This Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is sourced from a vineyard located in Forestville. Vines for this wine were first planted in 2000. This has very pretty aromatics up front with rose water, cherry cola, and smoke. Seriously tasty, with nice weight and acidity, the wine shows off sexy red fruits with cola flavors. This is an outstanding effort by Sojourn. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2016 Sojourn ‘Riddle Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Located on the Sonoma Coast and and set on well-draining Goldridge soils, this starts with prune, red cherry preserves and baking spices. This has excellent dark fruit flavors with good tension, salinity and viscosity on the mid-palate. Enjoy this fantastic bottling over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 93

Dusted Valley

Last night I ran through the great new Dusted Valley lineup with fellow Washington Wine Blog editor, Dr. Stephen Lee. My goal was to try two new release Washington wine lineups and compare notes on wines from each winery. One thing was apparent — the Dusted Valley wines were consistently better than the other winery in terms of tension, viscosity, mouthfeel and range. Not only were they better, each wine in the lineup scored 1-3 points higher, so in some cases they were considerably better. Dusted Valley have cemented themselves as a serious, consistently good producer of red and white wines particularly over the past five plus years. 

Having been in the Washington wine industry for the past 13 years, Dusted Valley was founded by the Johnson and Braunel families who are originally from Wisconsin and have strong backgrounds in farming. They source from some of the great vineyards in Washington, including the Olsen Vineyard and Stoney Vine Vineyard. 

Their new lineup of wines showed beautifully. Dusted Valley is quietly gaining a reputation for fantastic Chardonnay. Their new release, the 2016 Dusted Valley ‘Olsen Vineyard’ Chardonnay (WWB, 91) showed really good tension and a nice mouthfeel, with wonderful butterscotch flavors. I really enjoyed the 2015 Dusted Valley ‘BFM Dionysus Vineyard’ Red Wine (WWB, 92) which is soft and round from the large percentage of Merlot, as the wine shows really good mid-palate viscosity. One of the best Petite Sirah bottlings that I have sampled in the past year is their 2015 Dusted Valley ‘Stone Tree Vineyard’ Petite Sirah (WWB, 93). The wine is a massive beast that shows gobs of dark fruits with chocolate and blueberry tones being quite prominent. This wine is quite simply delicious. Learn more about these great wines at https://www.dustedvalley.com Here are the great new wines by Dusted Valley.

2016 Dusted Valley ‘Olsen Vineyard’’ Chardonnay- The Olsen Vineyard is an esteemed cooler site that grows great Chardonnay in the Yakima Valley. On the nose this turns heads with brioche, Meyer lemon creme brûlée and pineapple accents. The combination of mouthfeel and balance to the wine really impresses. Vanilla cream, butterscotch and Challah bread flavors all collide in the mouth, with good minerality. This has a really good sense of place as I can see this cellaring well over the next eight plus years. Drink 2018-2026- 91

2014 Dusted Valley ‘V.R. Special’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘V.R. Special’ Cabernet Sauvignon has a gorgeous nose with rose petal, brandy soaked cherry, roasted figs and mocha that builds in the glass. The mouthfeel is lovely here as the silky texture coats the mid-palate. Creme de cassis, Turkish coffee, black currant and black cherry cordial flavors show good viscosity. While this is a touch hot, the balance and range is there. Drink 2018-2026- 92

2015 Dusted Valley ‘BFM Dionysus Vineyard’ Red Wine- The ‘BFM’ is a blend of 79% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot. This shows off an inky color and begins with aromas of red cherry candy, sagebrush, and cherry tomato. The palate reveals a wonderfully plush mouthfeel. There is a decadent feel to the wine, showing rich black tea, blackberry cobbler, and black cherry flavors. This has the weight to cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Dusted Valley Malbec- This wine has 9% Cabernet Sauvignon blended in. The nose has lovely chocolate and white pepper tones with blackberry cobbler shining brightly as well. The texture of this wine is lovely as this reveals black tea, dark chocolate shavings, coffee grounds and blueberry compote flavors. With medium tannins, the Malbec will age gracefully over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Dusted Valley ‘Stone Tree Vineyard’ Petite Sirah- The Stone Tree Vineyard is gaining a serious reputation for this unusual varietal. This shows off an extremely deep core and opens with loganberry liquor, dark chocolate cake, and blueberry jelly flavors. The palate is deep, plush and downright seductive. There is not only a great tension in the wine but a thick and viscous voluptuous mouthfeel. While this is heady, the minerality to the wine provides good balance. This would make a monumental glass pour at a great steakhouse. Drink 2018-2030- 93

Interview with Gary Horner, Erath Winemaker

Gary Horner has a long winemaking tradition. He has some impressive stops on his resume before coming to Erath in 2003. Gary has an eminent career in the Oregon wine industry, with previous tenures at Bethel Heights (where he first met Dick Erath) as well as Benton Lane, before coming to Erath more than a decade ago. Gary has a very large job as senior winemaker at one of Oregon’s largest wineries. HIs entry level bottling, the 2015 Erath Pinot Noir (WWB, 89) was one of the best value Pinot Noirs that I sampled over the past year and he has crafted an exciting new 2017 Chardonnay that was just released. Down to earth and highly knowledgable, I think you will enjoy hearing Gary Homer’s story in wine. Here is my exclusive interview with Gary Horner, winemaker at Erath.

WWB: How does your background in science connect with being interested in winemaking?

GH: I was trained as a clinical scientist. At UC Davis I was taking short courses to gain information about enology and viticulture. This was back in 1987. I had a friend in college who was a French guy, a wine collector and he got me interested in wine when we were in college. I wanted to learn more and attended Seattle Enological Society events, as I was living in Seattle at the time. In 1987 I decided to leave clinical pharmacology behind and take a stab at winemaking. I quit my job and worked for six dollars an hour to work at Bethel Heights to get my foot in the door. With my science background I figured there had to be an explanation for everything, and my mentors at Bethel Heights knew that things were not black and white and all the things in between. I learned that there were many things that you can’t read in a book but you have to learn from through experience and intuition. It took me around five to ten years to settle into that and I am now comfortable with the scientific aspect of winemaking but am even more comfortable with the art of winemaking now. What is intriguing is I have somewhat toned down my scientific approach and am now relying more on intuition and experience.

WWB: Can you talk about how you first became so enchanted with Oregon Pinot Noir? How did you decide to first come to Oregon?

GH: I looked at Oregon from my background with the Seattle Enological Society and wanted to make appointments with a lot of Oregon wineries. I went on a three week trip and slept in the back of my car. There wasn’t a lot of Oregon wine in the market at the time. I thought that Pinot kind of had this mystique in my mind. I was talking to the Pinot Noir producers in Sonoma and talked to professors at UC Davis. After speaking with them and their department chairs I decided that I needed to understand the hands on part to winemaking. That is one thing that UC Davis couldn’t offer me at the time. Driving back from Sonoma I was driving up I-5 and I stopped by Bethel Heights. Terry Castillo was in charge of Bethel Heights and I showed up there just as he was counting the cash and we had a discussion. He said that he didn’t have any positions for me at the time. I followed up with Terry six months later and he said that all he had a part time job in the bottling line. Following that job Terry said that he had harvest positions open. Then I worked in the vineyard for Bethel Heights and that is how it all started. I was with them for four years and they really are the people that had the strongest winemaking influence on me. I am not sure that I would have been in the same spot today if I hadn’t been with Bethel Heights.

WWB: What intrigued you with taking the winemaker position at Erath in 2003?

GH: Dick Erath was one of the first people that I met down in Oregon. Working for Bethel Heights, this tall guy saunters up to me and we struck up a conversation. Dick was a really knowledgable man. As the years went by I knew that Dick was interested in new things on the winemaking side. As I progressed in my winemaking career I started working on unique ways to manage red wine fermentations. Dick caught wind of that and then in 2003 he came to me and said that he liked what I was doing and he made me an offer I couldn’t refuse. I was the winemaker at Benton Lane at the time  and when Dick threw that up on the table I was hooked.

WWB: You have crafted a truly impressive entry level Pinot Noir bottling, the 2015 Erath Pinot Noir (WWB, 89) which is one of the great value Pinot Noirs out of Oregon. How challenging is it to make a well-made wine that is high production, particularly considering the winemaking challenges with Pinot Noir?

GH: It is a real challenge to make this Pinot Noir. We make sometimes more than 13 Pinot Noirs in a given vintage. The Oregon tiers Pinot Noir has to be good each year. You can’t miss a beat with the wine. That is one of the biggest challenges is making the Oregon tier Pinot Noir and keeping the price under 20 dollars. It is a huge challenge but we have been able to do that and continue to grow. I don’t want to say 2015 was an easy vintage and there are a lot of things behind the scenes in winemaking that made this vintage a bit more difficult. It was a warm vintage and the yields came in close to 20 to 25 percent above what we had anticipated. This is a challenge because there is only a fixed amount of winemaking capacity to accommodate the fruit that will come in. That creates a condition that you can only get so much wine through the pipeline at once. It cooled down towards the end in 2015 so that helped prevent some of the logjam which would have been more problematic had all of the harvest happened at once. The vintage saw excellent growing conditions and great weather. The fruit quality was really good. When you grow all around the Willamette Valley that really helps because all the fruit doesn’t all come in at the same time. The wine had good weight and good balance.

WWB: Can you talk about the new wine that you have made for the first time, sourced from your estate Willakia Vineyard, the 2017 Erath ‘Oregon’ Chardonnay?

GH: Dick Erath was making Chardonnay since he first started in Oregon. Chardonnay got off to a rough start and the clones that many producers were using at the time didn’t do so well in Oregon. Pinot Gris got some traction and left Chardonnay in the dust until people started working with the Dijon clones. Chardonnay is making an enormous comeback and quite frankly to get the best grapes you were paying the same amount of money for the top end Pinot Noir. In 2014 we purchased a vineyard around Amity, the Willakia Vineyard, that has 120 acres of planted vines including 19 acres of Chardonnay. The vineyard produces great Chardonnay. We started making the single vineyard ‘Willakia’ Chardonnay and we wanted to also produce a wine that wold be a good everyday Chardonnay. 2017 is the first vintage of our Erath ‘Oregon’ Chardonnay. The wine is entirely sourced from the Willakia property but we plan to expand its production the future as will look into sourcing from some other sites as well. The wine is roughly two-thirds stainless steel fermented and the balance is fermented in French oak barrels, (30% new) and then I assemble the blend and we bottle early to keep the freshness. I have a sweet tooth for Chablis and the Willakia Vineyard is very cool which faces the Van Duzer corridor so you don’t get overripe fruit and the site has a nice, long growing season. I am excited about the 2017 vintage for whites and reds. There is good acidity in the wine and we want to show good freshness but not get into that overripe cooked fruit profiles. It its a balance in the vineyard and I have some great people in the vineyard that work for me. 

WWB: What are some of your favorite producers of Oregon Pinot Noir and your favorite wines of the world? 

GH: Here in Oregon we tend to fall back to the old timers and some of the wineries of the second generation. Bethel Heights is insanely good Pinot and Chardonnay. Ponzi is really good and the kinds have taken over. Elk Cove are l long-timers and their kids have taken over. Chehalem and Sokol Blosser. Chehalem makes a great Riesling that I really enjoy. Adelsheim makes a variety of single vineyard Pinot Noirs that are very good. Domaine Drouhin ever since they have started they have been a very consistent producer and have contributed to the Oregon Wine industry. They have done a great job. There have been many large purchases in Oregon. When Ste. Michelle Wine Estates purchased Erath in 2006 some of my colleagues thought that the purchase would change everything at Erath. My buddies were worried and but Ste. Michelle told me specifically that they were going to help me make even better wine. They only focus on quality. Then, more recently, Jackson Family Wines has come in and bought up a lot of land creating a wave that has swept the industry. I know the Jackson Family people and they are as dedicated to Oregon as Ste. Michelle was and continues to be. There are really positive things going on in Oregon and there is a lot of attention on Oregon nationally. Coppola just bought a winery in the Dundee Hills. In terms of wines of the world my wife and I drink a fair amount of Washington Reds. We like to visit Walla Walla for a few days and I love the Ste. Michelle properties like Northstar and Spring Valley. Dusted Valley and Gramercy are both also  really good. In terms of wines of the world Burgundy is so complicated that I don’t claim to understand it. One thing that has turned me away from it was the price being hugely expensive for most of those and maybe the quality isn’t always consistent to the dollar figure. We have been to Burgundy a few times but I don’t typically seek out Burgundy wines. Jadot, I like their wines but in terms of whites we have discovered Chablis fifteen years ago which has become one of my favorite wines of the world. The William Fevre wines from Chablis are really great. 

Costco Kirkland Signature Wine Report

Search through your fridge right now; chances are, you have bottle of Kirkland Signature that awaits you after a long day at the office. Costco sells more wine than anyone in America. While they might not have the range of wines that other retailers can boast, you know that you won’t experience a large mark-up with wines from Costco.  With a carefully curated selection of wines of the world, most of the wines at Costco are sourced from wineries, rather than from a private label. However, a growing number off wines at Costco bear Costco’s private label, Kirkland Signature. Their wines, like all Kirkland Signature products, deliver serious value and have transformed the American wine market. We have been purchasing Kirkland Signature wines for more than ten years, and in general we have found these wines to show solid value and in some cases, good aging potential.

With Costco’s world headquarters located in our home state of Washington, it seemed appropriate to publish a wine report covering all available Kirkland Signature wines. Obtaining all of them is a nearly impossible feat, with different wines being sold at different stores, but we made a valiant attempt at securing over twenty different bottles.  We all made multiple visits to over a dozen Costco locations over the course of a few months in Washington and Oregon. All wines were purchased by WWB editors, as Costco did not submit wines for review. Editors Dr. Stephen Lee, Dr. Owen Bargreen and Scott Doleshel reviewed each Kirkland Signature wine. Certain wines yielded considerable disagreements but most of the reviews demonstrated reasonable inter-rater reliability. 

We all felt that for 20 dollars, the NV Kirkland Signature Champagne delivered some exceptional value, as we all scored the wine over 90 points. Similarly, we all felt that the NV Kirkland Signature ‘Asolo’ Prosecco delivered amazing value for a mere $6.99. We were all quite divergent on the 2015 Kirkland Signature ‘Pauillac’ as Scott and Owen were underwhelmed by the wine which displayed little weight, while Stephen appreciated the Bordeaux character. We all enjoyed the 2015 Kirkland Signature Malbec, which showed richness of fruit and good value, coming in under ten dollars. 

While we were generally impressed with the quality to price ratio of the wines, we found many of the back label descriptions of wines to be blustery, overstated, and struggling to make an eight dollar of bottle sound like a one hundred dollar bottle. Over the past few months we’ve been hard at work reviewing all the new Kirkland Signature wines. We think you will very much enjoy learning more about the Kirkland Signature new release wines.

Pictured is the incredibly broad range of wines that we reviewed for our Costco Wine Report.

NV Kirkland Signature Prosecco ‘Asolo’ Sparkling Wine ($6.99) 

Stephen Lee- According to the label, the grapes come from “Prime estate vineyards in the historic Veneto regions.” The wine starts off with aromas of apricot on the nose and offers bright peach flavors on the palate. The Prosecco has excellent texture for a wine of the price, though a bit one note for flavor. Slightly sweet but this Prosecco shows serious value. Drink 2018-2020- 89

Owen Bargreen- This wine weighs in at 11% alcohol. Toasty brioche and marzipan mark the nose with bright pear.  Slightly sweet, the wine delivers apricot, candied green apple and white flowers on the palate with good astringency. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Scott Doleshel- I really enjoyed the ‘Asolo’ Prosecco by Kirkland Signature. The wine is a great value. Bright, with appealing mouthfeel and medium bodied apple flavors. Slightly sweet, this would make a great aperitif. Drink 2018-2022- 89

NV Kirkland Signature Champagne ($19.99)

Stephen Lee- The NV Kirkland Signature Champagne was sourced from “the top Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier vineyards in Verzenay of Manuel Janisson,” states the label. The bubbles display a powerful presence upon opening, which mildly distract and detracts from the experience.  Apples and yeast dominate the nose as the wine shows flavors of pears and sourdough bread. Drink 2018-2022- 89

Owen Bargreen- The ‘Brut’ Champagne by Kirkland Signature is a blend of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier sourced from vineyards located in Verzenay. The wine starts off with lovely diamateceous earth followed by lemon curd and brioche on the nose. The palate shows really nice citrus fruit with kumquat, lemon oil, sourdough bread and a light musty earth flavor. Dense and layered, this is a simply outstanding effort that is a one of kind value. Drink 2018-2024- 90

Scott Doleshel- Here we have a really good Champagne that is a killer value. I love the sense of effervescence with biscuit and bright apple flavors. This shows nice acidity and is drinking marvelously now. Drink 2018-2024- 90 

2017 Kirkland Signature ‘Grave’ Pinot Grigio ($5.99)

Stephen Lee- The wine barely offers a muted nose of ocean mist as there are limited aromatics at play here. The flavors remind me of  watered down limeade with a slightly floral note. The wine shows a bit flat and is clearly lacking the ‘bright acidity’ that the label claims it has. Drink 2018-2020- 84

Owen Bargreen- This pale colored Pinot Grigio starts off with delicate white flowers and citrus blossom aromatics that build in the glass. Refreshing and showing good acidity, the palate disappoints, nearly entirely devoid of any terroir or flavor. While not poorly made, this refreshing style Pinot Grigio is deeply lacking in complexity. Drink 2018-2020- 85

Scott Doleshel- I am really impressed with the ‘Grave’ Pinot Grigio by Kirkland Signature. It is surprisingly easy to drink with light fruit flavors and bright acidity. This is perfect for summer. Drink 2018-2022- 89

2018 Kirkland Signature ‘Ti Point’ Sauvignon Blanc ($6.99)

Stephen Lee- Vibrant nose of lemongrass and pineapple.  Bright fresh acidity, zesty sour apple on the palate. Great value. Drink now. 90

Owen Bargreen- This is slightly sweet on the palate and screams pyrazines on the nose. Bright and fresh, this is highly refreshing and satisfying. Drink 2018-2022- 90

Scott Doleshel- This has good brightness and acidity. I like the true character of the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc and the kiwi and lemon zest flavors. Drink 2018-2022- 89

2017 Kirkland Signature ‘Ti Point’ Sauvignon Blanc ($6.99)

Stephen Lee- I really enjoyed this wine. On the nose the wine has sharp notes of lemongrass. On the palate, an acidic zing is noted, as the wine displays a lot ripe green apple. The wine showcases the region well. Drink 2018-2022- 89

Owen Bargreen- Sourced from the ‘Ti Point Vineyard' in Marlborough, this excellent Sauvignon Blanc opens with a bouquet of green bell pepper, star jasmine, and white rose with gooseberry accents. The palate shows racy acidity with bright gooseberry, Japanese pear and citrus blossom flavors. This is a truly outstanding value. Drink 2018-2022- 90

Scott Doleshel- This wine initially comes off a bit astringent with solid acidity and limited mid-palate weight. The balance of the wine is good with gooseberry and green apple flavors dominating. Drink 2018-2022- 88

2017 Kirkland Signature ‘California’ Pinot Grigio (1.5L) $7.99

Stephen Lee-  The 2017 Kirkland Signature ‘California’ Pinot Grigio underwhelms. This simplistic and unappealing wine shows some ripe apple flavors on the palate. Slightly sweet, this is lacking in complexity.  While it’s not flawed wine, it’s pretty blah.  Drink 2018-2020, if you really must.- 83

Owen Bargreen- The wine begins with aromas of fruity aromas of pear, kiwi, and melon on the nose. Slightly sweet, this shows good weight on the palate with lighter tree and melon flavors. This impresses for the price. Drink 2018-2020- 86

Scott Doleshel- Here we have an excellent value from Kirkland Signature. It is a touch sweet and cloying but for this price I am impressed. It is a bit out of balance Drink 2018-2022- 87

2016 Kirkland Signature ‘California’ Chardonnay (1.5L) $7.99 

Stephen Lee- The label states that the following flavors are present: pineapple, mango, peach, green apple, sweet citrus, oak, honey, and butterscotch.  I’m not sure who found any peach in the Chardonnay, because the cloying oak and sweetness hides most of the  flavors that the label claims are there.  With that in mind, it is still a reasonable value for the bargain price, and will be suitable for hosting large groups and pleasing those who like the “oaky-buttery” style. Drink 2018-2020- 85

Owen Bargreen- Toasty oak marks the nose with butterscotch and roasted pineapple. Slightly sweet, this comes off a bit cloying but delivers vanilla cream and banana flavors with toasted oak flavors that come together in the glass. The mouthfeel is surprisingly impressive. This is a really good value considering the price point for a 1.5L. I can’t imagine the wine improving with age. Drink 2018-2020- 87

Scott Doleshel- This is a tired wine that is out of balance. It is too sweet on the palate with tropical fruits. Drink 2018-2022- 85

2016 Kirkland Signature ‘Sonoma County’ Chardonnay- ($6.99)

Stephen Lee- The 2016 Kirkland Signature ‘California’ Chardonnay is a solid value. Notes of white flowers and apple permeate through on the nose, while the palate is balanced with nice weight. This value-oriented chardonnay offers a leaner, cleaner style than the magnum of California Chardonnay, and many would say it’s better than the more expensive Kirkland Russian River Chardonnay. Drink 2018-2022- 90

Owen Bargreen- Bright citrus tones lead the nose with lighter oak and melon aromatics rounding this Chardonnay out. The wine comes off a touch sweet with brioche, creme brûlée and light melon tones. This is highly simplistic and not recommended. Drink 2018-2022- 87

Scott Doleshel- The ‘Sonoma County’ Chardonnay seems out of balance for me, as it is lightly cloying with tree and citrus fruit flavors. Drink 2018-2022- 87

2015 Kirkland Signature ‘Russian River Valley’ Chardonnay ($12.99)

Stephen Lee- The back of the bottle goes into some appalling over-descriptions of a rather pedestrian wine. They claim this wine offers the following: 1) Lemon blossom 2) Citrus 3) Stone-fruit 4) Delicious 5) Rich 6) Elegant 7) Tightly focused 8) Smoothly textured harmony of fruit 9) Green apple 10) Pear 11) Fig 12) Exotic spicy notes 13) Long lingering flavors…The wine tastes decent, and is adequate Chardonnay, though the less expensive Kirkland Signature Sonoma Chardonnay tastes better for a lower price. Drink 2018-2022- 89

Owen Bargreen- This golden colored Chardonnay starts off with lighter tree fruit aromas with a touch of butter on the nose. The palate has good balance currently commanding brioche, buttered popcorn and papaya flavors. This is highly simplistic Chardonnay. The tasting description on the bottle borders absurd in my mind, noting ‘fig’ flavors here. Furthermore the description on the back of the bottle essentially fools the consumer to think that they are drinking a bottle of Kongsgaard Chardonnay — thought to be the finest expression of California Chardonnay. Aside from this wine not being particularly inspiring, I can’t understand the deceptive nature to the back of this wine label. Drink 2018-2022- 87

Scott Doleshel- I enjoyed this wine, showing a good sense of place, as this mirrors many of the quality wines from this region. There is good balance to the wine with medium bodied flavors of pineapple, mango and bright acidity. I also cannot understand how this wine is described on the back of the label, which is nowhere near how it drinks. Drink 2018-2024- 89

2016 Kirkland Signature ‘Carneros’ Pinot Noir ($9.99)

Stephen Lee- The 2016 Kirkland Signature ‘Carneros’ Pinot Noir is very light in color.  Barbecue sauce on the nose connects with the lighter red fruits.  On the palate there are flavors of raspberry, tar, tobacco. This Pinot Noir is a surprisingly complex wine for the price. Drink 2018-2022- 89

Owen Bargreen- The 2016 Kirkland Signature ‘Carneros’ Pinot Noir is a really good value California Pinot Noir.  The nose comes off impressively with cherry cola and orange rind showing most prominently. Forward and downright delicious, juicy guava, red cherry candy, cola and cran-orange flavors come together nicely in the glass. Enjoy this in the short-term. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Scott Doleshel- Here we have a straightforward California Pinot Noir, that shows a good combination of richness and balance. Red and dark fruits dominate the palate with solid acidity. I am really impressed with the value here. Drink 2018-2024- 89

2012 Kirkland Signature Brunello di Montalcino ($21.99)

Stephen Lee- The 2012 Kirkland Signature Brunello di Montalcino is my favorite wine of this tasting. The wine was aged in oak for three years prior to bottling. Tobacco and shoe leather on the nose connect with lighter tones of baking spices. Orange peel flavor dominates the palate with a touch of rose petal.  The wine finishes well, and is less astringent than I would have expected. The wines rough edges smoothed out as it was decanted for a few hours. Drink 2018-2028- 91

Owen Bargreen-This translucent colored Sangiovese starts off with blood orange, dusty terroir and sweet pipe tobacco on the nose. Forward, showing light tannins, the wine shows off red cherry, pomegranate seed, and citrus rind flavors with a touch of damp earth. This is a bit simplistic but the earthy tones nicely round things out. Drink 2018-2025- 88

Scott Doleshel- The 2012 Kirkland Signature Brunello di Montalcino is my favorite wines out of this bunch. I love the earthy terroir and dark and red fruits here that connect with the minerality. This wine is impressive. Drink 2018-2028- 91

2016 Kirkland Signature ‘Cuvee de Nalys’ Chateauneuf du Pape ($17.99)

Stephen Lee- The back of the bottle asserts that this wine is showing ‘Notes of blueberry, cherry and mineral.’  I find this CDP to fall flat (as do many CDP’s in the price range), lacking acid, and is generally uninteresting. That said I find no major faults with the wine either. Drink 2018-2024- 88

Owen Bargreen Domaine de Nalys takes its name from the original founders of the estate who owned the property in the 1700’s. The domaine was confiscated during the French Revolution, broken into smaller parcels and sold at auction. The wine needs more than a one hour decant to fully evolve. This begins with delicate aromas of red currant, red raspberry cordial, rose petal and suggestions of Provencale herbs that build in the glass. Red currant jelly, provencal herbs and wet stone with cherry candy flavors all mingle in the glass. A head-turning value, showing some bright acidity, this will continue to evolve well over the next decade. Drink 2018-2026- 90

Scott Doleshel- I can’t say I am impressed with this CDP. Red fruits and a touch of sweetness make me feel like the wine is out of balance. Drink 2018-2022- 87

2015 Kirkland Signature ‘Pauillac’ Bordeaux Red Wine ($22.99)

Stephen Lee- Coming from one of Bordeaux’s best years, this wine does not disappoint, having been aged for 9 months in French oak prior to bottling.  Leather and blackberry present on the nose. Following an hour decant, this wine is ready for enjoyment. Well-balanced showing nice oaky tones and dark fruits, this young Bordeaux is ready to open today  Drink 2018-2028- 90

Owen Bargreen The nose delivers a nice combination of dark and red fruits with dusty terroir, particularly damp earth. The mid-palate comes off a bit lean, with herbal and dark fruit tones. Not particularly recommended, as I can’t see this improving considerably. Drink 2018-2022- 86

Scott Doleshel- I really feel that this is an unimpressive effort as a Bordeaux. There is limited weight and acidity drives this wine. Light red and dark fruits leave me uninspired. Drink 2018-2022- 85

2016 Kirkland Signature ‘Columbia Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon ($8.89)

Stephen Lee- Baking spices and loganberries display on the nose.  The wine comes off as a touch jammy, lacking complexity on the palate.  It’s not the best example of Columbia Valley Cabernet, as I would have expected more bell pepper/pyrazine character. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Owen Bargreen- This shows nice dark fruits with toasty oak on the nose combining with a touch of sagebrush. The palate is forward and slightly sweet, delivering copious dark fruits with a touch of milk chocolate and sage. This is a serious value. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Scott Doleshel- Here we have a very forward wine that shows dark fruits and limited complexity. Dark berry flavors are quite primary. Dink 2018-2022- 86

2015 Kirkland Signature ‘Signature Series Columbia Valley’ Red Wine ($16.99)

Stephen Lee- Not to be confused with their lower tier ‘Columbia Valley’ bottling, the black label ‘Signature Series’ wine shows a dark purple color and offers elements of black pepper, blackberry, and blueberry on the palate.  The wine is made well for those who appreciate the blending of Cabernet and Syrah. Drink 2018-2024- 89

Owen Bargreen- Made by superstar winemaker Giles Nicault, this starts off with a bouquet of milk chocolate, roasted dates and black cherry cordial. The palate comes off a touch sweet, showing a pillowy mouthfeel. The core is quite dense with dark fruits and chocolate tones rounding out this excellent wine. Drink 2018-2024- 90

Scott Doleshel- This is a good value, as the wine delivers a nice range of dark fruits and chocolate flavors. Drink 2018-2024- 90

2016 Kirkland Signature ‘California’ Cabernet Sauvignon (1.5L)- ($7.99)

Stephen Lee- The label entices but tricks the consumer as it adds: ‘Classic Cabernet, vibrant juicy flavors of blackcurrant, sweet smoke, cherry, mocha, red fruit, spice.’ This tastes like ‘classic’ inexpensive Cabernet.  Slightly watery, this is sweet and fruity offering no complexity.  This is not bad wine; it just isn’t very good.  For the price, however, it’s respectable. I would be interested to know how much residual sugar is in the wine. Drink 2018-2020- 86

Owen Bargreen- The nose takes on sage and sweet pipe tobacco with red fruits on the nose. Forward and cloying, the wine delivers red and dark fruit flavors that come on a bit sweet and hot. This is a pretty good value despite its forward approach. Drink 2018-2022- 85

Scott Doleshel- I am unimpressed with this cheap tasting Cabernet. Sicky sweet flavors dominate this unimpressive and uninspired saccharin inspired wine. Drink 2018-2022- 84

2015 Kirkland Signature ‘Alexander Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon ($9.99)

Stephen Lee- According to the label, the wine clocks in at 14.0% alcohol, but it seems a bit higher than that. The oak might hide a bit of the fruit in the wine, but overall  the wine is a good value, if a bit on the sweet side. Toasted coconut with a little bit of vanilla and dill round out the palate finishing with some nice blackberry notes. Drink 2018-2024- 89

Owen Bargreen- The nose shows rich blackberry, black cherry and cassis aromatics. The palate shows good texture and viscosity. Forward, this delivers a punch of dark fruits with a touch of milk chocolate and espresso bean. This is a good value that is best enjoyed in the short-term. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Scott Doleshel- This wine is quite forward, showing good black currant and dark cherry flavors. Drink 2018-2024- 87

2016 Kirkland Signature ‘Signature Series Stags Leap District’ Cabernet Sauvignon ($21.99)

Stephen Lee- This wine shows vanilla on the nose as green bell pepper and oak aromatics build in the glass. This is generally a good wine, but most likely not one that will age for many years.  Given the price, I would choose the Alexander Valley Cabernet for the lower price and similar quality. Drink 2018-2024- 90

Owen Bargreen- The powerful nose consumes you with creme de cassis, mocha, black tea and anise. The palate shows a good viscosity and tension with dark fruits that connect with milk chocolate and Turkish coffee tones.  A good value, this shows nice complexity and can cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2018-2026- 89

Scott Doleshel- This shows inspiring dark fruits with chocolate on the nose. Good balance with good acidity and dark fruits on the palate. Drink 2018-2028- 89

2015 Kirkland Signature ‘Sonoma County Old Vine’ Zinfandel ($9.99)

Stephen Lee- This label for the ‘Sonoma County Old Vine Zinfandel’ states that the wine was sourced from 45 year old vines. The wine shows some nice aromatics of blackberry bushes on the nose with a general herbaceousness. On the palate this shows a slightly raisinated flavor.  I suspect the grapes were picked a bit on the late side, and there may be a bit of residual sugar.  A leathery sweetness lingers on the palate.  The 15.5% percent alcohol does not go unnoticed. Drink 2018-2024- 88

Owen Bargreen- Prune and stewed strawberry consume the nose with light pepper notes. The palate shows some good acidity with medium bodied dark and red fruits connecting. Forward and juicy, this is a good value. Drink 2018-2022- 87

Scott Doleshel- This simplistic wine shows copious stewed fruits on the palate with jammy flavors and a limited finish. Drink 2018-2022- 86

2015 Kirkland Signature Malbec ($7.99)

Stephen Lee- The 2015 Kirkland Signature Malbec is a terrific wine for the price. Blackberries and leather dominate the nose.  There is generous dark fruit and a soapstone minerality on the palate, finishing with mild tannins. Drink 2018-2022- 89

Owen Bargreen- Sourced from Mendoza, this starts off with white pepper, milk chocolate and dark fruits that dominate the nose. The palate shows good balance and richness with dark cherry, roasted fig and black tea flavors coming together in the glass. This is another very good value. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Scott Doleshel- Bright, with good acidity and balance. Dark fruits dominate. Drink 2018-2022- 89

2017 Kirkland Signature Malbec ($7.99)

Stephen Lee- This shows impressive darkness in the glass as the wine delivers forward mocha and black tea flavors with some light tannins. Drink 2018-2022- 89

Owen Bargreen- The nose takes on smoke with chocolate and dark berry tones. This has good terroir and smoky characrrr on the palate. Chocolate and underbrush flavors combine brilliantly. This is a really good value. Drink 2018-2022- 89

Scott Doleshsel- I find this rather tired with black fruit flavors and some chocolate. Enjoy this in the short-term. Drink 2018-2022- 88

2014 Kirkland Signature Chianti Classico ‘Reserva’ ($12.99) 

Stephen Lee- Not particularly appealing with lighter red fruit flavors and damp earth. This is lacking in complexity. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Owen Bargreen- The nose shows nice earthy tones with wild mushroom and cigar ash on the nose nicely complementing the red fruits. The palate shows good tension with red currant and red cherry candy that combine with leather and musty undertones. This is a good value. Drink 2018-2024- 88

Scott Doleshsel- I think the 2014 ‘Reserva’ bottling delivers some fine value. Red fruits connect with some tannins on the mid-palate. This is forward but well-made, showing good terroir and structure. Drink 2018-2022- 88

Kirkland Signature 10 Year Tawny Porto ($16.89)

Stephen Lee- The sweetness and smoothness of this excellent Tawny Porto impresses here. This is a tremendous value for the price. Drink 2018-2030- 89

Owen Bargreen- The nose gathers inviting aromas of Marcona almond, ripe date and toffee. Silky smooth, the palate shows really good viscosity and tension with toffee, citrus rind and red cherry puree all combing in the glass. This is a serious value. Drink 2018-2028- 89

Scott Doleshel- The ’10 Year Tawny Porto’ by Kirkland Signature shows serious value, with good weight and range. Drink 2018-2028- 89

2012 Kirkland Signature ‘Gran Reserva’ Ribera Del Duero ($15.99)

Stephen Lee- Aged in both New French oak and American oak. The oak comes through aggressively but not overblown. Baking spice and dark cherry, with a little bit of chocolate. The alcohol clocks In at 15%, but the wine is well balanced with the dark fruit, oak, and tannin. Great texture. At $15, it is one of the best buys in the Kirkland wine lineup. Drink 2018-2025- 91 

Owen Bargreen- I am very impressed with this great new release that shows some outrageously good value. This 100% Tempranillo wine begins with toasty oak on the nose with prune and roasted dates. The minerality is really nice as the wine shows a good tension and sense of place. Black fruits and a touch of chocolate dominate the palate. This is a beautiful wine. Drink 2018-2028- 92

Scott Doleshel: The nose reminds me of white pepper, with quite a lot of alcohol as this shows some heat. The palate reveals dark fruits with tobacco leaf, leather and toasty oak. This is drinking well right now. Drink 2018-2028- 90

Del Dotto Vineyards

You are mesmerized as you enter Del Dotto’s Saint Helena caves. I am immediately greeted by proprietor Dave Del Dotto, as he proclaims ‘everything in this room has been imported from Italy, including all the marble.’ I can’t imagine how much this entry room must have cost but the beauty is jaw-dropping. The room immediately harkens me back to my last visit to the Sisteen Chapel. It is just that majestic. Dave points towards the new release Rose, which he pours for me. It is a gorgeous Rose with mouth-watering acidity and beautiful red fruits. Dave was a real estate investor in Modesto, California who made a great success in infomercials throughout the 1980s and 1990s. He is both charismatic and highly knowledgeable about wine and the Napa Valley. Always fascinated by wine, in 1993 he started Del Dotto Vineyards which has been an incredible success since its inception. 

As fun as the winery tour is, the wines are very serious. Dave Del Dotto has an incredible range of wines that are all of top quality, literally from Rose to Sparkling Wine to deep, inky Cabernets.I have said before that this overall lineup rivals the best in not only California but North America. While the make a great range of wines, Del Dotto is truly designed for Cabernet lovers. Their new wines tasted from the barrel were coming from the exciting 2016 vintage, another warm Napa vintage which has not yet been released. I was completely enamored by their 2013 Del Dotto ‘Bubbles’ Sparkling Wine (WWB, 93) which shows beautiful richness, texture and astringency. One of the great Chardonnay wines that I have sampled from Napa this year, the 2016 Del Dotto ‘Family Reserve’ Chardonnay (WWB, 95) is sinfully good, with copious fruit and an incredible mouthfeel. This is one to buy by the case. Not to be outdone, one of the top wines that I have tried all year is their 2016 Del Dotto ‘The Beast’ Cabernet Sauvignon (WWB, 98), which is a thrilling Cabernet that not only wows you with power and force, but shows remarkable tension and finesse. ‘The Beast’ is a highly collectable wine that is not to be missed. If you are in Napa, visiting the winery is a must. Learn more about this famed winery at http://www.deldottovineyards.com Here are the stunning new lineup of wines by Del Dotto. 

This photo does not do the beauty of this estate justice.

2017 Piazza Del Dotto Rose- This Pinot Noir Rose is a stunning, stand alone Rose wine. The Piazza Del Dotto Rose shows nice brightness and intensity on the mid-palate, showing off red fruits and citrus rind on the palate. The oily texture entices. Drink 2018-2022- 91

2013 Del Dotto ‘Bubbles’ Sparkling Wine- This shows lovely brioche and lively lemon zest aromatics. The intensity is there with wonderful bright citrus flavors and toasty brioche elements. I love the mid-palate weight here and freshness. This is a serious sparkling wine that has the age to cellar for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2016 Del Dotto ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay- This wine is a barrel selection that is a personal favorite of owner Dave Del Dotto. This Chardonnay shows a bright golden hue and begins with aromas of toasty oak, brioche and lemon zest with vanilla cream. The mouthfeel is insanely plush with rich banana, brioche and pineapple flavors. The mid-palate weight is simply stunning. Amazing length, this has a minute long finish. Drink 2018-2030- 95

2016 Del Dotto Sangiovese- The mouthfeel here is fantastic with a smoky edge. Red fruits dominate with a touch of cirus rind. I like the astringency here. Drink 2018-2024- 92

2017 Del Dotto ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir- A barrel selection, this has a highly perfumed nose with rose petals, cola and red cherry preserves.The palate shows wonderful richness and acidity with cola and citrus rind flavors shining marvelously, This is an intense Pinot Noir that will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2030- 94

2016 Del Dotto ‘Rutherford Estate Family Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The ‘Rutherford Estate Family Reserve’ is a stunning new wine by Del Dotto. This opens with a highly perfumed nose entices with black cherry cordial, black tea, Asian spice and creme de cassis. The weight and intensity of the wine entices as the grip and tension brightly drives the wine. The acidity is intense with black fruits that connect with coffee grounds and blueberry compote. This is impossible to resist right now, showing a hedonistic streak. Drink 2018-2040- 96

2016 Del Dotto ‘Rutherford Estate The David’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The Del Dotto ‘Rutherford Estate The David’ is a stunning wine from this storied Napa estate. This wine has a touch of Cabernet Franc and Merlot blended in. The Cabernet Sauvignon shows wonderful black tea and mocha aromatics with creme de cassis and a touch of red bell pepper coming into play. The palate shows wonderful freshness, weight and intensity with red and dark fruits parading with the acidity. Bright and intense, this is a long ager but is drinking marvelously right now. Drink 2018-2040- 95

2016 Del Dotto ‘Giovanni’s Tuscan Reserve’ Red Wine- A blend of largely Cabernet with Sangiovese, this shows a deep perfumed nose with creme de cassis, smoke, Asian spice and dusty terroir on the nose. The palate shows wonderful brightness and intensity with red currant, red cherry, cassis and a touch of espresso bean. This shows some incredible range here as I can’t think of a wine if this type made as well as this edition of ‘Giovanni’s Tuscan Reserve.’ Drink 2018-2035- 95

2016 Del Dotto ‘The Beast’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2016 Del Dotto ‘The Beast’ Cabernet Sauvignon is every bit as good as their 2015 bottling and is one of the best wines that I have sampled all year. ‘The Beast’ is a barrel selection that sources from a host of great vineyards in four different Napa Valley AVAs. Inky dark in the glass, the nose is intense and aromatically gorgeous, currently displaying a dazzling level of complexity with creme de cassis, mocha, Turkish coffee, Asian spice, anise and a touch of toasty oak. The weight and mouthfeel to this wine is simply stunning with creme de cassis, mocha, anise, black tea, leather and black cherry cordial flavors all slowly building in the glass. This is a head-turning combination of bright acidity and fruit weight on the palate that makes it nearly impossible to resist right now. Intense and lively, this has an extremely long life in the cellar. Drink 2018-2040- 98

2016 Villa Del Lago Cabernet Sauvignon- One of the great wines in Napa Valley, the Villa Del Lago Cabernet Sauvignon shines for its combination of concentration and silky elegance. The nose is gorgeous and highly perfumed with rose petals, black tea alongside creme de cassis. Silky smooth through the palate, the wine shows a wonderful elegance and terroir with dark fruits parading with creme de cassis. Turkish coffee, and bake tea with leather. Complex and seductive this is shockingly good right now but will cellar marvelously for decades. Drink 2018-2040- 97

Laurent Perrier 'Grand Siecle’ Champagne

Fine Champagne makes me rather weak in the knees. I am admittedly a sucker for the great Champagnes of the world. Some might not know about the truly great tête de cuvée Champagne that I will introduce, the Laurent Perrier ‘Grand Siecle Brut’ Champagne. Most of the great Champagne houses produce what is called a tête de cuvée, which is typically a champagne house’s top selection of grapes. The Grand Siecle is Laurent Perrier’s tête de cuvée and it is one of my favorite of any Champagne house. The Grand Siecle is made from grapes sourced from its best grand cru and premier cru vineyards. It is made only in extraordinary years, when the cellar master deems the grapes to be of outstand­ing quality; most houses will not produce more than three vintages in a decade. These wines spend more time in the cellar than other cham­pagnes; at least seven years (non-vintage champagnes are usually aged for two to three years), which gives them time to develop their special character. Tête de cuvée bottles have extra details such as special bottles, longer aging or special dosage treatments. While most tête de cuvée Champagnes come from specific vintages, the Laurent Perrier tête de cuvée comes from a host of great vintages which are chosen by the winery’s cellarmaster. 

A bit on the history now of this historic Champagne house. Established in 1812, Laurent Perrier is located in the heart of Champagne, in Tours-sur-Marne. Vines are set on limestone soil, highly chalky and showing the distinctiveness of the region. The chalk subsoil holds sufficient water, during dry spells and due its porous nature also provides good drainage when it is wet to prevent roots of becoming water logged, acting a bit like a sponge.

To produce Laurent-Perrier's tête de cuvée Michel Fauconnet has captured the blending of different crus (wines from separate villages) and from different harvest years and declared vintages in Champagne. The current vintages which are blended are exceedingly good, 2002, 2004 and 2006. Michel’s new wine is an exceptional wine, up there with the best tête de cuvée wines in the world. The wine itself shows insane range and minerality. It is simply impossible to resist but will also cellar marvelously for decades. Here is my review of the new Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle Grand Cuvee Brut Champagne. Learn more about this historic Champagne house at http://www.laurent-perrier.com/en/the-wines/

NV Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle Grand Cuvee Brut Champagne- The new edition of the Grand Siecle Grand Cuvee by Laurent Perrier is a truly spectacular Champagne. Disgorged in October 2017 the wine is a blend of the top wines made from 2002, 2004 and 2006. The bouquet is simply intoxicating with amazing range from honeydew lemon to citrus rind, brioche and Japanese pear. Once in the mouth, this shows a really good combination of viscosity and tension. Apricot, Challah bread, marzipan and kumquat zest flavors all marvelously combine in the glass. While this is a marvelous Champagne that is built to age, it is simply impossible to resist right now. Drink 2018-2040- 96

Lemelson Vineyards

One of the longstanding houses for great Oregon Pinot Noir, Lemelson Vineyards was founded by eminent environmental lawyer, Eric Lemelson who first began planting Pinot Noir in 1995. He created a high tech gravity flow winery which processed it’s first vintage in 1999. All farming practices are organic at Lemelson. Matt Wengel serves as Lemelson winemaker. Matt is a graduate of the prestigious UC Davis Enology and Viticulture program. Following his time workin harvests in Sonoma County, he worked in South Africa at Warwick Estate and had stops in Chile as well as upstate New York. He eventually accepted a position at Stags Leap Winery in Napa Valley and well as serving as assistant winemaker at Clos Pegase for several years prior to. Coming to Lemelson Vineyards.

I try a lot of Oregon wines as I reviewed more than 500 wines from Oregon in my last Oregon Report. The new Lemelson releases were really beautiful across the board. Matt has an excellent handle on Chardonnay as I have enjoyed these wines over the years. His 2015 Lemelson ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay (WWB, 91) has wonderful body and entices with its range and viscosity. Even better was the 2015 Lemelson ‘Meyer Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 92) which shows a beautiful black fruit profile and has the stuffing to cellar for more than a decade. Learn more about these excellent new wines at http://www.lemelsonvineyards.com Here are the great new wines by Lemelson Vineyards.

2015 Lemelson ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay- The ‘Reserve’ Chardonnay shows lovely brioche accents with poached pear and marzipan on the nose. The mid-palate delights with serious weight. Brandy soaked pear, marzipan, Challah bread and vanilla creme brûlée flavors all nicely mingle in the glass. The tension and weight of this wine is really enticing. Drink 2018-2024- 91

2015 Lemelson ‘Chestnut Hill Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Located in the Chehalem Mountains, the Chesnut Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir begins with aromas of cola, red currant jelly, peat moss and red cherry starburst candy. The palate shows good weight with red and dark fruits mingling nicely. With good mid-palate weight and solid tension, this is another outstanding new release by Lemelson. Drink 2018-2028- 91

2015 Lemelson ‘Stermer Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, the 2015 ‘Stermer Vineyard’ Pinot Noir shows raspberry cordial, mulberry and cola aromatics. The silky texture to this delicate Pinot Noir is really great. Red currant jelly, forest floor, loganberry preserves and white rose water flavors all combine in the glass, connecting with good acidity. Bright, inviting, and on the sexy side, this will cellar nicely for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2015 Lemelson ‘Meyer Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- The Meyer Vineyard is located in the Dundee Hills and shows a decidedly darker fruit profile than the other Pinot Noir bottlings. The nose verges on chocolate with dark fruits prominent and suggestions of black tea.  Ripe, plush and generous, the wine shows wild blackberry, huckleberry and black tea flavors that delight. Round and enticing, this rich Pinot Noir will cellar well for the next fifteen years. Drink 2018-2033- 92

2015 Lemelson ‘Thea’s Selection’ Pinot Noir- Dark in the glass, the ‘Thea’s Selection’ begins with a bouquet of black cherry cordial, Asian spice and suggestions of forest floor. The earthy tones on the nose add to the enjoyment. The acidity and brightness of the wine is fantastic, as is the mid-palate weight. Black fruits mingle with red fruits and lighter earthy and citrus rind tones. This will provide drinking enjoyment over the next decade. Drink 2018-2028- 91

2015 Lemelson ‘Jerome Reserve’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from a host of Willamette Valley Vineyards, the ‘Jerome Reserve’ shows beautiful blackberry, huckleberry and forest floor aromatics that build in the glass. The sense of weight and minerality is very good as the wine builds into wild blackberry, huckleberry and mulberry flavors with peat moss elements. Drink 2018-2028- 91

Chateau Phélan Ségur Vertical Tasting

I have been patiently waiting for this day. Because I am sent so many wines from Washington, California, Oregon and Spain, I am rarely able to enjoy the wines from my personal cellar. I have been enchanted by the wines of Chateau Phélan Ségur for many years, remembering some great wines made in the 1990s, in particular the 1996 and the 1998 Phelan Segurs being incredible (particularly since ’98 was such a challenge for left bank Bordeauxs). For those who are less familiar with this estate, Chateau Phélan Ségur has a long history, similar to many Bordeaux properties. The Irishman Bernard Phelan bought both Domaine Le Clos de Garamey in 1805 and Ségur de Cabarnac in 1810. Ironically while living in Ireland, Bernard Phelan was a neighbor and friend of Hugh Barton who started the famed Bordeaux estate, Chateau Leoville-Barton. 

Following Phelan’s passing in 1841 the estate combined to form Château Ségur de Garamey, which passed on to his son Frank Phelan, who served as mayor of Saint-Estephe for 30 years. Many years later Chateau Phélan Ségur was sold in 1919 to Joseph Chayoux who served as the president of Champagne Chamber of Commerce. In 1928 the property was again sold  to a city consortium headed by Chayoux’s nephew Rene Chayoux before the financial crisis of 1930, upon the death of René the operation was managed by a trust that eventually sold the brand and its facilities. From 1985 to the present, Chateau Phélan Ségur has been owned by the Gardinier Group of Xavier Gardinier, and famed enologist, Michel Rolland is employed as their consulting enologist.

Chateau Phélan Ségur's wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Merlot (30%) and Cabernet Franc (10%). The grapes are initially fermented in temperature-controlled stainless steel vats and then aged in oak barriques (30% new) for 15 months prior to bottling. The wines I brought from my cellar are the 2004, 2005 and 2006 Chateau Phélan Ségur. While 2004 and 2006 were not great vintages, 2005 is considered by most Bordeaux experts to be a classic vintage. I have enjoyed many wines from the 2005 vintage, and I was very eager to see how my 2005 Phelan-Segur was showing. The 2005 is a marvelous wine that still has a very long life. One of the great surprises was how good the 2004 Chateau Phélan Ségur was showing. I absolutely loved this wine that is a wonderful accomplishment from the vintage. Learn more about this storied Bordeaux estate at https://www.phelansegur.com/en/ Here are my tasting notes from my 2004-2006 vertical tasting of Chateau Phélan Ségur. 

2004 Chateau Phélan Ségur Bordeaux- Lighter in color than the 2005, this shows a good degree of earthy terroir on the nose with wild mushroom, pipe tobacco, blood orange rind, and  salted meats that fills the glass. The mouthfeel is really plush, as this delivers medium-bodied flavors of red cherry puree, truffled boysenberry, cassis and a strong saline streak. Plush and soft, this is drinking in its sweet spot. This has a wonderful sense of place. Drink 2018-2028- 91

2005 Chateau Phélan Ségur Bordeaux- The nose here is considerably more powerful than on the ’04 or ’06. This has evolved nicely showing a darker fruit profile than the other two wines with wild blackberry cordial, peat moss, cigar ash and coffee grounds on the nose. The palate is both refined and shows a good texture and viscosity. Mocha, anise, creme de cassis, and hucklbebery flavors come to mind. I love the combination of tension and richness on the mid-palate. The Merlot in this wine seems to be shining particularly brightly. This will cellar well for another decade or more, but it is drinking marvelously right now. Drink 2018-2033- 93

2006 Chateau Phélan Ségur Bordeaux- The 2006 Chateau Phélan Ségur appears to be slowing down at the moment. Medium bodied, this shows a silky texture as the wine delivers nice earthy tones alongside red and dark fruits with wet tobacco. While not hugely complex, this shows some wonderful Bordelaise character. Enjoy this over the next five years. Drink 2018-2022- 90

Bodega Beronia

Greetings from Barcelona! Today we bring you one of the great wineries in the La Rioja region, Bodega Beronia. Having visited this historic winery a few years back, I have been enchanted with the Beronia wines for more than a decade, having enjoyed some great Beronia Gran Reserva wines in particular from the 1990s. Bodega Beronia has always been relatively easy to find in the United States and the continue that trend today as many of these wines can be found in Pacific Northwest wine shops and grocery stores. Bodega Beronia is surrounded by 25 hectares of estate vineyards and their team control a massive 870 hectares of vineyards situated within a 10km radius of the winery in the Rioja Alta region of La Rioja. The average age of these vineyards is 30 years and more than 50 hectares of their plantings exceed 60 years of age.

Beronia winemaker Matias Calleja, has crafted some seriously good new wines. He has crafted an absolute home run with his 2015 Bodega Beronia ‘Crianza’ Rioja (WWB, 90) which is an amazing value wine to buy by the case. For a decadent treat, look to the 2009 Bodega Beronia ‘Gran Reserva’ Rioja (WWB, 93) which has wonderful mouth-watering acidity and shows beautiful red and dark fruits. Learn more about this special estate at http://www.beronia.com Here are the great new wines by Bodega Beronia.

2017 Bodega Beronia Rose- There is a wonderfully pure nose with rose petals and red fruits that line the glass. The wine shows a silky mouthfeel with delicate red fruits that connect with rose water and cranberry flavors. Drink 2018-2022- 88

2016 Bodega Beronia Rueda Verdeho- This 100% Verdeho wine starts off with kiwi and pink grapefruit on the nose. The palate shows a good combination of weight and minerality with kiwi, starfruit and green melon flavors shining the most brightly. This is an exceptional value. Drink 2018-2022- 89

2015 Bodega Beronia ‘Crianza’ Rioja- This shows prune, dark cherry and nice roasted figs on the nose with some toasty oak. The palate takes on good weight and minerals with red fruits and dark fruits mingling next to a touch of chocolate. This is a spectacular, weighty ‘Crianza’ that will cellar well over the next decade. Drink 2018-2026- 90

2014 Bodega Beronia ‘Crianza’ Rioja- Prune and red cherry largely mark the nose with some toasty oak. The palate combines citrus tones with lighter red fruits. Forward, this wine needs food. Drink 2018-2022- 88

2013 Bodega Beronia ‘Reserva’ Rioja- With just a touch of Graciano and Manzuelo blended in the 2013 Bodega Beronia ‘Reserva’ begins with a bouquet of dill, red cherry and red currant with toasty oak elements prominent. The palate shows good acidity and balance. While not possessing great weight, the elegance of this red and black fruit driven wine is quite impressive considering the challenges of the vintage. Drink 2018-2024- 90



2009 Bodega Beronia ‘Gran Reserva’ Rioja- The 2009 Bodega Beronia ‘Gran Reserva’ is a harmonious wine that is restrained considering the warmth of the vintage. That said, it is a glorious wine, somewhat different than other ’09 Gran Reservas that I have sampled. Right away the whiff of oak and red fruits captivates you. Lighter damp earth and citrus tones come into the glass after some time. The wine reveals a really tasty combination of red and dark fruits that build in the glass after an hour decant. Wonderfully poised, this has the weight and tension to cellar well for two decades. Drink 2018-2035- 93

BACA Wines

Named after the word ‘berry’ in Latin, BACA Wines is the latest winery project by legendary Napa producer HALL Wines. Their concept was to make wines that are sourced from great Zinfandel all over California, showing unique terroir and flavor profiles for the varietal. Zinfandel was conceived in Croatia but it is one of California’s truly unique grapes. HALL President, Mike Reynolds, talked about this exciting new Zinfandel project, stating “We were excited about making Zinfandel that is diverse, from different places. We are fond about these wines is that we like to show off the differences in terroir, which is the essence of what our winery is all about. We thought that the Zinfandel grape was a great medium to do that with.” 

Mike and his team have created some really good new releases, both coming from the 2016 vintage. Each wines come from unique terroir and climates, one from Paso Robles and the other from the Russian River Valley. They are both excellent although I slightly preferred the 2016 BACA ‘Double Dutch Dusi Vineyard’ Zinfandel (WWB, 93) which showed tremendous warmth and really good range from this rocky vineyard site. Learn more about BACA Wines at https://www.bacawines.com Here are the great new Zinfandel wines by BACA wines. 

2016 BACA ‘Double Dutch Dusi Vineyard’ Zinfandel- The wine is sourced from the esteemed Dusi Vineyard which is located on the southern end of Paso Robles, just on the west site of Highway 101. This is a dry farmed vineyard that was planted first in 1945. Soils are rocky at the vineyard site. This starts off with aromas of prune, stewed strawberry and touch of bramble. The palate shows wonderful bright acidity with a really plush mouthfeel. Red fruits dominate with touches of smoke and milk chocolate and well as a touch of orange peel. This is a highly complex Zin that is built for aging for another decade. Drink 2018-2028- 93

2016 BACA ‘Tug O’ War Maffei Vineyard’ Zinfandel- The Maffei Vineyard is located in the Russian River Valley, and was first planted in the 1940s. The site is slightly cooler. The wine shows a darker fruit profile with milk chocolate and stewed blackberry, with milk chocolate and a plush mouthfeel. Drink 2018-2024- 92

Oregon Pinot Noir For Fall

As temperatures begin to dip down and leaves begin to fall, we slowly embrace our next season. It has been a great summer for white wines and rose, but as the weather slowly changes, red wines become to take their place at the kitchen table. Pinot Noir is a great transitional varietal from white to red. We have been truly fortunate with the last few vintages in Oregon, seeing near ideal growing conditions. In my last Oregon Report  there was an astonishing number of wines that I scored 90 points and higher which showed the impressive overall quality of wines coming from Oregon. Pinot Noir from the 2015 vintage in Oregon is typically ripe and round, with generous red fruits and more subtle earthy tones. It is quite frankly the perfect transitional wine as the weather cools (and is also a classic pairing for the Thanksgiving table). Here are some recommended Oregon Pinot Noirs for fall, including the links attached to the prices so you can find them.

Best Values

2015 Erath Pinot Noir (WWB, 89) $15.00

2015 Chehalem ‘Three Vineyards’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 91) $30.00

2015 Fullerton ‘Five Faces’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 91) $36.00

Highly Recommended

2015 Argyle ‘Nuthouse’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) $50.00

2015 Brittan Vineyards ‘Cygnus Block’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 94) $48.00

2015 St. Innocent ‘Shea Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) $55.00

2014 Domaine Drouhin ‘Laurene’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 94) $80.00

2015 Domaine Serene ‘Evenstad Reserve’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 95) $75.00

2016 Big Table Farm ‘Pelos Sandberg’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 94) $62.00

2015 Evening Land ‘Seven Springs Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) $40.00

2015 Stag Hollow ‘Reserve’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 92) $50.00

2015 Toil Oregon Pinot Noir (WWB, 93) $50.00

36 Bottles of Wine Book Review

It is rare that I truly enjoy wine books that offer wine pairings. I find many of the pairings in books or articles I read to be either obscure, esoteric or simply inept. As I studied for my level 2 sommelier certification I found the wine pairing aspect to poke at the creative portion of my brain that thinks outside the box — the higher level cortex functioning. With my background in clinical psychology, I found this combination of utilizing both fields particularly enticing. Many authors that offer wine pairings do not create the pairings from unique or outside of the box varietals, as Paul Zitarelli has done here.

Wine writer Paul Zitarelli has an impressive wine writing background, and has created one of the most successful online retail shops in the Pacific Northwest, Full Pull Wines. His new book, 36 Bottles of Wine pushes the envelope in examining good food and wine pairings and offering monthly wine explorations. I can’t think of a wine book that I have read that also works to heighten the pleasure of matching food and wine, offering good examples of unique varietals to pair with food. I admire that this book reads well for the wine tyro and wine geek. The book is well-written in straightforward language so that if you are starting to learn more about wine you don’t have to constantly consult your thesaurus. As someone who lacks artistic astuteness, Paul's photos, sometimes full-paged spreads, are stunning, making the reader salivate and enticing them to create his recommended dishes. There is also a brief, but well-written section on how to understand faulty wines, which can be particularly helpful for those with entry level or intermediate level knowledge in wines. In short, 36 Bottles of Wine is one of the great succinctly written books I have read that expands both knowledge and appreciation of wine, wine varietals and wine pairings. 

Sanguis

I’ll admit that I have been enamored by Sanguis wines since I first tried them in 2011. With superstar winemaker, Mattias Pippig, at the helm, Sanguis has been lighting up the Santa Barbara wine scene with their impressive range of wines, from Viognier to Cabernet Franc. Latin for blood, the German-born Matthias Pippig previously worked as a wine importer for Marc DeGrazia Selections, and Estate Wines, before starting his winery in the Santa Ynez Valley. If you haven’t had the chance to try his wines, you are in for a serious treat. 

Pippig changes blends yearly in his Rhône and Bordeaux style wines, hand sorts each wine and never makes the same wine twice. Many of his wines weigh in at over 15% alcohol but they do not present as highly alcoholic. These wines are sourced from some of the best vineyards in the Santa Barbara and Central Coast area. He makes some of the best white blends in California. The new edition, the 2015 Sanguis ‘Wildflower’ White Wine (WWB, 95) is a mesmerizing blend of Marsanne, Viognier and Roussanne that shows a silky texture and voluptuous mouthfeel. This is a white wine that will cellar marvelously for a decade or more. Just as good was the 2015 Sanguis ‘Bossman’ Syrah (WWB, 95) which has a marvelous mouthfeel and compelling tension. This inky Syrah is impossible to resist right now but will have a long life in the cellar. Learn more about these very special wines at sanguiswine.com or visit their hip tasting room in downtown Santa Barbara, which is by appointment. Here are the new releases by Sanguis.

2015 Sanguis ‘Wildflower’ White Wine- The 2015 Sanguis ‘Wildflower’ is a compelling proprietary blend of Marsanne, Viognier and Roussanne that was aged for an extended period of time in oak puncheons. Showing a golden hue, this starts off with a bright bouquet of lemon blossom, apricot jelly, star jasmine, vanilla cream and toasted macadamia nut. The striking nose really brings you back to the glass for more enjoyment. Once in the mouth, a ripe, almost unctuous texture greets you. The weight of the wine delights the senses, as does the wonderful poise. Lemon oil, kumquat, apricot jelly and honeydew melon flavors come to mind. A stunning white blend, this one of a kind wine is one for the cellar and will continue to develop marvelously over the next decade or more. Drink 2018-2028- 95

2014 Sanguis ‘Loner Flavonius’ Chardonnay- This Bien Nacido Vineyard bottling opens with a ripe bouquet of smoke, crushed diatomaceous earth, and Pink Lady apple on the nose. The palate builds after considerable air, as the wine slowly reveals wonderful lemon creme brulee, Gala apple, cardamom and butterscotch flavors. The salinity, weight and smooth texture of this wine is really outstanding. A downright stunner, this gorgeous Chardonnay will continue to pick up lovely tertiary notes as the wine evolves over the next decade. Drink 2018-2030- 94

2015 Sanguis ‘The Highlands’ Red Wine- The 2015 ‘The Highlands’ Red Wine is a proprietary blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petit Verdot all sourced from the Santa Ynez Valley. The wine was aged in a combination of new and aged French oak for 27 months prior to bottling. The nose is highly perfumed, and after a two hour decant unveils ripe blackberry cobbler, green olive, black tea and coffee ground aromatics. The palate shows wonderful weight, poise and texture, yielding intense dark fruit flavors and exuding elegance despite the obvious heat of the vintage. This is a simply marvelous effort by superstar winemaker, Mattias Pippig. Drink 2018-2035- 94

2015 Sanguis ‘Misfit’ Red Wine- Always a proprietary blend, in 2015 winemaker Mattias Pippig has blended Syrah with Grenache, Cabernet Franc, Petite Syrah and Viognier. Inky and dense in the glass, the wine slowly yields intense mocha, Asian spice, creme de cassis and damp earth aromatics that build in the glass. The palate shows sensational weight and texture, while the Viognier adds some floral tones on the mid-palate. Dense dark fruits connect with coffee grounds, and creosote flavors. A stunner, this one of a kind wine displays a sensational combination of weight and poise. While gorgeous in the glass now, this will continue to evolve well for the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2018-2033- 94


2015 Sanguis ‘Bossman’ Red Wine- The ‘Bossman’ is an intense blend of Syrah, Petite Sirah, and Grenache with a touch of Viognier. Needing roughly a two hour decant to fully express itself the wine slowly unveils rose petal, red cherry candy, guava puree and coffee ground aromatics with a touch of honeysuckle from the Viognier. The aromatic range at play is simply stunning. The silky mouthfeel wonderfully coats the mid-palate. As the wine continues to build in the glass it showcases a marvelous combination of red and dark fruits with a touch of chocolate covered espresso bean. Seductive, decadent and refined, this one of a kind bottling by superstar Mattias Pippig is not to be missed. Drink 2018-2035- 95

Rhys Vineyards

One of the great producers of California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the Rhys Vineyards sources from extreme mountain vineyards in Sonoma and the Santa Cruz Mountains. It is no surprise that more and more wineries are being started in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The rugged, rocky terroir can produce some world class wines. Following in the esteemed lines of Ridge and Mount Eden, Rhys Vineyards produces their best wine from the Alpine Vineyard which is located ten miles from the coast and is set on chalky Purisima Formation soils which are both shallow and rocky. This extreme vineyard site has slopes which range up to a 40% grade.

Here we have a really good map of the vineyards owned by Rhys Vineyards.

The founder of Rhys Vineyards, Kevin Harvey, had a successful software career prior to stating his winery. He began planting Pinot Noir in his backyard near the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA and has had his first vintage in 2004. The new releases by Rhys were seriously good across the board. One thing that resonated throughout the lineup was the sterling minerality and the marvelous terroir that showed in the wines. I am particularly enamored with the potential of wines made from the Alpine Vineyard. Their current release Chardonnay the 2013 Rhys Vineyards ‘Alpine Vineyard’ Chardonnay (WWB, 95) is a remarkable wine that shows incredible tension and poise, with gobs of mouth-watering acidity. It is a complete wine.  I was also enamored by the 2014 Rhys Vineyards ‘Alpine Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (WWB, 94) which also showed a dazzling minerality and marvelous elegance with beautiful red fruits. This is one for the cellar. Learn more about this incredible new lineup of wines at https://rhysvineyards.com Here are the exciting new wines by Rhys Vineyards

2016 Alesia ‘Santa Cruz Mountains’ Chardonnay- This shows nice opulence on the bouquet with brandy soaked pear, white flowers and vanilla creme brulee. The palate shows a good combination of fruit weight and balance, with tree and citrus fruit flavors and an exceedingly long finish. The minerality and kumquat accents are really nice here. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2016 Alesia ‘Anderson Valley’ Chardonnay- The 2016 Alesia ‘Anderson Valley’ Chardonnay shows a more intense aromatic profile than the ‘Santa Cruz Mountains’ bottling, with toasty oak, Pink Lady apple pie and nutmeg with a touch of smoke. The palate shows good tension and weight, with Meyer lemon cream and butterscotch flavors most prominent. This is an outstanding effort that will cellar well for a decade or more. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2013 Rhys Vineyards ‘Alpine Vineyard’ Chardonnay- Already with some bottle age, the 2013 Rhys Vineyards ‘Alpine Vineyard’ Chardonnay is a stunning rendition. The densely planted, steep sloped, ‘Alpine Vineyard,’ lies ten miles from the Pacific Ocean. This cool site is known for constant fog. The nose gathers a wonderful opulence and salinity. Smoke, ripe pear, butterscotch and salted praline aromas come to mind. Silky smooth through the palate, the wine shows wonderful intensity with Meyer lemon oil, vanilla creme brûlée and Challah bread flavors beautifully combining in the glass. The dazzling minerality here is simply astounding. A complete wine, this will cellar well for decades, but is irresistible right now. Drink 2018-2033- 95

2016 Alesia ‘Santa Cruz Mountains’ Pinot Noir- A translucent reddish-orange, the 2016 ‘Santa Cruz Mountains’ Pinot Noir by Alesia shows a wonderful nose with citrus rind, bran-cherry and teaberry with a touch of cardamom spice. The palate displays wonderful texture and minerality with red cherry cola, sassafras, blood orange and a vibrant minerality. This is seriously good. Drink 2018-2028- 92

2016 Alesia ‘Anderson Valley’ Pinot Noir- The ‘Anderson Valley’ Pinot Noir takes on a bit less intensity than the ‘Santa Cruz Mountains’ wine. Medium bodied, with good complexity, I get citrus rind and red fruits that combine with the good tension. This shows good elegance. Drink 2018-2028- 90

2014 Rhys Vineyards ‘Alpine Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Sourced from the steeply sloped ‘Alpine Vineyard’ this Pinot Noir begins with gorgeous aromas of smoke, forest floor, mulberry and cherry cola. The silky texture and elegance to this wine is simply outstanding, as is the wonderful astringency and tension. Red currant jelly, red cherry cordial, cola and peat moss flavors captivate the senses. This is a truly outstanding Pinot Noir that will age gracefully for the next two plus decades. Drink 2018-2035- 94

2014 Rhys Vineyards ‘Bearwallow Vineyard’ Pinot Noir- Located in the Anderson Valley, the Bearwallow Vineyard is a steep site first planted in 2008. This starts off with a bouquet of teaberry, orange zest and gran-cherry aromatics that build in the glass. The palate is lithe and downright delicious, giving way to red cherry candy, cola, Satsuma orange and bulls blood flavors. The savory and Umami aspects to this wine are absolutely fabulous. Enjoy this over the next fifteen plus years. Drink 2018-2033- 93

2013 Rhys Vineyard ‘Horseshoe Vineyard’ Syrah- Located near the Alpine Vineyard in the Santa Cruz Mountains AVA, the Horseshoe Vineyard was first planted in 2004 and totals 17.5 acres. The nose is delightfully smoky with black and red fruits building in the glass. The terroir here is marvelous, as the salinity and Umami characters really drive this wine. Wild blackberry pie, sea salt, red currant, and BBQ flavors with smoked black cherry compote all mingle together. This is tremendous, terroir-driven Syrah, that is drinking marvelously right now. Drink 2018-2030- 94