95pt wines

The flagship 2020 Cornas is a beauty! Clearly in the same league as recent top vintages, it has a wild bouquet of black and blue fruits, liquid violets, game, and iron, with some incense and spice thrown in for good measure. It's... Read More

Perfumed and pure, this has the classic generosity of Condrieu fruit, but it's neat and defined. Spherical on the palate, with well-balanced acidity and no excess oak, well judged. A little peppery, spicy nip on the finish.... Read More

The 2019 is an enticing blend of 61% Syrah, 24% Mourvedre, 13% Grenache and is finished off with a splash of Viognier. The 2019 jumps from the glass offering loads of rich ripe blackberries, violets, charcuterie, pepper, and olive... Read More

The 2019 Andremily Grenache is a delectable concoction of 79% Grenache, 11% Mourvedre, 6% Syrah and 4% Graciano. The fruit sources are Alta Mesa, Larner, Slide Hill, and Harrison-Clark Vineyards. Raised in a combination of 50%... Read More

Focusing first on the Cabernet fruit from our mineral-rich, volcanic soil sites nestled on the hillside slopes in the Alexander Valley. This vintage’s blend is uniquely crafted with delicate inclusions of Cabernet Franc,... Read More

For this vintage, we crafted a distinct Bordeaux blend, composed almost equally of cabernet sauvignon, malbec, and merlot, delicately balancing with a smaller inclusion of cabernet franc. The ripe red fruit characters are structured... Read More

A wisp of reduction on first nose gives way to some great stone fruit flavours and plenty of flesh through the mid-palate. This will take its time and is full of promise, although the red is the real standout in this vintage.... Read More

About 75% Sémillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc. Very pure, intense aromas and flavours of peach, lemon curd, tangerine and marmalade botrytis notes. Boasts 144g/l sugar and 6.2 g/l total acidity. Very pure, long and racy rather... Read More

The dried-mango and pineapple character is so delicious in this wine. It’s full-bodied and medium-sweet, with a pretty density and a fruity finish. Wonderful balance to this super Sauternes. This is a little in reserve now,... Read More

The 2019 Soul of a Lion is a blockbuster vintage that showcases how Bordeaux varieties are remarkably suited to the terroir of DAOU Mountain. This wine explodes from the glass with a kaleidoscope of aromas and flavors, including... Read More

Readers looking for a smoking value in Chardonnay from Santa Barbara County will love the 2021 Diatom. Offering a light gold hue as well as a juicy array of ripe melon, pineapple, honeyed flowers, and chalky minerality, it hits... Read More

The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Cuvée Vieilles Vignes (90% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre) comes all from the stony, pebbly soils of La Crau and was brought up in tank and demi-muids. Ripe black cherry fruits, iodine,... Read More

MJM is our flagship, Syrah-based blend, named in honor of our wives Michelle, Jen and Mitchi. We farm Syrah from several precise blocks in both Ballard Canyon and Sta. Rita Hills, and we select only the finest, most dramatic,... Read More

This wine is sourced from two historic Rutherford vineyards and the flavor is Rutherford through and through! Brambly dark cherry, dark chocolate, mocha, fresh tobacco, dried blueberries, and pencil shavings all surrounded by... Read More

Bien Nacido is our coolest-climate Syrah vineyard, planted across two blocks up the hillsides overlooking Santa Maria Valley. The 2018 is a generous wine, showing blue and blackberry fruit, black cherry, and cracked pepper. Partial... Read More

One of the most exciting tasks each year is tasting through all of the reserve red wine barrels and creating Upslope, the best Syrah from the vintage. We look for intensity, balance, aging potential and that mysterious “wow”... Read More

Exotic and dusty nose with focus on cassis, mocha, cedar, dried strawberry, espresso and wild blackberry. Silky, lithe and finely structured. Reminiscent of the 2017, but with finer bones. Approachable, but also a lock for a long... Read More

This is a full-bodied, juicy red with ripe plums, dried cherries, cedar and a touch of milk chocolate. Dried roses and leather. Silky tannins and a long, focused finish. Some tile undertones. Drink after 2022.

Fiore di NO is Natalie Oliveros' personal touch for La Fiorita. This is a selection of 2 of our 4 vineyards: Pian Bossolino (360m) and Collesorbo (180m). For millions of years, time has allowed for a strong interaction between... Read More

A single vineyard expression from Pian Bossolino, La Fiorita’s Riserva was picked on 10 October. It comes across as very ripe in its aromas of wild black cherry and exotically spiced plum. Traces of smoke interject. There... Read More

Ethereal floral and raspberry nose. A vinous palate with a mild mousse, the soft texture all wrapped in spice, nuts, smoke and a superior berry tincture. Very long and easy to enjoy.

Pale ruby, the 2021 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County offers detailed aromas of cranberries, blackberries, oolong tea leaves, potpourri, earth, orange peel and fernet. Medium-bodied, it floods the mouth with layer after layer of... Read More

#10 Wine Spectator Top 100 of 2022

Intense, bright and luminous golden hue. Dynamic effervescence with a continuous stream of fine bubbles. Intense, fragrant bouquet of great purity. Concentrated and candied citrus fruit mingle... Read More

Donna’s is an extraordinary achievement, walking a fine line between power and grace. An intoxicating bouquet of red and purple florals, and savory herbs permeate the glass with that iconic freshly cracked white peppercorn... Read More

The 2019 Syrah Estate Sta. Rita Hills always seems to deliver. Revealing a ruby/plum color as well as peppery notes of red and black fruits, tapenade, and gamey meats, it's medium-bodied and has a supple, elegant texture,... Read More

The 2019 Odette Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Stags Leap District, offers notes of wild blackberry compote, sweet black raspberries, currants, crème de cassis, and licorice with hints of violets, cloves, anise, and exotic... Read More

From a windy site of the eastern slope of the Sta. Rita Hills, we have produced a Pinot Noir that embodies power, structure and concentration at it’s core. Vibrant magenta in color, with a fruit forward intensity that embodies... Read More

This bottling is dedicated to our grandmother, Marjorie who will always be a bright light of inspiration for us. Our grandmother was truly an incredible woman. Without question, her hard work, dedication, and steadfast determination... Read More

96pts Tasting Panel

Superstar Winemaker Maayan Koschitzkey and Vintner David Green’s latest masterpiece shows concentration and finesse, priced way below perceived quality. Layers of Devil’s Food cake, truffles, espresso,... Read More

The 2020 Chardonnay Rinconada Vineyard has a core of white peach and apricot with touches of raw almonds, acacia, hay and lemon cream. Medium-bodied, it has a rounded, gently grippy texture, dynamic flavors that range from bright... Read More

The 2019 Small Vines Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is all hand-harvested from their estate-grown and organically farmed vineyards. The husband and wife team of Paul and Kathryn Sloan called their winery Small Vines in reference to the... Read More

The 2019 Terminim 'Alder Springs Vineyard' Syrah is made by the iconic Don Patz, who was the founder of Patz & Hall. This wine was made in partnership with the famous Francois Villard who is one of the top producers in... Read More

Confident complexity on display here, fresh, powerful spicy notes of tobacco and grilled coffee beans alongside cool blueberry fruits. Winemaker Michel Friou has made a brilliant wine in this vintage that expands outwards through... Read More