Few doubt that the Pinot Noirs of the Santa Cruz Mountains are among the finest in the New World. The cooling Pacific winds assure slow ripening while made gentle by sheltering mountains adjacent to the Corralitos subregion. Lester Family’s extensive menu of clones produced here a wine of unrivalled delicacy and complexity. There is a magical energy in wines from LFV that one finds nowhere else, More….
The Bates Ranch is located in the sheltered Corralitos region just south of Ridge Vineyards, and is famous for their Cabernet Sauvignon, while their Grenache, less well known, is also quite wonderful. The nose is instantly alluring. In support of its bright fruitiness lies an intriguing collection of melon, droughty “garrigue” herbs, saddle leather and Asian spice. The mouth is medium bodied with fine tannins and energetic minerality. More…
Ibo Tejada is a sort of buddha – fun to be around. His deep roots in the culture of his native Spain inform his choices as a man of the Earth. He employs no herbicides or pesticides, and his vines’ deep roots and the living soil he nurtures allow him to avoid irrigation. Everything about this wine shouts “I’m alive!” The nose presents intense spiced cherries and complex droughty mountain herbs: sage, rosemary and bay laurel, the signature “air-oir” of a place where nature
thrives. The texture is wonderfully silky and elegant, with plump, medium-bodied tannins and a vibrant mineral energy in the finish that testifies to the vineyard’s living soil. More…
I was delighted to find a rare planting of this little-known grape in Clarksburg, California. It was even more astonishing to discover how oily and feminine the Tannat wines from this special vineyard proved to be. Generally, Tannat needs several years to soften and open, yet here we are, just 23 months after vintage, bottling a highly drinkable wine with round, voluptuous mouthfeel. The nose is instantly alluring. These generous and approachable tannins support intriguing aromas of tar, violets and sweet fennel. Its weight and authority tempt one to pair it with peppered steak, but I think the natives of Madiran are right to suggest that it is at its best with grilled duck breast. More…
Call me crazy, but I am not a fan of Super Tuscan reds. While some critics praise their
brawn, I find them oafish when compared to their elders – the Chianti
Classicos. When allowed to express its true nature, few varieties can match
Sangiovese for elegant complexity. As in Pinot Noir, color and tannin are not
indicators of quality and one often finds light, delicate wines of great depth.
Sangiovese made in this style surpasses Pinot Noir for versatility at the
table. Its dried cherry and wildflower aromas pair wonderfully with the savory cuisine
of its Tuscan homeland. More…
Because Zinfandel ripens unevenly, with green berries and raisins on the same cluster, its texture is brash and grainy. The exception is Dry Creek Valley, which always delivers classic Bordelaise elegant tannin structure worthy of the finest Super Tuscan. The venerable Grist Vineyard is the acknowledged jewel in the DCV Zin crown. This wine is made in the classic, balanced style before the world went insane for portlike, raisiny clown wines. More…
Pat and Joachim Pierce are talented organic growers in northern Humboldt Their skills and the site’s perfect characteristics produce wines of unrivaled density and integrity that preserve themselves without sulfites, and in time produce wines of astonishing complexity and depth that age well. We vinified the field blend without sulfites, stabilized the structure with discreet doses of oxygen, barreled down in neutral wood and ignored it for more than six years. What emerged is an indescribably alluring wine that seductively pulls you into the glass. The organic practices impart a minerally palate energy to the finish. More…
Steve Hill’s wonderful Hidden Spring Vineyard in northern Sonoma County, just south of the hamlet of Asti, reliably produces that rarest of treasures — a stand-alone Petit Verdot. Surely this is a testament to the site’s full sun and the great drainage of its rocky soil, which allow the fruit to fully ripen, overcoming its high natural acidity and permitting the aromas of considerable interest to develop. The resulting dense, oily tannins support seductive aromas of cassis, licorice and tar. Enjoy with grilled rib steak or duck breast. More…