Wine Magnums

The 2019 Grenache is blended with 11% Mourvèdre 6% Syrah and 4% Graciano and was made using 65% whole clusters. Fruit comes from the Slide Hill Vineyard in Edna Valley and the Alta Mesa Vineyard Larner Vineyard and Harrison-Clarke... Read More

Not yet bottled the 2020 Mourvèdre blended with 12% Syrah and 2% Viognier is already offering incredible varietal character and expression. Made using 75% whole clusters fruit comes from several Central Coast vineyards including... Read More

The 2020 No. 9 still in barrel is a blend of 89% Syrah 9% Mourvèdre and 2% Viognier made with 50% whole clusters. Fruit comes from several vineyards throughout the Central Coast including Slide Hill White Hawk Larner Harrison-Clarke... Read More

The 2019 EABA ("end all be all") is a blend of 61% Syrah 24% Mourvèdre 13% Grenache and 2% Viognier and was made with 65% whole clusters. Fruit comes from several vineyards in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties including... Read More

The 2018 Puligny-Montrachet Les Referts 1er Cru produced an unusually bountiful crop this year at around 45hl/ha instead of the 30hl/ha of recent years. It has a very intense precise bouquet with crushed limestone infusing the... Read More

Even this normally approachable cuvée is pretty darn tannic this vintage. Tasted just prior to bottling Levet's 2019 Cote Rotie Amethyste features scents of crushed stone asphalt black olives and purple raspberries. Full-bodied... Read More

The élevage for the 2021 Cincuenta y Cinco was different from the past; they have now aged 40% in concrete tanks (it used to be 25%) 40% in French oak barrels and 20% in clay amphorae for nine months. They use cover crops in... Read More

The 2020 Calon-Ségur is a brilliant wine from an estate in the ascendant. Wafting from the glass with aromas of cassis red berries fresh mint pencil shavings violets and rose petals it's medium to full-bodied deep and layered... Read More

The 2009 Pinot Bianco Riserva Vorberg emerges from the glass with floral-infused honey butter chamomile and ripe succulent apricots. This is an especially succulent white that emphasizes texture and lushness over minerality. Layers... Read More

Wonderful cooked apples honey and light vanilla on the nose here. On the palate this full-bodied and brightly acidic white suggests limes hints of yogurt and sliced apples. Nutmeg and sliced herbs too. Quite tight now so better... Read More

There is power still lurking here even if hidden by the brambled fruits and earthy black truffle and tar notes. As it opens in the glass the tannins begin to relax showing depth and complexity to the spice and leather backbone.... Read More

The 2018 Hosanna is composed of 70% Merlot and 30% Cabernet Franc. Deep garnet-purple colored the nose needs a bit of swirling and coaxing before it soars from the glass with compelling blue and black fruit scents of blueberry... Read More

"The wine out distances both Leoville Las Cases and Leoville Barton but all three of them are compelling efforts. Full-bodied dense purple in color with floral notes intermixed with blackberries cassis graphite and spring flowers... Read More

Having bottled Chateauneuf since the end of the nineteenth century and being prominent members in the town since at least two centuries before this, the Avril family of Clos des Papes have made the estate into one of the great... Read More

The 2020 Clos du Marquis wafts from the glass with aromas of rich berries cherries orange zest pencil shavings and crushed mint. Medium to full-bodied rich and velvety with a sweet core of fruit lively acids and powdery tannins... Read More

2020 was a challenging year that gave them a lot of work in the vineyard but it it paid off. The 2020 Laurel feels very elegant balanced and fresh a little lighter perhaps with perfectly ripe tannins a little in line with 2016... Read More

Boasts bitter plum raspberry and black cherry reduction notes that have a lively savory garrigue streak while grippy-edged tar tobacco and ganache notes pepper the finish. Muscular and dense but the cut is there and the fruit... Read More

When I visited in June 2019 the selection for the 2018 Chateauneuf du Pape Sanctus Sanctorum hadn't yet been done so this is my first look at the wine. It's marked by the new oak demi-muids with layers of vanilla and cedar... Read More