Pinot Noir between $50 and $75

The Aston Estate is located in a remote part of the Sonoma Coast at Annapolis in Calistoga, just five miles and two mountain ridges from the ocean. The estate originated with the purchase of a 40 acre parcel in 2000, on a gentle... Read More

The Aston Estate is located in a remote part of the Sonoma Coast at Annapolis in Calistoga, just five miles and two mountain ridges from the ocean. The estate originated with the purchase of a 40 acre parcel in 2000, on a gentle... Read More

An earthier and more somber nose reluctantly displays its aromas of purple fruit especially plum. There is more volume to the rich velvety and solidly concentrated flavors that are more powerful and less refined on the solidly... Read More

Fresh and floral nose with tiles vibrant red berries and pomegranate. Stony mineral verve. Pure and expressive with good tension on the medium-bodied palate. Silky very nimble and elegant. Acidic red berries in the finish that... Read More

This too is quite firmly reduced. The sleek and intense medium weight flavors possess very good tension as well as a lovely minerality that becomes more apparent on the slightly firmer youthfully austere finish that is also moderately... Read More

Notions of sweet strawberries plums red berries and spices preface the 2020 Mercurey Le Châpitre a medium-bodied lively and refined wine with a bright core of fruit powdery tannins and a long mouthwateringly mineral finish. Checking... Read More

This broad-ranging nose is very ripe though not roasted or jammy with its cassis black cherry raspberry spice and earth scents. The highly seductive velvet-texture flavors possess better depth on the rustic powerful and serious... Read More

The vineyard was purchased in 2003. Old vines here and enough earth to retain the water. The nose displays a light dusting of new oak on top of the same register of pretty red fruit with a touch of tannin to finish though still... Read More

The Cent Vignes delivered the lowest acidity not enjoying the heatwaves. More lactic notes here It’s the barrel. Try another. Dense crimson 25% whole bunch keeps it fresh enough and the ripe raspberry fruit has some energy.... Read More

Somber and ripe aromas are comprised by notes of plum, violet and plenty of pungent earth character. There is fine richness and volume to the velvet-textured medium weight flavors that possess good depth on the robust and powerful... Read More

As was the case with both Beaune bottlings at the time of my visit, the 2020 Gevrey “Vieilles Vignes” was also already assembled in tank for bottling at the start of the year. The wine is very pure and elegant in profile... Read More

Some time ago Vincent Dureuil began replanting his holdings in Mercurey with higher-quality massal selections of Pinot Noir and with the 2020 Mercurey those new plantings are beginning to bear fruit. The result as I remarked to... Read More

The 2019 Rully is a great success offering up an expressive bouquet of raspberries and plums. Medium to full-bodied velvety and succulent its pure and nicely concentrated core of fruit is framed by succulent acids.

The 2020 Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru Les Charmes is lovely unwinding in the glass with aromas of rich red berry fruit warm spices orange rind and sweet soil tones. Medium to full-bodied lively and incisive with fine powdery tannins... Read More