Wines

94 Points! Made from a mix of 60% Domaine Eden and 40% Mount Eden fruit, the 2021 Chardonnay is always a sophisticated wine that overdelivers on its price point, with fresh floral aromatics leading to a medium-bodied mid-palate of beautifully oaked pear and hazelnut layered in juicy acidity. Ready to drink now, it should age equally well, from now through 2031 at least. - Virginie Boone, JebDunnuck.com

100 Points! One of the legendary Dominus, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon is unquestionably in the same league as the 2018, 2016, 2015, 2013, 2010, and 1991, and to my mind, wine simply doesn't get any better. Sporting a dense purple hue as well as an incredible perfume of blackcurrants, crushed stone, cedar pencil, smoke tobacco, and baking spices, it s rich, full-bodied, and voluptuously textured, with ripe yet building tannins. It reminds me slightly of the 2010 (maybe the 2013), and I suspect it will have a similar evolution. Hide bottles for 7-8 years, and it will evolve gracefully for 30+ years. Hats off to the team of Christian Moueix and director Tod Mostero. - Jeb Dunnuck

100 Points! The 2021 Dominus, 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, is opaque purple-black in color. It needs a lot of coaxing to lure out scents of freshly crushed blackcurrants, blackberry preserves, stewed plums, and boysenberries giving way to subtle nuances of violets, licorice, and tar plus a touch of cedar in the background. The full-bodied palate is taut with densely laden, muscular black fruits framed by a firm grainy texture and well-played tension, finishing on a lingering ferrous note. A stunning vinous record of time and place, this is a 50-year+ Napa Cabernet to be experienced across generations. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, TWI

100 Points! The 2023 Dominus is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. Opaque purple-black in color, it slowly unfurls to reveal a powerful core of blackcurrant jelly, ripe black plums, and fresh blueberries, followed by hints of menthol, crushed rocks, dried sage, black truffles, and black olives. The full-bodied palate is both generous and energetic, displaying an impressive array of savory and earthy nuances among the dense black fruit layers and a rock-solid frame of grainy tannins and beautiful tension, finishing with epic length. - Lisa Perrotti-Brown, MW

99 Points! Black currant, pencil shaving, subtle sandalwood, wet earth, forest floor and violet aromas follow through to a medium- to full-bodied palate with ultra-fine tannins that integrate perfectly at the end. A polished and caressing texture that goes on for minutes. The balance and drinkability of this Dominus is terrific, and it will age beautifully. A blend of 87% cabernet sauvignon, 9% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. From organically grown grapes. Very drinkable now, but will age beautifully. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! Aromas of blueberries, ash and stones with hints of blackberries, orange peel and chocolate. It’s medium-bodied with medium-round tannins that are polished and velvety but always in check. Cedar and baking spices like nutmeg on the palate. Lovely soft and silky texture with a long finish. Enchanting and delicious. 92% cabernet sauvginon, 4% cabernet franc and 4% petit verdot. From organically grown grapes. Drink now or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

91 Points! The barrel-fermented 2022 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills has vibrant scents of green pear, acacia, hazelnuts and beeswax. The palate is light-bodied and laser-focused yet offers a highly concentrated core of creamy fruit, and it has a long, nutty finish. It will benefit from a couple of years in bottle. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

From the winery:

After a hiatus in 2022, we are back to making a SRH blend of Chardonnays. If 2023 was cool for Sauvignon Blanc in Happy Canyon, it was downright cold in the Sta Rita Hills, with our Chardonnays being picked into the middle of October. This wine is blended from 55% 10Ninths Vineyard (formerly Hilliard-Bruce), 30% Rita’s Crown and 15% Radian Vineyard. The wine was aged in 100% French oak barrels (15% new) for 15 months before bottling.

92 Points! Composed of fruit from 10 Ninths, Radian and Rita's Crown, the 2023 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills remains as consistent and comprehensive an overview of the region as ever. It opens with a rich, creamy bouquet bolstered by toasted, lees-derived richness that retains delineation and vibrancy. The palate is suave and polished, concluding with a lifted, saline-tinged finish that is padded with an additional round of contained decadence. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

92 Points! Moving to the Pinot Noirs, the 2022 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills comes from a mix of sites (mostly Fiddlestix, radian, and Sanford & Benedict) and saw 15 months in neutral oak. Its medium ruby hue is followed by a complex, medium-bodied 2022 that has some gamey, iodine-like character in its savory red fruits, leafy herb, bay leaf, and forest, earthy nuances. I love its overall balance, and it has terrific complexity and a satisfying, lively, upfront style that will drink nicely through 2032. - Jeb Dunnuck

From the winery:

A longtime favorite, the 2023 SRH Pinot Noir combines wines from a “who’s who” of the most famous vineyards in our region. This wine comes from: Fiddlestix (42%), Radian (15%), La Rinconada (15%), Bentrock (8%), 10ninths (7%), Sanford & Benedict (5%), Spear (5%), and Rancho La Vina (3%). The very cool 2023 produced a superb SRH blend with grapes being picked over a remarkable 5-week period from Early September to Mid-October. Temperatures throughout the late summer and early Fall were moderate, and ripeness gained gradually until the last lots could be picked at Radian on October 12.

The deliberate inclusion of 20 separate blocks (9 distinct clones) at 8 vineyards is intended to create great complexity in the final blend, which we think is accomplished here. The wine shows wildly different berries (cranberries, strawberries, raspberries, loganberries) and red and black cherries, along with rhubarb, cola, and a panoply of baking spices (nutmeg, cardamom, cloves) and floral notes such as red rose and blood orange. The medium bodied wine has a silky texture and great length buoyed by great acidity and present tannins. The most approachable of our Pinot Noirs, the SRH will drink well right out of the gate, improve for 5-7 years and last another 8 after that at least.

96 Points! Employing 15% whole-cluster fermentation, the 2022 Pinot Noir Clow Ridge Vineyard is an exquisite study in elegance and subtle flavor, with floral red fruit and a balanced approach to acidity, sourced from an organically farmed, high-density vineyard on the northwestern edge of the appellation; this is only the second vintage for Drew from this site. Structured to age, it will do well in the cellar for 7-10 years, tasting of earthy dried herb, forest, and mushroom, savory in flavor profile and texture. This is a "wow" wine." - Virginie Boone, JebDunnuck.com

95 Points! Packed with vibrant red fruit flavors on a brilliant texture with great acidity, the wine also shows a touch of richness and plumpness that leads to a lingering finish. Medium-bodied. The raspberry, tart cherry, rhubarb, mint and mineral notes are captivating. Aged in 20% new oak. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The 2019 Pinot Noir Wendling Vineyard is totally beguiling. High-toned aromatic, mid-weight structure, silky nuanced and super-expressive a wine of tremendous allure and deceptive beauty. Not totally immediate as most wines are in this range, but rather a Pinot that demands the full attention of the taster. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! The 2022 Syrah Valenti Ranch is a super-classic Mendocino Ridge wine. It offers a beguiling mix of dark Syrah fruit along with a host of savory/earthy undertones, all framed by beams of tannin that lend energy. Complex and pedigreed to the core, the 2022 is an absolute delight. In a word: gorgeous. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! Graceful yet dynamic, with multilayered raspberry and blueberry flavors framed by fresh violet, orange peel and cinnamon as this builds richness and tension toward refined tannins. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! Wonderful aromas of lavender, roses and pure red fruit. The palate is silky and elegant, with mineral tension and flavors of pomegranates and wild berries. Fine tannins, tea and hibiscus in the long, floral finish. Medium-bodied. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

90 Points! This white’s lovely mix of fresh lemon, pear and pomelo is pure and focused, with accents of peach blossoms, creamy oolong tea and dried ginger. Lemon oil and fresh-clipped herb notes linger on the finish. - Wine Spectator

From the winery: Crafted from several distinct vineyard sites, this wine incorporates two Sauvignon Blanc clones — Sauvignon Musqué and Sauvignon Gris — for added complexity and texture. In expressing the Dry Creek Valley’s unique terroir, the 2024 vintage opens with bright aromas of lemon blossom, passionfruit, pineapple-guava, kiwi and jasmine. On the palate, vibrant notes of tart pineapple, lemon gelato, tangerine and grapefruit are balanced by hints of white pepper and citrus pith. It is a wine of depth with layers of complex aromas, flavors and textures, while remaining fresh and bright with brisk acidity.

93+ Points! The appellation wine and calling card of the house, the 2023 Chardonnay Wester Reach is fresh on the nose, with notes of light flint, lime zest, bright flowers, white pepper, and green apples. It has a compact feel but with electric energy and a fantastic oily citrus texture on the finish. It’s a blend from five vineyards and was aged for 12 months in 20% new oak barrels. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

94 Points! Bursts with juicy raspberry, mulberry and bitter cherry coulis flavors that stretch out lengthily, plus savory, red tea and rose petal notes that add energy and range. Shows a snap of red licorice and a singed apple wood frame on the finish while keeping its energy up. - Wine Spectator

93+ Points! The appellation wine and calling card of the house, the 2023 Chardonnay Wester Reach is fresh on the nose, with notes of light flint, lime zest, bright flowers, white pepper, and green apples. It has a compact feel but with electric energy and a fantastic oily citrus texture on the finish. It’s a blend from five vineyards and was aged for 12 months in 20% new oak barrels. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

93 Points! Another impressive and overperforming Dunites release is the 2024 Dune Song, a blend of 62% Syrah and 38% Grenache from Hi Kite and Rancho Arroyo Grande, respectively. A classic and lovely bouquet of black fruit, purple flowers and crushed stones introduces a palate that melds spongy density with tensile focus, culminating in a soaring, mouthwatering finish laced with streaks of minerality and spice-driven nuances. This is a uniquely refined and alluring expression of the San Luis Obispo Coast, to be enjoyed through its first decade. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

93 Points! This affordable bottling will satisfy the hunt for an herbaceous, fresh Pinot Noir. A lighter hue in the glass, this wine offers aromas of eucalyptus, potpourri and peppercorn on the nose. The palate is very zesty with bay leaf and tart red fruit flavors. - Wine Enthusiast

91 Points! Tropical aromas of lychees, lemon curd and dried mangoes. The palate is medium-bodied with a creamy texture and a slight phenolic edge, giving notes of baking spices, pineapple and red apple skin. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com