Wines

INCREDIBLE value here. McKinlay has always made classy, elegant, ethereal, red-fruited Pinot Noir from their estate vineyards (and a couple neighbors) in the Chehalem Mountains, but this oen takes the cake. Silky, pretty, an infusion style of Pinot we adore. McKinlay Pinot noir ferments with native yeasts, without enzyme additions; ages in modest percentages (25% or less) of new oak and is neither fined nor filtered at bottling.

94 Points! Melville's Estate Pinot Noir combines 17 different Pinot Noir clones from its Sta. Rita Hills AVA estate. Nearly half of the fruit was fermented as whole clusters, with just over half de-stemmed into small open-top fermenters. Skin and stem contact averages 30 days, with a 7-day cold soak, more than two weeks of fermentation and one week of extended maceration. Aged sur lie in neutral French oak barrels without sulfur for around 11 months. Deep ruby colour with violet hues. Such purity of fruit is framed by a wildly aromatic core of white pepper, paprika, clove, cedarwood, and smoked sea salt. All that aromatic personality erupts on the palate where all that skin contact layers in a kind of apple skin tannin that has a hefty grip but is nicely integrated and resolves through a current of blood orange acidity. Melville is dedicated to producing cool-climate Pinot Noir, Syrah, and Chardonnay grown exclusively in its estate vineyards throughout the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, with vines planted mostly on Lompoc dune sand, interspersed with clay loam and shallow hard pans of Monterey shale. - Decanter Magazine

93 Points! The 2022 Pinot Noir Estate was vinified with 40% whole clusters and matured in used oak. The nose is bursting with cranberry, pomegranate, mushrooms, woodsmoke and underbrush. The medium-bodied palate has a core of earth and spice-laced fruit. It has a frame of chalky tannins and juicy acidity and a long, nuanced finish. -  Erin Brooks, robertparker.com, Jan 2024

94 Points! Bold, bright and vivid, packed with red and black fruit, savory black tea and dried mushroom notes. Fermented with 40% whole clusters and aged in neutral barrels. So floral, fragrant and lively. Moderate tannins and a medium body. Drink or hold.- JamesSuckling.com

93-95 Points! One of the highlights of the range this year is the 2020 Corton Grand Cru Les Perrières, a vibrant, mineral wine evocative of wild berries, forest floor, rich spices and rose petals. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and vibrant, with beautifully refined tannins and a long, penetrating finish, it's well worth seeking out. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

94 Points! Boasting a rich magenta/ruby hue, the 2022 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley is classic and very much in the style lovers of this estate have come to expect. It’s ripe with notes of fresh black cherries, scorched earth, violets, and dark forest earth. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with sweet tannins and is generous without feeling heavy. Long on the finish and fully dry. It’s a very well-styled Pinot Noir from this challenging vintage that’s going to drink well over the next 6-8 years. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com

Only $29.98 at checkout! 

If the vineyard sounds familiar, perhaps you've heard of a little PInot Noir winery by the name of Williams Selyem? This is the same vineyard that they use for their $125 Terra de Promissio bottling. Great site, wonderful wine, INCREDIBLE price...

‘Clos de la Roche’ is found near the forest line in Dracy-le-
Fort, touching premier cru ‘Champs Lalot,’ at the northern edge of the Givry appellation. Soils here are richer, with limestone and clay, 30+ year-old vines. Aromas of sweet spice, light pepper, red and black fruit. Tangy, concentrated flavors of red cherries and raspberries.

Average vine age of 65 years here. From the importer: Although full and generous at the same time, our Fixin "Fondemens" will surprise by its crimson and steady color. Its fruity nose reminds a red fruit coulis, and in mouth it will amaze by its greediness and its frankness characteristic of Pinot Noir. They have a good acid content and are endowed with a solidity and substance which places them among wines that are best laid down for a certain time. When young they possess animal aromas suggestive of pelts and musk. These are ample wines which develop their bouquet over time as they mature.

97 Points! From the same vineyard as the Ma Douce Chardonnay on the second ridge from the coast in Fort Ross-Seaview, the deep red/ruby 2021 Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles comes out swinging. Packed with layered aromas of sassafras, framboise, roses, cedar, Asian spice, and coriander, it’s medium to full-bodied and propels through the palate with ripe tannins, a long finish, and a plush feel, although it also retains a more vertical spine of fresh acidity throughout. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com