Wines

96 Points! The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Viking Estate Vineyard was aged for 20 months in 50% new French oak. Medium ruby, it has a core of blackcurrant and Morello cherry with touches of bell pepper, thyme, cedar, dark chocolate and graphite. The palate is medium-bodied with fine, grainy tannins, rounded acidity and a concentrated core of pleasantly herbal fruit. Drink it over the next 3-5 years. 810 cases were produced, and this will be released in the summer of 2023. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

from the winery:

When it comes to making Viognier, we aim for a very different style than what is typically produced in California, showcasing what can be done with the variety on the extremes of the coast. Effusively aromatic but not at all heavy like most Viognier, it bursts forth with a bright, vibrant, floral personality that is unlike any Viognier you’ve ever tasted. White flowers, citrus, unripe pineapple, and minerals dominate the aromas, while the palate is distinctively atypical for Viognier. A lemony freshness with notes of pomelo, barely ripe white nectarine, sweet white grapefruit, and pineapple core, braced by tremendously fresh acidity and super mineral finish.

250 cases produced
Fermented & aged 6 months 80% stainless steel & 20% neutral French oak
No malolactic fermentation
Drink now thru 2032
Alc: 14.0%

91 Points! Based on the 2020 vintage, complemented by reserve wines from 2019, the latest rendition of Agrapart's NV Brut 7 Crus is charming and unusually giving at this early stage, offering up aromas of white flowers, sweet orchard fruit and ripe citrus, followed by a medium to full-bodied, ample and pillowy palate. - William Kelley, robertparker.com

93 Points! The NV Extra Brut Blanc de Blancs Grand Cru Terroirs is an excellent introduction to the estate’s Chardonnays. Disgorged in August 2024 with three grams per liter dosage, it’s composed of 20% from the 2021 vintage (vinified in tank), 50% from 2020 and 30% from 2019, with half of the reserve wines aged on the lees in approximately 30-year-old demi-muids. Heavily based on Oger (around 40% of the blend), with the remainder coming from Oiry, Cramant and Avize, it’s already expressive, offering aromas of honeysuckle, nectarine, bread and fresh hazelnut. Medium to full-bodied with bright acidity and complemented by a pillowy mousse, it concludes with a long, sapid finish. - Kristap Karklins, robertparker.com

94 Points! A textural, balanced and harmonious red with such patina already. The nose shows notes of dark cherries, fresh plums, forest floor and warm spices. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Dense and velvety, with a kick of peppercorns. Juicy, vivid and fresh finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! A fragrant nose of spiced cherries, ripe blackberries, dried herbs, baking spices and hints of earth follow through to a medium body with finely grained tannins. It has precision with a slight bitterness on the mid-palate. Layered and funnelled with a mineral edge. Long savory and spicy finish. Best after 2026. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! While never as big or concentrated as the Mazane, I still tend to prefer this cuvée from Alaine Jaume due to its complexity and just sheer charm. Spicy red and black fruits, Provençal garrigue, and tons of spice all shine from the 2023 Vacqueyras Grande Garrigue, and it's medium-bodied, has a seamless, elegant mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It was aged primarily in tanks with a small portion in barrel. This complex, incredibly Provençal beauty will drink well over the coming 8-10 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! The nose of the 2023 Alma de Mar is very leesy and smoky, with a very austere, chalky palate with a strong sensation of granite and sea breeze. It comes from grapes grown very close to the sea, and the wine tends to be quite vibrant but also has structure and volume. 3,000 bottles produced. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

94 Points! A complex, dynamic wine, the 2021 Barbaresco Montersino is redolent of sweet, dried cherry, incense, blood orange, cinnamon, sage and mint. It offers striking translucence and mid-weight structure to round out a super-classic profile. Bright acids extend the clean, precise finish. What a gorgeous wine this is. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! A perfumed nose with cherries, wild strawberries, dried rose hips and pink peppercorns. Juicy and bright on the palate with crunchy tannins. Medium-bodied, tense and focused with a firm finish. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! The Poderi Aldo Conterno 2020 Barolo Bussia is a fine and silky wine with the elegant power that is characteristics of this special cru. The wine shows bright fruit flavors with cherry and blackcurrant followed by earthy iris root and licorice. There is a hint of perfume or church incense. That pretty intensity follows through to the palate with balanced freshness and lasting medium-plus richness. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

94 Points! The nose is attractive, with watermelon, leafy lightness, fresh violets and strawberry fruit. The palate is savory and graceful, with a full body, velvety tannins soaked in peach fruit, juicy acidity and a polished aftertaste. A bracing Barolo with at least 10 years of cellaring potential, yet enjoyable now. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Complex nose of watermelon, cocoa, strawberry, peony and kiwi peel, the palate zesty with rustic yet malleable tannins. A magnetic sip. Grapes from young vineyards in Barolo, the must fermented in stainless steel with three to four days of post-fermentation maceration. After malolactic fermentation in wood, the wine matures for 12 months in second-fill barriques previously used for the Bussiador Chardonnay. - Decanter Magazine

92 Points! The white 2023 Blanco was produced with 85% Viura, 15% Garnacha Blanca and 5% Tempranillo Blanco, which is the taste they have found works for them, without adding yeasts and putting the wine through malolactic fermentation and using some skin contact for the fermentation. They use grapes from eight vineyards, most of them from the Montes Obarenes, except a little bit from Remelluri. In 2022, a very warm and dry year with a tendency toward less acidity and higher pH, they decided to use less skin contact, perhaps 10%. They aged the wine in concrete, oak vats and 500-liter barrels, working the lees less and less as the élevage advances. Despite everything, it has a moderate 12.8% alcohol and a pH of 3.29, a clean and floral nose, with perhaps some hints of yellow fruit, and a tender and velvety palate with tasty flavors and a dry and chalky finish. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

92 Points! A well-spiced Champagne, with a subtle underpinning of roasted hazelnut enriching flavors of poached apricot, cherry glâcée, crystallized honey and tangerine peel. A spine of citrusy acidity and a touch of salinity animate the expressive profile through the creamy finish. Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir. Drink now through 2030. - Wine Spectator

93 Points! This firm, focused Champagne shows pinpoint balance, offering a fine, chalky texture to swathe the chiseled spine of acidity and support the tang of tangerine and blood orange peel, pureed white peach and raspberry fruit, almond biscotti, mineral and lime blossom notes as they expand through the finish. Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. Disgorged January 2025. Drink now through 2030. - Wine Spectator

92 Points! The aromatics leap out of the glass, showing a mix of lemon verbena, lemongrass and lemon balm flavors, plus a touch of wild fennel. Vibrant, juicy fruit flavors are at the core, led by citrus notes of Meyer lemon, pomelo and tangerine, with a touch of salted lime. Sleek and juicy on the finish, with details of peppery white flowers. Drink now.  - Wine Spectator

94 Points! Brilliant acidity behind rich, ripe and creamy flavors. The wine is luscious, fresh, layered and long in the finish. Full-bodied, toasty and concentrated but sleek and elegant, too. Drink now or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Very structured, balanced and complete. Ripe black cherries, blueberries, toast and baking spices. This is the most widely available Alma Rosa pinot, made from mostly hillside, estate-grown grapes with no stems included. Aged in 30% new oak barrels. Drink now or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! The 2021 Brunello Di Montalcino Montosoli pours a deeper ruby hue and opens with compact aromatics of black raspberries, tea leaf, cocoa, rosemary, and crushed stone. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm core of tannins and a refreshing spine of acidity that keeps everything lifted and precise. It’s still tightly wound and will benefit from another couple of years in bottle, then drink beautifully for 15 years or more. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

95 Points! A lively Brunello with aromas of plums, ripe cherries, cedar and teak that follow through to a medium body with fine tannins and a crisp finish. Crunchy and linear. Lovely energy at the end. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! Floral and slightly spicy, with a fresh fruit profile, this has red currants, pomegranate and deep graphite. Medium-bodied, it shines with concentration, weight and elegant tannins. The supersavory finish is sustained by crisp acidity. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The 2021 Malbec Reserve from Altos Las Hormigas, sourced from Paraje Altamira and Gualtallary in the Uco Valley, boasts a lean, precise character. Planted in chalky soils, it's a rich purple in the glass. The expressive nose presents enticing blueberry, violet, sage and other herb aromas. It has a compact, focused profile on the palate, with chalky tannins that contribute to the lean texture and a refreshing mouthfeel that highlights the wine's taut structure. The long, nuanced finish allows the wine's spare beauty to really come through. - Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous Media