Wines

94 Points! Pouring a deeper ruby red color, the 2023 Pinot Noir Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epenots is a lovely wine with a ripe feel, featuring notes of black raspberries, fresh violets, and a darker, earthy, and floral bouquet. The palate is rounded and supple, with ripe tannins and a fruity character, although gentle earthy notes are also present. It’s a pretty style for this site to drink over the coming 15 or more years. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

93 Points! Pure seduction from the first tilt of the glass, the 2023 Pommard Clos des Epenots 1er Cru mixes crushed violet and lavender with dried black cherries, nuances of stone dust and allspice. It's surprisingly juicy, blending tart raspberry with autumnal spices and crunchy mineral tones, all offset by a core of tantalizing acidity. A youthfully nervous feel is balanced by lasting freshness as rosy inner florals linger through the long, classically dry finish. -Eric Guido, Vinous Media

92 Points! A good value, the 2023 Keola Red offers juicy darker fruits, peppery herbs, and sappy, floral notes. Based on 45% Petite Sirah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Syrah aged 18 months in 25% new French oak, it's medium to full-bodied, ripe, round, and supple, with no hard edges. This is a pleasure-bent, impeccably made red to drink over the coming 5-6 years. ..As always, Aaron Jackson makes a ripe, powerful style of wine that brings ample fruit and texture while staying nicely balanced. - Jeb Dunnuck

Sourcing:

Petite Sirah - Dusi Vineyards (Templeton Gap District), St Peter of Alcantara (Willow Creek District next door to Pesenti Vineyard)
Syrah - Maison Mason (Willow Creek District next to notable vineyards like Terry Hoage, Paderewski). And Caelesta Vineyard (Templeton Gap)
Cabernet - Old Bailey Vineyard (Adelaida District, oldest vine Cab on the westside, own rooted in 1969 and right next door to HMR Vineyard and planted around the same time).

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%

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

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! The aromatics of the 2023 Evodia give justice to the name, which in old Greek means "fragrance," and it has high-lifted aromatics, floral, elegant and ethereal. In 2023, they used 15% full clusters for the fermentation, and the élevage was in concrete, with 20% in used 225-liter barrels and 10% in oak vats, and lasted five months. It has a bright ruby color and an extroverted nose. This is ripe, hedonistic and outspoken, showy and juicy, with very good ripeness and 14.8% alcohol, but it comes through as balanced with a pH of 3.68 and 6.1 grams of acidity. You just want to keep smelling it as it unfurls in the glass. The quality is clearly beyond its price point; it's an amazing value for money. One to buy by the truckload!  - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

92 Points! Racy red bramble berries with notes of hibiscus, pomegranates, cochineal and cherries. Some chewy tannins add more gravity to the otherwise medium-bodied palate. Juicy, firm and stony in the medium-long finish. - JamesSuckling.com

91 Points! A fresh, balanced red, with fragrant hints of dried rosemary and thyme, resin, and milled pepper accenting the core of creamy black raspberry and black plum fruit, enmeshed with fine, taut tannins. Stony finish. Garnacha, Samsó, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. - Wine Spectator

92+ Points! Not yet released, Amici's 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon is slightly less flattering than the 2022 but more structured. Slightly herbal, sage-like nuances join black cherries on the nose, while the medium- to full-bodied palate finishes firm and dusty with ripe tannins. It needs a bit of time—buy and drink the 2022 in the meantime—but should represent another great value. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

92 Points! Expressive and sleekly built, with floral raspberry and cherry flavors laced with cinnamon and dusky spices. Finishes with medium-grained tannins. - Wine Spectator

94 Points! Mirabelle plums and acacia blossoms are woven into the fabric of this creamy and elegant St.-Peray. Flinty freshness right through the very long, pure finish. Should age really well. A cuvee of 90% marsanne and 10% roussanne. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

50+ year old vines from the highest elevation vineyard in Maranges with red clay and chalk soil. 30% whole cluster fermented with indigenous yeast, aged in 228L barrels (20% new).

92-94 Points! The 2023 Maranges La Fussières 1er Cru Rouge is blended with 30% whole bunch. This has an understated bouquet with light earthy red fruit with sous-bois and mineral scents. It opens succinctly in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with finely chiseled tannins, very poised, airy and transparent yet with real weight and presence on the finish. Bon vin! - Neal Martin, Vinous

93 Points! The 2023 Zinfandel Old Vine was raised in 600-gallon foudre with a small proportion (8%) in new oak, and it’s roughly 90% Zinfandel along with an eclectic field mix. The nose opens to bright peppery spice, fresh cut flowers, and black raspberries, with deeper notes of fresh sanguine earth coming through. The palate is full-bodied yet restrained, with a detailed structure and length with a mountainous feel. It’s a great lens into the range they produce here at Bedrock and a tremendous value. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

92 Points! Sleek and juicy, with fan-friendly cherry, raspberry, toasty spice and briar accents that glide on the zesty finish. - Wine Spectator

From the winery:

We take pride in this being one of the greatest value wines in the world, and in a year like 2023, where quality was excellent across California and crop yields were strong, it shines even brighter. Nearly 50% of the wine is from Sodini Ranch on Limerick Lane in Healdsburg, Bedrock Vineyard in Sonoma Valley, Teldeschi Ranch in Dry Creek, and Evangelho Vineyard in Contra Costa County, with the remainder of the wine comprised of declassified barrels from vineyards we farm like Beeson Ranch, Katushas', Pato, and Mori, along with bits from Dolinsek, Banfield, Sky, and Old Hill Ranch. Deep and vibrant in color, this showcases both the freshness and richness of the 2023 vintage. The average vine age is over 80 years for this wine, and 70% of the fruit is farmed by the winery—something that continues to ensure consistency.  Almost entirely fermented with indigenous yeasts, this is aged in a combination of foudre, puncheons, and barrique with a very small amount of new oak—the goal is always to make a wine brimming with lovely fruit while retaining the natural acid and spice character that makes Zinfandel such a great fit for California.

94 Points! The 2023 Pinot Noir Cumberland Reserve opens with aromas of raspberry liqueur, mocha, floral perfume, and savory notes of fresh sage. Medium-bodied, it offers ripe, detailed tannins, balanced acidity, and a long finish. While this vintage hints at opulence, the wine remains beautifully balanced and refreshing. It’s a stunning introduction to the vintage and a benchmark for the region as an appellation wine. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

94 Points! Bright and seductive, this pinot offers fresh cherries, crushed wild berries, violets, wet rocks and subtle spices on the nose. Racy and mouthwatering, with spicy and minerally tension, it has a medium body, a dusty texture to its tannins and a lingering and racy finish. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The 2023 Pinot Noir Cumberland Reserve is incredibly fresh, with a bouquet of dusty dried flowers, lavender pastille, nuances of cedary spice and wild blueberries. Ripe wild berry fruits and crisp mineral tones glide across the palate over a layer of pure silk. The finish is long and tense, yet remains remarkably fresh as violet tones resonate over a bed of silken tannins. The Cumberland Reserve represents amazing value. Already enjoyable, it will also excel in the cellar. - Eric Guido, Vinous

92 Points! Fruit-forward and generous, with snappy cherry, roasted sage and cracked pepper flavors that end on a vibrant accent. - Wine Spectator

92 Points! A fresh and fruity red that emphasizes effusive red fruit, good ripeness and light tannins on a full body. Red plums, raspberries and hints of black pepper and basil on the palate. Well balanced for its size. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! Based on 75% Grenache and the rest a mix of varieties, the 2023 Châteauneuf Du Pape was vinified with 40% stems and brought up in foudre and cuve as well as a small percentage in demi-muids. Ripe, round, and sexy on the palate, with medium body, it offers ripe kirsch and black cherries intermixed with spice and peppery garrigue nuances. It's balanced with soft tannins and shows the forward style of the vintage. It will drink beautifully over the coming 10-12 years.  - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! Sweet almonds, lemon curd and spiced pink and white grapefruit are accented by a hint of flintiness and mineral lines through a mouthwatering finish. - Wine Enthusiat

92 Points! Aromas of cherries, dried herbs, strawberry bush, wet stones and subtle spices with some dusty mineral notes. Silky and textured on the medium-bodied palate, it’s deliciously fruity and smooth, with a lingering finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

91 Points! The organic Brancaia 2023 Chianti Classico shows lovely primary intensity with dark cherry and blackcurrant. Barbara Widmer and her team strive for freshness and an easy-drinking experience with this charming wine. Maintaining fruit freshness and elegance is a main goal of this estate, but it also strives to push beyond the classic parameters of Chianti Classico in terms of complexity and depth. I love the brightness of the primary fruit in this wine. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

On the palate: This unique Estate blend of 38% Pinot Gris, 35% Sauvignon Blanc and 27% Riesling incorporates notes of fresh passion fruit, crisp lime and wet concrete, putting the three varieties in harmony. The palate is lively fresh and fun, with passion fruit, citrus and more tropical tones. 

On the nose: Opens with aromas of anjou pear, white nectarines, and honeysuckle. A bouquet of spring flowers. 

95 Points! Aged nine months in 100% neutral oak barrels, the 2023 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills offers crushed citrus, oyster shell, white flowers, and a kiss of salty minerality. It's medium-bodied, has remarkable purity, vibrant acidity, and a great finish. As I've written many times, this appellation release can stand toe to toe with any Chardonnay from Santa Barbara County. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! Shows harmony and intensity, with focused flavors of tangerine, Meyer lemon, lime and pomelo that are lovely at the core, plus aromatic notes of lemongrass, lemon thyme and oregano. A fresh thread of acidity and details of Himalayan sea salt gain momentum on the finish. Drink now. - Wine Spectator

From the winery: This bottling is comprised Chardonnay from four vineyards within the Sta. Rita Hills AVA. 3D, Machado, Hapgood, and Perilune vineyards all contribute to the wine which exhibits a drive, richness and pedigree expressive of our special growing area coupled with the purity of fruit and firm structure which have been the trademark of Brewer-Clifton.

3D The primary emphasis of the predominantly sandy 10 acre vineyard is chardonnay, with five clones planted. In addition to chardonnay, there is a smaller field of pinot noir planted to Swan, Pommard and 667 clones.

MACHADO 15 acre parcel on the Machado family land is located adjacent to Clos Pepe and immediately behind the Kessler-Haak vineyard. The site is marked by a gorgeous rolling terrain with sandy clay loam soils.

HAPGOOD In slightly richer soil, the vineyard is planted to the Mount Eden selection of chardonnay. The elevated clay loam content results in larger volume and a more dense palate expression. Our most recent installation, planted in 2010, is this small 2 1/2 acre section of pinot noir planted to Merry Edwards clone.

Only neutral barrels are employed. We strive for whole cluster fermentation. We farm with a focus of ripening the stems alongside the fruit, allowing the cluster to be in harmony. Working with the stems allows for wines that are structured, earthy and balanced with our beautiful Sta. Rita Hills fruit.

93 Points! Cool and elegant, yet juicy and wonderfully fresh, this medium-bodied gruner vetliner has the garden herb and celery aromas of the grape. As lightly as this skips over the palate, and as crisp as it is in the finish, there’s very good substance here. It should stay fresh for quite a few years. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Screw cap. - JamesSuckling.com