America

Owned by the Shannon family of Lake County, Block 8 of La Sierra vineyard is a small western facing block of head-trained and organically farmed old vine Mourvèdre. Sitting at 1800ft above sea level in the High Valley AVA, this hilltop vineyard is comprised of a mix of clay loam and volcanic soils and is subjected to long hours of sunlight, cooling breezes and large temperature swings. These growing conditions that allow for a long growing season and optimal phenolic development and are ideal for a late ripening varietal such as Mourvèdre.

94 Points! The bright red 2022 Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast has lifted notes of alpine herbs, red berries, compact bright berries, bay leaf, and fresh roses. Medium-bodied, it offers a lovely amount of tension, with fantastic structure, a good amount of floral charm, and great potential for drinking over the next 7-8 years or more. - Jeb Dunnuck

99 Points! Purple fruit with lavender and seaweed. Hints of volcanic salt and peaches. Full-bodied yet tensioned and very focused. Muscular and very, very long. Flexing with form and beauty. Uniquely Occidental. Mind-blowing sophistication with its own personality. - JamesSuckling.com

91 Points! Farella's unoaked 2023 Sauvignon Blanc stands out for its assertive boxwood, lime and grapefruit aromas. It's medium-bodied and somewhat plump and rounded but also shot through with a bright beam of citrusy acids, vibrant and refreshing. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

98+ Points! The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, blended with 10% Cabernet Franc, has opened significantly since I tasted it in March of 2022. Deep ruby in color, its aromatics have become more layered, with ringing tones of violet complementing blueberry, black cherry and redcurrants, plus sparks of aniseed, prosciutto and desert herbs. The palate is plush and supple, offering alluring spicy accents and generous, yet never onerous, fruit. Refreshing bursts of acidity call you back to the glass, and it finishes with fantastic length. It blossoms considerably as it spends time in the glass, alluding to continued evolution in bottle. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

90 Points! Loaded with ripe, slightly sweet black cherry flavors, which are laced with espresso and toasty oak notes. A style some will enjoy. Drink now. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! The star of the show is the 2022 Ontogeny, a broad, layered, richly textured 2022 that has gorgeous cassis and blue fruits as well as integrated oak, some classic Cabernet graphite, iron, and smoked tobacco. It’s rich, full-bodied, and wonderfully complex, with ripe tannins and a great, great finish. I love it today yet it should cruise over the coming 10-15 years in cold cellars. - Jeb Dunnuck

Winemaker Notes:

Coquelicot Vineyard, Santa Ynez Valley - 170 Cases 

PH 3.5 TA 5.4 Alcohol 13% Picked 10-4-2022 Bottled 6-06-2024

Certified CCOF Organic. 100% whole cluster fermentation, native yeast, fermented in a tall steel open top fermenter, foot stomped, free run gravity fed daily, then gravity fed back over the top for a very long slow fermentation over three weeks.

Aged in a large Puncheon on the lees until bottling. This wine is a stunner! Bright fruit, earth and spice.

94 Points! Blackberry, blackcurrant, dark chocolate and spices. Bright and vivid. Medium-bodied with firm, racy tannins and excellent length. There’s an energy and focused directness with lovely length. 75% cabernet sauvignon, 15% mablec, 7% cabernet franc and 3% petit verdot. Drink or hold. - James Suckling

92 Points! While the 2021 Proprietary Red could be released as a Cabernet Sauvignon (it's 75% Cabernet Sauvignon), they've opted to keep it as a Proprietary blend to allow for more flexibility in the future. It has a great nose of juicy blue fruits and subtle cassis as well as medium to full-bodied richness, some textbook Cabernet chocolate and tobacco notes, a round, mouth-filling texture, and outstanding length. It's a beautiful wine that will evolve for 10-12 years. - Jeb Dunnuck

From the winery: If you like big and bold Cabernet, try this. Our benchmark big red wine, with an almost Bordeaux sensibility. Red and and black fruit, big but polished tannin, and a super-long finish. Bring out the steak, the fire-charred foods, and all the braised goodness. 30 months in barrel but still remarkably fresh and full of fruit, guts and vitality.

Grown at 1450’ elevation on red, obsidian-strewn soil resulting from Mt. Konocti’s volcanic upheaval, Aglianico is Prima Materia’s most important bottling, bringing the monster Cabernet experience through this wonderful grape.

93 Points! Ripe lemon and citrus fruits, some minty herbs, and chalky minerality all emerge from the 2023 Chardonnay Estate Sta. Rita Hills, a clean, vibrant, focused Chardonnay that has solid acidity, beautiful overall balance and texture, and a great finish. The estate comes all from the Melville Vineyard and was raised in neutral oak, hitting 13% alcohol with a pH of 3.27. - Jeb Dunnuck

93 Points! Energetic, sleek and vibrant, with pineapple, lemon curd and pomelo notes up front. Touches of fresh ginger, crunchy sea salt and orange blossoms linger on the finish alongside details of matcha and white pepper. Drink now. - Wine Spectator

92 Points! Features friendly violet, cassis and black cherry notes woven with perfumed sandalwood and cedar threads. Offers savory and iron accents that fill out the finish, with a late echo of loam. Nicely done. Drink now through 2035. - Wine Spectator

91 Points! Open-knit, with a juicy ball of boysenberry and blackberry notes backed by bramble and licorice root hints. Reveals toasty vanilla streaks on the finish. Drink now through 2033. - Wine Spectator