When we consider the potential of a piece of land to grow world-class wine, we immerse ourselves in the physical characteristics of soil type, depth, texture and drainage, slope aspect, sun exposure, et cetera—myriad complex details. On site potential alone, Jentoft likely sits at the top of our entire vineyard portfolio. 

The site’s coastal marine soils are remarkably shallow with underlying sandstone bedrock poking through the topsoil. Lean, “boney” soils generally yield low-vigor vines and powerful wines, and that’s what we have here. The potential is incredible, and now that these vines are mature, we’re seeing the promise realized.

 -Winery Notes:

Our first vintage of Ryan Pinot Noir was 2002 and it featured Dutton-Widdoes Vineyard at its core. This vineyard is one of the earliest plantings in Green Valley – 1984. At that time the vineyards were wide spaced, planted without irrigation and grown on a trellis that shaded the fruit. Now, all these years later we have hardy, experienced vines that have pretty much seen everything, and in these days of climatic extremes, these deep-rooted vines can tolerate drought and heat without issue. The fruit is uniquely characterful – wild berries, rich umami/truffle notes, underbrushy/woodsy complexity. When we layer in some bright coastal Jentoft fruit, the blend comes alive and infuses every corner of your palate. I’ve always loved that first 2002 Ryan bottling and this new vintage takes me back to our earlier DuMOL days. A wine for reflection. 

The aromatics highlight the essence of our coastal Green Valley environment: wild berries, thyme, spearmint, truffle and freshly tilled soil. The wine is poised, vibrant and dynamic with a dark fruit pastille core then cherry, licorice, and briary notes. Concentrated and deep but always bright and quite tight knit with drawn out length and fresh focusing acidity on a spicy finish. Drink between late-2023 and 2032.

Review:

The 2021 Pinot Noir Ryan has a medium ruby color and autumnal scents of truffle and forest floor, cinnamon and Earl Grey tea leaves complementing a core of wild berry fruit. (In 2021, the wine comes from the Dutton-Jentoft and Widdoes vineyards rather than 100% from Jentoft as in previous vintages.) The medium-bodied palate is supple and detailed with a concentrated core of mineral-driven fruit. It has a silky texture, energetic acidity and a long, layered finish. This is so delicious and very easy to drink!

-Wine Advocate 97 Points

Classic coastal Russian River aromas and flavors: crisp red apple skin, bright red cherry, deep wild berry, hibiscus, pepper, fresh mint, and a complex woodsy note. There’s wonderful purity and succulence to the core of red and black fruits which are supported by balanced black tea tannins and bright vibrant acidity. The wine finishes sleek and focused with liveliness and lingering aromatic lift.

Review:

A wine with a lot of back end, with dark fruits of blackberry and cherry. Ripe strawberry. Hints of toasted oak and smoke. It’s full and layered with very firm and polished tannins. Very serious and real, and shows the structure of the vintage. Some chocolate. Strawberry pie, too. Drinkable but two to three years of age will help it.

-James Suckling 95 Points

Wine Enthusiast 95 Points

Faust Cabernet Sauvignon  is made from 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, complemented with Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc.

Cabernet’s classic aromas and flavors star in the 2022 Faust Napa Valley. Delicate violet notes lift the dark fruit on the nose—black currant and briary blackberry—layered with pungent forest botanicals, leafy tobacco, graphite, and toasted spice. The velvet of fine-textured tannins backs expressive red fruit flavors on a complex palate, both sweet and savory with mocha and minerality, juicy ripe fruit and freshness.

Finca Sobreno Ildefonso Toro  is made from 100% Tinta de Toro
Very Old Vines (Minimum 80 years of age)
Aged in 100% new French Oak Barrels for 18 months + 12 months in the bottle

The wine is produced in very limited quantity from the estate's oldest vineyards (80 years old vines) and is fermented in 2,000-liter open-top fermentation vats. Our winemaker punches down the cap by hand three times a day using the traditional pigeage method to ensure optimal extraction.

The name of the wine is the surname of the San Ildefonso family, father Roberto and daughter Paloma, and represents the apex of their winemaking tradition.

Tasting notes
Deep cherry color.
Very expressive, elegant and complex with ripe fruit, mineral notes, sweet spices, chocolate aromas and intense toasts.
Powerful, tasty, round and very smooth. We find again black berries, mineral notes, chocolates with roasted aromas. Very long after taste.

Soil types:
The soil is formed by sediments of sand, clay and limestone, which produce a dark lime-bearing topsoil, with fine and coarse sands.
This year we had low rain falls getting very healthy bunches. Besides, cool nights and not very hot days at the end of the cycle were excellent for a complete ripening of the grapes, full of nuances.

Winemaking and aging
The fruit is manually selected and picked in small cases. After destemming the grapes are stored in 2.000 liter open fermenter tanks and cold maceration at 8ºC during 8 days. Three times a day the cap of the skins is submerged manually (pigeage) and after the alcoholic fermentation is finished at a controlled temperature, the wine is macerated until the wine maker determines the appropriate extraction polyphenols. The malolactic fermentation is carried out in new French oak barrels. The wine was aged in new French oak barrels for 16 months, followed by another 12 months minimum in the bottle.

Ideal for red meats, lamb, roasted meat and strong cheeses

Review:

Black fruit and power from lots of new flashy oak. Coconut, coffee and mocha flavours; ripe and soft palate with an earthy texture. Long finish.

-Decanter 93 Points

Reviews:

On the savory side, this red opens with freshly mowed grass, hay and eucalyptus aromas before revealing cherry, strawberry, rose and mineral flavors. Fleshy, with a matrix of dense tannins flexing their muscles on the finish. Shows excellent potential. Best from 2023 through 2042.

-Wine Spectator 96 Points

Floral and red fruit nose. Supple attack, very polished and concentrated, with fine-grained tannins and ample acidity. This has a linear drive, precision. and a very long finish. The rewards will be substantial for the patient consumer.

-Decanter 97 Points

Force Majeure Epinette  is made from 46% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot.

Epinette is Force Majeure's Right-bank Bordeaux-inspired blend, and was named after an avenue in Libourne (France) that leads to Pomerol and Saint-Émilion, the home of Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Epinette is also the name of a musical instrument akin to a piano, as well as a word for pine tree, which is a fitting nod to their home in Washington state.

The wine itself is a blend of primarily Merlot and Cabernet Franc, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, proportions of which change depending on the vintage. The Merlot and Cabernet Franc are grown in lower areas of the vineyard with deep, well-drained soils, much less rocky than the soils of our Rhone varietals.

Review:

"I loved the 2016 Epinette from barrel, and it certainly doesn't disappoint from bottle. Sporting a deep purple color as well as a huge bouquet of blackcurrants, black cherries, smoked earth, chocolate, and cedary spice, this flamboyant, powerful beauty hits the palate with loads of fruit, has sweet tannins, no hard edges, building tannins, and a huge finish. It's one seriously pleasure-bent effort that has another 10-15 years of prime drinking." - Jeb Dunnuck (April 2019), 96+ pts

Gagliasso Torriglione Barolo  is 100% Nebbiolo

Aged 12 months in French Oak barrels (50% new, 50% second use), then the wine is blended in big 2500 liter foudre for 18 months. And finally, the wine is aged in the bottle for 12 months before release.

The wine offers a free range of blackberry, cassis, tar, leather and tobacco-like aromas. But, in the mouth you'll taste the jamminess and maturity of the fruit. It's a smooth, soft wine with a long strawberry fade.

Average density of vines: 5500 vines per hectare Classical Guyot method with medium-short pruning; vineyard with south exposure with medium slope. Green harvest in two different times with reduction of grapes with a production per hectare around 5500 kg . Torriglione grape are harvested very ripe with a meticulous selection; the fermentation took place in stainless steel vats with temperature controlled. The fermentation is around 33-34°C with 15-17 days of maceration ; malolactic fermentation took place spontaneously in stainless steel vats. After malolattic fermentation the wine stay for 12 months in French barrels, 50% new oak and 50% 2 years; after this period the barrels are blended in big barrels of 2500 liters for 18 months. The wine is bottled and refined for 10-12 months.

Grand Veneur Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge Le Miocene is made from 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre . 

An intense dark-ruby color. The nose develop aromas of ripe black fruit (such as blackberry), cherry and spice box. The palate reveals the presence of tannins, in high quantity and elegant. The finish is long and luxurious. This is the Châteauneuf du Pape expression, displaying all the characteristics of the terroir.

Soil type: Plots are located northern part of Châteauneuf du Pape and the vines are grown under organic process.The soil is marked by the violence wrought by the Rhone river. It consists of a layer of marine molasses of the Miocene period covered by alpine alluvium. The presence of a great number of rounded stones known as "galets" in the earth is evidence of the time when the Rhone, then a torrent, tore fragments of rock from the Alps and deposited them on the plain. The GRAND VENEUR cuvee will express year after year a great power and aromatic complexity.

Winemaking & ageing: Harvest is sorted by hand, destemmed and crushed. Fermentation temperature is controlled at 30°C. Vatting period of 18 to 20 days. Matured in vats and oak casks.

Review:

"This shows smoldering intensity, with a core of steeped plum, blackberry and fig compote flavors that need some time to unwind. When they do, this has a backdrop of ganache, melted black licorice, tobacco and roasted alder notes for them to meld with. Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre. Best from 2023 through 2036. -J.M."

- Wine Spectator (Insider weekly, November 2021), 94 pts

HUGE SALE!

Grand Veneur Cotes Du Rhone Les Champauvins is made of 70% Grenache, 20% Syrah and 10% Mourvedre

Intense, brilliant garnet-red colour. It reveals lovely fruit, loads of body and a heady bouquet of ground peppers, raspberries cherry liqueur, currants, and spice box. Full-bodied and dense, it tastes more like a "baby Châteauneuf" than a Côtes du Rhône.
A complete wine, rich and elegant, thanks to the harmony of all the elements which make it up.

Les Champauvins” stretches on 34 ha classified in Côtes du Rhône. The plots are located in the northern border of Châteauneuf du Pape, exactly from 3 meters outside the appellation. It is located in the lieux dits of "Champauvins" and "Coudoulet". A small lane of rocks going through the rocky plateaux has been decided to be the AOC limit in 1936. Here, soils are made of red clay and rocks (pebbled stones of quartz). The quantity of rocks can be amazing as they can completely cover the soil. In summer and during the day, the rocks temperature will increase to 55°C. This accumulated heat will be get back to the vines during nights. Day after day, this unique phenomenon allow the grapes to reach a perfect maturity and produce a unique wine.

 Grand Veneur Cotes du Rhone Rouge Reserve is made from 60% Grenache Noir, 35% Syrah and 5% Cinsault.

The colour is purple-tinged garnet.The aromatic range of the nose goes from fresh berries (wild raspberry, blackcurrant, blackberry) to spices.The palate is big and full-flavoured, with silky-smooth tannins and aromas of the fruit already mentioned. The finish introduces touches of liquorice and pepper. A Côtes du Rhône with great complexity for an every day drinking.

A classic Rhône to drink between 1 and 4 years.

Hartford Court Far Coast Vineyard Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.

The 2019 Far Coast Vineyard Chardonnay exhibits aromas of orange zest, yellow apple, dried fruits, and spice. The flavors of tangerine, mandarin orange, and quince are followed by a long textural finish of minerals and delicate fruit.

Review:

This vineyard is located on a mountain ridge north of Fort Ross on the Sonoma Coast at 700 feet elevation, and the wine was aged for 14 months in 39% new French oak. The 2019 Chardonnay Far Coast Vineyard offers more lime citrus, saline minerality, and white peach, and the palate is fresh, energetic, and consistent with the nose. Texture-wise, it is markedly different, with more focused structure and tension.

-Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points

This mountain grown wine shows expresses ripe fruits of the warm days and the acid balance from the cool nights. Vibrant fruit aromas of blueberry, raspberry, and plum are the hallmarks of the aromatics along with a subtle cedar/cigar box note. These aromatics lead into voluptuous flavors of berries and spice in this structured, yet lively Pinot Noir.

In the Anderson Valley of Mendocino County the local residents speak an obscure dialect of English known as Boontling, developed in the late 1800s. The “Muldune Trail” was a term used in Anderson Valley lore o¬en describing the road traversing the ridge to Ukiah. There are other definitions of hitting the “Muldune Trail” that we will leave to the drinker to discover!

Review:

Pouring a deep ruby, the 2021 Pinot Noir Muldune Trail is more extracted with kirsch, polished leather, lavender, and pine. Full-bodied, this is the most powerful wine in this lineup, while having a luxurious feel, a velvety texture, and plushness throughout. Offering notes of turned soil and wooded earth, with meaty berry fruit and black tea, it’s a substantial wine but is well-made. Drink 2025-2040.

-Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points

2018 Hartford Family Winery Hartford Court Sevens Bench Vineyard Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.

True to its Carneros roots, the 2021 Sevens Bench Chardonnay carries the hallmark of the region – fruit intensity balanced by good acidity. The aromas are driven by classic lemon drop, Meyer lemon, and lemongrass. That fruit style follows in the flavors, with the citrus focus carrying through with candied lemon drop balanced by the mineral and flint characteristics inherent to the region and the clonal selections. Barrel fermentation notes in the background add even more complexity to this elegant wine.

Review:

 "A more opulent style with a richer golden hue, the 2021 Chardonnay Sevens Bench Vineyard takes on more tropical ripe fruits in its notes of golden pineapple, baking spice, and orange zest. Full-bodied, with a rich yet clean, viscous texture, ripe peach, honeysuckle, and citrus oil, it's long on the palate and has nice balance. Drink it now or over the next 6-8 years. —Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com, July 2023 94 Points

The origin of Lot C-91 began in the fall of 1969 when Joe Heitz created this one-off cuvée, which was very normal in those days, as a more premium version of his already iconic Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon bottling. Joe envisioned Lot C-91 as a greater step up in quality from the Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, with a higher quality of fruit sourcing, coming exclusively from the sought-after single vineyards of Heitz Cellar.

Lot C-91 is the culmination of 50 years of tireless effort, trial and error, and the continual desire to make a unique expression of the heralded vineyards of Heitz Cellar.

Review:

Wow. Such a racy and exciting nose! This is quite agile and nimble, full of red and blue berries in the forefront, then complemented by spiced orange, earl grey, red plums, potpourri, savory plums and chocolate. Tense and elegant on the palate, which is all about succulent red berries, nuance and texture. Nothing redundant here. A great Napa cabernet sauvignon that has real definition. A beauty by all accounts!

-James Suckling 96 Points

In 1969, Heitz produced a one-off cuvée called Lot C-91. It was thought of as an elevated version of the Napa Valley Cabernet – a 'best of the best' blend from sites throughout Napa. After a bottle of the '69 turned up and turned heads at a Heitz wine dinner, the winemaking team decided to produce a modern iteration. It's comprised of vineyards in four AVAs: Rutherford (34%), Oakville (34%), Howell Mountain (17%) and St Helena (15%). The dazzling nose instantly shows off the component from Martha's Vineyard and on the palate it walks the line between succulent, powerful, herbal and floral, showing none of the heat of the 2017 vintage. As of June 2020, this was still a barrel sample, while many Napa 2017s are already on the market.
-Decanter 96 Points

Howard Park Abercrombie Cabernet Sauvignon 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

The 2018 Abercrombie reflects the highs that can be achieved in a superb vintage when thoughtful and deliberate winemaking combine with exceptional vineyards. The color is a vivid, deep ruby, tingeing purple and betraying the wine's youth. The bouquet evolves in a measured fashion as the wine slowly aerates, filling the glass with textbook Cabernet perfume of powerful dark fruits, rubbed bay leaf, cedar, coffee beans and vanilla. Intensity and purity of fruit is the standout feature, and this transmits seamlessly to the palate, where the profound structure and effortless length also take centre stage. The harmony of rich fruit, clean and vibrant acidity and fine, abiding tannins speak to the beguiling nature of this young wine and the glorious future that awaits its patient custodians in ensuing decades. This is true West Australian Cabernet.

Named for Walter Abercrombie, the much loved Great Grandfather and mentor of Jeff Burch, the owner of Howard Park Wines, this is Howard Park's finest Cabernet Sauvignon.  

Howard Park’s winemaking philosophy is to craft elegant, age-worthy wines from our best sites in the Margaret River & Great Southern regions of Western Australia. Critical site selection, meticulous viticultural practice and detailed winemaking underline each Icon wine.

Review:

This is really fine with such polished and manicured fruit and tannins that deliver a thoroughly refined and beautiful palate with sweet dark fruit, from currants to blackberries. Long, long finish. Hard not to drink now. But one for the cellar. Try after 2025.

-James Suckling 97 Points

Ptit Paysan Cabernet Sauvignon  is made from 91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petite Verdot, 3% Cabernet Pfeffer.

Oak: 11 months on lees in neutral barrels

The Cabernet Sauvignon is sourced from a vineyard at the foot of the Santa Cruz Mountains west of Morgan Hill, which grows in a mix of granitic and volcanic soils, and a 25-year-old vineyard east of Gilroy, which grows in deep, extremely sandy soils against the foothills of the Diablo Range. The Petite Verdot is sourced from the Paicines AVA and grows in rocky alluvial deposits above the Tres Piños Arroyo. All three vineyards experience the warm days and cold nights typical of the Central Coast, allowing these late ripening Bordeaux varieties to be picked at high acidity and moderate sugars.

Le P'tit Paysan offers intense blackberry, dark cherry aromas, chocolate, herbaceous and toasty notes on the palate. Medium-bodied, well-balanced with moderate and integrated tannins that give structure and liveliness to the wine.

Pairs well with steak, duck, game, hearty stews, ribs, and dark, rich sauces.

Ptit Paysan Chardonnay Jackss Hill is made from 100% Chardonnay

Oak: Combination of neutral oak (2% new French) and stainless tanks

This wine comes from a few vineyards at the base of Jack's Hill, planted on the distinct iron oxide granite that dominates the east side of Salinas Valley, directly east of Sleepy Hollow North.
Bright, crisp and clean with orchard fruit giving way to an intense minerality.

Paysan Sauvignon Blanc Zabala Vineyard is made from 100% Sauvignon Blanc.

Paysan Sauvignon Blanc comes from Zabala Vineyard - located on a large holding on the Arroyo Seco floodplains that was part of land granted to the Zabala family before California’s statehood. It was first planted in the 1970s and has grown to encompass over 1000 acres. Zabala Vineyard is one of the rockiest vineyard I Brand works with, full of what is locally known as ‘Greenfield Potatoes’, which are the rather inedible round river stones that dominate the soil and have been collected into piles and walls at every property in the basin. This vineyard is located directly in the path of the daily Salinas Valley winds, which control sugar development and retain natural acidity. Certified organic grapes.

Tasting Notes: Light-bodied. Aromatic explosion on the nose. Lime, gooseberry, green melon, grapefruit, white peach, passion fruit. Crisp, tart, clean with bright acidity on the palate. Neutral oak ageing provides subtle creaminess, while still exhibiting trademark green notes.

Reverdy Jean Sancerre Rose is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.

Color: Pale salmon pink color
Nose: delicate aromas of roses and orange blossom that will transform into gooseberry and peach blossoms as the temperature in the glass rises. 
Mouth: The palate is crisp, lean and elegant, but the flavors are quite persistent with cherry, blackcurrant,apricot and red currant aromas.

According to the Sancerre AOC regulation, maximum yield authorized for the rosé is 55 hl/ha.

Pairs well with poultry and spicy food.

Inviting aromas of mint, marshmallow and Asian pear pull you into this drink. Surprisingly dry, this Nigori (cloudy) style sake has a rich, chewy texture. The intriguing mid palate features mint, white chocolate, and tart cherries. The finish belies our expectations with an elegant, softness of minerals that settles in a dry finish.

Pair with roast duck, dry-rub ribs, full flavored country pate, and fruit and nut desserts of light sweetness.
Mildly ripe Coulommiers or Brie, Italian Raschera.

Kershaw Chardonnay Deconstructed Lake District Cartref CY96 is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.

Sourced from the western part of Elgin, known as the Lake District, this clone produces wines that are nervous, aromatic, elegant and sharp with slightly lower alcohol and finely balanced, the fruit profile being subtle with hints of citrus/orange peel and peach blossom and with time, some nutty elements. The Cartref soils, a mixture of decomposed granite, pebbles and quartz, adds delicacy and heightens the fruit intensity.

The inspiration for my Deconstructed Chardonnay stems from my belief that the Elgin region boasts credentials that make it world-class. To bolster these regional credentials, I have set out to prove that Elgin has both a signature grape, as well as specific ‘terroirs’ (meso-climates) that reflect intra-regional distinctions. To fully comprehend this, it is necessary to dig deeper into the DNA that make up our region. To elucidate this, I have decided to make these 3 Chardonnay wines, each selected from a specific vineyard and an individual clone. Importantly, this is an ongoing story that will unfold over the coming years.

Vintage notes:

Whilst 2017 experienced a cool winter to enable good vine dormancy, the rainfall was low and followed similar conditions felt in 2015 and 2016. Budbreak took place in ideal warm sunny conditions whilst flowering was a touch earlier than normal; strong blustery winds meant pollination took longer to complete. As a result, berry set was uneven leading to some smaller berries that despite a lower yield did have good concentration of flavours. Despite expecting an
early harvest an unusually cool December slowed down ripening whilst some January rain during veraison helped nourish the soils and more importantly, helped the vine focus on grape ripening rather than foliage & root growth. Harvest took place under blue skies in
mid-March. The net result of the drier year is that the grapes had decent natural acidity, achieved steady phenolic ripeness and plenty of intense fruit flavors.

Winemaking: 

Grapes were hand-picked in the early autumnal mornings, placed into small lug baskets and tipped directly into a press before being gently whole-bunch pressed up to a maximum of 0.6 bar or until a low juice recovery of 580 litres per ton was obtained. The juice gravity-flowed directly to barrel (no pumps were used at all) without settling. The unclarified juice had no enzymes or yeast added to it and therefore underwent spontaneous fermentation until dry, with malolactic discouraged. The wine rested in barrel for 4 months prior to judicious sulphuring and a further 7 months’ maturation in barrel before racking and bottling.

Review:

"A single clone (96) grown on a single parcel from a single vineyard of Cartref soils (decomposed granite and quartz). Roasted grain, wet stones, and lemon peel aromas. Precise and tightly coiled with an intense mineral character and yellow fruit and citrus zest flavors finishing with a smoky gunflint note. Matured in 50% new oak."

- International Wine Review (Richard Kershaw Lifts Elgin To New Heights, February 2019), 93 pts