Hightower Cabernet Sauvignon Red Mountain is made from 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot.
As Hightower Cellars' signature wine, Cabernet Sauvignon is a classic Red Mountain wine – bold and full of the flavors that make this region so special. As much as possible, Tim and Kelly Hightower take a non-interventionist approach to winemaking. They place great emphasis on vineyard selection, picking, pressing, and blending so that Hightower wines are naturally beautiful and free from pretense. They let the powerful and concentrated fruit from Red Mountain speak for itself. The result is a collection of well-balanced, nuanced wines that reveal something new and interesting each time you open a bottle.
Aromas of tart blueberry and lush red cherry dominate the nose, while firm tannins and full body lend structure to this inky, pigmented wine. The palate features notes of dark fruit, fresh cut wood, and dried tobacco. This wine is an excellent candidate for decanting, as the aromas evolve wonderfully over time to express softer, lush fruit and hints of herbs and spices.
Red Mountain AVA 100% (Hightower Estate Vineyard 56%, E&E Shaw Vineyard 44%)
New Oak 71%, Neutral Oak 29% (American 67%, French 11%, European 11%, Hungarian 11%)
Un-fined and un-filtered
Pairs with grilled red meat, fig and olive tapenade, bacon wrapped dates.
Holocene Apocrypha Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Apocrypha Pinot Noir tends to showcase the blue and black end of the fruit spectrum, along with a brambly, floral, dried sage and thyme profile, higher acid than the Memorialis and more power.
We tend to enjoy this wine with lamb merguez sausage and saffron rice.
Holocene Apocrypha Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Apocrypha Pinot Noir tends to showcase the blue and black end of the fruit spectrum, along with a brambly, floral, dried sage and thyme profile, higher acid than the Memorialis and more power.
We tend to enjoy this wine with lamb merguez sausage and saffron rice.
Review:
The outstanding 2023 ‘Apocrypha’ was aged for 9 months in 25% new French oak and saw100% whole cluster fermentation. This is lush, round and rich on the mouth with serious texture, tannin and mouthfeel. Dense red and dark fruits collide with salty minerals and volcanic stony accents on the palate. A stunning wine that is already drinking well, enjoy over the next fifteen plus years to come.
Owen Bargreen 94 Points
Holocene Aureolin Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
164 cases produced
Holocene Memorialis Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Holocene Pinot Noir Memorialis is a blend of 777, Pommard and 115 clones from MonksGate vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, and it saw about 20% new French oak for 16 months prior to bottling. It is always the lighter and more feminine of the two Holocene wines, with red fruits, white flowers, dried herbs, mushroom and forest floor aromatics, bright acidity and a lithe texture, long finish.
By now, everyone knows that the Willamette Valley is an amazing place to grow Pinot Noir. When I relocated from Napa Valley to partner up with Force Majeure Vineyards, I knew I also wanted to start a project where I could focus attention on a varietal and growing region that I loved. Part of the excitement of being in the Pacific Northwest is the ability to have access to so many amazing vineyards and so much diversity, along with the opportunity to push boundaries and try new things – something that is becoming increasingly difficult in other growing regions.
We partner up with a few very small, diverse and amazing vineyards in the Willamette Valley, sourcing fruit from these dry-farmed sites that emphasize low yields, sustainable practices and produce outstanding fruit.
The wines are crafted in the same way I have been making wine since I was carrying it out at Bryant Family Vineyard in the Napa Valley — utilizing very low-impact, non-industrial techniques, native yeasts, little extraction and little new oak, and never filtering or fining. This allows a real sense of place to show through in the wines that is often dimmed when too much manipulation is undertaken.
Our first vintage was 2015, and was released in early 2017. As production is currently extremely small, the best way to get the wines into your hands is to join our mailing list at the “Mailing List” link above to receive an allocation when we have a release. We release wines once per year, and they will be sold on a first come, first served basis, shipped straight to your door.
Review:
The 2021 Pinot Noir Memorialis is more complete and layered, with beautiful ripe cherry and redcurrant fruit as well as spice box, dried, smoky herbs, and savory flower-like aromas and flavors. Textured, medium to full-bodied, and balanced, it has the fruit and texture to shine even today yet the density and structure to evolve for 10-12 years as well.
- Jeb Dunnuck 95 Points
Holocene Memorialis Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Holocene Pinot Noir Memorialis is a blend of 777, Pommard and 115 clones from MonksGate vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, and it saw about 20% new French oak for 16 months prior to bottling. It is always the lighter and more feminine of the two Holocene wines, with red fruits, white flowers, dried herbs, mushroom and forest floor aromatics, bright acidity and a lithe texture, long finish.
By now, everyone knows that the Willamette Valley is an amazing place to grow Pinot Noir. When I relocated from Napa Valley to partner up with Force Majeure Vineyards, I knew I also wanted to start a project where I could focus attention on a varietal and growing region that I loved. Part of the excitement of being in the Pacific Northwest is the ability to have access to so many amazing vineyards and so much diversity, along with the opportunity to push boundaries and try new things – something that is becoming increasingly difficult in other growing regions.
We partner up with a few very small, diverse and amazing vineyards in the Willamette Valley, sourcing fruit from these dry-farmed sites that emphasize low yields, sustainable practices and produce outstanding fruit.
The wines are crafted in the same way I have been making wine since I was carrying it out at Bryant Family Vineyard in the Napa Valley — utilizing very low-impact, non-industrial techniques, native yeasts, little extraction and little new oak, and never filtering or fining. This allows a real sense of place to show through in the wines that is often dimmed when too much manipulation is undertaken.
Our first vintage was 2015, and was released in early 2017. As production is currently extremely small, the best way to get the wines into your hands is to join our mailing list at the “Mailing List” link above to receive an allocation when we have a release. We release wines once per year, and they will be sold on a first come, first served basis, shipped straight to your door.
Review:
"A Bing cherry aroma slinks its way up from the glass, followed by spicy whispers of cardamom and cinnamon. Straw and chalkboard dust scents seal the deal. After a tannic black tea note materializes on the palate, the wine's cranberry and raspberry flavors punch the tart button. You can feel the tannins, but they aren't grippy. The acidity, however, lets you know it is ready for juicy business. Memorialis is quietly becoming one of Oregon's best Pinot Noirs. — Michael ALBERTYS"
- - Wine Enthusiast (October 1st 2025), 98 pts & Editor's Choice
Alain Jaume Gigondas Terrasses de Montmirail is made from 65% Grenache the rest Syrah, Mourvèdre by less than 15%.
Deep red garnet color. Aromas of ripe and black fruits. On the palate the wine is rich, powerful and harmonious - well balanced with wild berry and pepper dominating.
Soil types
Located in and around the famous area called “Dentelles de Montmirail”, the landscape typicity is made by a rocky bar (between 100 and 600 meters high). Soils are made of clay and sand with limestone. The “Dentelles” appeared thanks to the pressure between the Pyrenees and Alps mountains. This is a land of predilection to produce both powerful and fresh wines. Nights are cooler and the grapes ripeness usually comes in late September.
Winemaking & aging
Traditional wine-making in stainless and concrete vats. Crushed and destemmed grapes. Average of 18 days of vatting with pigeages. Ageing in vats mostly and oak barrels. Bottling after 12 – 14 months.
Obsidian Vineyard Syrah is bathed in terroir. The vines experience severe stress, pushing the roots ever deeper through rock in search of water, producing miniature clusters of intense power. Given the wine’s natural propensity for tannin, we take extreme care in the cellar to chisel/whittle its rough edges and leave room for richness to flatter its distinctive scaffold. The mid-palate supports flavors of roasted coffee beans, sarsaparilla, and dark chocolate. The finish marches on long after most wines have tired.
Our estate vineyard — the six-acre Obsidian Vineyard in the Knights Valley AVA — has an incredibly complex soil structure. It takes its name from a layer of volcanic obsidian rock that was discovered when we drilled for water.
Chocolate ganache, black currants, fig, graphite, and an expansive mouthfeel.
Review:
"Joe Donelan believes his Obsidian Vineyard is one of the world’s greatest sites for Syrah. I’ve visited the site twice, and can say candidly it certainly sits among the most striking vineyards I've ever laid eyes on within the U.S. It sits like a rock on a promontory—two switchbacks to reach the top—and the stones under the top soil, quite literally, never stop emerging from the ground. The place has an ancient, almost sacred, temple-like feel. It is consistently swept by afternoon breezes. The vineyard was replanted in 2017 after fires ravaged it. Winemaker David Milner laid out the site at denser spacing than before, at 2,000 vines per acre to keep yields per vine low while still achieving sensible tonnage, averaging around three tonnes per acre. Viognier was planted for co-fermentations, alongside some Cabernet Sauvignon, for a single vineyard bottling of that grape. ‘God put on his viticultural hat when he designed this site,’ says Milner. The vineyard is planted with ENTA 174, 877, and Alban 1 clones, along with Donelan Heritage selections certified virus-free. The wine, the 2023 vintage release (the first from the new vines), was aged for 21 months in 36% new oak and co-fermented with 1.8% Viognier, using 32% whole clusters. And it is positively gorgeous: composed of nine different blocks, each fermented separately, then assembled through sequential blending, with no racking until bottling. From just five-year-old vines, this wine is utterly extraordinary—something oddly achievable from young vines on rare occasion. I tasted this wine from the same bottle over three days. While the high-toned espresso-bean and cedar accents are present at first pull of the cork, they mellow out a day later, and the fruit profile is so vibrant. This is the sign of an excellent wine. I first tasted wines from the Donelan’s Obsidian Vineyard years ago at Tasting Panel Magazine in the late, great Anthony Dias Blue’s office. Cushing Donelan showed the wines, and to this day, I recall the first moment I put my nose into a glass of Obsidian Syrah. In early January of 2026, as I nosed this brand new release of Obsidian Syrah, I was transported straight back to that tasting twelve years ago. What’s remarkable is that the aromatics are unmistakably the same, yet from these new, more densely planted vines, the aromas are more refined—precision-farmed wines from young vines delivering a level of detail and poise that feels beyond their years. So what’s in the glass? Pure red, black, and blue fruit nuances layered with tobacco, white truffle character, violet pastille, and an intoxicating perfume. White pepper notes emerge on the medium- to full-bodied palate, framed by velvety tannins. Iron-like and crushed slate minerality underpins dazzling black cherry and blackberry fruit, brown spices, and blood orange richness. There’s a velvety, iron-fist quality here that exudes polish, complexity, and undeniable quality. You want to drink it now—and you absolutely can—but it will also reward time in the cellar. Either way, you’ll be utterly wowed. And when you realise the price is under £100, the achievement becomes even more staggering. As these vines mature, what will become of them in subsequent vintages? I suspect that as the vines mature, they'll go in and out of phases, but so long as Mother Nature cooperates, I expect this wine to continue to dazzle each vintage. - Jonathan CRISTALDI"
Decanter (January 5th 2026), 100 points
This is the first vintage of the Obsidian Syrah after wildfires torched the vineyard in 2017, leading to significant redevelopment. Throughout all those years, the Donelans have exhibited remarkable patience and a clear sense of purpose. This is their reward: a truly magnificent, towering wine of the highest level.
Knights Valley is one of the most magical grape-growing districts in the United States, but it is not very well known because only a few estate wineries are located there.
The 2023 Syria Obsidian Estate is one of the most profound, moving wines I have tasted in Sonoma County. Blackberry, gravel, incense, chocolate, lavender, and dried herbs race out of the glass. Delicate yet powerful, the 2023 is spectacular. It is also very fairly priced in today’s market.
Vinous 100 Points