Sokol Blosser Big Tree Block Pinot Noir is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
1970 was winding down when our founders, Bill Blosser and Susan Sokol Blosser pulled their ’68 VW Camper up to an abandoned prune orchard some 30 miles southwest of Portland. These moonstruck kids had little farming experience and just a basic knowledge of winemaking. What they did have, in abundance, was a passion for growing the Pinot Noir grape and creating world-class wine. Soon after settling on this extraordinary land, they planted their first vines and cinched their place as pioneers in Oregon’s budding wine industry.
Review:
A very impressive wine for the striking sense of spice, white-pepper and briary, forest notes, across red cherries. The palate has sapid, focused style with such taut yet silky tannins holding long and true. Pure red cherries here. Drink or hold.
-James Suckling 94 Points
Tasting notes: A brand new wine from this tremendous vineyard, The Sokol Blosser Kalita Vineyard 2021 Estate Pinot Noir bursts with classic Yamhill-Carlton dark-fruit notes, including black cherry, cranberry, and blackberry. Warm spices, espresso, and woodsy forest floor are backed up with grippy tannins to balance the fruit.
Sonoma Bench Chardonnay is made from 100 percent Chardonnay.
Rich golden in color. Balanced oak and toast aromas transform into layers of vanilla and brioche amid pear and apple. A luscious wine on the palate; flavors progress with lime citrus, white peach and lemon curd. Texture is silky and rich with just enough firm acidity to achieve a balanced wine whose flavors linger on the palate. Enjoy now or cellar for 2 years.
Sonoma Bench Pinot Noir comes entirely from the heart of the Russian River Valley, and Green Valley AVA situated on Burnside Rd.
This Pinot Noir shows a deep ruby/garnet red color. The aromas are fresh with raspberry, red fruits with a soft earthy tone. There are vanilla notes from French oak barrel aging. The pallet is lush with roundness, texture, and fruit purity. Tannins are balanced and the finish is firm and refreshing. The length of the wine is elegant and shows harmony and textural balance. 2021 was an exceptionally short harvest in Russian River Valley.
Enjoy now or cellar for 3-5 years,
La Spinona Barbaresco Secondine is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.
This single-vineyard Barbaresco comes from his 3.5 hectares on the cru of Secondine. It is the commune of Barbaresco below the zone of Rabaja Basa and Paje and is where Gaja’s San Lorenzo is located. It is 230 meters above sea level with a southern exposure.
Excellent with game, red meats, truffle dishes and aged cheeses.
Color: Deep ruby red with a hint of garnet in the reflections.
Bouquet: Bright bouquet full of cherries, raspberries, licorice and floral notes.
Taste: Elegant and refined with delicate, soft tannins. It is fresh, velvety and extremely well balanced.
Review:
-James Suckling 94 Points
Spinona Bricco Faset Barbaresco is made from 100 percent Nebbiolo.
This single-vineyard Barbaresco comes from Pietro Berutti's 8 hectares of coveted vineyards on the top of the historic hill, Faset. It is 270 meters above sea level with a south, south-east exposure. The vines are an average of 35 years old. Only organic farming practices are used. The natural fertilizer comes from the 100 head of cattle that they have and no herbicides or pesticides are used.
Barbaresco shows a deep ruby red color with garnet reflections. An intense bouquet with hints of ripe cherries, wild berries and spice. White pepper, licorice and mint blend with enticing floral notes. Mouth-filling and well-structured with a full, velvety body and an austere and long finish.
HARVEST: late October. The grapes are harvested by hand in perforated baskets to allow air to pass through the bunches. The pressing is soft. Cold maceration for 24 hours at 12°C (for certain years).
WINEMAKING: Soft pressing with an initial cold maceration on the skins for 24 hours at 12C. Specially selected yeasts are used. Fermentation takes place for 12 to 14 days in stainless steel at 28-29 °C under temperature controlled conditions. There is a pumping over on the skins. After malolactic fermentation, the wine is racked and goes through a delicate pressing to obtain only the best wine.
AGING : 12-15 months in large 25 hectolitre wooden barrels of Allier and Slavonian oak.
REFINING: in the bottle for 12-15 months in a temperature-controlled environment.
Excellent with game, red meats, truffle dishes and aged cheeses.
This single-vineyard Barbaresco comes from Pietro Berutti's 8 hectares of coveted vineyards on the top of the historic hill, Faset. It is 270 meters above sea level with a south, south-east exposure. The vines are an average of 35 years old. Only organic farming practices are used. The natural fertilizer comes from the 100 head of cattle that they have and no herbicides or pesticides are used.
Barbaresco shows a deep ruby red color with garnet reflections. An intense bouquet with hints of ripe cherries, wild berries and spice. White pepper, licorice and mint blend with enticing floral notes. Mouth-filling and well-structured with a full, velvety body and an austere and long finish.
Review:
La Spinona Cru Bergera Barolo is made from 100 percent 100% Nebbiolo Lampia
The Beruttis bought 4 hectares in 1994 in the then relatively unknown zone of Novello which lies on the confines of Monforte and Barolo. A Sorì is an entirely south-facing vineyard. This Sori lies at 230 meters. It is named for the great grandfather that started the Barbaresco vineyards. The vines are an average of 40 years old. Bergera comes from the mid part of the vineyard and is dedicated to Pietro's grandfather who started the estate.
Brilliant deep ruby red with garnet reflections. Rich fruity bouquet with hints of cherries, violets liquorice and mint. Good structure with full, cherry-ripe flavors. The tannins are gentle and the spice subtle. It is an elegant wine of great finesse and drinkability. Excellent with wild game, roast, braised or stewed red meats, truffle dishes and aged cheeses.
Opulent floral top notes carry you into an opaque purple core, imparting aromas of black currants, dark red cherry coulis, cigar box, and allspice berries. Powerful yet soft tannins are balanced with a delightful freshness of acidity. The palate is silky with nuanced flavors of cassis, ripe blackberry, and Morello cherry. The long finish invites you to discover the wine’s evolving layers.
Review:
This is, as usual, a beauty, perhaps more so thanks to a great vintage. It is classically Napa Valley, and classically “house styled” by Aron Weinkauf, with black and blue fruit, supple, approachable tannin structure and great depth of aroma and flavor. That said, keep in mind that this isn’t the winery flagship offering. Even in this price range Lyndenhurst is always a solid value, and is so again – maybe even a little more than usual. Decant well if you crack into this in the near term, or age it for the long term. Contains 10.6% Merlot, 3.8% Petit Verdot, 3.5% Cabernet Franc and 2.9% Malbec. (Rich Cook)
- Wine Review Online 95 Points
A juicy red with black currants and balsamic. Bark and mushroom. Iodine, too. Medium body, creamy texture that tightens at the end. An energy and firmness in the finish.
-James Suckling 94 Points
Young and present, this is an energetic and bold expression of violets, lavender, and cassis mixed with dark chocolate, cherry, plum, and graphite. A wine happy to be tucked away in the cellar, and it’s also expressing itself beautifully now.
Review:
Lovely fragrant blackberry and black cherry fruit, cassis, and rich tobacco spices with lovely fresh earth notes and a sweet kiss of new wood cedar. Incredibly concentrated dark berry fruit with fabulously angular tannins with smooth long beams with crisp edges. Purple florals, dried sagebrush, and chocolate shavings with lids of graphite and deep iron-like mineral character. And a finish of dark saturated fruit that goes and goes for days. There are purple floras too. Polished and bright, with vivacious acidity and freshness evident from the sip to the finish. Wow, this wine.
-Decanter 98-100 Points
St. James Winery Blackberry - NV is made from blackberries
10.4% Alcohol by Volume
12.7% Residual Sugar
Is it fresh picked blackberries in a bottle or St. James Winery Blackberry wine? Tough call.
Sweet and delicious served chilled with your favorite dessert or for no reason at all, except to enjoy.
Select Wine Competition Awards:
2011 GOLD San Francisco Chronicle
2010 SILVER San Francisco Chronicle
Made from cherries
10.4% Alcohol by Volume
13.5% Residual Sugar
Sweet and tart, St. James Winery’s Cherry Wine is better than rip cherries fresh from the tree. Tastes great with grilled pork or, for dessert, with milk chocolate.
Select Wine Competition Awards:
2012 GOLD Los Angeles International (92 points)
2012 GOLD Taster’s Guild
2012 SILVER Dallas Morning News / TexSom International
2013 SILVER San Francisco Chronicle
2012 SILVER Long Beach Grand Cru
2012 SILVER Indy International
2012 SILVER San Diego International
2012 SILVER New World
2012 SILVER Pacific Rim
2012 SILVER Riverside
2012 SILVER Houston Rodeo
2012 BRONZE International Women’s
2012 BRONZE NextGen
2012 BRONZE San Francisco International
2012 BRONZE Lone Star International
2012 BRONZE International Eastern
2012 BRONZE Florida State Fair International
Made from cranberries
7% Alcohol by Volume
15% Residual Sugar
Crafted from real cranberries for an authentic fruit taste. Fruit forward style and nicely balance of sweetness and tartness with a clean finish. Seasonal offering for consumer enjoyment in November and December, a time of year where Cranberry recognition and use is at its highest.
St. James Winery fruit wines are the most awarded fruit wines in the USA offering the taste profile that consumers love: sweet, vibrant and authentic.
Sweet and tart with bright, festive cranberry colors, aromas and flavors. Our Cranberry wine offers refreshing, freshcranberry acidity with a nice, long cranberry finish. Enjoy with your holiday turkey or mix it up for a festive cocktail!
Halter Ranch Vineyard Ancestor Estate Reserve is made from 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Malbec, 17% Petit Verdot,
Their flagship wine, Ancestor is their Bordeaux-style reserve blend, and an homage to the Ancestor Tree, the largest Coast Live Oak on record. The 2019 Ancestor showcases aromas of red currant and dark chocolate along with subtle hints of cinnamon and clove. The entry is soft and rich with layered flavors of blueberry, blackberry, and dark cherry. The mid- palate is thick and mouth coating with balanced acid. The finish is framed by integrated tannins and delicate flavors of caramel and truffle.
Pair with roasted meats, reduction sauces, and hearty stews.
Review:
Cabernet is more than half of this wine, with Petit Verdot and Malbec making up the rest. Rich and ripe with deep black plums and plenty of Christmas spice with just a touch of evergreen tips freshness. The palate is lushly fruited, rich with blackberry jam, chocolate and cherries and a touch of smoky cedar to finish. Rich, redolent fruits and dusty cocoa powder mark the finish deep and long-lasting. (CP)
-Decanter 91 Points
Clos Saint-Jean is a 41-hectare estate in Châteauneuf-du-Pape run by brothers Vincent and Pascal Maurel. Considered by many critics and wine-writers as the preeminent estate espousing the modern style of winemaking in Châteauneuf, this cellar is one of the oldest in the region, having been founded in 1900 by the greatgreat-grandfather of Vincent and Pascal, Edmund Tacussel. A short time after its founding and well before the AOP of Chateauneuf-du-Pape was created in 1923, Edmund began bottling estate wines in 1910.
The farming at Clos Saint-Jean is fully sustainable due to the warm and dry climate, which prevents the need for chemical inputs. Instead, Vincent and Pascal employ organic methods for pest control, mainly pheromones, to prevent pests from taking up residence in their vines, a process called amusingly enough in French, confusion sexuelle. The vines tended manually, and harvest is conducted in several passes entirely by hand.
Deus ex Machina is a literary and dramatic term for a miraculous intervention that interrupts a logical course of events in a plot or play. A suitable name for a cuvée that had it’s start in the torrid vintage of 2003 when Philippe Cambie and Vincent Maurel made the decision to harvest at the end of September, weeks after their neighbors. Deus ex Machina is a blend of old vine Grenache from La Crau, aged in tank with equally ancient Mourvedre from the sandy soils of BoisDauphin aged in demi-muid. Deus ex Machina is only made in the best vintages.
Review:
Lastly, the 2022 Châteauneuf Du Pape Deus-Ex Machina shows a similar profile to the Combes des Fous, yet it brings another level of tannins and concentration. Kirsch liqueur, white flowers, sandalwood, cured meats, and graphite notes all shine here, and it's full-bodied, has a deep, layered, powerful, yet weightless profile, lots of ripe tannins, and a blockbuster of a finish. This ripe, sexy, seamless, incredibly impressive beauty will compete with anything in the vintage. As usual, this cuvée is 60% Grenache and 40% Mourvedre, which is brought up in roughly 40% new demi-muids.
Review: Jeb Dunnuck 97 Points