Argot Pinot Noir Sonoma County is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
Everything you have come to expect from an Argot Pinot Noir, shone through the filter of a textbook-perfect vintage. We simply can not get over the quality of fruit this wine displays! Intense, yet fresh; fruity, yet spicy; brambly, yet juicy; immediate, yet lingering. A Pinot Noir that displays the variety’s natural come-hither attitude, while succinctly capturing its intriguing nature. There are not enough superlatives to describe this wine. Almost too easy to love!
VINEYARD Multiple vineyards throughout Sonoma County, including both valley floor and high-elevation hillside sites
PRODUCTION 600 cases
VARIETAL 100% Pinot Noir
CRUSH Night harvested by hand beginning in mid-September, concluding at our coolest sit on October 13. Cluster and berry sorted by hand, de-stemmed, no crushing
FERMENT 7-day cold soaks, followed by native fermentation in open-top containers, with the grapes fermenting on their skins for an average time of 14 days.
AGING 16 months, French oak barrels, 7% new, remainder once-used. Never racked prior to bottling. Bottled un-fined, unfiltered.
NOTES Singularly great. 2018 was an all-time vintage for California’s North Coast, achieving rarely before experienced heights. A mild summer gave way to Autumnal perfection, allowing cooler areas the opportunity to ripen their crop while chemistries remained perfect. What arrives in bottle is nothing short of a pinnacle representation of Sonoma County Pinot Noir — profound depth of pure, red Pinot Noir fruits, caressing textures balanced by deep minerality and a quenching acidity.
No Syrah terroir in Sonoma County compares with Sonoma Mountain’s northwest crown—cool fog-affected mornings, sun-bathed afternoons, cooled by persistent coastal breezes, and temperate evenings. The soils in Steiner’s Syrah blocks — ashy and moondust-like, littered with decomposing sea bed — further contribute to the unique nature of this site. After a 3-vintage hiatus, I am thrilled to be back working with Steiner Vineyard’s Syrah. By its nature, this slow-to-ripen, cool-climate site produces fabulously deep, intense, structured wines. Now, raising a big, brawny Syrah is no rare act of alchemy. It is the wonder of Steiner’s terroir — a magical elegance and beauty, informing the inherent power, depth and intensity — that makes this bottling so special. 2016 produced a classic wine that deftly balances massive flavors and texture, while retaining vital freshness, and a palpable sense of cool. Production was low, so get it while you can. Simply a “WOW” wine, not to be missed.
VINEYARD: Steiner Vineyard. Located at 1,100 ft, on the northwest crown of Sonoma Mountain. CRUSH: Early morning harvest by hand, October 1st, cluster and berry sorted, destemmed and crushed. FERMENT: 5-day cold soaks, followed by 14 day native fermentation in open-top bins. AGING: 20 months, French oak, 100% new, mixture of 300L hogsheads and barrique shapes. Never racked prior to bottling. Bottled unfined, unfiltered.
Review:
"Refined and stylish, featuring a complex core wrapped in multilayered blackberry and blueberry flavors, laced with bitter chocolate, black licorice and smoky meat notes. Drink now through 2030.- Tim FISH"
- Wine Spectator Insider (January 15th 2020), 93 PTS
Ayni is the quechua name of a principle of reciporcity practised for centuries by the andean cultures, it means in order to receive something you first have to give. Ayni is also the name of our most special vineyard, located in Paraje Altamira one of the best appelations within Uco Valley in Mendoza.
Argentina has a history of sparkling wine production since the early 1960’s.
Tasting Notes: Aged for 18 months on its lees before disgorgement. It’s a creamy with a nice toast aroma. It is made in a well-balanced style, with fine bubbles and a dry, palate-cleansing finish.
Vineyards: 100% Altamira in the Uco Valley subregion
Soil type: Sandy loam over calcium carbonate coated gravels, 30 to 50 cm deep
Grapes: 100% Pinot Noir
Average age of the vines: 10 years
Winemaking: Methode Traditionnelle (Champenoise). Aged sur lattes for 18 months. Made following the tratidional method, fermentation goes until it gets totallay dry. No liquor is added to keep the freshnes, elegance and purity of is clean profile.
A versatile wine, good on its own or paired with any food.
"An impressive first release for this all-Pinot Noir bubbly from Paraje Altamira, aged for 18 months on its lees before disgorgement. It’s a creamy, bready, well-balanced style, with fine bubbles and a dry, palate-cleansing finish. A fizz to watch. 2017-22"
- Tim Atkin (Argentina Special Report 2017), 92 pts
"Perhaps with the same sort of structural power that Altamira reds possess, this sparkling rosé shows something immutable in body, lively texture, bracing acidity. The wine spent 18 months on the lees and this, no doubt, provides flavor complexities well beyond the fruit, but still the fruit predominates with intense aromas, substantial, and crisp, lively acidity. If what you’re looking for is a sparkler for carpaccio or roast beef, this is it."
- Descorchads 2018, 94 pts
Babylons Peak Chenin Blanc is made from 100 percent Chenin Blanc.
Babylon's Peak winery, situated on the highest weathered granite slopes of the Paardeberg Mountain, is privately owned by the Basson family who has passed down the tradition, passion and art of winemaking over four generations. Predominantly low-yield dryland bushvines are selected to produce these excellent wines with distinctive character.
The Chenin Blanc grapes were picked from very old dryland bushvine vineyards. The vineyard grows on weathered granite soils, contributing to the flavor of the grapes and mineral character of the wine. Production is limited to 5 tons/ha.
The grapes were harvest by hand at 22.1°B. The grapes were destalked and lightly crushed. Only the first 450 litres free-run juice per ton were fermented in stainless steel tanks at a cold temperature (10-12°C) for 21 days. The wines was left on the fermentation lees until bottling.
A crisp, fresh and fruity Chenin Blanc from low-yield dryland bushvines.
Pairs with salads, seafood, chicken and other light dishes. The perfect wine for every occasion.
Bertrand Bachelet Maranges Rouge is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The Maranges appellation is the youngest of the Côte de Beaune family, making its debut in May 1989. It spans three villages: Dezize-les-Maranges, Cheilly-les-Maranges and Sampigny-les-Maranges. Several hills and slopes make up this appellation, that are south/south-east-facing. This appellation produces mainly red wines comprising 95% of total production.
Bertrand Bachelet Maranges is produced from two villages, Aux Artaux and En Crevèches, both situated in the Cheilly-les-Maranges area. The vineyards spreads over 1.42 hectare (3.50 acres).
The wine offers a deep red color with purplish highlights, a powerful nose with aromas of raspberries, blackcurrants, and small red candied fruits. A silky texture, fresh and elegant on the palate.
Ideally paired with red meat or a more exotic dish, such as nems, grilled ribs or braised pork.
Bertrand Bachelet Maranges Rouge is made from 100 percent Pinot Noir.
The Maranges appellation is the youngest of the Côte de Beaune family, making its debut in May 1989. It spans three villages: Dezize-les-Maranges, Cheilly-les-Maranges and Sampigny-les-Maranges. Several hills and slopes make up this appellation, that are south/south-east-facing. This appellation produces mainly red wines comprising 95% of total production.
Bertrand Bachelet Maranges is produced from two villages, Aux Artaux and En Crevèches, both situated in the Cheilly-les-Maranges area. The vineyards spreads over 1.42 hectare (3.50 acres).
The wine offers a deep red color with purplish highlights, a powerful nose with aromas of raspberries, blackcurrants, and small red candied fruits. A silky texture, fresh and elegant on the palate.
Ideally paired with red meat or a more exotic dish, such as nems, grilled ribs or braised pork.
Roland Champion Champagne Non Vintage Brut Rose Carat (magnum) is made from 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Meunier and 33% Pinot Noir
The Champagne rose shows an orange salmon color coming from the red wine base. The pinot meunier brings red fruit aromas of strawberry and raspberry with hints of spices. The palate is juicy and harmonious with good depth and minerality. A delicate balance between Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier and Pinot Noir.
It is a blend of 93% White juice (made from 33% Chardonnay, 33% Pinot Meunier and 33% Pinot Noir) and 7% Pinot Noir red wine. The grapes used to produce the Coteaux Champenois red wine are coming from their vineyards near the Village of Verneuil.
Review:
"Eye of the partridge color. With a bouquet that evokes leesy hints of red cherry and berry with a touch of stone fruit, this is a finely sculpted wine, beautifully balanced with rich flavors of cherry, shortbread,and a hint of honeyed apricot. A rosé Champagne that’s complex and dry with good palate depth and length. A blend of 20% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, and 40% Pinot Meunier; 7-85% of the juice is red wine (Pinot Noir) from 2013 vintage of Coteaux Champenois Rouge from the village of Verneuil. 3+ years on the lees." - I-WineReview (Champagne: Diversity and Change, January 2020), 92 pts
"A delicate, subtle Champagne, delivering aromatic notes of mulling spices and yeast that accent the flavors of kirsch, bread dough, candied lemon zest and rose petal. This is finely tuned, with lively acidity and a minerally finish. 330 cases made. –AN"
- Wine Spectator , 91 pts
"Bright orange. Aromas of blood orange, dried rose, allspice and minerals, with a subtle note of anise. Juicy and precise, with very good depth to its spicy red berry and citrus pith flavors. Finishes smooth and long, with excellent clarity and lingering spiciness."
- Stephen Tanzer's International Wine Cellar , 91 pts
"Champion is a small grower in Chouilly, in the Cotes des Blancs, an area known for fantastic chardonnay. This rosé — of which he makes only about 330 cases — includes 10 percent red wines (pinot noir, pinot meunier) to give it a pale, salmonlike color and a beguiling palate of cranberries, strawberries and currants. Wow. And yum."
- Washington Post, ***
Mollydooker Blue Eyed Boy is made from 100 percent Shiraz.
Dense in color with vibrant dark purple hues. A complex, alluring and lifted nose of blueberry, dark cherry, caramel and hints of vanilla bean leap from the glass. Powerful yet delicate, the wine voices luscious layers of fresh berries, black pepper, coffee and a finishing note of chocolate cream. Full bodied, well defined tannins provide the backbone, as the wine fills the mouth and continues to evolve with every glass poured.
Review:
WHO IS THE BLUE EYED BOY?
The Blue Eyed Boy is Sarah’s son, Luke. Stomping grapes as a kid and now heading up the Mollydooker Sales Team.
TASTING NOTES:
The 2022 Blue Eyed Boy is impressively deep in colour, displaying vibrant dark purple hues. Its aromatic profile is both intricate and inviting, with scents of blueberry, fresh plum, and subtle hints of mocha cream bursting from the glass. This wine is a balance of strength and finesse, delivering layers of lush, fresh berries and a touch of aniseed spice, culminating in a final note of creamy chocolate. With generous and dynamic layers, the wine allows the gentle tannins to craft a smooth and enduring finish, ensuring a truly memorable experience.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
The grapes were grown on the Coppermine Road, Gateway, Long Gully Road and Mollydooker Home vineyards in McLaren Vale, and Joppich vineyard in Langhorne Creek. Barrel fermented and matured in 100% American oak, using 54% new and 46% one year old barrels. The required Marquis Fruit Weight™ for the Family Series is 75% – 85%. The Actual Fruit Weight for 2022 Blue Eyed Boy is 79%.
Alcohol: 16.5%