Organic + Biodynamic Wine

Winemaker Description 

100% Gewurztraminer from estate fruit averaging 35 years-old. Certified Organic and Biodynamic. White wine. Alsace, France. The 2022 vintage expresses a powerful and complex bouquet of exotic fruits, flowers, and spices. The enveloping palate strikes a delicate balance between power and finesse.

Domaine Albert Mann is heralded the world over as being in the top-tier of Alsace producers. Using organic methods guided by biodynamic practices, the Domaine cultivates precisely controlled yields to obtain grapes of elevated maturity and complexity, resulting in wines that produce their own unique style. Never heavy, clumsy or out of balance, each carefully-crafted vintage presents a beautiful delineation of flavors and precise textures. Winemaker Description. 

Producer Description 

Life is a blank slate – filled with possibilities, promise, and potential. It falls on us to take each step of our journey living life to the fullest and turning those myriad possibilities into the reality we desire. And that desire is at the heart of Aldez Blanco. Bottled directly after its second distillation, our Blanco pairs and blends perfectly with the possibilities that lie before each one of us.

With its flavors of pure agave, untouched by outside influences and unaged, Aldez Blanco is fresh and ready to join you in taking life by the reins and forging your own unique path. 

Our Professional Review

Rand Sieger of 67Wine.com writes | An approachable and tasty Bordeaux. Merlot is the dominant grape and Cabernet Sauvignon plays a supporting role, adding complexity. There are aromas and flavors of blackberry, blueberry, dark plum, black cherry, licorice, and cedar all with a beautifully persistent finish. Made with organically grown grapes.

Winemaker Description 

While this is a fruit-forward Moroccan red, it is made in an OldWorld style with moderate extraction, excellent balance, and complex aromatics: plenty of ripe purple black fruits and dark confiture, with hints of sandalwood. 

Winemaker Description

Intense purple red. To the nose rich with red fruits, ripe black cherry, blackberry and blackcurrant. It opens up and offers ethereal scents after a little while. 

Tannins are strong. Long, warm and soft finish.

Ideal match for local dishes of the Maremma, wild boar and venison meat. It also goes perfectly with Pecorino Toscano DOP. Winemaker Description.

Expert Review

Vinous 94 Points | Shimmering red. Spice-accented raspberry and cherry aromas, along with a powerful floral topnote that gains power as the wine opens up. Silky and energetic on the palate, offering alluringly sweet, sharply delineated red fruit, spicecake and rose pastille flavors that show a suave blend of depth and litheness. Fine-grained tannins build slowly on a very long, spice-tinged finish that shows excellent clarity and a zesty mineral quality. 

Winemaker Description

Using their now well-established technique of cold-soaking the Petite Sirah portion of the co-ferment and then infusing it into the fermenting Zinfandel ten days later, Frog's Leap locks in the freshness of the fruit and accentuate the elegance of the resulting wine.

A dash of Carignane adds additional acidity and structure, preserved nicely by their practice of aging Zinfandel largely in small concrete tanks. The resulting wine is beautiful: deeply flavored, balanced, and fresh—a great summer drinker to be sure, especially with a quick chill. But don’t be afraid to put a few bottles away in the cellar; like all Frog's Leap Zins, this wine has decades of life ahead of it.

Expert Review - Vintage 2023

Wine Enthusiast 93 Points | A balanced, refreshing and satisfying Sauvignon Blanc, this crisp white wine dances with flavors of lime and grapefruit, lemongrass and papaya with a sprinkle of sea salt. Lifted and delicious with an ultralong finish. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022 

Audrey Frick writes:  Another potential wine for a Top 100 list, the 2022 Pinot Noir Select is a jeweled red/ruby color and offers a fantastic bouquet of spicy fresh herbs, pomegranate, peppery spice, and wildflowers. Medium-bodied, it’s energetic and lifted on the palate, with a mouthwatering feel and fine, well-defined tannins. I love its texture, which has a crisp feel with notes of orange peel through the finish. It’s a more angular wine for this vintage, and I love it. The estate has backed off punch downs and is working with more delicate pumpovers instead, and it shows. It’s very pretty and transparent in its feel. Drink 2025-2040.  - Jeb Dunnuck 95

Tim Fish writes:  Vibrant and floral, with expressive raspberry and cranberry flavors that are laced with pretty notes of rose petal, forest floor and dusky spices as this glides toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2032.  - Wine Spectator 93

Eric Guido writes:  The 2022 Pinot Noir Select is wonderfully perfumed with spice-tinged red berries, cloves and dusty flowers. This is juicy and energetic on the palate, with raspberry and cherry depths slowly saturating the senses. This finishes long and sapid with fine tannins framing exotic spices and inner florals, all enlivened by a bump of residual acidity.  Drinking 2025 to 2031.  - Vinous 93

Erin Brooks writes:  The 2022 Pinot Noir Select is bursting with blueberry and pomegranate on the nose, plus accents of orange peel, tea leaves and forest floor. The medium-bodied palate is finely chalky and bright, and its long, flavorful finish calls you in for another sip.  Drinking 2024 to 2034.  - Robert Parker Wine Advocate 92

Samantha Cole-Johnson writes:Pale ruby in colour. Gorgeous, stemmy spice on the nose with green cardamom, rose and bright, tart Bing cherry. Really lovely. Fresh mouth-watering acidity with lightly drying tannin and a long, earthy potting-soil-kissed finish. Refreshing. Ready now.   Drinking 2024 to 2030.  - Jancis Robinson 17+

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Audrey Frick of Jeb Dunnuck.com writes 91 Points | Bottled under screwcap, the 2022 Pinot Noir Red Cap is a rich but reflective ripe ruby red. On the nose, it’s pure and inviting, with ripe aromas of candied cherries, sweet spice, pressed roses, and forest floor. Medium-framed and ripe, it maintains good freshness and an approachable chalky texture, with fine-grained tannins and a clean finish. It’s a charming wine to drink over the next few years. 

Vinous 90 Points | Vivid red. Spice-accented red fruit and floral scents. Weighty yet quite lively for the vintage, offering bitter cherry and red currant flavors that deepen slowly as the wine opens up. Finishes with solid grip, subtle tannins and spicy cut, leaving a suggestion of cherry pit behind.

Winemaker Description 

Established in 1982, Montinore Estate is one of the largest producers of certified estate wines made from Biodynamic grapes in the country. With their 200-acre Demeter Certified Biodynamic and Stellar Certified Organic vineyard located in north Willamette Valley in Oregon.

Initial aromas of red currant, glacé cherry and tomato lead into notes of freshly tilled earth, tobacco and pencil shavings. The entry on the palate is soft and approachable, with a surprising density that contrasts a distinct acidity. Flavors of marionberry, black raspberry and cocoa powder mingle with beautifully integrated tannins. A medium finish brings a touch of salinity to the back palate.

The 2022 growing season was dominated by a series of signicant weather events, that would directly impact the quality of the vintage. Towards the end of March and into early April, warmer weather brought new life to the vines and encouraged bud break from certain varieties, such as Chardonnay; but then, on April 11, freezing temperatures, snow and frost arrived in the Willa-
mette Valley.

Both Montinore Estate and Tidalstar Vineyard were modestly aected, pushing forth lower-yielding, secondary buds. A stunning Fall period with temperatures up to 80 degrees until mid-October, allowed more than enough time to have
safely picked nearly all of our intake. Reasonable volumes of very high-quality fruit have resulted in vibrant, interesting, and focused wines. We look forward to sharing them with you in the forthcoming years!

A beautiful vintage and a commitment to thoughtful winemaking are well reected in this release of Red Cap Pinot Noir. A carefully constructed blend of Pinot Noir from Montinore’sestate vineyard in the Tualatin Hills AVA and Tidalstar VineyardLin the Yamhill-Carlton AVA, both of which practice regenerative farming practices and carry Biodynamic® Demeter certication.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

James Suckling 94 Points |  Fresh strawberries and cherries with some orange peel and flowers. Cedar, black olive and violet undertones. Medium-bodied with firm and racy tannins that give energy and focus. Tangy and fresh with slightly bitter citrus on the palate at the end. 90% sangiovese and 10% merlot. Drink or hold.

Monica Larner of The Wine Advocate 92 Points | The organic Tenuta Sette Ponti 2022 Crognolo is a blend of 90% Sangiovese and 10% Merlot. The wine has a core of blackened fruit with plum and cooked blackberry, but it also shows varietal hints of Sangiovese, with pressed rose and sweet potting soil. It finishes with medium texture, some fruity freshness and more black fruit flavors. This wine (with 150,000 bottles made) represents a selection of fruit from a historic clone of Sangiovese found here. 

Antonio Galloni of Vinous 92 Points | The 2022 Crognolo is a fine entry-level offering from Sette Ponti. Dark, vibrant and persistent, the 2022 races across the palate with dark-fleshed fruit, chocolate, licorice, cloves, menthol and licorice. I especially admire its energy. Grippy tannins support the finish nicely. 

The Wine Spectator 91 Points |  Black cherry, blackberry, lavender and spice aromas and flavors signal this dense red, which is tight and compact, yet has plenty of fruit and a well-integrated structure. Fine length. Sangiovese and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2038.

Winemaker Description 

A medium-bodied white with aromas of green apple, papaya, lemon zest and wet stone. Fresh and clean with tangy acidity and a more mineral finish. 

Winemaker Description

Situated in the southern part of the Appellation, this estate goes back eight generations and is currently run by brothers Daniel and Frederic Coulon, and Daniel’s sons Victor and Antoine.  The Domaine owns 32 hectares of vineyards, the farming of which has been certified biodynamic by Demeter since 2010. 

Made from old vines of different varieties growing together, with moderate yields, the 2021 Boisrenard is characterized by the silky weave of its tannins and its generous fruit. A wine of immense depth.

Expert Reviews

Winemaker Description

The 2019 Bernardot is dark and austere with wonderful nuances of ripe red fruit. Tannins are very silky and delicate in this 2019, showing a lot of finesse, typical from the Barbaresco area. It’s an elegant and very expressive Barbaresco. One of the favorite vineyards of winemaker Alessandro Ceretto.

Expert Reviews

Wine Advocate Monica Larner 95 Points writes | The organic Ceretto 2019 Barbaresco Bernadot shows a broader character and a more open-knit personality compared to the Asili. There is a lot of dark fruit, spice, truffle and earth to frame the medium-build of this elegant wine.  (2019).

Wine Spectator 94 Points | A bright red, delivering a core of cherry and raspberry fruit supported by earth, mineral and wild herbs. Intense, complex and dense, this is solidly built and persists with an aftertaste of dark fruit, mineral and spice. Best from 2025. (2019).

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

Decanter 94 Points | Grgich's 2020 Napa Cabernet is a bright, energetic, savoury-styled Napa classic. Its effusive black fruits and spearmint aromas give way to a medium to full-bodied red with a dusty tannin backbone framed by almost electric acidity. This impressive, tightly-knit, lovely structured Cabernet will prove a standout of the vintage. Winemaker Mike Grgich turned 100 on April 1, 2023. That's no April Fool's joke. It would be almost unthinkable that even in a challenging vintage, after innumerable challenging vintages, that Miljenko Grgich, the immigrant from Croatia who crafted the Chardonnay that took top honours at the 1976 Paris Tasting, would not bottle a wine in 2020. It's a good thing he did. 

James Suckling 90 Points | Aromas of sweet red and purple berries, dried hibiscus, moss and thyme. Full-bodied with firm tannins. The aromas continue onto the palate, with the sweet fruit as the star of the show. 83% cabernet sauvignon, 11% merlot, 5.5% petit verdot and 0.5% cabernet franc. From organically grown grapes. 

Winemaker Description 

This elegant, graceful wine opens with aromas of blackberries, blueberries, sweet blackcurrant and ripe black cherry, supported by hints of vanilla and sandalwood. The flavors on the palate are of fresh, red and black berry fruit accompanied by hints of rosemary and violets. The richness of the fruit is balanced with a bright acidity and soft, smooth tannins leading to a long and vibrant finish.

Winemaker Description

Don Miguel Vineyard. Named after the late patriarch of the Torres family, this organic vineyard is located in the Green Valley- the coolest, foggiest region of the Russian River, only ten miles from the Pacific. Displays vibrant, luscious fruit reminiscent of blackberries and dark cherries.

This is a wine of precision, finesse and balance, rich and opulent on the palate, with supple tannins. It will continue to develop and gain complexity with age, at least for another 10 years. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022 

Allen Meadows writes;  Ripe though not aggressive sauvignon blanc aromas include plenty of citrus, lemongrass and only a suggestion of the classic cat pee character. Once again the middleweight flavors possess an appealing mouthfeel that is in keeping with the clean, dry and lingering finale where a few years of keeping should help to add depth.  Drinking from 2025.  - Burghound 🖤 Outstanding

Neal Martin writes:  The 2022 Saint-Bris Exogyra Virgula is rather entrancing on the nose: Golden Delicious, elderflower, grassy meadow and lanolin scents. The palate is well defined with a potent menthol component. A touch of aniseed makes the finish very distinctive. Very fine. With further aeration the nose reminds me of Japanese shiso leaf.  Drinking 2024 to 2032.  - Vinous 90

Winemaker Description

Domaine Goisot's place in the wine world is beautifully summed up by Burghound's Allen Meadows: "No one but no one delivers more quality for the price than Goisot. The quality is flat out amazing, particularly given the modest appellations with which he works".

Guilhem and and father Jean-Hugues Goisot, like all top vignerons in France, recognize that great wine comes from great viticulture, and they work tirelessly in the vines to ensure that their parcels are as well care for as possible. Their viticulture is certified biodynamic, with great pains taken to produce as natural an environment for the vines, and a particular goal of stimulating the natural defenses of the vines against disease and depredation.

Here’s the meaning behind the bottle’s name: “Exogyra” is an extinct genus of fossil marine oysters dating back to the Jurassic era, deposited deep into the earth under the vines; “Virgula” means comma, referring to the curved shape of the oyster shells. The wine also happens to go remarkably well with oysters.

Winemaker Desciption

Pinot noir grapes from our home ranch, Redwood Valley Vineyards, were hand harvested in late September of 2020. The bunches were carefully destemmed into a stainless steel tank for fermentation. The mixture of skins, seeds and juice were cold soaked for 24-48 hours to begin flavor extraction.

After a CCOF (California Certified Organic Farmers) approved yeast was added, the must was mixed two times per day to continue extracting color and tannin. These pump-overs are critical to enhancing the aroma and fla- vor from the pinot noir grape. Once fermentation is complete, the must was delicately pressed and aged on French oak for 9 months.

Medium ruby in color, this wine is brimming with captivating aromas of Queen Anne cherries, fresh cranberry and notes of cola. On the palate, flavors of ripe red fruit preserves, vanilla and a hint of oak. With firm acidity and unassuming tannins, this wine delivers a soft, luscious finish. Incredibly versatile in the pairing department, or as a sipper all by itself.

Expert Reviews

James Suckling writes:  Exquisite mix of dark fruit and earthy notes wrapped up with violets. Great fruit concentration and tension on the palate, with an extra dimension of blood orange fruit, a medium body and tight tannins that are polished on the finish. It shows sucrosity and is very crunchy. Drink or hold.  - James Suckling 95

Eric Guidoo writes:  The 2022 Teroldego mixes rich dark fruits with earth tones, leather and spice to create a truly inviting bouquet. This is soft-textured and round with juicy acidity and masses of mineral-tinged wild berry fruits that cascade throughout. It finishes wildly fresh yet still long and potent, leaving the mouth watering as hints of wild blueberry slowly fade. The 2022 is completely open for business yet with a balance that will carry it for the next three to five years in the cellar.  Drinking 2024 to 2029.  - Vinous 91

Winemaker Description

100% Teroldego. Referred to simply as "Foradori" by the Foradori when speaking of their various wines, this is the estate's core red: first bottled by Elisabetta's parents back in 1960 and their largest production today. It comes from 9 hectares of estate vines, planted from 1956 to 2005 on the flat, sunny, well-drained Camp Rotaliano plateau right around the winery.

The soils are a range of alluvial sand and gravel and feature Dolomitic limestone. Older vines are trained traditionally in pergola; younger vines are trained on wires in guyot. The farming is certified-biodynamic. There are 15 separate parcels, all hand-harvested and vinified separately. The bunches are partly destemmed and partly left intact, depending on the vintage; the uncrushed berries and the whole clusters are layered in cement tanks, where they ferment spontaneously with indigenous yeasts and no sulfur. The wine is aged for around a year in well-worn, 20-40-hectoliter botti and bottled without fining or filtration and with a small dose of sulfur.

Our Professional Review

Bart Hopkins of 67Wine.com writes | Savory, earthy and slightly wild in style, Elisabetta Foradori sculpts one of Italy’s finest natural wines. Luscious dark fruits and violets on the nose pick up some spice and wild herbs on the palate. Medium bodied with good depth of flavor and detailed complexity that winds through the finish with purity and a touch of exotic funk. Works great with vegetarian dishes and is a great match to wild game.

Winemaker Description 

Montesecondo represents the purest expression of the Sangiovese grape that this earth produces. The aging process occurs in cement tanks, allowing the grapes tannin to soften, leaving space for the fruit to express itself and giving light to the wine. The grapes, 100% Sangiovese, come from our younger vines with a planting density of 6250 plants per hectare.

Winemaker Description

100% Lambrusco Salamino (a particular sub-variety of Lambrusco known for thick skins, dark color, high acidity and tight bunches). Certified-organically farmed, hand-harvested fruit from 50-year-old vines, crushed and spontaneously fermented in small steel tanks. Fermentation is spontaneous and is taken to complete dryness. Secondary fermentation takes place in the bottle, initiated by the addition of fresh grape must. The bottles are hand-riddled and -disgorged. No sulfur is added at any stage of the process. 

Expert Review

Bart Hopkins 67Wine.com | Made from organic grapes and fermented in the bottle with no added sulfites, Rosso Viola is a dark ruby with a terrific bouquet of aromatic cherries, strawberries and violets. In the mouth, the tiny bubbles have an elegant, persistent creaminess that brings forth a highly sophisticated mouthfeel with energetic flavors that linger deliciously through the finish. Some supple tannins make this a great wine for pizza, cured meats and strong cheeses.

Winemaker Notes 

"Maraschino cherry, pomegranate, smoked meat, earth and rosemary flavors highlight this sleek red, which is defined by vivid acidity and solid tannins, with a dry, sinewy finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2037. 3,000 cases made, 1,250 cases imported."

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021

James Suckling 92 Points | A dense, velvety and delicious Chianti Classico showing aromas of Morello cherries, wild berries and dried flowers on the nose. Medium-bodied with fine tannins. Plenty of texture, with a core of berries funneling through. Flavorful finish. Drink or hold.

Bruce Sanderson writes:  Maraschino cherry, pomegranate, smoked meat, earth and rosemary flavors highlight this sleek red, which is defined by vivid acidity and solid tannins, with a dry, sinewy finish. Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Best from 2026 through 2037.  - Wine Spectator 91

Antonio Galloni of Vinous writes 91 Points | The 2021 Chianti Classico is an elegant, gracious wine. Crushed flowers, bright red-toned fruit, tobacco, cinnamon and dried flowers all take shape in a decidedly delicate, understated wine from Rampolla. A model of elegance and finesse, the 2021 is showing beautifully today. There is perhaps just a touch of VA in the bouquet, but it is not especially evident. The blend is 80% Sangiovese, 16% Merlot and a dollop of Cabernet Sauvignon. The Sangiovese was aged in cask, while the French varieties were raised in smaller French barrels.

Winemaker Description 

Cuma Malbec is NOP certified organic. Terroir: Sourced entirely from estate vineyards high in Argentina’s northwest Andes. This extreme elevation lends itself perfectly to organic viticulture. Hot days, cool nights, lack of rainfall and a dry shallow soil allow for minimal human interference to the natural growth cycle of the vines. Vinification: All organic practices are carried over from vineyard to winery where the wines are carefully handled throughout the entire vinification process.

Cuma is produced to be drunk young, therefore little oak is used in the winery; instead the wines are aged at cool temperatures in stainless steel tanks in an effort to showcase their natural complexity and deep fruit flavors.

Sharp, lively red with violet hues. Intense legs reflect the wine structure, dying the glass like shiny cherries. Aromas of plum marmalade typical of Malbec combine with raisins, vanilla and hints of rosemary. Fruity on the palate, soft with pleasantly sweet tannins

Winemaker Description

100% Aglianico del Vulture Cantine del Notaio is a Demeter certified Biodynamic estate located in the rugged volcanic hills of Mount Vulture in Basilicata.

Atto is the sort of wine you don't expect from the Aglianico del Vulture denomination. Fruit of the hard work and efforts of Cantine del Notaio in this exceptional denomination, and under the direction of Professor Luigi Moio, Atto represents the quintessence of mountain wine. A fine, clean-cut and most enjoyable red, characterised by a remarkable freshness and resolute minerality.

In its production, after rigorous and selective harvesting by hand, a short maceration follows that ensures all the Aglianico's tannin and freshness are retained in the wine. The ageing process takes place in the spectacular underground cellar, excavated into the volcanic ground. After a minimum of 12 months in used French oak barrels, Atto is released onto the market as a young and well-formed wine, that's also rich, complete and, despite its youth, possessing a finely tempered profile of the rough Aglianico.

Appearing a lovely, intense ruby colour, that denotes both its youth and its potential, Atto reveals on the nose a rich array of aromas, ranging from cherries to violets, pencil lead to spicy notes. The pleasant acidity and the smoothness of its tannins afford it an amazing persistence with hints of fresh fruit and meadow flowers.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022 

Wine Advocate 94+ Points | This was a good year for Barbera, a grape that has a shorter growing season compared to Nebbiolo and that generally likes the heat. The Vietti 2022 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Scarrone offers a deep, rich color, sweet tannins and bold fruit flavors from vines that were planted in 1989. Scarrone fruit always has a point of freshness because these vines are positioned on the east-facing slope, whereas the Vigna Vecchia occupy the south-facing part of the hill. The wine ages in oak for 16 months, with 10 months in barrique and six months in bottle.

Vinous 94 Points | The 2022 Barbera d'Alba Vigna Scarrone is a classy, elegant wine. Today's Scarrone marries finesse and power with notable style. Racy dark red plum, mocha, new leather, licorice and spice are all beautifully delineated. This deep, classy Barbera is lights out.

Winemaker Description

Ruby purple color with intense aromas of ripe red and black cherries. With refreshing acidity, rich tannins, full body, the single vineyard Scarrone has finesse, excellent balance, great complexity, integration and a long lingering finish.

Pair with earty stews, seasoned pasta and poultry with rich sauces, game, roasted red meats and sharp cheese.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022 

Jeb Dunnuck 96 Points | The 2022 Pinot Noir Les Dijonnais comes from the oldest vines on the property, planted in 1995 with all Dijon clones. Bottled in late January of this year, the wine sports a vibrant ruby hue and shows off notes of wild raspberries, mixed berries, a hint of fresh violets, clove spice, forest herbs, and brambly earth. It’s chiseled in its structure, with coiled tannins and a good deal of youthful tension, and also offers mineral persistence, with wonderful salinity and dark undertones of earth. It demands another few years in cool cellars to soften and expand as it evolves and will drink well over the long haul. Drink 2026-2040. 590 cases were produced.

Winemaker Description 

Planted in 1995, the Dijon block is now in its prime, delivering the complexity and elegance one expects from carefully tended twenty-six-year-old vines. The 2021 “DJ,” as it is known in-house, shows characteristic black raspberry and rose hip notes. Consistent with previous vintages, it displays Asian five spice, briar and even hints of blood orange coupled with a refreshing acidity and persistent finish. It is a superior vintage, one of the best of the decade. While the 2021 Les Dijonnais Pinot Noir is delicious right now, it will reward patience after a few years in a cool cellar.  Winemaker Description.

Winemaker Description

François de Nicolay succinctly described the 2020 growing season as "dry and hot with enough of both to create at least some degree of hydric stress. There wasn't much disease pressure though and the fruit was super-clean when we arrived at the harvest. We chose to begin picking on the 17th of August and continued through to the 26th and brought in yields that were only about 60% of normal though with better acidities than we obtained in either 2018 or 2019. 

Expert Reviews

Wine Advocate 90 points Opening in the glass with aromas of cherries, berries, loamy soil and peonies, the 2020 Pernand-Vergelesses 1er Cru Les Vergelesses is medium to full-bodied, with a velvety attack and a deep core of fruit, framed by lively acids and powdery tannins that assert themselves on the finish.  —  Outstanding.

Alan Meadows 90 Points | An earthier and not quite as spicy array is comprised by notes of red and dark berries with a similar plethora of pretty floral nuances. The mouthfeel of the medium weight flavors is again super-sleek thanks to the moderately fine-grained tannins supporting the firm, youthfully austere and sneaky long finale. At least some patience advised. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2017 

Wine Advocate 95 Points | Already bottled, the 2017 Quintessa displays a deep garnet-purple color. The nose needs a little coaxing before it reveals bold, expressive notes of crushed red and black plums, black currant jelly, wild blueberries and kirsch with nuances of camphor, cloves, cedar and lilacs plus a hint of oolong tea. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has beautifully expressed, elegant red and black fruit layers, with a sturdy, grainy frame and plenty of freshness, finishing long and earthy.

Decanter 93 Points | Power and concentration from the first nose, underbrush and spice box notes show traces of the drought of the 2017 summer, turning into liquorice, bitter black chocolate, sweet fig and tight-berried fruit as it opens. Flavourful and compact, with subtle hints of thyme and sage, lacks some freshness but this is a well structured enjoyable bottle. From a beautiful, one-block vineyard in Rutherford, with vines on terraces planted around a lake. 76% new oak. Blend completed with 1% Petit Verdot. Tasted twice.

James Suckling 95 Points | Crushed berries, incense and blackberries with black-olive undertones. Extremely perfumed. Medium to full body. Very intense for a 2017. Crafted and polished. Long and caressing. Elegant. Drink or hold. 

Winemaker Description

A medium-bodied Pinot Noir with remarkable floral, cherry and raspberry aromas. In the mouth, bright fruit flavors with a wonderful texture and extraordinary acidity. Smooth and balanced with a long, silky and velvety finish.

Expert Review

92 Points Wine Spectator | A medium-bodied red with aromas of wild raspberries, porcini, dried herbs and smoked meat. Powdery, fine tannins with a chalky feel. Concentrated and taut with a savory, mineral finish. Drink or hold. (2019)

Expert Review - Vintage 2015

Wine Spectator 91 Points: A fresh and elegant red, with a lovely range of spice, graphite and violet aromas wafting through notes of pure black cherry and mineral. Long and creamy, with fine-grained tannins firming the herb-laced finish. Drink now through 2029.

Wine Advocate 92 Points: Made with organically farmed fruit, the Tormaresca 2015 Castel del Monte Aglianico Bocca di Lupo is one of the top-end wines from this estate and indeed the whole region of Puglia. This pure expression of the mighty Aglianico grape opens to a deep array of dark fruit flavors followed by sweet spice, tobacco and savory smoked bacon. This is a linear, but full-bodied expression with the tannins to cut through a juicy rib-eye steak. It ages in oak for 18 months.

James Suckling 94 Points: This shows real freshness for the aglianico grape, contributed in part by the fresh sage and thyme undertones and also the backdrop of fresh blueberries and citrus. Hints of charcuterie. Full-bodied and ripe, but very structured and fine with elegant, caressing tannins. From organically grown grapes.

Winemaker Description

Uncork a bottle of real Organic Pinot. Pacific Redwood doesn't stop halfway when it comes to bringing you organic wine. It's not just grown organically, but processed organically. Bright smooth with flavors of berry and spice and a crisp floral finish- all from organically-grown grapes with no added sulfites or other synthetic preservatives. Sustainability is a way of life for this family winery, and they invite you to join them. Pacific Redwood Pinot is acceptable for vegans. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2022 

Wine Enthusiast 92 Points | The beauty of Pinot Noir is the multifaceted hues, colors and tastes. This natural wine offers up cranberry, mulberry, spice-studded orange, dried herbs, flowers and fresh caramel cooking on the stove. A long, engaging finish invites you to take another sip. Fatty tuna would work well with this one.