Pinot Noir

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Burghound Allen Meadows | Ripe yet very fresh aromas include those of red and dark pinot fruit along with floral top notes, in particular violet. The vibrant and delicious, if not especially dense, middleweight flavors conclude in a dusty and lingering finish that flirts with rusticity. Solid quality here in a package that should reward mid-term keeping.

Expert Review - Vintage 2022

Burghoud Allen Meadows 93-96 Points | An expressive, ripe and airy nose features the relatively primary essence of plum liqueur, kirsch, spice and earth notes. The strikingly intense and sleek larger-bodied flavors possess only average concentration yet there is impressive power on the moderately austere and beautifully long finish that tightens up noticeable as it sits on the palate. I suspect that this will flesh out and add richness with time in bottle though like several wines in the range, this is going to require extended patience.

Winemaker Description

While the 2021 vintage is defined by concentration and fine tannins often found in warm, dry vintages, it is nuanced by the freshness and liveliness typical of this cool growing region. The balance of elegant, forward profiles from the Bearman Bend Vineyard with the structured, spice-driven qualities from Monument Tree Vineyard come together to create a compelling snapshot of the Anderson Valley. Aromas of ripe wild strawberry rose and cedar on the nose are complemented by supple tannins and a long, lifted finish.

Expert Reviews

James Suckling 93 Points | Nicely deep in black fruit and savory flavors, this well-balanced wine offers excellent focus, depth and length. It’s medium- to full-bodied, moderately tannic and delicious. Stays fresh with good acidity from the first sip to the lingering finish.

Decanter 92 Points | A Pinot Noir blend of grapes from Bearman Bend, the Twomey estate in Anderson Valley, along with Ferrington Vineyard and Monument Tree Vineyard fruit. Lovely, bright, crunchy red fruit, rich cedar spices, dried floral notes, and dusty minerals. Satiny fruit races across the palate, along with plump tannins, electrified by terrific acidity. The fruit concentration is penetrating but never overpowering and is framed by a clove powder and cedarwood dusting on the long finish. Director of Winemaking Justin Hirigoyen has moved the program further away from whole cluster fermentations to avoid too much vintage variation, and readers should expect a consistent fruit-forward, structured style in Twomey's Anderson Valley Pinot Noir.

Eyrie Vineyards | Estate Pinot Noir | Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, Oregon | 2022 | Organic

Eyrie Vineyards is one of Oregon's most historically significant wineries — the estate that put Willamette Valley Pinot Noir on the world map. Founded in 1966 by David Lett, who planted the first Pinot Noir vines in the Willamette Valley, Eyrie has been at the forefront of Oregon wine for over half a century. Today, Jason Lett continues his father's legacy with the same commitment to minimal intervention, regenerative farming, and wines of extraordinary purity and terroir expression.

The Estate Pinot Noir is a blend from Eyrie's five certified-organic estate vineyards in the Dundee Hills — one of the Willamette Valley's most celebrated sub-appellations, known for its ancient Jory volcanic soils, gentle slopes, and the ideal combination of warm days and cool nights that allow Pinot Noir to ripen slowly and develop remarkable complexity. Farming follows the precepts of regenerative no-till viticulture, with strict attention paid not just to the vines but to the healthy networks of soil organisms that support them — capturing atmospheric carbon, avoiding artificial irrigation, and nourishing the vines without additional fertilizer.

Harvested by hand, the Pinot Noir is destemmed and fermented natively in a variety of vessels, from small one-ton bins to a 5-ton wooden cuvée. Barrels are predominantly neutral (only 8% new for this vintage), preserving the purity and transparency of the fruit. After native malolactic fermentation and nearly two years of aging, the wine is blended, racked once without filtration, and bottled under Diam cork.

The 2022 is transparent ruby in the glass. The nose is pure, floral, and lifted — fresh red cherries, roses, blackberries, violets, pine needles, forest floor, and dried herbs. On the palate, weightless yet structured, with fine-grained tannins, bright acidity, and flavors of raspberry, cherry, black tea, cinnamon, cacao nibs, and a hint of bone marrow. Elegant, defined, and built to age. Drink now through 2034.

Pair with roast duck, mushroom risotto, salmon, lamb, charcuterie, and aged Pinot-friendly cheeses.

• Producer: Eyrie Vineyards
• Appellation: Dundee Hills AVA, Willamette Valley, Oregon, USA
• Grape: Pinot Noir
• Vintage: 2022
• Farming: Certified Organic; regenerative no-till
• Vinification: Hand-harvested; native fermentation; predominantly neutral oak; unfiltered; Diam cork
• Drink: Now through 2034
• Bottle Size: 750ml

Critical Acclaim — Vintage 2022

• Jeb Dunnuck — 93 pts: Pure and lifted — fresh red cherries, roses, spices, and fresh forest herbs. Fine-grained, well-defined tannins. Weightless but with a juicy feel. Should be very appealing over the next 8–10 years.
• James Suckling — 93 pts: Pure, elegant, complex and savory — red cherries, black tea, savory herbs. Medium body and moderate tannins support fresh red fruit, cloves and minerals. Tangy and well balanced.
• Wine Enthusiast — 93 pts: Blackberries, violets, pine needles, duff and mushroom. Tart black cherry and lemon zest joined by cacao nibs and bone marrow. Crisp acidity and silky tannins.
• Wine Spectator — 93 pts: Elegantly refined — raspberry and cherry accented with cinnamon, black tea and spice. Fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2034.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020 

Wine Spectator 93 Points | The 2020 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts opens in the glass with notes of plums and wild berries mingled with aromas of orange oil, exotic spices, smoked duck and loamy soil. Medium to full-bodied, layered and muscular, it's finer-boned and less overtly powerful than its 2019 and 2018 predecessors, even if it's still a serious, structured, concentrated wine.

Barrel Sample: 93-95 Burghound 93 Points | This is the first wine to show any appreciable reduction though the whole cluster vinification does peek through the funk. Once again, the bigger-bodied and much more muscular flavors possess a highly attractive texture thanks to the generous dry extract that partially buffers the prominent tannic spine supporting the robust, powerful and gorgeously complex and persistent finish. This is a classic Malconsorts which is very much built to reward longer-term cellaring.

Barrel Sample: 93-95 Decanter 96 Points | A dense, almost creamy, concentrated cassis fruit, adorned with notes of smoke, spice and salt. Focused, with plenty of tannin and extract, this is a wonderful wine. 2020 saw tiny yields from Dujac's 1.55ha in Malconsorts - no more than 10-15 hl/ha. The fruit was partially destemmed and fermented slowly prior to ageing. The wine gets the same 16 months in 70% new casks that the grand crus receive. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2019

Burghound 92 Points | A much earthier, riper and more deeply pitched nose speaks of black cherry, cassis and humus nuances. There is strikingly good volume and mid-palate concentration to the dense, serious and powerful flavors that conclude in an austere, balanced, very compact and sneaky long finish. This is a big Clos de Vougeot that isn't particularly refined, but it is undeniably impressive.

Decanter 93 Points | In a warm, dry year like 2019, the results are delightful, with bright red fruits and a silky, subtle texture. Lighter than the offerings from Vosne but also very worthy.

Expert Reviews

Burghound Allen Meadows 95 Points | A subtle touch of wood serves as a suitably discreet backdrop for the exceptionally floral-infused and perfumed nose that offers up additional notes of spice, red currant and pekoe tea. The round, refined and lilting if impressively intense flavors are blessed with excellent punch and power while exhibiting a lovely salinity on the built-to-age finish. This refined effort is very classy, indeed the word Zen comes up mind.

Neal Martin of Vinous 95 Points | The 2016 La Grande Rue Grand Cru has a very pure, almost pastille-like bouquet with copious red cherry fruit mixed with crushed strawberry and a little cassis. La Grande Rue? [Post script: Bingo!] The palate is very pretty with fine-grain tannin. This is surfeit with freshness and vitality, although it does not quite have the depth and structure of other Grand Crus from the appellation. It does fan out towards the finish. The persistence, and the saline aftertaste are very appealing. Excellent. Tasted blind at the 2016 Burgfest tasting.

Jasper Morris 94-97 Points | A little more density to the colour. Impressive intensity of floral notes, even some slightly darker fruit notes for a change. Fine density to this, as discreet as you want up front, but nonetheless more detail than the earlier wines, very silky texture across the middle, not an extra burst of intensity but still a thread of velvet which endures for much longer. Red fruits, not quite the blood orange I have noted in some vintages, and certainly the exquisite elegance that Nicole is searching for. Very classy, is it quite intense enough? The little traces of acidity are entirely woven in, a faint sign of whole bunch in the final texture. Fruit comes back behind. You could miss the point of this or adore it. Tasted: October 2017

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020 

Wine Advocate 95 Points | The 2020 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru is no less impressive. Exhibiting aromas of plums, red berries and cassis mingled with orange rind, cinnamon, vanilla pod and spices, it's full-bodied, deep and layered, with a concentrated core of fruit, lively acids and a long, rose-inflected finish.

Barrel Sample: 95-97 Burghound 94 Points | This is aromatically similar to the Clos St. Denis but even more floral. Here too there is a wonderfully attractive mouthfeel on the powerful, muscular and dense broad-shouldered flavors that are also blessed with an abundance of dry extract that buffers the massively persistent finale. This terrific effort is a blend of power and refinement and a wine that should age accordingly. A "wow" wine and on the better wines of the vintage.

Barrel Sample: 94-97Decanter 97 Points | Complex and aromatically nuanced, showing well-developed plummy fruit, with accents of earth, leather, smoke and spice. The initial feel on the palate is tannic and concentrated, but the wine is still approachable and supple, with a lovely, long line to the lingering finish. Superb wine. Dujac owns nearly 2ha here, scattered across six parcels and five of the different lieux-dits, including the original Clos de la Roche, Les Froichots, Les Fremières, Monts Luisants and Les Chabiots, giving a balanced view of this grand cru. 

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Expert Review

Burghound 93 Points | Ultra-spicy red and black berry aromas combine with those of jasmine tea, violet, star anise and discreet oak. The succulent, rich and delicious flavors possess excellent volume and mid-palate density while exhibiting a subtle minerality on the firm, serious and built-to-age finale that also flashes a touch of warmth. This is terrific and in 2019 it is a bit more elegant than usual. 

Expert Reviews

Wine Advocate 93 Points | Notes of red berries and plums mingle with hints of rose petals, peonies, grilled meats and forest floor in an inviting bouquet, introducing Rousseau's 2019 Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru Clos des Ruchottes, a medium to full-bodied, bright and lively wine that's ethereal and perfumed, with a pretty core of fruit and a long, saline finish. Barrel Sample: 93-95

Burghound 95 Points | An elegant combination is comprised by notes of various red berries, especially essence of cherry, along with anise, the sauvage and a pretty dollop of spice elements, all of which is trimmed in enough wood to notice. The energetic and beautifully well-detailed and tautly muscular yet elegant flavors brim with an abundance of dry extract and minerality while concluding in a decidedly sleek and stunningly long finish that evidences a hint of youthful austerity. This markedly firm effort is gorgeous and possesses the wherewithal to age and improve for two to three decades.

Vinous 96 Points | The 2019 Ruchottes-Chambertin Clos des Ruchottes Grand Cru has a thrilling bouquet struck through with mineral-rich red berry fruit that teasingly takes time to unfurl in the glass; you can sense the limestone, and hints of graphite emerge later. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins, quite piquant in style, leading to an edgy, slightly chalky finish that bristles with energy. This has great potential as a poised Ruchottes. Barrel Sample: 96-98 

Winemaker Description

Wife & Husband Winemaker 

The wine shows aromas and flavors of red berries, herbs, and purple flowers. The palate is rich with ripe fruit and medium weight with bright acidity and fine tannins. Aging in 40-70% new Burgundian pièce brings notes of vanilla, toast, and baking spices.

Red Burgundy might be the world’s most flexible food wine. The wine’s high acidity, medium body, medium alcohol, and minimal tannins make it very food-friendly. Red Burgundy, with its earthy and sometimes gamey character, is a classic partner to roasted game birds, grilled duck breast, and dishes that feature mushrooms, black truffles, or are rich in umami. 

Expert Review

Burghound 93 Points | Here the less expressive nose flirts with reduction though a wisp of red berry fruit is discernible so I would suggest decanting this if you're game to try a bottle young. Otherwise the succulent and nicely rich flavors are blessed with abundant amounts of dry extract that coats the palate and buffers the moderately firm tannic spine on the youthfully austere and sneaky long finish.

Expert Review

Burghound  | The dark color a bit now with a ruby ​​heart. A nose of caramel and smoke that has a slightly weird lactic aroma that has never led to completely dispel the rich, but good, very mature flavors and a little round, supple, very detailed finish. There is a certain rusticity in the finish. Still, I loved it but it is more for those who appreciate very mature Burgundy.

Expert Reviews

Wine Advocate 94 Points  | The 2020 Bonnes-Mares Grand Cru wafts from the glass with aromas of wild berries and plums mingled with peonies, orange rind and exotic spices. Full-bodied, rich and muscular, it's deep and powerful, with imposing reserves of concentration, while remaining vibrant, even fine-boned despite its substance and plenitude.

Burghound 95 Points | Markedly floral-suffused aromas are comprised by notes of more distinctly spiced and earthier plum and black cherry where a hint of the sauvage lurks in the background. The equally sleek though notably more voluminous and powerful if less mineral-driven flavors coat the palate with dry extract while offering excellent depth and persistence on the beautifully balanced finale. This is one of the best Mugnier Bonnes Mares in recent memory. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020 

Burghound 93 Points | A brooding and densely fruited nose grudgingly reveals its array of dark berries, poached plum, warm earth and a soupçon of wood. The supple but mouth coating and velvet-textured larger scaled flavors that coat the palate with sappy dry extract while delivering excellent persistence on the youthfully austere, powerful and balanced finale. This excellent effort is very firm and should age accordingly; indeed two decades is not out of the question.

Decanter 94 Points | Flamboyantly fruity and very approachable, the wine has an expressive cherry and rose petal fruit, with a hint of exotic spice. The texture is powerful, yet fresh enough to retain a compelling vivacity. Grivot owns a large parcel of 1.86ha in Quatorze Journaux along the bottom of the Route Nationale. The quality of the wine belies the received wisdom about this location. The grapes are destemmed and gently fermented, with the must lightly pumped over after a few initial punch-downs before ageing. (CC) 

Vinous 92 Points | The 2020 Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru came across a little backward and surly on the nose compared the the Vosne-Romanées despite coaxing. The palate is medium-bodied with sappy red fruit, fine definition, taut and fresh with a well-defined finish. Here, I actually find more in the mouth than on the nose, at least at the moment. Hopefully the aromatics will kick on during élevage. (NM)  

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020 

Burghound 93 Points |  Here too the restrained if wonderfully broad nose is gloriously spicy if perhaps not quite as floral on the mostly dark berry fruit scents. There is the same lovely purity and excellent energy of the Clos St. Jacques but with more size, weight and power and particularly so on the hugely long and more complex finish. However, this is also more structured and overall, it's likely that this will require fully 20 years to reach its full maturity. *Burghound Don't Miss!*

Decanter 97 Points | The colour is deep in 2020, with ripe plum and cherry fruit scented with spice and minerals rolling from the glass on the initial attack. The texture on the palate is concentrated but never heavy, with tannic reserves that suggest that this will age for decades. Superb. One of the great treasures of the house, Clair has nearly one hectare here, planted in 1912. The fruit is is chilled after picking and the fermentation starts slowly, with about 30% whole clusters. (Charles Curtis)

Vinous 96 Points | The 2020 Chambertin Clos de Bèze Grand Cru has a fabulous, pixelated bouquet with ebullient, brambly red fruit interlaced with minerals. Real pedigree here. The palate is medium-bodied with a sappy, saline entry. Great depth, cohesive with just the right amount of salinity. This lingers long in the mouth. Irresistible, surfeit with class. (NM)

Winemaker Description

This shows plenty of currant character, blueberry compote and tar, as well as savory undertones. Medium-bodied with resolved tannins and a round finish. 

El Pino Club · Funky Jory Pinot Noir 2022 · Dundee Hills, Oregon · 750ml

Funky Jory is a tribute to the deep red Jory soil of Oregon’s Dundee Hills. The supplied winemaker note describes a lighter-bodied Pinot Noir with bright red fruit, forest-floor character, and minerality, offering an Oregon expression with an Old World nod.

Character & Style

James Suckling’s supplied 93-point review highlights lifted cherry, cedar, sandalwood, and hibiscus aromas. Raspberry, violet, tea leaf, and potpourri follow on a light- to medium-bodied palate, with crunchy tannins and bright acidity.

Expert Review

James Suckling · 93 Points
Bright and lifted aromas of cherries, cedar, sandalwood and hibiscus. The palate is light- to medium-bodied with crunchy tannins and bright acidity, giving flavors of raspberries, violets, tea leaves and potpourri. So pretty and floral.

Winemaker Description

Funky Jory is a love letter to the deep red Jory soil that defines the Dundee Hills growing region of Oregon’s Willamette Valley. A lighter body with flavors of forest floor, bright red fruit and a mysterious minerality make this a classically Oregon Pinot with a big nod to the Old World.

Serving & Pairing Suggestions

Serve slightly cool and allow a little time in the glass. Try with roast chicken, grilled salmon, duck, or mushroom dishes.

Wine Details

• Brand: El Pino Club
• Wine: Funky Jory
• Vintage: 2022
• Grape: Pinot Noir
• Appellation: Dundee Hills
• Region: Willamette Valley, Oregon
• Country: United States
• Bottle size: 750ml
• Supplied rating: James Suckling, 93 points

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 Review

Winemaker Description

The blend is dominated by the Estate Vineyard, yet the significant percentage of Walker—Kanzler's Green Valley vineyard—bends the wine in an exciting red-note direction: hibiscus, rhubarb and red licorice. The aromatics deliver fresh berries, cola, white pepper and pine sap. Fig notes emerge on the palate with a spicy, black tea finish. Modest whole cluster and slightly more new oak make the wine soft and approachable, while bright acid keeps it fresh, juicy, and well-knit.

Winemaker Description

• Winemaker Description

  Mont des Oiseaux is a cuvée produced in small quantities from Clos de l'Arlot's youngest vines, an estate Monopoly. This wine reveals the elegance of a great terroir and emphasizes the delicacy of red fruit. Fresh and tangy, with good cellaring potential, this wine can also be enjoyed in the bloom of youth.

• The Terroir

  This Nuits Saint Georges 1er Cru is located inside the Clos de l'Arlot. It comes from the upper part of the Clos with a white limestone soil, and from a plot of young vines located at the bottom of the Clos on marl soil.

• Discover more

  - Ageing in barrels, with 30% of new barrels. Bottling takes place after 15-18 months of ageing.

Expert Review - Vintage 2021

Burghound | A perfumed and exuberantly spicy nose offers up a blend of both red and dark cherry along with floral nuances. The wonderfully sleek, refined and punchy medium weight flavors possess a gorgeous texture thanks to the very fine-grained tannins supported the firm, youthfully austere and mineral-driven finish. This is textbook Fuées. Outstanding.

Expert Review

Burghound | Note: from 3 different parcels measuring 1.36 ha, two at the bottom in Baudes Basses and another at the top in Montiotes Hautes Moderate reduction dominates the fruit though there is a lovely sense of underlying tension and freshness to the succulent, palate coating and powerful medium weight flavors that also conclude in a chalky, sappy and lingering finale. This is also going to need at least some patience as it's presently quite tightly wound.

Expert Review

Winemaker Description

Tollot-Beaut’s Les Vercots 1er Cru is rustic and robust with aromas and flavors of red cherries, spice, and earth with substantial weight and ripe tannins. It is aged for 18 months in 50% new Burgundian pièce.

Red Burgundy might be the world’s most flexible food wine. The wine’s high acidity, medium body, medium alcohol, and minimal tannins make it very food-friendly. Red Burgundy, with its earthy and sometimes gamey character, is a classic partner to roasted game birds, grilled duck breast, and dishes that feature mushrooms, black truffles, or are rich in umami. Winemaker Description. 

Expert Review

92 Points Jasper Morris | 11 barrels for one hectare equates to about 25 hl/ha. Because Vercots has a heavy soil they put some extra fine pinot clones in this vineyard, which has paid off in the quality of the fruit. Slightly paler in colour but with some finesse. A savoury sandalwood touch to the oak this time, but the vineyard tannins are not fierce. Made with an agreeably light touch. Drink from 2025-2030.

Critics Notes

Burghound 91-93 Points | Here the wood treatment is no long subtle though neither does it dominate the pretty spice, floral and red berry aromas that display a mentholated top note. The sleek, delicious and appealingly vibrant medium-bodied flavors possess good delineation that carries over to the sappy, powerful finish that offers both very fine depth and persistence. This is a bit woody today but the oak should integrate with a few years of keeping. (Drink starting 2033)". (2021). 

Vinous 91-93 Points | The 2021 Pommard Les Chaponnières 1er Cru, matured in 40% new oak, has a complex nose, quite tertiary to the extent that it deceives you into thinking there might be some stems. The palate is medium-bodied with slightly chalky tannins, moderate depth, fresh and saline with a pliant, cassis and blueberry-tinged finish. Very fine. (Drink between 2025-2037)" 01/23. (2021). 

Winemaker Description

A classic Pommard with a good structure. A complex nose with hints of red fruits, spices and flowers. The mouth is well balanced and structured, with ripe and sweet tannins. 

Winemaker Description

Cathiard is a tiny domain - there never is very much wine. You enter a spick and span white stucco suburban home in the center of the small village of Vosne Romanee. There is a walled vineyard outside the front door. Go down the staircase and you are in a minuscule cuverie and barrel room.

Sebastien Cathiard has been slowly assuming control of this top estate in Vosne-Romanée from his father Sylvain. He is now fully in charge, but the wines have been so good for so long that he wisely has changed very little. They continue to farm meticulously, de-stem and rigorously sort all the fruit prior to fermentation. The only thing he has changed is the gradual reduction of new oak, seeking a bit more purity of terroir expression.

Expert Review

"An ultra-fresh and very bright nose freely offers up its array of red berries, plum and even more floral wisps. There is again a lovely textured to the beautifully delineated and stony middleweight flavors that conclude in a youthfully austere, linear and chiseled finale. This is also really quite good and worth considering."
Allen Meadows-Burghound

Vera Wang brought her eye for elegance and her instinct for celebration to the world of wine with Party — a Kosher Mevushal Prosecco Rosé made to be as effortlessly stylish as the table it graces. Sourced from the province of Vicenza in the Veneto, the heartland of Italian sparkling wine, this is a 90% Glera and 10% Pinot Noir blend harvested by hand and crafted with genuine care: grapes are gently crushed and soft-pressed before primary fermentation, followed by a slow secondary fermentation at low temperature lasting over two months, and three months of maturation on yeast lees before bottling. The result has real texture and precision for its category.

Pale salmon-pink in the glass with fine, persistent bubbles. The nose is fresh and inviting — white peach, strawberry, apple blossom, and a delicate hint of brioche from the lees aging. On the palate it is light, refreshing, and effervescent, with bright stone fruit flavors, a gentle acidity, and a clean, crisp finish. Serve well chilled as an aperitivo, with light appetizers, or simply as the toast itself. Kosher Mevushal. Suitable for Passover.

• Producer: Vera Wang Party
• Appellation: Vicenza DOC, Veneto, Italy
• Blend: 90% Glera, 10% Pinot Noir
• Style: Prosecco Rosé Spumante
• Certification: Kosher Mevushal | Suitable for Passover
• Vinification: Hand harvested, soft pressed, secondary fermentation 2+ months, 3 months lees aging
• Size: 750ml
• Tasting Notes: White peach, strawberry, apple blossom, brioche, bright acidity, crisp finish
• Food Pairings: Smoked salmon, vegetable tartlets, soft cheeses, sushi, fresh fruit

Kosher elegance in every bubble — Vera Wang Party Prosecco Rosé is made for the moments worth celebrating.

Winemaker Description

The red wine "Trio" by Berthet-Bondet consists of the three common red grapes of the Jura, Trousseau, Poulsard and Pinot Noir. This elegant red wine smells of spices and pepper, a slight wild animal note, typical of the poulsard, can also be perceived. 

A completely independent wine, somewhat comparable in structure and fullness to neighboring Burgundy, but not aromatic. A characterful red for friends of the unusual.

In 1985, Chantal and Jean Berthet-Bondet took over a domaine that had not been producing wine for 50 years, and brought it back to life. In 2017, their daughter Hélène succeeded them, helped by her husband and two children. The vineyards spread on 15 hectares, 4.5ha of Savagnin in Château-Chalon and 10.5ha of Chardonnay, Savagnin, Trousseau, Poulsard and Pinot Noir in Côtes-du-Jura appellation. A new plot of Chardonnay was planted in 2022, using for the first time massal selection and young plants from the Bérillon nurseries. The vineyard is off to a magnificient start. Château-Chalon possesses the noblest terroir in the Jura region. A composition of limestone and red and gray marl confers both power and great finesse to these wines. Winemaker Description. 

Benziger Family Winery · Russian River Valley Pinot Noir Reserve · 2016

Benziger Family Winery has farmed its Sonoma County estate biodynamically and organically for decades, and this Reserve bottling shows what that commitment brings to the glass. Made with certified organic grapes, fermented with native yeast, and aged in French oak, it's a small-production Pinot Noir that lifts aromas of tilled soil and sweet cherries from the first pour.

This Russian River Valley Pinot Noir opens with black cherry, raspberry, and a hint of sweet tobacco. On the palate it's savory, layered with still-fragrant dried fruit, earthy white pepper, and soft, elegant tannins that carry through a long finish.

Tasting Panel: 93 Points — "Made with certified organic grapes, utilizing native yeast fermentation, and aged in French oak, this special Pinot Noir lifts aromas of tilled soil and sweet cherries out of the glass. It's savory on the palate with sweet tobacco and still-fragrant dried fruit." (2016)

Winemaker Description: This wine was made with certified organically grown grapes. Our organically grown wines are audited annually and certified by the California Certified Organic Farmers (CCOF). We believe organic grape growing promotes wines that reflect the authentic flavors, aromas, and character of the vineyard.

• Producer: Benziger Family Winery, Glen Ellen, Sonoma County, California
• Vintage: 2016
• Appellation: Russian River Valley, Sonoma County
• Varietal: Pinot Noir
• Farming: Certified organic, native yeast fermentation
• Aging: French oak
• Size: 750ml
• Tasting Notes: Black cherry, raspberry, sweet tobacco, white pepper, elegant tannins

A small-production Reserve that shows exactly why Benziger's organic farming pays off in the glass.

Expert Review 

Vinous 99 Points | The 2020 Romanée-Conti Grand Cru was picked on 26 and 28 August at 28.7hL/ha. As usual, I leave it for 5-10 minutes to open in the glass, predisposed not to show everything upon first pour. It reveals lovely dark berry fruit, sous-bois, clove and haunting sea spray notes (picture yourself walking along the pebble beach at Whistable and the tang of shucked oyster shell in the salty air). The palate is medium-bodied with very fine and pliant tannins. Harmonious to a tee with a perfect silver bead of acidity, long and languorous, this fans out with ineffable ease on the finish. Stunning. 500 cases produced. Tasted at Corney & Barrow’s annual in bottle tasting in London.

Winemaker Description

Chambertin is the wine of Kings. Masculine, powerful and well built. Vigorous and firm, well-structured and very dense. With great persistence in the mouth and aromas of chocolate, licorice and red berries.

Expert Reviews 

Jasper Morris 100 Points | An imperial robe as we have come to expect. The bouquet is very backward, no problem there either, all about the fruit, the new wood is irrelevant. Starts slowly then builds immaculately, still too early really to see the detail. As always it is about grace style intensity and length rather than overt muscle, all the finesse one can want. Long and lovely

Robert Parker 97 Points Wine Advocate | Rousseau's 2020 Chambertin Grand Cru is brilliant, unwinding in the glass with aromas of wild berries, orange rind, plums, exotic spices, Egyptian musk, woodsmoke and rose petals. Full-bodied, velvety and concentrated, it's deep and tightly wound, with striking intensity and energy. Still very primary, even after a year's élevage, it will require patience, but it's a magical Chambertin in the making.