United States Wine

Winemaker Description

This wine’s aroma has it all: plums, incense, tobacco leaf, violets, and exotic spices. Zero racking and extended lees contact has given the 2011 FUTO a satisfying balance of creamy richness and superb freshness. Generous and inviting flavors of black-skinned fruits, cappuccino, citrus and cloves work in harmony with the sweet tannin and well integrated oak. While texturally approachable now, the inner density and complexity of this wine will continue to unfold with cellar age.

Expert Reviews

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 97 Points: The 2011 Proprietary Red Estate is a blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 9% Petit Verdot and 6% Merlot. It offers sweet blackcurrant and blueberry fruit intermixed with hints of toast and white flowers, beautiful body and a savory personality. A top success for the vintage, it should drink well for 10-12 years.

Winemaker Description 

Sourced from some of the Central Coast’s most acclaimed Pinot Noir vineyards, this wine displays alluring aromas of ripe cherry and juicy red raspberry, with hints of briar patch and caramel. On the palate, the lush berry flavors glide across soft, supple tannins with an undercurrent of bright acidity, adding poise and polish to a long, focused finish. 

Expert Review

Wine Enthusiast 91 Points | A great taste of this iconic estate without breaking the bank, this bottling is light in the glass with aromas of dried cherry, scorched earth and chaparral spice. The palate combines cranberry sauce and toasted sagebrush with an ample tannin profile. 

Winemaker Description

Our 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is an elegant representation of Napa Valley Cabernet from a cool vintage. It presents an opaque garnet hue in the glass and reveals aromas of sandalwood and roasted meats.

Flavors of vanilla, coffee beans and raspberries are buttressed by dusty tannins, firm acidity and a mouth-coating texture. Given proper cellaring, this wine should provide drinking pleasure through 2029.

Wine Spectator 95 Points | This throws off an overt and alluring mint aroma, while sweet bay leaf, violet, damson plum, red tea and steeped griotte notes all glide through together, carried by remarkably fine-grained tannins. Ends with a gentle echo of mint on the finish, while a subtle minerality chimes through as well. A stylish and suave wine, with plenty of charm now, but also pristine balance for cellaring. Best from 2022 through 2038.

Wine Advocate 96 Points | The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard barely hints at eucalyptus on the nose, with much more emphasis given to black cherries and cassis. This is full-bodied and rich, nicely balancing richness and texture against linear shape and focus and picking up hints of blueberries and spice on the long, mouthwatering finish. With 112 barrels having been bottled, there's a fair bit of this wine to go around, if one can afford it. 

Expert Reviews 

Wine Spectator 94 Points | A very fresh, floral-laced style, offering a bright beam of cassis and plum gelée laced with flashes of violet, hibiscus and rose petal. Nicely grounded through the finish, with alder and warm earth hints filling in. Approachable, but this has more to show in time. Best from 2023 through 2036. (JM)

Wine Advocate 94 Points | Delicate herbal shadings accent the cassis notes on the nose of Corison's 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon. It's classic Corison, balanced and concentrated without being showy or weighty, silky in feel, with a long, lingering finish and two decades of ageability. (JC)Decanter 94 points Alluring aromas of dark cassis, graphite, cedar and wild herbs. It has a striking depth with layered flavours and texture, and while restrained now it is incredibly well-built and in need of time in the cellar to fully shine. Reveals subtle hints of fresh black and blue berries, currants and dried herbs tinged with red florals. Finishes with polish, energy and poise. (JC)

Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points | Lots of dark, blackcurrants, cassis, darker chocolate, and hints of violets emerge from the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon, a medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced St. Helena Napa Cabernet Sauvignon offering nicely integrated acidity, terrific balance, and a great finish. This quintessential Cathy Corison Cabernet shines on all accounts. It's going to evolve for two decades. (JD)

James Suckling 94 Points | A perfumed nose of blackberries, dark cherries, cedar, cocoa and nutmeg. Violets too. Medium body with fine tannins and bright acidity. Fresh and refined with a bright core of wild fruit and a long, flavorful finish. Drink or hold. (JS)

Vinous 93 Points | The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is full of charm. It offers all of the natural intensity of the year, with bright acids that keep the flavors bright. Sweet red cherry, plum, cedar, tobacco and spice all build effortlessly. This open-knit yet classically built Cabernet is likely to offer a wide window of drinkability over the next 15-20 years. As always, Cathy Corison's Napa Valley Cabernet is a blend of three sites in St. Helena. (AG)

Wine & Spirits Magazine 96 Points | The 2019 vintage might be something of an outlier for Cathy Corison, who picked two weeks later than usual, taking advantage of the cool season from summer into fall. This wine is, in fact, an idealized version of her benchland cabernet sauvignon, holding on to the elegance she regularly achieves, while adding a luscious textural beauty that more often comes from bottle age. James Conley of NYC’s Keen’s Chophouse found the aroma suggested a more delicate wine than the density and extract this one carries in its “cabernet grape tannins and intriguing, lifted fruit. If someone said, ‘I love Napa, but show me what I’m missing.’ I’d say, ‘Well, try this.’” Warm and explosive in its energy, this wine carries an imprint of the benchland soils in the play of darkness and light, in the detailed tannins that make you crave another taste. (JG)

Vinous 98 Points | The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is impressive. Elegant and poised, the 2018 is a wine of reserve at this stage. Dark red/purplish berry fruit, mint, sage, spice, mocha and dried flowers open first, followed by a kick of vibrant acids that lends notable energy throughout. All this young Cabernet needs is time in the bottle to fully come together. I won't be surprised if it turns out to be a touch more compelling than the 2019 tasted alongside it. Truth be told, both vintages are captivating, but for very different reasons. Superb.

Winemaker Description

This Red Rock Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon is characterized by distinct velvety tannins, rich and well balanced, medium dark ruby color with cherry, mint and black currant flavors.

Expert Reviews

James Suckling 97 Points | This is riper and richer than the other two single-vineyard reds from here with more density on the palate and a beautiful, velvety texture. It’s full and beautiful. Extremely long and luscious, but still reserved and not too flamboyant. Classic Red Rock Terrace. Give it a few years to come together completely. Better after 2022.

Connoisseurs' Guide 96 Points | Tasting through the Diamond Creek Cabernets each year, is nothing less than a treat, and, of those harvested in 2017, the Red Rock Terrace earns top honors for its superb focus and depth. Its concentration, fruity purity and continuity are striking as are its complexing, beautifully fit, complementary adjuncts of creamy oak and rich loamy earth, and its altogether classic structure bespeaks tremendous aging potential. A wine that will easily enter its second, and very likely its third, decade of life in glorious drinking shape, this one belongs in the cellars of all serious Cabernet collectors.

Winemaker Description

Our 2013 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is dark ruby in color and entices you with a nose of raspberry, cassis and loose pipe tobacco. This full-bodied wine has an assertively silky structure and is notably spicy on the palate. Flavors of sage and blackberry mark the wine’s entry. The strong acidity in the mid-palate is followed by a lingering finish. Given proper cellaring, this wine will provide drinking pleasure through 2038.

Expert Reviews

James Suckling 96 Points | An open and beautiful wine with green-olive and currant aromas and flavors. Some bark and earth, too, together with mushrooms, herbs, crushed stones and pomegranate. Medium to full body with round, creamy tannins and refined finish. Blood orange at the end. Crunchy. So drinkable now, but will age beautifully.

Wine Advocate 93 Points | Exuberantly fruity on the nose, the 2019 Napanook is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. Despite seeing 40% new French oak, what shines on the nose are the ripe cherries, delicately brushed with wisps of tobacco, sage and bay leaf. It's medium to full-bodied, supple and silky in feel on the palate, while the finish lingers easily, adding notes of pencil shavings and mocha.

Wine Spectator 93 Points | Solidly built and very direct, with a juicy, muscular core of cassis, plum and blackberry flavors lined with singed alder, menthol and sweet bay leaf. Maintains juicy energy through the toasty finish, with a late loamy echo keeping things grounded. A very well-proportioned wine. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. Drink now.

Jeb Dunnuck 92 Points | A normal blend 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Petit Verdot, and 5% Cabernet Franc, the 2019 Dominus Napanook shows a forward, charming, elegant style that builds nicely with time in the glass, offering classic currant-like fruits, some tobacco and earthy, underbrush nuances, ripe tannins, and outstanding length. It's a classic, balanced, impressive Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon to enjoy over the coming 15 years or more.

Winemaker Description

Our second coolest micro-climate is our five-acre Gravelly Meadow vineyard. Originally a pre-historic river bed, this stony, gravelly soil drains rapidly and the vines struggle for moisture.

Gravelly Meadow is our lowest yielding vineyard. The wines are described as "earthy, cedary, jammy and ripe blackberry with a spicy expansive finish.

Winemaker Description

A very pleasing effort, the smooth and softly textured Glen Ellen Merlot is as good as it gets for a ready-to-enjoy red wine; fine with beef. Winemaker Description. 

Expert Reviews

Wine Advocate 96 Points | More elegant and refined than the Napa Cab, the 2019 Insignia features restrained cedar and vanilla notes (despite spending two years in 100% new French oak) and delicate herbal shadings accenting cassis and black cherry fruit. Full-bodied, velvety and somewhat open-knit on the palate, it turns plush and long on the finish, adding a touch of warmth. Production this year is approximately 17,000 cases, reflecting the increased volume coming from recently replanted vineyards. It's remarkable what a good job they continue to do with this bottling year after year, without compromising on quality.

Jeb Dunnuck 99 Points | Another beautiful wine from this team, the 2019 Insignia is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon but includes smaller amounts of Merlot and Malbec, brought up all in new barrels, sourced from seven estate vineyards. It has a classic varietal and incredibly complex nose of crème de cassis, freshly sharpened pencils, green tobacco, and damp earth, with a kiss of background sappy spring flowers. Seemingly from a cooler year with its freshness, vibrancy, and herbal, floral character on the nose, it's nevertheless full-bodied and beautifully concentrated on the palate, with ultra-fine tannins, a seamless, layered mouthfeel, and a gorgeous finish. Unquestionably up with the finest vintages of this cuvée, this is legit awesome juice that’s going to offer incredible pleasure over the coming 20-25 years. Hats off to winemaker Ashley Hepworth.

James Suckling 98 Points | A very aromatic Insignia with pencil-shaving and graphite highlights to the dark fruit and blackberries. Full-bodied yet tensioned and vertical with very fine tannins that run deep and layered in the wine. Needs time to come together but fantastic tension and structure. Try after 2027.Vinous 96 points The 2019 Insignia is a bold explosive wine. Sumptuous dark fruit mocha leather sweet spice and tobacco are all amplified in an Insignia endowed with tremendous textural intensity and plenty of soft contours. I imagine the 2019 will age well for years but it will also drink well with minimal cellaring.
  

Winemaker Description

Mevushal. The Chardonnay grapes for this wine were grown in the fog-cooled Napa Valley in order to produce a wine rich in flavor and varietal character, complemented by aging in small oak barrels.

Don Ernesto has done it again. Our newest vintage of Chardonnay is Mary Poppins. Why Mary Poppins you ask. Well, it is “practically perfect in every way”! From the beautiful soft golden hue, to the rich round mouth, to the long finish, this Chardonnay is what you need to “help the medicine go down in the most delightful way”.

Starting with the nose, we find beautiful soft vanilla, ripe Asian pear and crisp Galia and Honeydew melon. Continuing onto the palate we discover lush star fruit and rich lemon curd. With its lingering finish our Chardonnay will make you want to “go fly a kite”!"  

Expert Rating

93 Points Wine Enthusiast | This textbook Petite Sirah aged in neutral oak barrels shows the LangeTwins at their best. The wine reveals all the grape variety's inky color, intense black-fruit flavors and grippy tannins. Yet it also adds subtleties of dark chocolate, anise and red roses that emerge with repeated sipping. Best from 2025–2035. (2019).

Winemaker Description

Intense color, rich aromas of pepper jelly, dried cranberry, and black tea.

Situated in the heart of the Lodi AVA, our 100 vineyard produces concentrated fruit, making it the perfect place to plant our Petite Sirah. Matching its intense color, this wine is packed with rich aromas of pepper jelly and dried cranberries, as well as undertones of black tea. This combination of fruit and spice harmonizes on the palate and is supported by warm tannins influenced by 15 months of neutral oak aging.

Certified Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing

Winemaker Description

Rose of Grenache. On the Fresh berries, Chalky, Wet Pavement. Ripe currants, strawberries, rhubarb, minerals.

Organically grown grapes. 

Kings Carey entails boutique, small-production wines crafted by winemaker, James Sparks.

At Kings Carey, we keep it simple: single varietal and single vineyard. Carefully-curated grapes and pick times. Little-to-no manipulation. We let the region tell its story, and help the fruit fulfill its destiny.

Winemaker Description

Forest Glen Winery produces full-flavoured, smooth red wines that are aged in small American oak barrels and are ready to be enjoyed without further bottle aging. 

Winemaker Description

From an outstanding vintage marked by a long, slow ripening season, the 2018 Baby Bear Syrah is a handsome, intensely colored wine loaded with wild blackberry, fresh blueberry, and dark, spicy aromas and flavors. A streak of olive tapenade, smoked charcuterie, and freshly cracked black pepper add interest across a textured palate laced with silky tannins and vibrant acidity. The finish is long and refined. 

Expert Reviews

Wine Spectator 94 Points | Impeccably balanced and refined yet plump with personality, this red offers multilayered blueberry and huckleberry flavors accented by black olive and smoky cracked pepper. Finishes with rich, polished tannins.

James Suckling 93 points | A tad reductive on the nose, so be sure to let this breathe. Hot stones, wild herbs, ripe plums, blackberries and vanilla on the nose. Full-bodied with fine tannins. Vibrant and complex. Atop the core of ripe dark fruit there is ground baking spice, oregano and white pepper. Very steady. Drink or hold. 

Winemaker Description

Syrah Laide translates loosely to Pretty-Ugly, a French term of endearment to describe something that is unconventionally beautiful, a dogma that is applied to each cuvée. "Hawks Butte adds slightly more density and fruit while still wildly fresh with lithe tannin and Halcon compliments with brooding structure. Violet, camphor, white pepper and cedar" - Jolie-Laide 100% Syrah, grapes were planted on two vineyards (Halcon and Hawkes Butte) both at high elevation. 

Grapes are left on stems, crushed by foot and fermented with very light punch downs. The juice is then placed into neutral oak for 10 months. 12-25ppm added SO2 depending on vintage and cuvée. 

Winemaker Descrption

Nestled high in the granite and limestone soils of the Gabilan Mountain Range in the Chalone appellation of Monterey County. Coastal Marine influence of the nearby Monterey Bay combined with high elevations create large diurnal swings that experience much less fog than the valley below make for low yielding fruit with complex concentration and purity.

Foot crushed and fermented whole cluster and aged in neutral barrique.

Dusty red strawberry and cherry complimented by notes of orange zest and spice flow into soft tannin with fresh juicy acid. 

Winemaker Description

The reason we began making wine together as Railsback Frères was to produce a rosé-- specifically one in Santa Ynez-- and inspired by Lulu Peyraud and the old style of rosé they produced at the legendary Domaine Tempier in Bandol.

In 2021, all three Mediterranean varieties we harvest for rosé came in at what we consider optimal ripeness levels, and thanks to the addition of a new vineyard site, we now have even more Mourvédre in the cépage this year. Compared to the previous harvest of 2020 overall, 2021 was cooler-- and after quietly resting for six months in neutral Burgundy barrels, our Les Rascasses is lively, floral and bright.

Having achieved a secondary (malolactic) fermentation without any difficulty this year, the texture and body offer a nice equilibrium to such a fresh vintage, and certainly make pairing even easier at the table. Tasting it on release after the winter offers early excitement for spring artichokes, and early garden peas and lettuces...not to mention the later arrivals of summer squash with garlic and basil, or peak-of-season tomatoes drenched in a fruity Provençal olive oil. 

We are invigorated by the early results of our 2021 rosé and can't wait to share it with you. 

Sharing the new vintage of “Les Rascasses” with people we love would make Lulu proud! 

Winemaker Description

Lush and powerful, the 2020 Anderson Valley Pinot Noir showcases this valley’s great fruit. The wine presents vivid aromas of amarena cherry, marionberry, lilac, and baking spices. Subtle notes of rhubarb, currant, rosemary, and earth add depth and complexity. Lively and youthful, the wine delivers excellent balance, purity of fruit, and sustained richness with a velvety texture, and it is sure to develop beautifully in the cellar.

This dinner table classic pairs exceptionally with coq au vin, mushroom ravioli, roasted pecans and walnuts, grilled vegetables, or creamy cheeses. 

Expert Review

Wine Spectator 90 Points | This has nice, subtle energy, with rippling rooibos tea, blood orange and red currant notes that meld steadily through a savory finish. 

Winemaker Description

At first this wine is all about fruit; ripe dark cherry and blackberry are framed by toasty oak with hints of coffee, tea and vanilla. The dark fruit is vibrant on entry, which leads to a full rich mouth coating mid palate and nicely balanced fine tannin. 

The intensity and concentration flow seamlessly to notes of ripe fruit and barrel tones that linger pleasantly for an extended period, inviting one back to the glass! This wine will drink beautifully now and over the next 10+ years. 

Winemaker Description

This Cabernet is rich and earthy with flavors of plum and chocolate, a graceful tannic structure, and a robust finish. Best paired with bold, flavorful foods that match its depth of flavor and aroma. Enjoy with wild mushroom ragout or flourless chocolate cake.

Expert Review

Wine Enthusiast 89 Points | This is an extremely fun, engaging, drink-me-now Cabernet Sauvignon with modest (13.7%) alcohol and a gentle sandy tannic texture. Notes of black cherry, blackberry, black currant, violet, fresh fennel, damp forest floor and hints of cacao and vanilla lead to a clean, medium-length finish. (2021).

Winemaker Description

This is a complex and delicious wine. It beckons with aromas of dark purple plum and anise. Bright fruit flavors follow that include Bing cherries, boysenberries, white pepper and savory. The well-defined, and elegant tannins add texture and length to the finish and will ensure a long life in the cellar. 

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.

Winemaker Description

Our popular, estate-grown Saracina Chardonnay is a beam of pure sunshine in the glass. Made in an ultra-refreshing, unoaked style (that’ll have you and your friends reaching for a second pour), it offers up a complex nose of Asian pear and fresh nectarine. On the palate, you’re in for lively citrus zest/orchard-fruit character with a seam of mouthwatering minerality running through the long, elegant finish. You’ll love how versatile it is with food—pair it with everything from fresh, white-fleshed fish to chicken.