| Winery | Special Designation | Vintage | Varietal | Rating | DateTasted | Notes | Buy Again? |
| Artesa Winery | Dijon Blocks, Los Carneros, Napa Valley, Estate | 2022 | Pinot Noir | 91 | 6/7/2026 | Raspberry, black cherry, dried herbs, bakery goods, white frosting and sage.
This wine has high tannins, high acid, long finish, medium concentration and body. The flavors are pretty good, a bit bitter on the back of the palate. It has lots of dried herb and pomegranate character. It falls apart in the glass after breathing, which is our only beef. | n |
| Ricci Vineyards | Pommard Clone, Los Carneros | 2024 | Pinot Noir | 92 | 6/7/2026 | Really lovely nose of raspberry, red cherry, pomegranate, Carneros soil, black tea, kalamata olive, brine and dry wild herbs.
The wine has full body, high acid, long finish, med+ concentration and intensity. The fruit almost balances with the tart acid. The herbs are prevalent on the palate. But the intensity of the whole concoction is really lovely.
This is in "interesting" wine, the kind my tasting partner likes. It is one you want to sit and enjoy the nose for a while before taking a sip. It has edges that do not quite balance and that makes the edges easier to ID and enjoy. | y |
| Artesa Winery | Selection 91, Los Carneros, Estate | 2021 | Pinot Noir | 92 | 6/6/2026 | It has got a ton of strawberry, red cherry, pomegranate, brioche bun, floral notes and citrus perfume. The nose is rather intense.
The dry tannins on the palate are med+, the finish almost full. The acidity is high, the concentration and intensity are med+.
Bright acidity, dense fruit, decent finish -- this is a really fine pinot at a price-point of $100. | y |
| Ricci Vineyards | Los Carneros | 2024 | Pinot Noir | 92 | 6/6/2026 | Spicy minerals, black raspberry, dust, cherry, strawberry jam, tar, black tea and pomegranate.
The flavors are dusty at first, but the wine opens nicely after a half hour. It has firm tannins, dark color, med finish, med+ body, concentration and intensity. The acid is high as it should be in Carneros with all those cooling nights.
This wine bucks the bright cherry/strawberry trend of many Carneros Pinots. It has a firm mouthfeel, pretty good fruit with a rather dusty coverage. Tart fruit compliments the dusty finish. | y |
| Testarossa | Rosellas Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands | 2024 | Pinot Noir | 95 | 5/30/2026 | We have tried Rosellas from so many wine makers. And it is -- with a few exceptions -- amazing. Gary and Rosella Franscioni are sitting on a gold mine here.
This wine has notes of black raspberry/strawberry Jello -- that thickness is prevalent on the nose. Love this! There is pine, baking spice, wet soil and pomegranate as well.
The tannins are almost high. They stick to the teeth with berry flavors. The acidity is high, the finish long and the concentration and intensity nicely rich. The texture on the palate is thick. It has great balance. The richness needs that high acid, giving it a nice zip.
This is well worth the shipping. Get a bottle and try it. It is a great experience for anyone who has tried the Siduri, Walt or Clarice Rosellas wines. | y |
| Testarossa | Doctors Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands | 2024 | Pinot Noir | 94 | 5/29/2026 | Pretty nose on this one. It is redolent of black raspberry, cherry, dusty soil, medicinal notes (it`s Doctors for crying out loud), baking spice, cocoa powder and white pepper. This is a monster of a nose with med+ intensity.
The palate shows ripe tannins that hit the teeth softly with blackberry notes. The finish is long, the intensity and concentration are high. This is pretty stuff. We love SLH.
This is a great effort with great fruit. Very cool tart palate with lots of red fruit balancing it out. It has pizzazz. | y |
| Testarossa | Santa Rita Hills | 2024 | Pinot Noir | 91 | 5/28/2026 | Dried cherries and herbs and flowers, raspberry, dry soil and a hint of cocoa.
Acid it high, tannins, body, concentration and intensity are med. The fruit is a bit one dimensional on the palate. Finish is long though. The flavors are like potpourri.
This is a highly drinkable wine and would crave food rather than a lone sipper. This would rock burgers, simple, grilled meats or grilled cheese! | y |
| Testarossa | Santa Lucia Highlands | 2023 | Pinot Noir | 94 | 5/28/2026 | The nose shows notes of vibrant cranberry, red cherry, raspberry and a hint of strawberry. There is a tang to this wine. It has lovely floral characteristics and an earthy, moist soil note.
The palate is rather intense. It has great concentration of fruit, long finish, med tannin and body. The acid it great and makes this wine shine with the cranberry on the palate.
A rather good show for Testarossa with this regional blend. We love the intense nose and the youthful acidic fruit on the palate. It is a pleasure to drink. We just had good flame grilled burgers and this wine complimented them well! | y |
| Beaulieu Vineyard | The Renovation Limited Edition, Napa Valley | 2023 | Blend (Red Table Wine) | 95 | 5/27/2026 | This wine has such lovely nose of cocoa, wet coffee grounds, potting soil, black cherry, blackberry, baked bread and burnt brown sugar.
Then on to the palate: high acid, med+ tannins and body. The concentration and intensity are high, and the finish is long.
Well, this is a really nice wine, created to be poured at the inauguration of the new BV tasting room to open in July. It is not George de Latour, but it is a really finely crafted red composed of 76% Cab Sauv and the rest Petit Verdot. If you can find this (and it will be hard) it is worth the $75 price. | y |
| Ant Hill Farms | Peters Vineyard, Sebastopol, Sonoma Coast | 2023 | Pinot Noir | 93 | 5/23/2026 | Notes taken during dinner last night: Class pinot notes with med body, high acid, med+ intensity, concentration with a really long finish.
We have seen this wine on Wine Spies and Last bottle recently. Never actually pulled the trigger on any of it. So, glad a friend brought this over to try. Very worth while tasting! | y |
| Baca | Dusi Vineyard, Double Dutch | 2021 | Zinfandel | 95 | 5/23/2026 | absolutely ripe on the nose with blackberry, raspberry, black cherry, cocoa, coffee, black plum and black pepper. Lush and concentrated.
The palate is almost off-dry due to the ripe fruit. The concentration is lovely. This has full body, high acid, long finish, med+ tannins and super peppery, blackberry fruit.
A great zin from Halls Baca label. If you open this bottle, be prepared to finish it. | y |
| Cirq Wine Co | Russian River Valley, Sonoma County | 2021 | Pinot Noir | 96 | 5/23/2026 | This review is based on basic notes we took while visiting friends. Needless to say, this wine is excellent. The scent and flavor notes are phreesia, potting soil, raspberry and black cherry.
The flavors are complex, well balanced and very concentrated. The acidity gives this wine a little playfulness. But the intensity holds it down with great grace. | y |
| Elivette | Spring Mountain Vineyard, Napa Valley | 2006 | Blend (Red Table Wine) | 95 | 5/23/2026 | Got this off of last bottle. And we took this over to a dinner party last night. We did 4 pinots first and then had this with BBQ salmon.
Sheesh, what a wine! This is in the perfect sweet spot where fruit meets impeccable bottle aging. It has intense concentration and long finish. Acid is high and the tannins are still very prevalent. With this fruit profile and those characteristics, this will keep aging! | y |
| Patz & Hall | Gaps Crown Vineyard, Sonoma County | 2022 | Pinot Noir | 95 | 5/23/2026 | Classic black raspberry, brioche, dusty dirt, blackberry, mineral, peach pit, nori, meat, pomegranate and cocoa. All of these are fine and concentrated.
It has great acidity, long finish, med body, med+ intensity and concentration. Med+ tannins.
A fine example of Gaps fruit and fine winemaking woven into one!
| y |
| Patz & Hall | Maddocks & Green | 2023 | Chardonnay | 94 | 5/23/2026 | | y |
| Patz & Hall | Maddocks & Green (Barrel Tasted) | 2025 | Chardonnay | 96 | 5/23/2026 | Near perfect Chard | y |
| Patz & Hall | Soberanes Vineyard | 2023 | Chardonnay | 94 | 5/23/2026 | | y |
| Patz & Hall | Pisoni Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands | 2023 | Chardonnay | 93 | 5/23/2026 | | y |
| Patz & Hall | Pisoni Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands | 2022 | Pinot Noir | 96 | 5/23/2026 | | y |
| Patz & Hall | Pisoni Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands | 2023 | Pinot Noir | 93 | 5/23/2026 | | y |
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