2023 Wine

Nebbiolo from the foothills of the Alps in Lombardy gives a prettier, more accessible, delight than the stern wines of Barolo and Barbaresco. As you’ll taste here in a wonderfully ripe and silky expression of Nebbiolo with... Read More

France Côtes Catalanes in Rousillon has a lot in common with Spain. Including the grape the Spanish call Cariñena and the French Carignan. This is full of rich, dark, blueberry/blackberry cobbler fruit with a nice... Read More

As the winery writes, Andrew Murray has been singularly and nearly maniacally focused on crafting Syrah for 25 years. His Everyday (in French Syrah “Tous les Jours”) Syrah from Santa Ynez gives you a good idea of how... Read More

It's hard to make Garnacha Blanca with verve, freshness and minerality, but Anna Espelt does just that here with 20% Garnacha Gris and vines near the Catalonian coast. Subtle stone fruit and citrus notes are cloaked in notes... Read More

Organic/Bio A tribute from Stephen to his wife and partner, Niki. As he explains, “The night Niki and Stephen met, they half-jokingly agreed to move to Oregon to start a family and farm. Eight weeks later they stood on the... Read More

Organic/Bio There’s something joyfully incongruous about a bearded outdoors guy who wears flannel, farms his vineyard with horses, chickens, sheep, geese and (his own) children, and waxes on passionately about the quality... Read More

Organic/Bio The edges of Antiquum Farm’s “Big Field” vineyard are kind of the far edge of what Pinot Noir can do. The winemaking is simple enough – fully de-stemmed fruit, open top fermenters, a bit of... Read More

Vinous says this is “positively stellar” and we agree! From old vine sites like Bedrock, Lazy Dog, Monte Rosso and Montecillo, this pairs terrific concentration and fruit with outstanding energy and freshness. As Wine... Read More

Pinot Blanc is often the overlooked grape in Alsace, but – especially in these warming times – its ability to hold onto crisp, refreshing, acidity is prized! Done all in tank, this shows pretty scents and flavors of... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV As always, one of the best values in top-notch Willamette Valley Chardonnay. It's from vines planted 1977-1999 on the estate, picked ripe and fresh (13.1% abv), and fermented and aged in French oak. Definitely... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV Ben Casteel just keeps cranking out great Chardonnay and Pinot from his family estate in the Eola Hills. As always, this is sleek and darkly fruited with just a touch more body/richness than usual. Delcious... Read More

Bideona's Mayela wine reinterprets Rioja Alavesa's cosechero (grower) wine tradition to allow the character of Alavesa Tempranillo to shine through. Traditionally, grapes from multiple cosechero were tossed into a vat... Read More

Wine Enthusiast captures the fun and tasty personality of this barrel-aged, Oregon, Chardonnay nicely in the 90 point review: “The aromatic set of lemon, lime and lychee is a tropical Chardonnay paradise. A wisp of plumeria... Read More

One of the longest-running high-quality “value” Pinots we know of. As Robert Parker said of the 2013 edition: An authentic tasting Pinot Noir that sells for a song. Aromas of sweet red and black cherry fruit intermixed... Read More

Robert Parker called the 2011 edition of this perennial favorite value red, “Possibly the single greatest dry red wine value in the world.” As usual, it’s a blend of around 85% Garnacha plus Tempranillo and a... Read More

The winery describes this as “Freshness, joy and youth in your glass of wine,” and that pretty much sums up this wine. Perfect for weeknights when you want to enjoy a bottle over a couple of nights. The vibrancy is... Read More

Natural winemaker Chris Brockway and importer Tim Elenteny created Brea to bring low-intervention winemaking to traditional Cabernet grapes, making something authentic (but not weird!). They crush it with this Cabernet from a... Read More

Brick & Mortar is really a California sparkling house, meaning they grow a lot of cool-climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. When Pinot gets a bit too ripe for fizz, it’s perfect for elegant, pure, juicy still wines like this... Read More

If you love California Cab’s rich blackcurrant and blackberry fruit, dash of chocolate, sweet spice, full body and fine and firm tannins that are ready to party with a steak, then you’ll definitely enjoy drinking this.... Read More

Smells great, tastes even better, crazy good price for high quality white Burgundy. That’s really what you need to know here, but we’ll try to give you a little more. It’s from vineyards on the Puligny border... Read More

I certainly didn’t expect to write this, but Sylvain Bzikot’s 2023 village Puligny Montrachet is even better than his outstanding 2022 edition. It’s from several plots of vines above the village of Puligny including... Read More

Lower ABV In the 1970's, Arneis almost went extinct despite being the most important white grape in the Langhe. Luckily for us, a resurgence in interest for Piemonte whites saved Arneis and we get this expression from Ca'Viola.... Read More

Coco Chanel used to advise that the last thing a fashionable person should do before walking out the door is take off one accessory - less is more. Here, despite a brief stay in barrel, the winery left the oak at home and lets... Read More

Lower ABV The “Vernaccia” in the winery name is a reference to the traditional wine of this part of Sardinia – a lightly fortified, Sherry-like, wine named for Sardinia’s version of Vernaccia. A small group... Read More

If you don't think of Alto Adige for Chardonnay...well, you will after this! From hand-harvested grapes done 50/50 in steel and big, old, oak casks, it has the richness to satisfy California fans and purity, acidity and minerality... Read More

Lower ABV From the volcanic soils of Italy’s Campi Flegrei – or, the Phlegraean Fields – where moon-like craters dot the landscape and more than 100 pools bubble and steam away a few miles from Naples and Mt.... Read More

Lower ABV No, we’d never heard of Pelaverga either. It’s an old grape from the Barolo region that today is still hanging on here and there in the hills to the north. Gian Luca Colombo makes this alongside his Barolo... Read More

As always, extremely limited. As Vinous says in the 94 point review, it's soft, seamless and exceptionally beautiful. White flowers, mint, chalk, lemon oil and marzipan are all finely sculpted. This is an especially taut,... Read More

From the south of France, this is easy-drinking Pinot Noir that will satisfy at table as well as just sipping with a crowd. Dark black and Bing cherry fruit show on the nose and palate with a fine juiciness that lifts the flavor... Read More

One of the finest values in the shop, this is “the black wine” of Cahors at its most friendly and fun-loving. Around 85% Malbec and 15% Merlot given 18 months in concrete, it’s loaded with juicy black cherry,... Read More

Lower ABV Ch Marie du Fou wines showcase the traditions of the Mourat family and the tiny region of Fiefs Vendeens at the end of the Loire River as it flows into the Atlantic Ocean. A blend of Pinot Noir, Cabernets Franc and Sauvignon... Read More

We're not sure why you'd start a Willamette Valley winery to make wines in the style of Friuli, Italy. But it works! This is a classic Friuli skin contact-style Friuli Pinot Blanc with crisp white orchard fruit, a steely/minerally... Read More

Even though it's just a Napa red, this gains structure and complexity from the boost of a little Pritchard Hill fruit. In 2023 it's more than half Cabernet Sauvignon plus Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and a full 10% Petit... Read More

The most immediately ready to drink Priorat from this great estate still has plenty of character and depth. As Wine Advocate says in the 91 point review, The red 2023 Serras del Priorat was produced with a blend of Garnacha, Cariñena... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV A great example of a quality Pinot Noir from the Eola-Amity region when put in the hands of iconic winemaker Steve Doerner, pioneer of whole cluster ferments in Oregon. Cristom Vineyards predominately works... Read More

Darby English calls his 800 case production Purple Haze Cabernet Sauvignon blend a “cult wine” because it sells out so quickly every year. It’s a rich and deep blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Sirah and Merlot... Read More

Lower ABV I certainly wouldn’t try to tell the 2023 Chauveau Pouilly Fume La Charmette apart from a $40+ Sancerre when tasting blind. Not surprising: its from the same Sauvignon Blanc grapes, Kimmeridgian marl and limestone... Read More

Organic/Bio Only 1er Cru for white since 2001, Sous Fretille is on the limestone rich and south-facing lower slopes of a hill next to Corton. Made all in barrel (25% new), it’s a lovely, almost delicate, expression of white... Read More

Lower ABV Burgundy's other white grape shines here in a zesty wine with richness and vibrancy, cut and depth. Aromas and flavors of crunchy pear, white pepper, orange peel and salty stone sing out in a wine that balances roundness... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV Jeremie Huchet is making some of the most exciting wines in the western Loire region of Muscadet, including this generous example from vineyards on a hill overlooking the Maine River. It’s from organically... Read More

Lower ABV Melon de Bourgogne grown on schist soils gives more cut, energy and freshness than pure limestone, and schist around 15 inches under the top-soil is the secret to this delicious seafood and sipping white. Green apple,... Read More

Organic/Bio The kind of wine we often call “cheerful.” There’s plenty of substance to the ripe red cherry and redcurrant fruit and a whiff of the wild herb and black olive notes the French call “garigue.”... Read More

Lower ABV Think of Coteaux du Giennois as the front door to Sancerre (technically the “back door” since it’s down river, but that doesn’t sound nearly as good!). The limestone soils here were given over... Read More

In the deep south of Languedoc, growers discovered that flooding their vineyards for 40 days in spring could kill the phylloxera louse, and that's how Ferrandiere still farms it's own-rooted vines just 12 miles from Carcassonne.... Read More

From vines north of Sancerre, this is mostly Pinot Noir with a splash of Gamay and while calling it a charming Bistro Pinot is accurate, it undersells the quality here by a fair bit. The cherry and mulberry fruit flavors are dark... Read More

Frank Faugier is a little charismatic, definitely funny, and not terribly serious about anything other than making truly terrific Syrah in Crozes-Hermitage. He worked for Mars in Lyon for a while before coming back to his family's... Read More

Organic/Bio The vineyard’s very steep slope and poor soils want to give highly mineral and structured Chablis, while the root virus that impacts all plantings here naturally suppresses yields and gives deep concentration.... Read More

Organic/Bio The clonally diverse very old vines here are the pride of the estate and are providing cuttings for replanting other vineyards over the next decade or so. You can pretty much smell the vine age here in a nose that’s... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV From the steep slopes of the wandering valley known as Vau de Vey. A wine of fine richness and volume with plenty of stony Chablis minerality and precision. It's delicious right now (although give it... Read More

Organic/Bio Lower ABV Not much to add to JancisRobinson.com's glowing 17.5/20 point rave: Certified organic. Fermented in barrel using their proprietary yeast made from their own vineyard. Full natural malo. The wine spends... Read More