2023 United States Wine

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

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

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

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

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

Unless you taste a lot of California Chardonnay, it can be hard to realize how big an accomplishment Bartholomew Broadbent has pulled off here. It's 100% Chardonnay, picked ripe and full of pear and stone fruit flavors perfectly... 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

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

Jean Case and husband Steve (of AOL fame) keep going from strength to strength at this top Virginia estate. A blend of 43% Petit Verdot, 23% Merlot, 18% Cabernet Franc, 11% Tannat and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon gives a medium-bodied... Read More

Not content to make some of the best wines in the Commonwealth, Early Mountain makes some of the best values, too. Like here in this blend of 65% Petit Manseng, 31% Sauvignon Blanc, 2% Chardonnay and 2% Malvasia done all in steel.... Read More

Lower ABV We’re not even going to try to explain the premise behind Curt Schalchlin and Andrew Jones’s “Fable” approach to naming wines. But the wine in the bottle here is very good Chardonnay indeed, loaded... Read More

Willamette Valley Chard can be all kinds of things. This one aims for delicious and hits the mark perfectly. Lovely Golden Delicious apple and crisp pear fruit are framed with a bit of buttered tart crus and a nice chalky minerality.... Read More

There's a wonderful richness on the nose and palate here along with loads of nicely ripe cherry/berry fruit. But spend a little time and Pinot's earthier side joines the party, too, with notes of cola, rose petal and sweet... Read More

Hanzell is one of the few wineries that both helped drive the creation and fame of the California wine industry and that still turns out great wines today. It was founded in 1954 by Ambassador James D. Zellerbach to make wines... Read More

Look, the label is a gimmick and if it got you to look, it worked! But once you're beyond that, this delivers a solid and very salmon-friendly Oregon Pinot Noir experience. It's nicely ripe with plenty of dark cherry,... Read More

100% Cabernet Sauvignon from sites across Paso Robles with 10 months in French oak delivers a wine of excellent plushness and flesh. Dark cherry and blackcurrant fruit get a nice pop from the juicy texture and dollops of dark... Read More