Arietta 2004 Napa Red Wine Hudson Vineyard H Block

Bedrock 2018 Sonoma Bedrock Vineyard Heritage Red

The Heritage Red from  Bedrock Vineyard is from a Zinfandel-based blend composed of 22 inter-planted varieties planted in the 1880s in Red Hill  clay-loam soils, using no-till cover crop farming, and native yeast fermentation. Zinfandel really shines from these old, gnarled vines. The concentration of flavor that you get from the very low yields adds richness to the wines without having to pick them late and overripe. The nose shows a mix of violet, minty eucalyptus, and ripe, but not syrupy, purple plum. The palate shows additional complexity with a touch of cocoa powder, black tea, and black cherry. Rich and comforting, this will be excellent in the colder months! Michelle DeWyngaert

Bedrock NV North Coast Shebang Red Wine

55% Zinfandel blended with Carignane, Petite Sirah, Mourvedre, Alicante Bouschet, Grenache, Syrah, Barbera and a touch of whites for aromatics from old vine plantings (up to 100 years old) around Sonoma County, fermented with native yeasts in stainless steel and raised in a nice bit of French oak for a bold, bright-fruited, silky, and satisfying wine that is unbeatable at this price. 

Brick House 2017 Willamette Valley Ribbon Ridge Pinot Noir 'Dijon

Doug Tunnell would most likely call himself a farmer before he called himself a winemaker, as he takes his role as steward to the land very seriously. When he and his wife took over the Brick House property in 1990 it had been beaten down with industrial chemicals and they immediately halted all chemical treatments and began the conversion to organic, and then Biodynamic farming. As the name would suggest, the 'Dijonnais' bottling from Brick House comes from their eight acres of Dijon clone Pinot Noir planted on a south facing slope. Despite this being on of the warmest spots in their vineyard, this wine is light, ethereal, and elegant. Notes of dried earth, dusty rose petals, red plum, and shitake mushroom on the nose. On the palate are bright, crunchy red fruits, currant, red apple skins and freshly turned soil with gentle, velvety tannins. I enjoyed every drop of this bottle, but will certainly put a few away to see it evolve over the next five years or so. Michelle DeWyngaert

Broadside 2018 Paso Robles Cabernet Sauvignon

Broadside is a project of very talented winemaker Chris Brock. The Cabernet is fermented with wild yeasts and aged in barrels, 10% of which are new. The resultant wine is remarkably fresh and full bodied with an interesting spicy character and plenty of bright, tangy dark fruit.

Broc Cellars 2019 Love Red

As with all of Broc Cellars' wines,  there is something so joyful and exuberant about this red blend! They are committed to only working with vineyards that do not use any synthetic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, or fertilizers, and the wines never have anything added other than occasionally a small amount of SO2. This vintage of Love Red is a blend of 77% Carignan, 15% Valdiguié, 8% Syrah from a combination of 70 year-old vineyards in Solano County's Green Valley, and Mendocino, both are dry farmed and organic. Notes of wild cherry, violet, red plum skin,  and tree bark on the nose, and on the palate ripe, juicy plum, black cherries, and just enough tannin to give the wine some backbone. Best served with a slight chill! Michelle DeWyngaert

Calera 2009 Mount Harlan Mills Vineyard Pinot Noir

Camp 2019 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon

 From the folks who run Hobo Wine Co., here we have the delicious new vintage of one of our favorite inexpensive Cabernets from California! Tart blackberry and ripe cassis mix with herbal hints and wildflower on the nose while broadly gracing the firm, rich, powerfully tannic palate. Sourced from many lesser known but all sustainably or organically farmed  vineyards throughout Sonoma county. This years bottling is 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Malbec. The fruit is fermented in stainless steel and then aged for nine months in neutral oak barrels.

Cayuse 2012 Walla Walla Valley Syrah Special #4 1.5 L

Cayuse 2013 Walla Walla Valley Syrah Special #5 1.5 L

Cayuse 2014 Walla Walla Valley Syrah En Cerise

Cayuse 2015 Walla Walla Valley Syrah Armada

Cayuse 2016 Walla Walla Valley Syrah En Cerise

Cayuse 2016 Walla Walla Valley Syrah En Chamberlain

Cayuse 2016 Walla Walla Valley Syrah Special #10 1.5 L

Cayuse 2017 Walla Walla Valley Syrah Armada

Cayuse 2017 Walla Walla Valley Syrah Cailloux

Cayuse 2017 Walla Walla Valley Syrah En Cerise

Cayuse 2017 Walla Walla Valley Syrah En Chamberlain

Cayuse 2017 Walla Walla Valley Syrah Special #11 1.5 L

Cayuse 2018 Walla Walla Valley Syrah Cailloux

Cayuse 2018 Walla Walla Valley Syrah En Cerise

Cayuse 2018 Walla Walla Valley Syrah En Chamberlain

Cooper Hill 2019 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir

Cooper Mountain Vineyards started in 1978 when Dr. Robert Gross and his wife, Corrine, planted the first Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines in the unique soils of Cooper Mountain in the Chehalem Mountains of Oregon's Willamette Valley. Today, the estate has more than 100 acres  dedicated to organic and biodynamic farming and winemaking. A great value and classic Oregon Pinot with notes of dried leaves, black cherry, macerated raspberries, and freshly turned earth. This vintage is a bit darker and denser than the previous vintage, but by no means overripe or heavy. A great pairing with roasted butternut squash with sage! Michelle DeWyngaert

Corison, Cathy 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Cathy Corison's wines eschew the bold, heavy-handed flavors and dollops of massive French oak embraced by her Napa Valley counterparts, instead focusing on teasing deeply concentrated, ripened fruit from the deep, stony alluvial soils of her vineyards in Rutherford and St. Helena.

Dashe 2018 California Zinfandel Vineyard Select

This is the newest release of Dashe's Vineyard Select, meant to be a food-friendly, "bistro wine". The blend is 80% Zinfandel, 9% Teraldego, 5% Tannat, 3% Mourvedre, and 3% Petite Sirah. The fruit for this bottling is sourced from a variety of vineyards Sonoma County, Contra-Costa, and Clarkesburg  to create the perfect balance of ripeness and complexity. Each variety is fermented separately then aged for 14 months in 1-year-old French oak. Though I have not yet tasted this vintage, the Dashe wines have been a staple at Chambers Street for their consistently tasty Zinfandel. Michelle DeWyngaert

David Hill 2019 Willamette Valley Estate Pinot Noir

An incredible value from some of the oldest vines in the Willamette Valley! This vineyard (previously named the Charles Coury Vineyard) was actually first established as the Rueter family homestead in 1883, but because Prohibition the vines were ripped out and eventually replanted in 1965 from a handful of Alsatian and Burgundian vines. Today the estate, which sits on the northern border of Willamette at an elevation of 360-625ft elevation on Laurelwood soil, is organically and dry farmed amongst an array of beehives and cover crops. The fruit is separated by block/clone, blended together for the perfect balance and then aged for 11 months in 10% new French oak. The 2019 estate Pinot Noir is incredibly satisfying; sapid, luscious, blackberry bramble, dusty soil, soft herbs and just a kiss of sweet spices. Yum! Michelle DeWyngaert

Day Wines 2017 Willamette Valley Johan Vineyard Pinot Noir

A beautiful example of Pinot Noir from the Demeter certified Johan Vineyard in the Willamette Valley.  Exposed to cooling winds from the Van Duzer Corridor, it is the last picked of the Day Wines giving it a delicate freshness. The grapes are left 30% whole cluster during fermentation and then the juice is aged for 18 months in 15% new French oak, the rest neutral. This wine feels like Oregon to me; simultaneously lush and juicy, and also crisp and vibrant. Notes of freshly turned soil, wild raspberries and currants, dried leaves and herbs unfurl with time in the glass. On the palate it begins with crunchy red fruit,  follows with the earthy sweet and savoriness of roasted beets, and finishes with lingering gentle, but present tannin. While the vibrancy of the fruit is fully enjoyable now, this should continue to improve for many years to come. MIchelle DeWyngaert

Edmunds St. John 2015 El Dorado County Syrah North Canyon Road

We love Steve Edmunds and everything he stands for - he's a nice guy, a great winemaker and a talented musician (I once did a campfire duet with him of Merle Haggard's "Mama Tried," a memory I'll treasure forever). But let's get back to his wines, and in particular this 2015 North Canyon Road Syrah. It is sourced from two vineyards in the Sierra Foothills: Fenaughty, planted in the late 1990s, and Barsotti, with vines quite a bit older. The volcanic clay of Fenaughty contributes rather dramatic floral notes and silky texture, while the ancient granite of Barsotti gives brightness and tension. The result is truly classic Syrah, with notes of violet, blue and red fruit, a dash of white pepper and cool freshness at the back end and generally evocative of the Northern Rhone wines that first inspired Steve. This already has five years of age but will continue to improve for another ten years and likely beyond. Sam Ehrlich

Edmunds St. John 2020 El Dorado County Bone-Jolly Rosé

One of our favorite rosés each year is this joyful rosé of Gamay Noir from Steve Edmunds! This year's fruit comes from a blend of the Barsotti Ranch and the Witter Vineyard in El Dorado County. 2020 was a frightful year for many reasons, not least of which were the devastating wildfires that destroyed many vineyards, but thankfully these high elevation sites were spared. Unusually for this bottling, the wine went through full, natural malolactic fermentation which lends this vintage a bit more weight on the palate, but remains bright and crisp. A perfectly refreshing rosé with notes of fresh strawberries sprinkled with salt, lime zest, and pink grapefruit! Michelle DeWyngaert

Eminence Road 2019 Finger Lakes 'Acidalia' Elizabeth's Vineyard

This is a vibrant Bordeaux-blend for summer! Clocking in at only 11.3% ABV it is full of acidity and freshness, but does not lack on flavor or grip. The Elizabeth's Vineyard is located on the Eastern shore of Seneca Lake on silty-loam over shale. The 2019 blend is 45% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 10% Cabernet Franc. The fruit is foot-crushed as whole clusters, with once daily punchdowns throughout natural fermentation, then pressed and moved to old oak barrels where it aged for nearly a year. Notes of stewed raspberry, dried rosemary and tarragon, dried roses, and forest floor on the nose. On the palate  is tons of acidity keeping this light and ilfted, with grippy, tongue-coating tannins perfect for pairing with something fatty, fresh off the grill. This wine really starts to open up after an hour in a decanter, but is even more expressive after several hours or even a day. Michelle DeWyngaert

Eminence Road 2019 Seneca Lake Lamb's Quarters Cabernet Franc

Eminence Road has been working with fruit from the Lamb's Quarters Vineyard for several years now, and the quality is consistently great. Located on the eastern shore of Seneca Lake on soils of silt-loam and gravely loam. The grapes are foot-crushed as whole clusters and fermented spontaneously before the juice is moved to neutral French oak where it ages for about a year and then bottled by hand, unfined, and ulfiltered at only 11.9%ABV.

Eyrie Vineyards 2016 Willamette Valley Roland Green Pinot Noir

Drinking a Pinot Noir from Eyrie Vineyards is all the proof you need that these wines of the Willamette Valley deserve a place on the world's list of the most expressive and age-worthy wines. This single vineyard bottling from Roland Green stuck out the most to me in a tasting of five different Eyrie Pinots for its intense and captivating aromas. The Roland Green vineyard is positioned at about 550ft elevation planted over 30 years ago on rich volcanic soils, and like all their vineyards, the vines are own-rooted, non-irrigated, and certified organic. The nose is a powerful blend of ripe red and black cherry, tree bark and damp moss, a bit of salt and on returning to the wine, a touch of something smoky, like peat. The palate is concentrated with flavor and acidity. A beautiful wine that I cannot wait to revisit! Michelle DeWyngaert 

Folk Machine 2019 Central Coast Pinot Noir

Another stellar vintage of Folk Machine Pinot Noir showcasing the best of Central Coast fruit. More on the leaner side of Pinot Noirs rather than some of  the fuller, higher octane wines from further inland. Kenny Likitprakong blends fruit from the Mission Ranch and Cedar Lane in Arroyo Seco, and a bit from the Brosseau and Tom Ritchie Vineyards in the Sonoma Coast. The grapes were fermented whole cluster with native yeasts and then kept on the lees with just occasion stirring to enhance the texture of the wine. On the nose are notes of ripe strawberry, red currant, sweet basil, and a bit of fresh potting soil. The palate is lean and fresh, with the softest tannins, finishing as a decidedly earthy example of California Pinot Noir. Serve this with a chill and pair with nearly any dish! Michelle DeWyngaert

Franchere 2017 Willamette Valley Havlin Vineyard Syrah

I can't say that I've had much Syrah from Willamette, and indeed the Havlin Vineyard is relatively young (planted in 2009), but I'm already intrigued to find more. The vineyard is 100% dry-farmed and LIVE sustainable certified. The soil here is silt loam over ironstone bedrock, which not only helps keep the yields low on these younger vines, but also imparts a distinct mineral backbone to this wine. 20% whole cluster in the fermentation, aged for 18 months in neutral French oak, and then bottled with just a bit of SO2 in accordance with Mike Hinds' minimalist philosophy. The nose is rich with a touch of dark, bitter chocolate, and the palate presents a really beautiful, concentrated texture with black pepper and dried herbs. Perfectly savory, this wine is calling to be paired with something roasted. Michelle DeWyngaert

Haraszthy Cellars 1967 Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon Buena Vista Cask 101

Hope Well 2019 Eola-Amity Hills Pinot Noir

Wow. This wine really bowled us over when we had the chance to sample it. I wrote "like taking a walk through a redwood forest in fall" (a stark departure from my typically more straightforward lists of tasting notes). It is Mimi Casteel's incredible dedication to 'regenerative agriculture' that makes this wine from the  Willamette Valley so special and sought-after. Her farming practices go beyond organics and work to actively restore the health of the soil and the land surrounding the vineyard, creating a living, breathing ecosystem. She believes, and I can't help but agree, that this unlocks more flavor and complexity in the grapes because more nutrients and biodiversity is available to the vines. Positioned along an east-facing slope of the Eola-Amity Hills, the Hope Well vineyard experiences an intense diurnal shift that helps maintain freshness even in this warmer vintage. The 2019 vintage was 100% destemmed, aged in 10% new oak, though we could have sworn that stems were included due to the intense aromas of forest floor and tree bark, a testament to the expressiveness of this vineyard. Gentle, but present tannins reign in bright acidity, a fantastic balance of power and elegance that leads me to believe this will age for a decade or more. Michelle DeWyngaert

Jess Miller Wines 2019 McMinnville AVA 'Sunny Ridge' Pinot Noir

After widespread fires and smoke throughout the West Coast, Jess Miller was not left with much fruit. Fortunately she had taken over the farming of Sunny Ridge in 2017, a tiny vineyard hidden in the forest on a hill in the McMinnville AVA. When Jess took over she converted the farming to biodynamic treatments and stopped tilling entirely. This is the first vintage she has bottled from Sunny Ridge and it does not disappoint! The fruit is fully destemmed, fermented in open-top tanks with regular punchdowns, then aged for 14 months in eight-year old barrels, before resting for an additional eight months in bottle. Notes of sweet cherry, cinnamon, freshly turned soil, and tree bark on the nose, with lush, juicy, raspberry, red currant, pomegranate, and tarragon on the palate, with gentle tannins that appear just on the finish. Lots of enjoyment to be had by drinking this young, but will do well with a few years in the cellar as well. Michelle DeWyngaert

La Clarine Farm 2019 Sierra Foothills Alors! Rosé

Before becoming winemakers, Hank and Carole were enamored with the wines of the Southern Rhône and Provence, especially of Domaine Tempier in Bandol. This 100% Mourvèdre rosé feels like a love letter to Tempier. Grown organically on volcanic soil from the Sumu Kaw vineyard pressed as whole clusters into tank and puncheon. It goes through natural fermentation and full malo, and rests on the lees for almost a year before bottling, where it ages for another year before its release. This is a rich, savory rosé with notes of white cherry, apple blossom, and sweet, savory quality that reminds me of sautéed onions in the best way. Michelle DeWyngaert

Matthiasson 2017 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Steve Matthiasson is a dedicated organic farmer and low-intervention winemaker. This is old-school California Cabernet Sauvignon at its finest, made even more elegantly this vintage because of the relatively low temperatures throughout the season. (Thankfully harvest was completed before the wildfires took over!) The blend for 2017 is from six different Napa vineyards from Coombsville, Rutherford, and Oak Knoll ; 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Cabernet Franc. The wine is gently extracted with minimal pump-overs and fermented at a low temperatures. It is aged for 20 months in mostly used and less than 20% new French oak which adds just a touch of baking spice to the aroma and a silky texture to the tannins.  At only 13% ABV this is by no means a burly or jammy California Cab, this is much more reminiscent of  Napa wines from the 1970's.

Minor, Sean 2019 Central Coast Pinot Noir

Sean Minor is a negociant production working with high quality vineyards throughout the central and north coast of California to create fresh, easy drinking, great value wines like this classic California Pinot Noir. Fermented with 100% de-stemmed grapes to emphasize the ripe fruit and aged in oak barrels to give it those quintessential sweet oak spices.

Mirassou 1970 Monterey - Santa Clara Cabernet Sauvignon

Mount Eden 2007 Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet Sauvignon

Mount Eden

Mount Eden 2016 Domaine Eden Cabernet Sauvignon

Mount Eden Vineyards have been the standard bearers of quality California fruit since the 1940's, and have remained focused on healthy winegrowing as the key to making great wine. Positioned near the coast of the Santa Cruz Mountains up at 2000ft elevation, they are perhaps more well known for their cool-climate loving varieties, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but their Cabernet Sauvignon is just as compelling. Because of the high altitude and ocean wind this wine does have great acidity, but being positioned above the fog line gives their vines abundant sunlight and drier conditions leading to a complete ripeness, even for the Cabernet. It was a very low-yielding year, but that made the fruit all the more concentrated. The blend is 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc & 1% Petit Verdot aged in 100% new French and American oak for two years. The extended time in barrels and subsequent years resting in bottle mean have allowed the oak flavors and tannins to fully integrate. Notes of blackberry, ripe purple plum, cassis, rosemary, thyme, cacao nibs and forest floor mingle on silky, powdery tannins. This still shows vibrant fruit now, but should also mature beautifully with another 5+ years in the cellar. Michelle DeWyngaert

Peay Vineyards 2018 Sonoma Coast Scallop Shelf Pinot Noir

Planted 25 years ago on a former seabed that had been uplifted millons of years ago (but which is still littered with seashell fossils!) the 'Scallop Shelf' bottling is a blend of  different clones and plots from the Peay estate vineyard. The vineyard is certified organic, and nearly dry-farmed (except for an occasional need in the hottest points of August), they remain untilled, and fertilized by their own compost made from leftover pomace. This blend is created to highlight the cool, coastal climate and elevation of the vineyardl intended to be the most floral, elegant of the three estate bottlings.

Pied a Terre 2015 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon

Richard Luftig, one of New York's best sommeliers, has made a Cabernet known for phenomenal quality and price: Pied a Terre Cabernet! Always one of our best-selling American reds, 2015 is a deep, ripe, and focused vintage for Pied a Terre. This is a fantastic Cabernet Sauvignon that has classic California character but more structure and reserve than a lot of riper wine. The tannic structure is tightly woven, with fine acid backbone and lush cassis, blackberry, and slightly redder berry fruit. This is a California Cabernet meant to be consumed with food, and will pear excellently with New York strip steak, pork loin, or coq au vin. Andrew Farquhar

Ponzi 2011 Willamette Pinot Noir Aurora

The Ponzi vineyards are located in the Chehalem Mountains of the Willamette Valley in one of the newest sub-AVA's  of Laurelwood District. The Ponzi family has owned and maintained this property since the late 1960's and is currently run by Ana Maria Ponzi with Luisa Ponzi as their winemaker. Together they petitioned to designate the Laurelwood District as its own AVA because of its unique Laurelwood soil; composed of basalt base with ice age windblown sedimentary soils.

Ridge 2011 Santa Cruz Mountains Monte Bello 3 L

Ritchie Creek 2007 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain

Sandlands 2019 Contra Costa County Red Table Wine

Sandlands is a project by acclaimed winemaker Tegan Passalacqua to explore the unsung, lesser-know grapes thriving in California. This blend comes from three of the oldest California vineyards and is in equal parts Cinsault from the Bechthold Vineyard (planted in 1886), Carignane from Spenker Ranch (1900), and Zinfandel from Kirschenmann Vineyard (1915). The winemakers describe this vintage with notes of "black cherry, apricot, black tea, granular, smooth finish."

Sebastiani bottled in 1970 North Coast Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 32

Serene 2005 Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Monogram

Silver Oak 2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

Stolpman Vineyards 2018 Santa Barbara Ballard Canyon Estate Syrah

This is the flagship wine for the Stolpman Vineyards which best represents their vines and the greater Ballard Canyon each year. The Stolpman Estate Syrah is helping to define what a California Syrah really is with its ripe, sun-kissed fruit, that remains concentrated without becoming jammy or "hot" with alcohol. Thankfully the 2018 vintage only saw one heat spike, and it came in early July so the vines had a chance to recover, and allowed for a prolonged hang-time. The grapes were fermented with 50% whole clusters and aged for ten months in neutral French puncheons with sulfur only added at bottling.

Swick Wines 2020 'What are We?'

The newest co-ferment from Joe Swick! This is a blend of 39% marsanne/ 33% grenache noir/ 28% grenache blanc from Columbia Valley. Drinks like a light, juicy red, or a dark rosé.

Turley 2018 Zinfandel Juvenile

The 'Juvenile' is a great way to taste the classic and enduring style of Turley Zinfadel without paying a fortune for one of the single vineyard bottlings. This is a blend of grapes from the youngest vines on 18 different vineyards.

Turley 2018 Contra Costa County Zinfandel Dusi

This is a single-vineyard bottling from the Dusi Vineyard, on the west side of Paso Robles, which consists of own-rooted, head-trained vines planted in 1945 on mostly alluvial soils. The warm climate and dense soils lead to this fuller-bodied, richer style Zinfandel.

Turley 2018 Sonoma Fredericks Zinfandel

The Fredericks Vineyard was planted in 1937 on a hillside up at 900 feet elevation, a rare find indeed. The vines are head-trained on steep terraces and certified organically farmed. The wine is aged in 80% neutral, 20% new oak (of which 80% is French oak) for 15 months before bottling.

Turley 2019 Zinfandel Juvenile

 The 'Juvenile' is a great way to taste the classic and enduring style of Turley Zinfadel without paying a fortune for one of the single vineyard bottlings. This is a blend of grapes from the youngest vines on 18 different vineyards.

Valravn 2018 Sonoma County Pinot Noir

This is such a great value for Sonoma Pinot Noir! By creating lasting relationships with high quality, organically farmed  (some certified, all avoid using chemical sprays and employ cover crops where possible) vineyards, the winemakers of Valravn are able to offer a snapshot of the Sonoma County for a really great price. The fruit is fermented in open-top stainless steel with about 15-20% whole clusters used, and then aged in ~20% new French oak for one year. For each vineyards fruit, the wines are fermented separately and then blind-tasted before creating the perfect blend. On the nose are notes of clove, stewed cherry, treebark, red plums, and a touch of black pepper. The palate is juicy and concentrated, with notes of baking spice, red currant, raspberry, sun-baked soil, and even a bit of blueberry. Very tasty California fruit with just the right amount of new oak! Michelle DeWyngaert

Wind Gap 2013 Sonoma Coast Sun Chase Pinot Noir

This is Pax Mahle's second vintage from Sun Chase, a young vineyard in the south of the Sonoma Coast AVA, where the Petaluma Wind Gap meets Sonoma Mountain (close to Gap's Crown and Black Knight vineyards, which fans of Wind Gap know well). Heady floral and rich herbal aromas intertwine with deep, shimmering red berry fruit, citrus oils, spicy tobacco, leathery earth, taut tannins, and wonderful length. A gorgeous wine, perfect for Pinot Noir lovers who switch between Burgundy and California frequently enough to know that the line is blurred! Ariana Rolich