Leonetti Cellar was founded in 1977 by Gary and Nancy Figgins. Leonetti, along with Quilceda Creek and Woodward Canyon put premium Washington Cabernet Sauvignon on the radar of wine consumers across the United States. Leonetti also produces one of the very best domestic Merlots. Leonetti is part of Figgins Family Wine Estates. Chris Figgins is now in charge of the…
Author: Tom Lee
2019 Turley Zinfandel “Buck” Cobb Vineyard – Bottle Notes
Turley Wine Cellars was founded in 1993 by Larry Turley and specializes in small lots of Zinfandel and Petite Sirah from some of California’s most historic and treasured vineyards. Turley now makes right around 50 separate wines from 47 different vineyards, some with vines that date back to the late 1800’s. Tegan Passalacqua is the Director of Winemaking at Turley and…
New Releases from Bruce Patch Wines
Bruce Patch cut his teeth in the music industry — having once met the Beatles and helped to discover the famous 80’s band, The Cars. Bruce moved to the Russian River Valley in the late 1990’s, and transitioned his sales and marketing background into a successful distribution business representing small independent wineries in Sonoma County. Bruce Patch Wines sources grapes from throughout Sonoma County. The…
The Week in Zinfandel (3/3/25)
Welcome to the latest installment of The Week in Zinfandel. If I missed your post or story please send me a link and I will be sure to include it next week. Cheers!
Zinfandel of the Month – 2017 Carlisle Zinfandel Montafi Ranch
Zinfandel of the Month is a regular feature on Zinfandel Chronicles. Keep in mind that although the Zinfandel of the Month might be an older bottle, the current vintage will be one you can find at retail or via the mailing list. The March Zinfandel of the Month is the 2017 Carlisle Zinfandel Montafi Ranch. I chose this wine as…
The Week in Zinfandel (2/24/25)
Welcome to the latest installment of The Week in Zinfandel. If I missed your post or story please send me a link and I will be sure to include it next week. Cheers!
2007 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée – Bottle Notes
The 2007 Domaine du Pégaü Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée Réservée was the winning bottle in the February Installment of Pick My Next Bottle. I’d suggest decanting the bottle for several hours if you open one in the near future. The family of Domaine du Pegau has roots in Châteauneuf-du-Pape dating back to the mid-17th century. The word Pegau refers to a wine jug discovered…
2018 Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel Pagani Ranch – Bottle Notes
Ridge Vineyards was founded in 1959 when three Stanford Research Institute engineers bought an abandoned winery in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The vineyards had been planted in the late 19th century by a San Francisco physician who produced his first vintage in the original winery, called Monte Bello, in 1892. The first Ridge vintage was in 1962. John Olney is Head…
2021 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Sonoma County – Bottle Notes
Williams Selyem Winery began when Ed Selyem and Burt Williams started making wine as a hobby in 1979 in Forestville, California. Their first commercial release was in 1981, and in less than two decades they created a cult-status winery of international acclaim. Setting a new standard for Pinot Noir winemaking, they put Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley at the forefront…
New Releases from Old Vine Ranch
Hidden within the remote Mayacamas Mountain range, in the heart of Northern California’s coastal wine country, is the Old Vine Ranch, a vision brought to life by renowned winemaker and owner of Marietta Cellars, Scot Bilbro. The rugged, sprawling site includes field blend vines dating back to the 1880s, creating a deep connection to California’s storied winemaking heritage. With a firm belief…