Bottle Notes, Pinot Noir

2017 Black Kite Pinot Noir Kite’s Rest – Bottle Notes

Black Kite Cellars, a family-run winery, specializing in block-designated Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Founded by Donald and Maureen Green in 2003, Black Kite is named for the beautiful but endangered Black Shouldered Kite that is native to the Anderson Valley. Jeff Gaffner of Saxon Brown is the consulting winemaker. Kite’s Rest is a blend from distinct blocks of the Estate…

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Bottle Notes, Pinot Noir

2021 Rivers-Marie Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast – Bottle Notes

Thomas Rivers Brown and his wife Genevieve Marie Welsh have quickly made Rivers-Marie one of California’s most sought after Pinot Noir labels. The winery was founded in 2002 and the first release was the Rivers-Marie Summa Vineyard Pinot Noir. In addition to the line up of Single Vineyard Pinot Noirs, Rivers-Marie also makes a several single vineyard Cabernets and Chardonnay. Thomas is…

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Bottle Notes

2019 Sandlands Mataro Contra Costa County – Bottle Notes

Sandlands is the personal project of Tegan and Olivia Passalacqua. Tegan is the Winemaker and Vineyard Manager at Turley. The line-up encompasses some of the forgotten classic California varieties, primarily grown in decomposed granite from regions and vineyards that have been farmed for many generations but have remained the outliers of California viticulture. The wines made at Sandlands include Syrah,…

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Bottle Notes, Zinfandel

2019 Bedrock Wine Co. Lorenzo’s Heritage – Bottle Notes

Bedrock Wine Co. was founded by Morgan Twain-Peterson in 2007 and focuses on small production wines from many of California’ s most treasured and historic vineyards. The lineup of wines at Bedrock is expansive, but I think the best of the best are the ancient vineyard Zinfandels, Morgan is clearly passionate about. Lorenzo’s Heritage comes from Teldeschi Ranch in Dry…

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Bottle Notes

2018 Marcel Lapierre Morgon – Bottle Notes

Marcel Lapierre took over the family domaine from his father in 1973. The winery dates back to the early 1900’s. In 1981 Marcel met Jules Chauvet. A winemaker, researcher and chemist, Chavet preached for natural wines and the traditional methods of Beaujolais. Joined by local vignerons Guy Breton, Jean-Paul Thévenet, and Jean Foillard, Marcel led a group that soon went to the…

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Bottle Notes

2016 No Girls Tempranillo La Paciencia Vineyard – Bottle Notes

No Girls Wines is a partnership between famed Cayuse vigneron Christophe Baron and longtime friend and Cayuse general manager, Trevor Dorland. The fruit comes from the Cayuse La Paciencia vineyard, which means patience—appropriate as the project was ten years in the making. The vines are tightly spaced and planted on an angle, giving No Girls a profile all its own. Elizabeth…

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Bottle Notes, Chardonnay

2020 Plumpjack Chardonnay Reserve – Bottle Notes

Gavin Newsom and Gordon Getty established PlumpJack Winery in 1995, inspired by one of Shakespeare’s most memorable characters, Sir John “PlumpJack” Falstaff. PlumpJack Winery sits squarely in the heart of Napa Valley’s renowned Oakville region, surrounded by a 42-acre estate vineyard highly regarded for the quality of its Cabernet Sauvignon. Aaron Miller is the winemaker at PlumpJack. Straw colored. 14.2% ABV.…

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Bottle Notes, Zinfandel

2020 Carlisle Zinandel Sonoma County – Bottle Notes

Carlisle Winery & Vineyards was founded in 1998 by Mike and Kendall Officer. Their passion is clear: Small lots of Zinfandel and Syrah from exceptional, historic vineyards. Many of these vineyards are heritage sites planted by Italian immigrants and date back to the late 1800s. Mike recently announced his retirement and subsequently 2024 will be the last vintage of wines produced…

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