2019 Goldeneye Pinot Noir Gowan Creek Vineyard Anderson Valley

2019 Goldeneye Pinot Noir Gowan Creek Vineyard Anderson Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Anderson ValleyKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaUSA

GOLDENEYE

PINOT NOIR
GOWAN CREEK VINEYARD
ANDERSON VALLEY 2019

2019 Goldeneye Pinot Noir Gowan Creek Vineyard Anderson Valley
Dan Duckhorn recognized the potential for cultivating some of the world’s finest Pinot Noir in California’s Anderson Valley in the 1990s and founded Goldeneye Winery in 1996. He knew that the oceanic influence brings mild temperatures, fog, wind, and a considerable diurnal temperature variation providing an ideal environment for growing cool-climate varietals.
 
The Gowan Creek Vineyard offers a southwestern exposure with several blocks planted with clones of Pinot Noir expertly matched by each block’s particular soil type. The 2019 vintage is considered one of the top vintages in Goldeneye’s near three-decade history due to the length and quality of the growing season that produced Pinot Noir with pronounced aromatics, deep flavor complexity, and a silky texture.
 
GOLDENEYE
PINOT NOIR
GOWAN CREEK VINEYARD
ANDERSON VALLEY 2019
Retails at: $88
 
Your Price: $79.99
 
 
“An impressive vintage bolsters this wine’s already stellar reputation. Following scents of nutmeg, cardamom, and watermelon rind, the earthy liquid spreads across the palate, anchored by animale, plum, heather, wet soil, and gingerbread. Cinnamon takes shape on the mid-palate with candied yam, iron, and rhubarb. Exotic and profound.”
97 Points
 
“A dried-floral nose with notes of coffee, ripe strawberry and sage. Medium-to full-bodied with a cool profile of redcurrants and ripe raspberries. Silky tannins. A pleasant lavender note, too. Really well layered and complex with balance and precision. Drink or hold.”
95 Points
2018 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir Mariah Vineyard Mendocino Ridge

2018 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir Mariah Vineyard Mendocino Ridge

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtMendocino RidgePinot NoirSonomaUSA

WAITS-MAST

PINOT NOIR 2018
MARIAH VINEYARD
MENDOCINO RIDGE

2018 Waits-Mast Pinot Noir Mariah Vineyard Mendocino Ridge
Waits-Mast Cellars began in 2005, crafting their first barrel of Pinot Noir, and within two years, Brian Mast and Jennifer Waits watched their dreams become a reality with their boutique brand focused on high-quality Pinot Noir. Shalini Sekar joined the team as the winemaker in 2013 and came from a background in music with a Master’s Degree in Flute and Piccolo Performance but shifted her focus to studying Enology and Viticulture and sharpened her skills at Williams-Selyem and Copain Custom Crush.
 
The Mariah Vineyard is sustainably farmed and found in the Mendocino Ridge AVA at 2300 feet above sea level, resulting in more sunlight hours because of its position above the fog layer. The 106-case production 2018 vintage has a density not seen in previous vintages with an intensely bright color and layers of complexity that begin to unfold as soon as a glass is poured and continues into the long, complex finish.
 
WAITS-MAST
PINOT NOIR 2018
MARIAH VINEYARD
MENDOCINO RIDGE
Retails at: $47
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“Quite flavorful and nicely structured, this well-concentrated wine grown at 2,300 feet in elevation is worth keeping to enjoy how it develops over time. Engaging raspberry, red cherry and redwood aromas are followed by mouthfilling, ripe black fruit flavors on a full body braced by moderate, fine-grained tannins. Best from 2026.”
95 Points “Cellar Selection”
2018 Domaine Eden Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains

2018 Domaine Eden Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains

with No Comment $30-$40Central CoastKevin VogtPinot NoirSanta CruzSanta Cruz MountainsUSA

DOMAINE EDEN

PINOT NOIR 2018
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS

2018 Domaine Eden Pinot Noir Santa Cruz Mountains
Domaine Eden is an estate owned by iconic Santa Cruz Mountains producer Mount Eden vineyards that focuses on high-quality Pinot Noir and Chardonnay production. Their team adheres to strict sustainable farming standards, producing small, concentrated yields of remarkable fruit. The vineyards are planted with Dijon clones 777, 667, and 828 and the historic California clones Mount Eden, Calera, and Swan, resulting in remarkably complex, aromatically indulgent wines that have become a signature of the brand.
 
Indigenous yeasts carry out the fermentation in French Burgundian barrels without fining, filtration, or manipulation, allowing complete transparency and purity true to the varietal. The 2018 Pinot Noir lives up to its sister winery’s hierarchy with a suave mouthfeel and polished balance reflective of the site’s terroir in the Santa Cruz Mountains.
 
DOMAINE EDEN
PINOT NOIR 2018
SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
 
Your Price: $39.99
 
 
“Gamy aromas of roasted pork and a wet stone mineraliy surround the plush cranberry fruit on the nose of this bottling. There’s a floral edge to the palate, from rose petal to violet, as well as light red-currant and more game flavors.”
93 Points
2019 Lichen Pinot Noir Moonglow Vineyard Anderson Valley

2019 Lichen Pinot Noir Moonglow Vineyard Anderson Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Anderson ValleyKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaUSA

LICHEN

PINOT NOIR
MOONGLOW VINEYARD
ANDERSON VALLEY 2019

2019 Lichen Pinot Noir Moonglow Vineyard Anderson Valley
In 2008, Lichen Estate planted 7 acres of vines in the Anderson Valley with meter-by-meter spacing, modeling the Grand Cru vineyards of Burgundy and Champagne, resulting in nearly four times the amount of vines per acre than neighboring vineyards. This style of planting increases the competition between each vine, forcing the roots to dig deeper into the earth in search of nutrients and moisture. This type of farming lowers yields and concentrates aromas and flavors. 
 
This estate was initially named Breggo, the Breggo brand sold in 2009, and the fruit then went to Cliff Lede’s Fel Pinot Noir for years before the lease ended in 2014. The vineyard has always been organically farmed, with six blocks of Pinot Noir from the Martini, Wadenswil, Pommard, and 667 clones. The 2019 Moonglow Pinot Noir displays notes of red cherries with a refined focus and savory spice typical of the cool-climate region, one of the top Pinot Noir regions in the New World.
 
LICHEN
PINOT NOIR
MOONGLOW VINEYARD
ANDERSON VALLEY 2019
 
Your Price: $38
 
 
“Aromas of dried orange peel, strawberry and wet stone. Medium-bodied with silky tannins. Good depth and intensity on the steady, mineral finish. Pleasantly salty, too. Drink now.”
92 Points
2019 Armelle Et Bernard Rion Chambolle-Musigny Les Echezeaux

2019 Armelle Et Bernard Rion Chambolle-Musigny Les Echezeaux

with No Comment $90-$100BurgandyFranceKevin VogtPinot Noir

ARMELLE ET BERNARD RION

CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY
LES ECHEZEAUX 2019

2019 Armelle Et Bernard Rion Chambolle-Musigny Les Echezeaux
Domaine Armelle et Bernard Rion was founded in 1896 by Pierre Rion after he acquired vines from Chateau de la Berchere during his years as a dedicated sharecropper. More than a century later, the fifth generation of the Rion family runs the winery. They have vineyard holdings strategically positioned in some of the most recognized Burgundian wine-producing villages, including Vosne-Romanée, Chambolle-Musigny, Nuits-Saint-Georges, and Vougeot.
 
‘Les Echezeaux’ is planted with vines of an average age of 50 years in the southern part of the village of Chambolle-Musigny, receiving ample sunlight and achieving perfect ripeness. The 2019 vintage saw frost, hail, and drought, which lowered yields but produced small but brilliant crops with deep concentration and may be one of the best vintages in the last decade.
 
ARMELLE ET BERNARD RION
CHAMBOLLE-MUSIGNY
LES ECHEZEAUX 2019
 
Your Price: $99.99
 
 
“The Armelle et Bernard Rion Chambolle-Musigny Les Echezeaux 2019 opens with a bright nose of tart red cherry, cardamom, pomegranate, fresh green herbs, saddle leather, cinnamon spice, shoe polish, and freshly harvested French lavender. On the palate, the wine has flavors of Ranier cherries, white raspberries, and clove hints, along with a liquid metal/saline quality that bolsters the fresh acids and medium-grained tannins, leading to a long, elegant finish. It’s enjoyable now due to its pristinely balanced fruit/tannin structure, but it will evolve beautifully over the next decade.”
95 Points
2020 Stemmler Pinot Nour Nugent Vineyard

2020 Stemmler Pinot Nour Nugent Vineyard

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonoma

STEMMLER

PINOT NOIR
NUGENT VINEYARD 2020
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2020 Stemmler Pinot Nour Nugent Vineyard
Robert Stemmler migrated to California from Germany in 1961, taking a job at Charles Krug Winery; he later worked for Inglenook and Simi before opening his winery in 1976, focusing on Pinot Noir production. His first vintage release was in 1982, and by 1984 critics were calling his Pinot Noirs the best in America.
 
Robert sold the winery in 1989 but still assists whenever needed to help maintain that quality that he established 40 years ago. The Nugent vineyard, planted in 1997 with Calera, Dijon 667, and Pommard clones, brings delightful nuances to the blend, and the 2020 vintage delivers a bright and light yet concentrated wine that’s hard to resist at this price.
 
STEMMLER
PINOT NOIR
NUGENT VINEYARD 2020
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $50
 
 
 
“The 2020 Stemmler Nugent Vineyard Pinot Noir opens with bright notes of red cherry, wild strawberry, baking spices, earth, crushed rock minerality, and crushed oregano. On the palate, the wine has flavors of cranberry, berry bramble, and cloves with refreshing acidity and soft tannins that result in a super smooth finish. This wine is an outstanding value and should not be missed by Pinot Noir lovers looking for a wine for any night of the week.”
92 Points
2018 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley

2018 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

JOSEPH JEWELL

PINOT NOIR 2018
HALLBERG VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY

2018 Joseph Jewell Pinot Noir Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley
Joseph Jewell wines are known for their approachability, balance, and natural varietal character derived from small, independently owned vineyard sites in Humboldt and Sonoma Counties that focus on sustainable farming practices. Owner and winemaker Adrian Jewell Manspeaker was delighted to begin working with the Hallberg Vineyard in 2010 and has produced this single-vineyard Pinot Noir ever since. Hallberg is a longtime vineyard source for Gary Farrell and Emeritus, both great producers.
 
The Hallberg Vineyard is known for its dry-farmed Gold Ridge soils that encourage deep root propagation, giving fruit with increased depth and complexity of flavors. This 2018 vintage is a prime example of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, highlighting the vineyard’s earthy terroir and opulent fruit that will leave your taste buds craving more.
 
JOSEPH JEWELL
PINOT NOIR 2018
HALLBERG VINEYARD
RUSSIAN RIVER VALLEY
Retails at: $60
 
 
 
“The Joseph Jewell Hallberg Vineyard Russian River Valley Pinot Noir 2018 begins with an elegant nose of fresh raspberries, dried cranberries, cola bean, French lavender, and sweet vanilla. A supple, opulent palate follows with integrated flavors of pomegranate, red cherries, delicate fresh herbs, and a liquid saline complexity. This bottling is a lush, penetrating wine with depth and lots of character and length that rates as another fantastic Pinot Noir from Joseph Jewell.”
94 Points
2020 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2020 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

with No Comment $40-$50Kevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaSonoma Coast

FLOWERS

PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 2020

2020 Flowers Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
Flowers Winery founders were among the first to see the potential in the rough and rugged Sonoma Coast, planting their first vineyard in the area over 30 years ago. Their organic and biodynamic approach to farming is part of their continued commitment to respect the environment and cultivate healthier vines for higher quality wines, which you can taste in all of the wines they produce.
 
The Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir features a selection of small, family-owned vineyards, including the Sea View Ridge estate bringing forth an ultimate expression of cool-climate, coastal fruit. The 2020 vintage experienced lower than average rainfall that stressed the vines and reduced yields resulting in super-concentrated fruit that reflects the continued pursuit of quality that Flowers delivers with each new vintage.
 
FLOWERS
PINOT NOIR
SONOMA COAST 2020
Retails at: $55
 
Your Price: $45
 
 
“The 2020 Flowers Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir begins with inviting aromas of rose petals, violets, red currants, freshly sliced strawberries, black tea, forest floor, and wet stones. The wine is lively on the palate with a natural acidity that balances and complements flavors of red cherry, cranberry, and Bella mushrooms. This wine is a part of a consistent line of excellent quality wines for an approachable price, portraying an exemplary creation.”
92 Points
2020 Grand Napa Pinot Noir Los Carneros

2020 Grand Napa Pinot Noir Los Carneros

with No Comment $30-$40CarnerosKevin VogtNapaPinot NoirUSA

GRAND NAPA

PINOT NOIR
LOS CARNEROS 2020

2020 Grand Napa Pinot Noir Los Carneros
Grand Napa Vineyards in Rutherford is known for sourcing grapes from sustainably farmed vineyards throughout the Napa Valley that produce wines with depth, character, and balance with plush tannins and intense concentration. Winemaker Dwight Bonewell is involved in the vineyards and the winery, ensuring that only the best fruit is harvested and sorted by hand before coaxing each vineyard’s unique character into its purest expression.
 
The Los Carneros AVA receives cooling breezes from the San Pablo Bay that benefit cooler-climate grapes such as Pinot Noir, helping retain the variety’s crisp, bright acidity. The 2020 Los Carneros Pinot Noir was aged for six months in 20% new French oak, emphasizing the fruit characteristics and site-specific terroir of the AVA, resulting in a superbly balanced and deeply satisfying Pinot Noir at a price too low to pass up.
 
GRAND NAPA
PINOT NOIR
LOS CARNEROS 2020
Retails at: $90
 
 
 
“The 2020 Grand Napa Los Carneros Pinot Noir has a bright nose of pie cherries, cola, dried mushrooms, white flowers, and brown sugar. The seamless palate has flavors of red cherries, mixed berries, vanilla hints, and liquid minerals. It’s a lush, easy-drinking wine, balanced by the fresh acidity. The wine team bottled it in May of 2022 and, although drinking nicely now, will certainly benefit from more time in the bottle. Drink now through 2028.”
92 Points
2019 Calera Pinot Noir Central Coast

2019 Calera Pinot Noir Central Coast

with No Comment $30 and underCentral CoastKevin VogtPinot NoirUSA

CALERA

PINOT NOIR
CENTRAL COAST 2019

2019 Calera Pinot Noir Central Coast
A pioneer in domestic Pinot Noir, Josh Jensen founded Calera’s vineyard at an elevation of 2,200 feet on Mt Harlan after discovering the area’s limestone soils were similar to those in Burgundy, providing the depth and complexity to some of the world’s most well-respected wines.
 
Calera wines represent an American spirit with a French influence, and the Central Coast Pinot Noir sets a precedent for this old-world style in California and offers remarkable value. This 2019 vintage balances power and elegance with gorgeous red fruits, spice, silky tannins, and linear focus.
 
CALERA
PINOT NOIR
CENTRAL COAST 2019
Retails at: $30
 
Your Price: $26.99
 
 
“The Calera Central Coast Pinot Noir 2019 is a beautiful interpretation of New World Pinot Noir made in an Old World style. It begins with a nose of tart cherry, pomegranate, hibiscus petals, and hints of cloves. The bright, focused palate elegantly displays red cherry/berry characteristics followed by black tea and an interesting saline/liquid mineral complexity that draws you in for another sip. This wine is certainly one of the best value Pinot Noirs available in a daily-drinker price range.”
92 Points