2023 Synthesis Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2023 Synthesis Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

with No Comment $30 and underKevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

Synthesis

Pinot Noir 2023
Russian River Valley

2023 Synthesis Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

Born from Martin Ray’s estate vineyard along Laguna Road, the 2023 Synthesis Russian River Valley Pinot Noir captures the essence of its origin with striking clarity. The site sits in the heart of the valley’s cool corridor, where morning fog shapes firm but bright fruit. In the cellar, thoughtful intention takes the lead, resulting in a Pinot Noir that balances power and poise, each element reflecting the vineyard’s coastal charm.

The 2023 season unfolded slowly, each stage measured and guided. Yields were modest, canopies were managed for balance, and harvest came only when acidity and aromatics aligned perfectly. The result is a wine that feels sculpted and alive with detail, yet effortlessly composed.

Aged twelve months in French oak, the 2023 release finds its balance in texture and tone. On the palate, it’s silken yet vibrant. Fine-grained tannins guiding a line of vivid acidity through a finish that lingers with quiet confidence. This is Russian River Pinot Noir that’s expressive, graceful, and beautifully composed.

Synthesis
Pinot Noir 2023
Russian River Valley
Retails at: $50

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“A crisp and clean pinot with dried strawberries, cherries and hints of sandalwood on the nose. Medium-bodied with firm tannins and a juicy finish. It has all you need. Drink or hold.”

94 Points

2021 Florence Reserve Zinfandel Rockpile Sonoma County

2021 Florence Reserve Zinfandel Rockpile Sonoma County

with No Comment $30-$40Kevin VogtSonomaSonoma ValleyUSAZinfandel

Florence

Reserve Zinfandel
Rockpile 2021
Sonoma County

2021 Florence Reserve Zinfandel Rockpile Sonoma County

Few places challenge a vine like Rockpile. Perched on a ridge above Lake Sonoma, where the wind never rests and the soil fractures like ancient bone, the Florence Vineyard defines what it means for a vine to struggle and to triumph. From this unforgiving terrain emerges the 2021 Florence Vineyard Reserve Rockpile Zinfandel, a wine that channels its hardship into strength. The result is a Zinfandel that captures both the wildness of altitude and the refinement of mastery.

Long before Rockpile was recognized as an appellation, Jack Florence Jr. saw its promise. He carved his vineyard into the rocky hillsides with the conviction that hardship breeds distinction. Decades later, his 2021 Florence Vineyard Reserve Zinfandel affirms that vision: a wine of intensity and grace, rooted in heritage cuttings from the storied St. Peter’s Church clone and elevated by the restless energy of the mountain.

Only 235 cases were produced, each bottle an unfiltered glimpse into one of Sonoma’s most demanding landscapes. The 2021 vintage speaks in layers of blackberry, cracked pepper, and wild herbs framed by minerality and tension. It’s a wine that feels alive, pulsing with the elevation that shaped it, the craftsmanship that guided it, and the patience that allowed it to find its voice.

Florence
Reserve Zinfandel
Rockpile 2021
Sonoma County
Retails at: $60

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“Lush, almost creamy in texture, this complex, high powered and deeply fruity wine boasts distinctive black pepper and singed sage flavors atop its deep black cherries and blackberries. Moderate to full tannins give it a good backbone for pairing with big proteins. Best from 2025–2035.”

94 Points

2021 Patz & Hall Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

2021 Patz & Hall Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

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

Patz & Hall

Pinot Noir
Sonoma Coast 2021

2021 Patz & Hall Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast

Named one of Wine Spectator’s Top 100, the 2021 Patz & Hall Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is a benchmark for what California Pinot can achieve when precision, heritage, and terroir converge. For more than three decades, Patz & Hall has earned a place at the table of collectors and sommeliers, crafting wines defined by their vibrant acidity, graceful structure, and seamless balance.

The secret to its depth lies in the mosaic of vineyards woven into the final blend. From the cool, wind-swept ridges near the Pacific to the fog-kissed valleys further inland, each of the sixteen individual sites contributes a distinct layer of character: vibrant red fruit from sandy soils, savory spice from clay-rich slopes, and a saline edge from marine-influenced pockets. 

Winemaker James Hall brings this raw potential to life with uncompromising attention to detail. Partial whole-cluster fermentations add aromatic complexity, while full malolactic fermentation in barrel lends texture and depth. The result is a Pinot Noir that shimmers with energy, and with a 96-point score from Decanter, this is a wine to be remembered, celebrated, and cellared.

Patz & Hall
Pinot Noir
Sonoma Coast 2021
Retails at: $45

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“Delightful, extra juicy red and black fruits give graciously and generously with a mouth-filling texture and soft, silky tannins. The coolness of the Sonoma Coast takes the salty sea air and places it squarely on the grapes to give this wine a lovely saline finish. The great structural envelope will protect this wine for the future. It will last and last.”

96 Points

2023 Kanzler Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

2023 Kanzler Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Kevin VogtPinot NoirRussian River ValleySonomaUSA

Kanzler

Pinot Noir 2023
Russian River Valley

2023 Kanzler Pinot Noir Russian River Valley

When Alex Kanzler crafts his Russian River Valley Pinot Noir, it is less about winemaking and more about attentive listening. Each unique vineyard block from his family’s estate and four carefully chosen neighbors offers its own perspective: one whispers delicate perfume, another brings depth, a third imparts tension. His craft lies in weaving those voices into harmony, creating a wine that resonates with both intimacy and grandeur.

For years, the Kanzler vineyard has quietly underpinned the work of renowned producers like Kosta Browne and Rivers-Marie, but here, its fruit takes center stage. In 2023, the season’s clarity produced a Pinot Noir that is both generous and refined, a rare duality that reveals why celebrated winemakers return to these vines year after year.

To drink this wine is to recognize the artistry of restraint. Rather than chasing excess, Kanzler lets detail define the experience. The result is a Pinot Noir that is elegant yet powerful, detailed yet effortless, and unmistakably expressive of place. A wine that genuinely captures the heart and soul of the Russian River Valley. 

Kanzler
Pinot Noir 2023
Russian River Valley
Retails at: $69

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“This Pinot gives fresh cherry, orange pith and cola spice aromas on the nose, giving way to a palate with bright acid, plush tannin and flavors of cherry pie filling, cinnamon, clove and rose petals lingering along the finish.”

91 Points

2023 Salty Goats Pinot Noir Coastline Project Sonoma Coast

2023 Salty Goats Pinot Noir Coastline Project Sonoma Coast

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

Salty Goats

Pinot Noir 2023
Coastline Project
Sonoma Coast

2023 Salty Goats Pinot Noir Coastline Project Sonoma Coast

Few wines wear their landscape as vividly as the 2023 Salty Goats “Coastline Project” Pinot Noir. Sourced from vineyards clinging to the far western ridges of Sonoma, where fog, ocean winds, and fractured Goldridge soils collide, this Pinot channels the raw drama of the Pacific into a wine of striking precision and sea-borne energy.

At the helm are Joe Harden and Phil Holbrook, two winemakers whose experience at benchmark estates like Nickel & Nickel sharpened their ability to coax nuance from challenging terroirs. With Salty Goats, they channel their collective vision into a wine that feels both daring and deliberate, capturing Pinot Noir’s elegance while embracing the rugged unpredictability of the coast.

 

Built with the same patience and precision as the landscapes that shaped it, the 2023 vintage is seductive in its youth and carries the bones of a wine that will evolve gracefully over time. Its balance of fruit, minerality, and structure ensures that those with the patience to cellar it will be rewarded with layers of complexity that only coastal Pinots can achieve.

Salty Goats
Pinot Noir 2023
Coastline Project
Sonoma Coast
Retails at: $60

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“The 2023 Salty Goats ‘Coastline Project’ Pinot Noir blends grapes from Fort Ross-Seaview (Red Car Estate), Lucky Well (Occidental), and Flochinni (Petaluma Gap). Native yeast fermented in a mix of open and closed-top bins, the wine spent 14 days on skins, underwent malolactic fermentation in a barrel, and includes 25% whole cluster. It was aged for 12 months in 20% new French oak, with no rackings, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Fantastically fresh and inviting, this Pinot Noir showcases salty, vibrant character with espresso bean nuances, loamy earth, and crunchy red cherry and spiced plum fruit. Excellent, velvety tannins support a medium-bodied palate with cola spices, kirsch, and blood orange acidity, accented by clove and allspice. Gorgeous rose petal floral notes emerge on the finish. One to seek out, this wine is the brainchild of partner winemakers Joe Harden and Phil Holbrook, who have been making wine together at Nickel & Nickel for nearly a decade. While passionate about Napa Cabernet, their after-hours preference for lighter wines like Pinot Noir inspired them to launch Salty Goats in 2020 as an outlet for experimenting with their favorite varieties.”

94 Points

2021 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

2021 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

with No Comment $70-$80Alexander ValleyCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaUSA

Silver Oak

Cabernet Sauvignon
Alexander Valley 2021

2021 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

With a commanding 96-point score, the 2021 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a continuation of a legacy nearly five decades in the making. Since its founding in 1972, Silver Oak has pursued a singular vision: to craft world-class Cabernet Sauvignon aged exclusively in American oak, a commitment that has defined its unmistakable style. 

Alexander Valley provides the perfect stage for this vision. Cradled by the Mayacamas mountains and influenced by cooling fog from the Russian River Valley, the region balances warm days with dramatic nighttime temperature swings, ensuring fruit that achieves full ripeness while retaining vibrancy and lift. Beneath the vines lie ancient alluvial soils, imparting depth, freshness, and a mineral clarity that defines the best expressions of this AVA.  

The beauty of this wine lies in its duality: supple enough to enchant now, yet structured to evolve gracefully over decades. Aged for two years in Silver Oak’s signature American oak barrels, this is a wine that honors tradition while showcasing innovation. It is a wine that reaffirms why Silver Oak remains one of California’s most iconic names in Cabernet Sauvignon.

Silver Oak
Cabernet Sauvignon
Alexander Valley 2021
Retails at: $100

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“The 2021 Silver Oak Cabernet Sauvignon from Alexander Valley was harvested between 4 September and 8 October. The blend comprises 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Merlot and 1% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. After blending, it was barrel-aged for 24 months in American oak, 50% of which was new, followed by 14 months of bottle ageing prior to release. The wine is beautifully layered and highly fragrant, with remarkable precision and focus in this vintage. Medium- to full-bodied, it integrates the hallmark Silver Oak American spice character through cedarwood aromatics, elegant whispers of vanilla bean, and nuances of fresh fennel (from more refined American oak barrels crafted after precision trials of both seasoning and toasting from the American oak cooperage they own in Higbee, Missouri). Supple dark-cherry and blackberry fruit are framed by graphite minerality, violets and clove, building in richness and complexity across the palate. Suave and silken, the dark-berry fruit is wrapped in a tapestry of velvety tannins, gliding to a focused finish of brown baking spices and crisp, clean acidity.”

96 Points

2022 The Setting Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

2022 The Setting Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

with No Comment $90-$100Alexander ValleyCabernet SauvignonKevin VogtSonomaUSA

The Setting

Cabernet Sauvignon
Alexander Valley 2022

2022 The Setting Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley

With his chart-topping, 98-point masterpiece, Jesse Katz has carved a new pinnacle, with a wine that whispers luxury and roars with purpose. The 2022 vintage of The Setting Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from two of Alexander Valley’s coolest and most distinguished vineyard sites, effortlessly balances vibrant intensity with graceful finesse, showcasing a wine of profound depth, alluring elegance, and undeniable power.

Jesse Katz’s meteoric rise has positioned him among the wine industry’s most revered figures. His artistry reached global acclaim with the creation of the record-breaking, million-dollar, six-liter magnum of The Setting Glass Slipper Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon. Katz’s dedication to excellence and innovation resonates vividly in every bottle, cementing his legacy as one of the great contemporary winemakers.

The 2022 Setting Cabernet Sauvignon captivates with its rich tapestry of lush, concentrated flavors, interwoven seamlessly with vibrant acidity and exquisite texture. At around $100, it competes with Napa Valley’s finest, offering a luxurious experience marked by complexity, precision, and elegance that lingers long after the final sip.

The Setting
Cabernet Sauvignon
Alexander Valley 2022
Retails at: $115

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“The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Alexander Valley comes from one of the coldest sites from which they farm Cabernet Sauvignon. A dark red color, the wine is forward with blue-fruited highlights and shining with notes of juniper, pine, violets, forest floor, and fresh herbs. It’s long, elegant, and focused on the palate, with a more linear feel, an even plushness of tannins, and redcurrants, cassis, and vanilla shining through to the long finish. Drink 2025-2050.”

98 Points

2023 Three Sticks Pinot Noir Price Family Estates Sonoma Coast

2023 Three Sticks Pinot Noir Price Family Estates Sonoma Coast

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

Three Sticks

Pinot Noir 2023
Price Family Estates
Sonoma Coast

2023 Three Sticks Pinot Noir Price Family Estates Sonoma Coast

Among the countless Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs, few capture the imagination like the 2023 Three Sticks Price Family Estates. The wine seamlessly weaves some of Sonoma Coast’s most distinguished voices, drawing from estate jewels such as Durell, Gap’s Crown, and Walala. Each vineyard contributes its character, culminating in a Pinot Noir that speaks eloquently.

Three Sticks has long been admired for crafting Pinot Noir of purity and grace, and the 2023 Price Family Estates bottling marks a thrilling new chapter. Guided by the foundation laid by Bob Cabral and carried forward by Ryan Prichard, it reflects not just winemaking skill but the seamless passing of a torch, ensuring continuity while unlocking new dimensions of expression.

 

The hallmark of the 2023 vintage is its ability to deliver depth without heaviness. Every detail of this wine reflects an estate committed to elevating Pinot Noir to its highest expression. Bright, aromatic, and texturally seamless, it delivers a complete expression of Sonoma’s coastal beauty, standing as a reminder that Pinot Noir, in the right hands, can be both delicate and profound. 

Three Sticks
Pinot Noir 2023
Price Family Estates
Sonoma Coast
Retails at: $55

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“From one of the latest harvests in the Sonoma Coast history, development of flavor had an advantage and this wine is proof. This wine is a blend of the estate’s six vineyards including the Heritage Vineyards of the Durell, Gap’s Crown, and Walala. The wine is delicate and feathery, with clear cut acid structure that illuminates cherries, pomegranate, and orange peel. Its dimension is notable, a down pillow of creamy blueberry, hibiscus, and mint chocolate chip with a dash of black pepper on the finish.”

97 Points

2024 Illumination Sauvignon Blanc Napa-Sonoma

2024 Illumination Sauvignon Blanc Napa-Sonoma

with No Comment $50-$60Kevin VogtNapaSauvignon BlancSonomaUSA

Illumination

Sauvignon Blanc
Napa/Sonoma 2024

2024 Illumination Sauvignon Blanc Napa-Sonoma

The 2024 Illumination Sauvignon Blanc is Quintessa’s brilliant ode to the art of balance, a wine that shimmers with vitality while carrying a focused depth. From the first sip, it reveals the precision and grace of one of the New World’s most accomplished winemaking teams, translating the language of two valleys into a single, harmonious voice.

Its character begins in the vineyard, where a purposeful union of Napa and Sonoma fruit captures a remarkable duality. Napa contributes generous ripeness, while Sonoma brings brightness and mineral tension. Together, they speak to the region’s mosaic of soils and microclimates, a rare meeting of richness and energy.

The winemaking approach honors both freshness and complexity, guiding the wine through a thoughtful aging regimen in French oak, acacia barrels, concrete eggs, and stainless steel. The result is a Sauvignon Blanc of luminous clarity. From the outstanding 2024 vintage, experience Illumination and the spirit of its name: bright, pure, and unforgettable.

Illumination
Sauvignon Blanc
Napa/Sonoma 2024

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“A multidimensional Sauvignon Blanc with both breadth and precision. Lime zest, lime blossom and tarragon laced with vanilla draw you in. Grapefruit, kumquat and crushed Marcona almonds thread through the first wave of flavours. Excellent medium-bodied concentration carries a penetrating core of pithy fruit, warming spice from barrel ageing, and a fresh, focused finish marked by a backbone of zesty acidity and tension. Hand-picked grapes are pressed with whole clusters, and the juice is native fermented in new and neutral French oak barrels, acacia barrels, and stainless steel barrels as well as egg-shaped concrete fermenters.”

94 Points

2022 Wentworth Pinot Noir Anderson Valley

2022 Wentworth Pinot Noir Anderson Valley

with No Comment $50-$60Anderson ValleyKevin VogtPinot NoirSonomaUSA

Wentworth

Pinot Noir 2022
Anderson Valley

2022 Wentworth Pinot Noir Anderson Valley

From the mist-shrouded hills of Anderson Valley, Wentworth’s 2022 Pinot Noir weaves a vibrant melody, blending Burgundian finesse with a distinctly Californian spirit. Cultivated at Wentworth’s organically farmed Nash Mill Vineyard, nestled in the cool-climate “Deep End” of Anderson Valley, this Pinot Noir exudes authenticity and refinement.

Guided by a Burgundian philosophy, the winemaking team deftly employs partial whole-cluster fermentation and native yeasts, allowing the wine’s truest character to emerge. Matured in French oak barrels, this Pinot Noir embodies the vineyard’s essence, delivering a textured, layered, and deeply natural experience.

Vibrant, layered, and irresistibly nuanced, the Wentworth 2022 Pinot Noir offers a sensory journey that lingers long after the final sip. A harmonious dance of acidity, fruit, and finely textured tannins, it vividly exemplifies the meticulous artistry that defines Wentworth’s winemaking.

Wentworth
Pinot Noir 2022
Anderson Valley

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“This lively wine offers aromas of youthful berries, red plums, dried herbs, florals and sea breeze. Flavors are of fresh strawberry, raspberry, yellow plum, sea salt and black tea, interwoven with pink grapefruit zest, dried sage and a dry, supple finish. Decant and pair with grilled lamb loin and seasonal berry relish.”

94 Points