Wine Reviews

I tasted this wine with Luke Anable, owner of The Natural Wine Company in Arizona, but the wine is distributed nationally. Winery owners Nathan and Adam Mariani have been making this Carneros Pinot Noir since 2007, most of it off the 30-year-ld Martini Heritage clone. Its earth-laden nose reveals marzipan and dried, spiced red berries. Forest floor rises on first pass, with a backdrop of bramble, black cherry and sweet cigar leaf. With fine clarity on the palate, it finishes quietly with toasty restraint.

Winemaker Dan Schroeder reflects on the character of Sea Smoke’s estate vineyard. “In terms of its unique climate and soils and the meticulous care and thoughtfulness that went into its planting, there is really no other vineyard like it in California.” The vineyard is a monopole, planted only to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay in one of the only east-west coastal ranges in the U.S. The wine is named for the ten top clones of Pinot Noir, and the wine is aged 16 months in 56% new French oak. Charmed by exotic notes of Asian Five Spice and unearthed blueberries, layers of Red Delicious apple pair with notes of pennyroyal minerality. It finishes with rose petals laced with anise and black cherries dotted with sweet basil.

Aromas: Lemon blossom, straw, vanilla wafer
The marine layer that runs east-west across this appellation is referred to as “sea smoke.” This monopole estate, known for its dynamic Pinot Noirs, excels in Chardonnay craftmanship. Winemaker Don Schroeder harvests at lower Brix and reduces the amount of French oak, and to us, the word purity comes to mind when tasting this prestigious white. Glacial-like in its mouthfeel, iced lemon high notes and a delicate marzipan creaminess envelop the tongue.

Dense, velvet-textured, and concentrated, this beautiful Cabernet Franc is rich with ripe blackberries, crushed blueberries, and plums, as well as notes of cocoa powder, dark-roasted coffee beans, and licorice root. A background kiss of candied violets lends a lovely counterpoint of delicacy to this powerful wine.

Organic Cinsault, Grenache, and Syrah make for a classic—and classically food-friendly—Provencal rosé. Winemaker Julien Fayard has crafted a silky, lengthy wine that’s lifted with citrus blossoms, lively with stone fruit, and savory with cracked peppercorn and slate-like minerality.

Hemel-en-Aarde, formerly known as Walker Bay, is a relatively new appellation, just implemented in 2006. Walker Bay has been elevated to District status. The Hemel-en-Aarde Valley is close to the cool Atlantic coast. A touch of smoke, blackberry, and plum bathe the palate. Spiced cedar offers texture, with radiating back notes of roast coffee and cinnamon spice. The aromas linger as long as the satin-lined finish.

Named for the rare Southern Right whales that frequent Walker Bay in May and December, the winery contributes to their conservation. A delicate style, with subtle notes of flint, white flowers, and lemon sorbet. The vineyards are close to the Atlantic Ocean, and it shows in its salty, seashell tonality.

The combination of ferments for this complex white includes French oak, stainless steel barrels, clay amphora, and concrete and ceramic cuves. With selections of Sauvignon Musqué and Tofanelli Semillon, the aromas of pineapple, wet stone, and grapefruit zest are heady and persistent. Stark notes of white grapefruit revel within a grasp of tightwire acidity. Mediterranean herbs and ripe peach weave through rock and white flowers. Lemon verbena settles on the palate, a soothing finish after a lightning strike of vibrancy.