Wine Reviews

93

Barrel Oak Winery 2023 Meritage, Middleburg, Virginia ($35)

A luxurious Bordeaux-style blend, with white-peppered cassis, plum liqueur, and finely worked tannins. Dried herbs appear mid-palate, sweetened by rhubarb and red tea.

93

Barrel Oak Winery 2024 Sauvignon Blanc, Middleburg, Virginia ($29)

Bright and creamy, with Mandarin orange, elderflower, and thyme. Salted pear and peach create a succulent mid-palate charm, with a grapefruit zest finish.

92

Bel Colle 2025 Arneis, Roero DOCG, Piedmont, Italy ($24)

Almonds, apple tart, and lemon blossom sidle with sizzling acidity and a clean, mineral finish.

89

Bishop Pine Vineyards 2024 Chardonnay, California ($12)

This is a notably oaked, vanilla-forward style of Chardonnay. Caramel and vanilla aromatic notes are enhanced by lightly spicy accents, and there’s just enough acidity to keep this balanced through the finish.

95

Brandlin Estate 2022 Cuvée Red, Mount Veeder, Napa Valley ($75)

A concentrated dive into tilled soil, sage, and mocha-washed violets. This blend of 41% Cabernet Sauvignon and 29% Cabernet Franc, with Petit Verdot and Malbec, is sumptuous, with dark chocolate-cedar and blackberry that bow to a refined structure: more restrained than dominating, despite the power of their estate fruit from Mount Veeder’s elevated vineyard sites. Built for longevity.

94

Brandlin Estate 2024 Sauvignon Blanc, Mount Veeder, Napa Valley ($50)

Mountain terroir impacts the profile of this lithe and wispy white, aged in large-format puncheons and cigar-shaped barrels, aged 11 months in 67% new French oak. Notes of jasmine, perfumed pineapple, and a sheen of lemon sorbet are linear and glassy across the palate. Thyme and salty pears lead the fray in the memorable, long finish.

93

Broadbent 2024 Cabernet Sauvignon, North Coast ($16)

Lavender and jasmine are in harmony, with blackberries and plum skin. An expressive, opulent re with a pedigreed name on the label. Tannins are supple; the mouthfeel is soft and the fruit is generous.

94

Broadbent 2024 Pinot Noir, Central Coast ($19)

Rapturous notes of cherry-tobacco and graphite connect with sleek tannins. Woodsy, with black tea and Worcestershire, it’s juicy, complex, and mysterious.