Wine Reviews

98

Priest Ranch 2019 Snake Oil Estate Grown Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($110)

Creamy velvet-lined chocolate licorice indicates the soft tannins and streamlined structure of this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon planted on hillsides that climb as high as 1600 feet above sea level. Aged for 26 months in 75% new French oak, notes of tree bark, graphite, and blackberry-filled cake surround the palate. Spiced cedar braces against the tongue, while black tea and black plum are streamlined on the finish.

95

Priest Ranch 2022 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($60)

Taste the soil: sweet and generous, with a thread of minerality and dark espresso. Sueded tannins are sleek and faintly dusted with dark chocolate. Black plum is introduced, graceful and poignant, alongside new leather and cedar-splashed nutmeg.

94

Priest Ranch 2023 Estate Grown Sauvignon Blanc, Napa Valley ($30)

An articulate Sauv Blanc, sparked with an assembly of flavor: white pepper, cucumber, honeysuckle, peach, grapefruit zest, and kiwi. An underlying creaminess softens its racy acidity while soothing the palate.

94

Raymond 2023 Reserve Chardonnay, Carneros ($30)

A desirable combination of lemon bar, peach parfait, vanilla bean, and Mandarin orange. There’s a soil component, ethereal, and generated by a fine acid structure and an underlying stoney quality. Gorgeously balanced by the hands of winemaker Stephanie Putnam.

95

Raymond Reserve Collection 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($55)

Luminous and intense, with tobacco, worn leather, and graphite in the forefront, this is nevertheless an elegant specimen of concentrated bliss. From its blackberry core to a duo of espresso and wild cherry, it delivers a deliciously long-lasting experience.

93

Raymond Reserve Collection 2022 Merlot , Napa Valley ($40)

Violets burst from the glass, aromatically and on the palate. The floral tones meld with an underscore of graphite, a fine line that offers a slight grip until it lets go and dusts the mouth with sage and dark plum.

93

Rione Vineyards 2019 Zinfandel, Flatridge Ranch, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County ($40)

American-oak aged, this Zin is Mark Trione’s passion project. It is fermented in open top tanks and the grapes are gently punched down throughout fermentation, which is similar to their process of handling Pinot Noir. Aromatically stunning, with a perfume of cherry-vanilla. Chewy and ripe, the duet of blueberry and sandalwood leaves a slickness on the palate. Elegant, with a fine acidity priming notes of tobacco, licorice, and chocolate fudge.

90

Riunite Lambrusco, Emilia IGT, Italy ($10)

Fresh and vibrant, chock full of sweet blueberry and vanilla. An iconic sipper best-served chilled with a low abv of eight percent. The fizz is light and refreshing, and the acidity is well-balanced.