Wine Reviews

Recognized in 1971 as the first vineyard in Alexander Valley to produce a single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, the 63-acre Alexander’s Crown sits on an elevated hill over 350 feet, caressed the the breezes off the Pacific. It is perfumed with peach blossom, Luxardo cherry, jasmine, rosemary, and linden. On the palate, flavors of Mediterranean scrub, blackberry, tangerine bitters, and cherries wrapped around a candy cane, adhere to soft, sensual tannins. “This is the epitome of terroir in Sonoma County,” Seidenfeld pointed out as we tasted together. As the wine continued to open up, the flavors of blueberry jelly meshed with a luxe mocha creaminess. The elegant texture stays in my mind as I write this.

This is a single vineyard, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that is planted on a hillside that travels up 750 feet in elevation. Its 360-degree aspect allows a vulnerability to wind, which stunts the vines. While it also grants exposure to sun, the grapes maintain a natural balance, affecting its texture and flavor profile. Brambly spice and red currant amaze the senses; a preternatural texture of liquid bliss. It awakens the palate with clove, damp earth, and broken rock. Red beets and Rooibos tea are top notes to savory tones of balsamic, anise, and walnut-cedar. Sinewy and fleshy from mid-palate to finish.

Carmine-black hue, this appellation-based Cab is all free run juice and aids in refinement from no pressing. Aged in 100% (50% new) French oak for 18 months, it shows an elegantly sleek mouthfeel. Black cherry is slathered across the palate, with cocoa and hints of espresso and slate. As sturdy as it is graceful, acidity steels the tongue. The plush nature is an example of Alexander Valley’s present and future potential, without any herbal tones, it’s chewy, it’s just weighty enough, and the ripeness of the fruit is just right.

“This is the most important wine we make,” noted Seidenfeld. “And we work with people who care about where their grapes come from.” Fruit sourced from Alexander Valley to Knights Valley, Dry Creek to Russian River Valley and Cooley Ranch, influence the make-up of this label – one of the most ubiquitous in the line-up. All this and 100% French oak aging with a goal to make a world-class Cab at this price proved that the team has upped their game.
Plush, round, and fresh, red berries parade with red tea, hibiscus, and a hint of sweet basil. Complex and balanced, with a cocoa mint finish, it’s ready to pair with an array of cuisines.

Disgorged in January 2023 prior to another six months of aging before release, this blend of 52% Chardonnay, 46% Pinot Noir, and 2% Pinot Meunier is energetic and elegant, luxe and cool by turns. Fragrances of green and golden apple, Anjou pear, and toasted almond laced with yeastiness and faint smoke shift smoothly to the palate, whose mineral edge softens on the long finish.

Finely wrought and sure-footed, this estate-grown blend of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir (with 10%–15% oak-aged reserve wine) proffers scents of baguette, citrus and citrus blossom, vanilla-poached pear, and hazelnut that harmonize with notes of green and golden apple, lemon balm, and subtle tarragon on the palate—itself gloriously silky, with round acidity and a scintillating finish.

) I shy away from quoting verbiage off back labels, but the characterization of this as “Lively and Unpretentious” is spot on. The fruit weighs in at the upper end of light-bodied, with minimal oak influence and fine purity. Notes recalling red cherries, strawberries, and a whisper of tart cranberry provide enduringly appealing flavors without any excess richness or wood tannin to intrude on the wine’s liveliness.

Elevated notes of toasty black raspberry, chocolate, and tobacco. The mouthfeel is luscious, with dots of white pepper, red beets, and boysenberry jam. Tannins are plush with a tingle of cinnamon spice on the finish.