Wine Reviews

This Snow Vineyard Pinot Noir comes from a site planted in the region’s classic Goldridge sandy loam soils and comprises Clone 943, a small clone with tiny berries; the fruit is exceptionally weighty and concentrated, balanced by the structural finesse of a bit of Calera Clone blended in. Together, there is great harmony in the ripe, delicious mixed berry compoted fruit, with this savory wild herb and tea-like tannin. The wine is graceful, polished, and suave with a full-bodied appeal. 100% Pinot Noir. Abv. 14.1%.

A full-bodied Cabernet with ripe red fruits, dusty minerals, and refined oak spices. Hefty on the palate with a silky-satiny texture and round tannins. Notes of graphite and earth with dark chocolate through the long finish. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. Abv. 14%

Fontecanese is a full-bodied Tuscan Cabernet with Old World soul. Blackberry and crème de cassis are seasoned with wild fennel, Chinese five-spice, and tobacco. A saline streak brightens its commanding frame. Powdery-fine tannins coat the palate without weighing it down. 14% ABV.

Dark and beautifully tailored, Maceone opens with an alluring perfume of mixed berry fruits, and currants accented by Tuscan herbs. Crushed stone forms a cool mineral foundation as tobacco spices and anise unfold across the palate. Juicy acidity lifts the powerful frame, while fine tea tannins build through the lengthy finish. Made entirely from the BBS11 Sangiovese clone and aged in T5 barriques. 15% ABV.

Explosive, high-toned red cherry fruit is joined by plum and red florals with rooibos tea notes. Crushed-stone minerality gives the wine a firm sense of place, while gentle fine tannins frame a long, mineral-rich finish of volcanic stone and dried herbs. 14% ABV.

This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon shows remarkable compactness and tightness, offering tantalizing hints of its potential. Alluring blackberry, raspberry, and plum intertwine with high-toned herbal notes that crackle with vibrancy. Elegant cedarwood and dark chocolate nuances further enrich the medium- to full-bodied palate, while juicy, vivid fruit character imparts a delightful sweetness reminiscent of freshly picked blackberry and juicy cherry. The impressively sculpted tannins are like long beams, exhibiting a slightly sappy quality, while notes of black truffle, black tea, and tarragon add depth. Power and precision throughout. – Jonathan Cristaldi

Spicy, fresh, wound up, and complex with brooding aromas and flavors of Bing cherry, black raspberry, sappy cedarwood dusted with ground espresso bean, and hints of toffee and charcuterie. Super dense on the palate, where granulated, chewy tannins that are firm and even chocolaty meet notes of dried sage, cardamom, tart cranberry, tangerine peel, earth, truffle, and licorice. With energy to spare, this wine is ready for long-term cellaring. 100% Sangiovese Grosso BBS11. – Jonathan Cristaldi

Vivid Bing cherry, pomegranate, and blood orange mingle with white pepper and black truffle on the nose. The medium-bodied palate shows power and force—robust tannins are super fine-grained, and the density of the fruit weighs on the midpalate, infused with crushed cocoa nibs and dried rose petals; balanced acidity contributes levity and length. With tremendous staying power, this statuesque, radiant wine showstopper is cellar-worthy. 100% Sangiovese Grosso BBS11. – Jonathan Cristaldi