Wine Reviews

93

Slouch Hat 2023 Fall Out Pinot Noir, Santa Barbara County ($44)

Here’s a juicy and immediately delicious Pinot that also offers excellent complexity. It leads with aromas recalling tomato leaves and baking spices, followed by red fruit flavor notes akin to strawberries and ripe red cherries. Light and fresh in the first impression it leaves, this shows additional substance in the form of a long, symmetrical finish.

94

Smith-Madrone 2021 Estate Riesling, Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley ($40)

As succulent as it is crisp, with beeswax, linen, pear tart, honeydew, and lemon verbena. Distinctively complex with a hint of flint and a finish that takes you to coconut and tangerine zest.

94

Soléna 2024 Winemaker’s Cuvee Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon ($65)

This Winemaker’s Cuvée from Soléna draws primarily from the Danielle Laurent Vineyard, along with select neighboring sites across the Willamette Valley. It’s a beautifully concentrated Pinot Noir, delivering juicy dark berry intensity with impressive clarity of fruit—moving seamlessly from cherry to strawberry, with blood orange layered in between. Smoky clove nuances add complexity, while firm apple-skin tannins frame the palate and resolve through waves of brown baking spice and mouthwatering acidity. Focused, expressive, and deeply satisfying.

98

Spottswoode 2022 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley ($285)

Earning themselves the most significant environmental leadership certifications – Organic, Biodynamic, Regenerative Organic, B Corp, and IWCA Gold, Spottswoode is into their fourth decade of standing above the norm. With yields down 30 percent for this vintage – as well as the two before due to drought, Winemaker/Vineyard Manager Aron Weinkauf created a blue-blooded, still youthful estate Cab that is as intriguing as a mystery novel. Its character unfolds with bold, dark plum and blackberries. The plot twists deepen with vanilla spice, terroir, and toasted almond-kissed oak. The tension – along with supple tannins – keeps one engaged, with gripping sequences as each sip unfolds chapter by captivating chapter.

94

St. Supéry 2021 Élu, Napa Valley ($95)

A concentrated and ripe Bordeaux-style blend from the winery’s Rutherford and Dollarhide estate vineyards. Aged 19 months in French oak, it coats the mouth with Turkish coffee, fennel and several dimensions of earthy, savory tones. Sweet soil, tobacco, and graphite lead to sturdy tannins that ensure its lengthy finish.

92

Storyteller 2023 “Got Away” Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma County ($15)

ark chocolate pipe tobacco, black currant, graphite, and espresso set a mood around spiced cedar. Suede-textured tannins are luxurious, with black cherry setting the stage for an enduring finish.

92

Storyteller 2023 “Into the Fog” Pinot Noir, Sonoma County ($15)

Dark berries and roasted coffee settle into a woodsy, savory frame. Silky and juicy with sage and black peppered cranberries on the luscious finish.

91

Substance 2021 Ch Chardonnay, Columbia Valley, WA ($17)

A lean and clean white with some developing nuttiness and prominent oak character. Nicely balanced.