Wine Reviews

90

Long Barn 2024 Zinfandel, California ($12)

Brushy and dynamic, with red beets, cinnamon tea, and blackberry pie. Black pepper surges on mid-point, glazing the palate with super-charged red, black, and blue fruit. Great value!

96

Lorenzi 2021 Estate Syrah, South Coast, Temecula, CA ($75)

Tarry and dense, with sturdy tannins, aged 28 months in 100% new French oak, with additional bottle aging. It’s a high-powered Syrah with silky tannins, speaking to grilled meats and garrigue. New leather wraps around blackberry and purple plum skin, with an undertone of cigar leaf washed in black tea and cedar.

95

Lorenzi 2021 The Apex, Red Bordeaux Blend, South Coast, Temecula, CA ($95)

A blend of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Malbec aged 28 months in new French oak, with additional bottle aging. Chewy and fleshy, balanced tannins give way to black plum, graphite, and plum pith. Dynamic, as are all Lorenzi reds, this red’s superpower is its backbone.

93

Lucas & Sophie 2024 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County ($38)

Indulgent notes of sweet cream laced with basil and hazelnut stretches broadly across the palate. Lemon curd and salty pear are sparked by a fine acidity.

95

Lucas & Sophie 2024 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma County ($50)

The texture takes shape immediately: plum suede is charged with cinnamon rose petals, sweet tobacco, and sandalwood. Gorgeous and energetic, with ripe black cherry taking precedence over the palate, amped by balanced acidity.

94

MacRostie Winery 2022 Pinot Noir, Nightwing Vineyard, Petaluma Gap, Sonoma County ($68)

From MacRostie’s estate vineyard, the ’22 is the second vintage produced from Nightwing, which sits at an elevation of 1,200 feet. Rose petals are dusted with cinnamon, while notes of clove and cocoa possess power over the palate. Dark cherries bolster the aromatics and flavor profile with its implicit ripeness. Cherrywood offers a toasty mid-palate frame, with a core of red pepper, bergamot, persimmon, and pomegranate.

93

MacRostie Winery 2023 Chardonnay Russian River Valley, Sonoma County ($40)

By comparison to this producer’s excellent Sonoma Coast Chardonnay, this shows a bit more weight and a bit more wood influence to match. Light floral aromas lead to a medium-bodied profile with classic orchard fruit notes at its core, edged with citrus-like acidity.

95

MacRostie Winery 2023 Chardonnay, Mirabelle Vineyard, Russian River Valley, Sonoma County ($48)

This producer’s mastery with Chardonnay is proved by the roaring success of this wine, which is utterly different from the Stubbs Vineyard 2023. Entirely seductive with its tropical fruit and mandarin orange aromas and flavors braced by more assertive, spicy and toasty oak than in the Stubbs, both have remarkably long, pure, symmetrical finishes.