Wines

Winemaker Notes:
"Intense ruby red color with violet nuances; intense, characteristic bouquet of the primary grape aromas; fruity component, fullbodied and robust, well-balanced with tannin and oak features"

Organic

Review is on the previous vintage.
92+ points Wine Advocate
The 2020 Monastrell is pure Monastrell in this exceptional vintage for the grape (in previous years it had up to 20% Garnacha, but there was little Garnacha in 2020). The grapes come from sandy vineyards on the valley floor, and they fermented in stainless steel with indigenous yeasts and a shortish maceration. The wine matured in 500-liter oak barrels and 5,000-liter oak vats for nine months. In 2020, there were more grapes from old vines that were used before for the Vino de Finca, which was discontinued. This wine is very aromatic, elegant, expressive and reaching a level I have not seen before in this wine. It's refreshing, light, balanced, nuanced, with velvety tannins and very clean, really transcending its price point. Balanced is the word, and it's also available and affordable and sets the tone for the 2020s.

Organic

92 points Vinous Media
The 2021 Chianti Classico is a potent, deep, structured wine that hits so many right notes. Readers will find a structured, expansive wine loaded with personality. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and licorice are all amplified in this super-classic Greve Chianti Classico. This is a standout.

91 points Wine Advocate
Made with certified organic fruit, the Castello di Verrazzano 2021 Chianti Classico is faithful to Sangiovese with a mix of cherry aromas, earth and iris root. The wine reveals a mid-weight texture that definitely falls on the more delicate and elegant side of the spectrum. With an ample 150,000 bottles released, the wine shows medium-rich concentration and a fresh acidic signature. Nice job.

92 points James Suckling
A fragrant nose full of vivid strawberries and sweet cherries. Tight and lightly chewy on the palate with plenty of fruit. Juicy, balanced and quite drinkable.

Blend: 75% Malbec, 18% Bonarda, 7% Petit Verdot

Owned by footbal great Charles Woodson.

Organic

This is the most important wine of the estate, a serious red vinified to reflect its capacity to age. The grapes are harvested at a point of slight surmaturité which captures the profound scents and flavors of the surrounding hillside garrigue. The cuvaison continues for at least a month; then, the wine is racked into tank for aging. The wine is bottled twenty to twenty-four months after harvest. As the wine ages in bottle, it develops enticing notes of juniper, rosemary and thyme as well as the savory flavors of wild berries and a hint of the "animal" all in all, one of the more compelling values in all of France.

Winemaking Notes:
The pinot grapes that go into the Cherry Pie Tri-County Pinot Noir are harvested at night to keep them cool, which creates stable sugar levels and better levels of acidity, as well as ensuring the fruit is less bruised in transport to the winery. The grapes are then fermented in individual county lots and brought together in the blending process. Cherry picking the best lots from the various counties, the wines selected are those that best exemplify the characteristics of each county’s terroir.

Tasting Notes:
The 2017 Cherry Pie Tri-County Pinot Noir jumps from the glass with aromas of sweet toasty oak with macerated cherries, cranberries and a hint of strawberry. On the palate, this wine is a juicy attack of Rainier cherries, well-balanced with a long, silky smooth finish.

A silky, lilac and red berry scented bouquet with flavorful layers of raspberry, dark chocolate, and hints of vanilla and toasted oak.

This wine shows aromas of ripe blackberries and blueberries, vanilla, licorice, dark chocolate and sweet tobacco. Hints of nut shell, too. Medium-to full-bodied with fine, polished tannins and a sleek, silky texture. Juicy, with delicious fruit on the palate and notes of walnuts and chocolate to close. Firm, flavorful finish.

"Conundrum Red is both bold and mysterious, opening up with aromas of dark fruit, plums, and rich berries that are layered with a subtle smokiness and the whiff of BBQ. The wine has a round, full-bodied entry on the palate, delivering an extravagance of fruit that leads into a lingering finish. An evocative quality of brown spice combines with a serious red wine texture to leave a strong yet nuanced final impression, one that entices rather than reveals the mystery." Winemaker notes

Winemaker Notes:
Our Merlot combines fruit from Napa, Sonoma and Monterey. The flavors and textures unique to each region harmonize perfectly to create a wine that has dark succulent fruit balanced by natural acidity. Intense aromatics of raspberry and blueberry lead to flavors of crushed berries, vanilla and leather, which are wrapped up in a soft, smooth tannin structure.