Wine Producing Countries

wines

The 2023 Chardonnay UV-SL has vibrant notes of pink grapefruit, fresh pineapple, and peaches, giving way to nuances of Marcona almonds, wet slate, and white pepper. The medium to full-bodied palate is compellingly silky with wonderful freshness, filling the mouth with layers of citrus, tropical, and orchard fruit flavors, finishing with epic length and depth. Stunning!The Wine Independent | 100 TWIThe 2023 Chardonnay UV-SL Vineyard is a wild, exotic wine. Lifted tropical notes meld into a core of green orchard fruit, mint and lime zest. As is so often the case, the UV-SL is defined by its textural presence, layers of fruit and plush, enveloping curves.Vinous Media | 96 VMOffers a stunning mix of crème brûlée, orange curd and peach preserves, with so much depth and complexity to the range of details, including wildflower honey and apricot pastry, plus spicy accents of nutmeg and Saigon cinnamon. Toffee and a touch of smoked salt linger on the finish. Drink now through 2035. 2,357 cases made.Wine Spectator | 96 WS

This stellar version offers a lovely sense of perfume, with blood orange zest and potpourri hints leading off. They’re followed by a pure, racy core of morello cherry and raspberry reduction flavors that course through the sleek, shimmering finish. Everything is girded by terrific, almost crunchy succulence, resulting in pomegranate and damson plum echoes at the end. Best from 2027 through 2037. 1,023 cases made.Wine Spectator | 97 WSThe 2023 Pinot Noir Silver Belt Vineyard Cuvée Natalie is gorgeous. Orange peel, sage, dried herbs and delicate earthy undertones play off a core of dark blue/purplish fruit. Blood orange and pomegranate accents lend brightness as the 2023 start to open in the glass. This mid-weight, beautifully delineated Pinot hits all the right notes. As always, the Silver Belt is a bit more savory in style than the Laguna Ridge.Vinous Media | 96 VMComplex and classic flavors of tea, spices and cherries light up this medium-bodied wine. It offers great balance, with a tangy bite in the texture and moderate tannins lifting sour cherry, cranberry, clove, black tea and forest floor nuances. Fresh on the palate and lingering in the finish. Drink now or hold.James Suckling | 96 JSThe 2023 Pinot Noir Cuvée Natalie Silver Belt Vineyard has alluring aromas of wild cherry, cranberry, Earl Grey tea leaves, mossy bark and quinine. The medium-bodied palate pairs concentrated, red fruit flavors with well-integrated new oak spice. It’s structured by velvety tannins and bright acidity and has a long, layered finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94 RPPouring a youthful red color, the 2023 Pinot Noir Silver Belt Vineyard Cuvee Natalie is layered on the nose with aromas of clove, iron, and cherries. It’s sanguine and iron-rich on the palate, with medium to full-bodied richness and a long, warming finish. Drink 2025-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 94 JD

The 2024 Chardonnay Lady Marjorie is elegant, delicate and wonderfully nuanced. Lemon oil, crushed rocks, mint, slate and sage are finely delineated in a transparent, crystalline Chardonnay that is so impressive. The Lady Marjorie is a blend of sites in the Sonoma Coast. It’s such a pure, nuanced Chardonnay.Vinous Media | 94 VM

A new wine in this range, the 2024 Pinot Noir Pacific Rock emerges from McDougall, a well-known site in Fort Ross-Seaview. Bold and explosive, the 2024 possesses tremendous textural depth and intensity. Dark-toned fruit, new leather, cedar, cloves, menthol and licorice fill out the layers. This imposing, broad-scaled Pinot has a lot to offer. There’s a bit of toughness in the tannin that needs to be addressed, but this is nevertheless a very fine debut. I expect the Pacific Rock will continue to improve now that the vineyard is being transitioned to organic farming, a process that takes 7-10 years to show full results.Vinous Media | 95 VM

The 2024 Pinot Noir Sea Field is powerful and tightly wound. Dark-toned fruit, leather, cedar, spice, incense and dried rose petal infuse the 2024 with tons of complexity. This potent, deep Pinot Noir packs a tremendous punch. There’s a lot of wine here, but this needs time to soften and for the mid-palate to emerge. There’s a striking, crystalline purity here.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Spellbinding aromas of rose petals, strawberries, citrus and bark, with hints of lemongrass. Medium-bodied, tight and structured, this offers a captivating combination of linear intensity and calmness, so classy and sophisticated. A continued benchmark for American pinot noir. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2024 Pinot Noir Royal St. Robert is fabulous. Deeply pitched spice notes, blood orange, new leather, cedar and sweet pipe tobacco meld into a core of sweet red cherry fruit, mint, spice and cedar. This is one of the finest vintages of the Royal St. Robert I have ever tasted, going all the way back to Raen’s early days.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2024 Zinfandel Jackass Vineyard comes from one of the oldest vineyards in the range, with 135-year-old head-pruned vines. Dark berries, preserved strawberries, flowers, lavender, and layered spice all emerge beautifully, and it’s mouthwatering and refined on the palate, with excellent length and texture. Drink 2026-2046.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2024 Zinfandel Jackass Vineyard shows great restraint for such a potent, virile wine. Crushed rocks, leather and white smoke add complexity to a core of salty, brambly, wild blackberry and blueberry fruit. A real kick of chewy structure resonates with overtones of cocoa powder and white pepper. This is a sumptuous, heady Zinfandel, but the balance is beyond reproach.Vinous Media | 95 VMA briar patch in a glass, this is an old-school Zin, with expressive notes of black cherry, roasted sage and savory pepper that finish with big, zesty tannins. Drink now through 2035. 225 cases made.Wine Spectator | 93 WS