Winemaker Notes The 2022 Pinot Noir Bodega Headlands Vineyard Cuvee Elizabeth is medium ruby-purple in color. Wow - gorgeous scents of raspberry coulis, wild strawberries, and rose oil spring from the glass, followed by nuances of iris, crushed rocks, underbrush, and pomegranate. The light to medium-bodied palate is so finely knit and elegant with a racy line and fine-grained tannins beautifully defining the red berry and floral layers, finishing long and perfumed.    About Winery Founded in 2011 by legendary winemaker Steve Kistler, Occidental represents the culmination of his decades-long quest to craft world-class Pinot Noir. Located in the extreme, cool-climate maritime fog of the West Sonoma Coast, the family-led winery focuses exclusively on crystalline, site-specific Pinot Noir.

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PRE-ORDER Winemaker Notes Technical notes from 12bouteilles.com indicate the wine was produced from 40-year-old vines grown on sandy clay-limestone soils, undergoing cold maceration for seven days with no fining or filtering to maintain its "aromatic precision". About Winery Domaine Robert Groffier is a prestigious, family-run Burgundy estate based in Morey-Saint-Denis, renowned for producing elegant, age-worthy Pinot Noir from roughly 8 hectares of top-tier Côte de Nuits vineyards. Now led by Nicolas Groffier, the domaine is celebrated as the largest owner of the famed Chambolle-Musigny Les Amoureuses. 

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Winemaker Notes Lifted aromas of Key lime, honeydew melon, and passion fruit all jump out of the glass supported by hints of freshly cut grass in the background. Those fresh lime and honeydew flavors continue to the palate, joined by kiwi and subtle herbaceous notes, all mingling together in a lively way. The wine is linear and focused, ending with enticing, mouthwatering acidity that will leave you wanting more. About Winery Founded in 1980, by Koerner and Joan Rombauer, Rombauer Vineyards has been producing acclaimed wines from Napa Valley and the Sierra Foothills ever since. Still family owned and operated, our winery is known for its high-quality wines, exceptional vineyard sites, and family-style hospitality. In 1972, when Koerner and Joan Rombauer moved their two children, two horses and five dogs to Napa Valley, they were already well acquainted with the natural relationship between food and wine. Koerner’s great aunt Irma Rombauer wrote the internationally renowned cookbook, The Joy of Cooking, and his German ancestors had deep roots in the winegrowing region of Rheingau. Koerner and Joan established Rombauer Vineyards in 1980, and in 1984 they released their first California-style Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines. Four decades later–and still family owned–the winery has become widely acclaimed for its distinctive, fruit-driven expressions. Our first vintage was our 1980 Cabernet followed by our 1982 Chardonnay. We still make and cherish those wines as well as many others. 

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Winemaker Notes The 2022 Syrah Distenta IV is a blend of 83% Syrah, 6% Grenache, 5% Petite Sirah, and the rest Mourvèdre and white varieties. It sports a dense purple hue and offers stunning aromatics of ripe blue fruits, framboise, liquid violets, white pepper, game, bouquet garni, and spice. These carry to the palate of a full-bodied Syrah that’s concentrated yet balanced, with a broad, layered mouthfeel, velvety tannins, and a great finish. I was able to follow this bottle over multiple days, and it only improved with air, gaining both complexity and texture. While this is clearly a more accessible vintage compared to the 2021s, it still deserves 3-4 years in bottle and should have 15-20 years of prime drinking given its balance, purity, and harmony.   About Winery Founded in 1994 by Manfred and Elaine Krankl in Ventura County, California, Sine Qua Non is a legendary cult winery. Starting as a tiny 100-case garage project focused on Rhône-style blends, it gained global fame and multiple 100-point scores through artistic labels, intense dedication, and rare, highly allocated releases.

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Winemaker Notes The small clusters of the 2022 vintage allowed us to make Chardonnays with appealing intensity, balance, and nuance. Our Sonoma Coast Chardonnay showcases three of the top vineyards in the region – Sangiacomo, Durell, and Gap’s Crown – with the goal of creating a cuvée that illustrates the varietal’s exceptional character across the region. We picked and fermented each component of this blend separately and aged them all for 11 months in 30% new French oak barrels. The resulting blend offers compelling new world aromas with fresh acidity and focus, reminiscent of the old world. About Winery Sojourn Cellars was founded in 2001 by two tennis friends, Craig Haserot and Erich Bradley, who shared a passion for great wine and tennis. They started with small bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon from exceptional vineyard sources. Over the years, Sojourn Cellars has grown into a boutique winery producing highly acclaimed Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Their hands-off winemaking style allows the character of the vineyard sites to shine through in the wines.

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Winemaker Notes This native-yeast-fermented Chardonnay features bright, zesty lemon aromas complemented by charming white flower notes. On the palate, it offers fresh and mouthwatering flavors of ripe pear, apple, quince, and hints of baking spice and chalky minerality About Winery Sojourn Cellars was founded in 2001 by two tennis friends, Craig Haserot and Erich Bradley, who shared a passion for great wine and tennis. They started with small bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon from exceptional vineyard sources. Over the years, Sojourn Cellars has grown into a boutique winery producing highly acclaimed Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Their hands-off winemaking style allows the character of the vineyard sites to shine through in the wines.

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Winemaker Notes This native-yeast-fermented Chardonnay features bright, zesty lemon aromas complemented by charming white flower notes. On the palate, it offers fresh and mouthwatering flavors of ripe pear, apple, quince, and hints of baking spice and chalky minerality About Winery Sojourn Cellars was founded in 2001 by two tennis friends, Craig Haserot and Erich Bradley, who shared a passion for great wine and tennis. They started with small bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon from exceptional vineyard sources. Over the years, Sojourn Cellars has grown into a boutique winery producing highly acclaimed Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Cabernet Sauvignon. Their hands-off winemaking style allows the character of the vineyard sites to shine through in the wines.

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PRE-ORDER Winemaker Notes The 2022 Stéphane Magnien Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru "Les Sentiers" is a structured, "masculine" expression of the appellation, characterized by its proximity to the Grand Cru Bonnes-Mares and its high concentration of fruit from vines aged 45 to 90 years. Winemaker Stéphane Magnien utilizes low-intervention practices, including 100% destemming, a six-day maceration, and a classical fermentation with minimal extraction to preserve the purity and vibrancy of the Pinot Noir grapes.  About Winery Domaine Stéphane Magnien is a 4.5-hectare family winery in Morey-St-Denis, Burgundy, with roots in the late 1700s. Led by fourth-generation winemaker Stéphane since 2002/2008, the estate produces refined Pinot Noir, including notable Chambolle-Musigny, using traditional, non-herbicide methods, featuring old vines planted in 1902. 

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PRE-ORDER Winemaker Notes The Chambolle-Musigny 1er Cru "La Combe d'Orveau" 2022 from Domaine Taupenot-Merme is an organic, elegant and structured wine, characterized by a deep ruby color and intense aromas of cherries, strawberries and violets.Aged for 12-18 months in oak barrels, it offers silky tannins, a beautiful salinity and a long finish.  About Winery Domaine Taupenot-Merme is a prestigious family-run winery in Morey-Saint-Denis, Burgundy, formally established in 1963 by the marriage of Denise Merme and Jean Taupenot. Although the union was in the 1960s, the family has 17th-century roots in viticulture. It is currently managed by siblings Romain and Virginie Taupenot, representing the seventh to ninth generations, focusing on organic, low-intervention wines across 13-20 hectares. 

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PRE-ORDER Winemaker Notes The 2022 Thierry Laffay Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons is a refined white wine characterized by a steely, mineral-driven profile, featuring notes of citrus, green apple, and white-fleshed fruit. It typically displays a balanced, medium-bodied structure with crisp acidity and a lingering mineral finish, reflecting the limestone-rich Vaillons terroir.  About Winery Founded in 1978 in the heart of Chablis, France, Domaine Thierry Laffay is a 7-hectare family estate known for traditional, high-quality Chardonnay. Managed by Thierry Laffay since 1985, the estate focuses on lutte raisonnée (sustainable farming) and produces taut, mineral-driven wines, with daughters Mélanie and Maïlys taking over in 2024. 

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PRE-ORDER Winemaker Notes The 2022 Thierry Laffay Chablis Grand Cru Vaudésir is a dense, opulent, and highly refined white wine, reflecting a warm vintage with notes of citrus, white fruit, and stony, saline minerals. Sourced from 0.25 hectares of 1978 plantings, this Grand Cru offers more sophistication and finesse than the Bougros, with significant aging potential.  About Winery Founded in 1978 in the heart of Chablis, France, Domaine Thierry Laffay is a 7-hectare family estate known for traditional, high-quality Chardonnay. Managed by Thierry Laffay since 1985, the estate focuses on lutte raisonnée (sustainable farming) and produces taut, mineral-driven wines, with daughters Mélanie and Maïlys taking over in 2024. 

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Winemaker Notes The official winemaker notes for the 2022 Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon (historically known as the Premier Cabernet) detail a bright, deep garnet wine shaped by a cool spring and a warm, dry summer. It features vibrant complexity, a fresh entry, a fleshy core with buoyant acidity, and an impeccable fine tannin structure. About Winery Vasse Felix is the oldest wine estate in the Margaret River region of Western Australia, founded in 1967 by cardiologist Dr. Thomas Brendan Cullity. Cullity planted the first 8 acres of vines to prove the area's potential for fine winemaking, naming the estate after French sailor Timothée Vasse. David and Anne Gregg bought it in 1984, and the Holmes à Court family took over in 1987.

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Tasting Notes This is a non-vintage Vega Sicilia and a tribute to tradition.Unico Reserva Especial is a true homage to the history of Spanish wine, perfectly combining the characteristics of different Unico vintages. Only the best Unico vintages are used to produce this iconic and remarkably complex wine. It is a blend of time, virtues, experiences, and emotions that shape the most profound nature of a proprietary, unique style: the Vega Sicilia style. About Winery Vega Sicilia is one of Spain’s most iconic and prestigious wineries, with a rich history dating back to 1864. Here's a brief overview: Founded by Don Eloy Lecanda y Chaves, a Spanish winemaker trained in Bordeaux, who brought with him French grape varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. He planted these alongside the native Tempranillo (then called Tinto del País) in the Ribera del Duero region. The winery gained fame in the 20th century for producing some of Spain’s most celebrated wines, especially its flagship wine, Único, known for its complexity and extraordinary aging potential. In 1982, the Álvarez family acquired Vega Sicilia, marking a new era of modernization and expansion. Under Pablo Álvarez’s leadership, the winery has maintained its legendary status while also expanding into other regions like Toro (with Pintia) and Rioja. Despite its name, Vega Sicilia has no connection to the island of Sicily. “Vega” refers to fertile river plains, and “Sicilia” is believed to reference Saint Cecilia, the patron saint of music.  

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Winemaker Notes Tasting a bit riper than the 2021 due to the heat during the 2022 harvest, but still an elegant, well-balanced wine. This wine is golden in color, aromatic in lemon-butter, vanilla bean and golden apples, with vivid acidity. Medium-bodied. About Winery Winemaker Stephané grew up in Meloisey, Burgundy in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune. He learned from a 70-year-old winegrower in Pommard. He obtained advanced degrees in viticulture and enology from Université de Bourgogne in Dijon, and subsequently worked in Switzerland, Sonoma and New Zealand. He was attracted to American vineyards where winemakers were not bound by tradition or AOC restrictions. The winery was designed and developed to accommodate every aspect of de Villaine's winemaking philosophy of minimal intervention. Aubert de Villaine, former Co-Director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, married Larry Hyde’s cousin, Pamela, bringing the two families together. To Stéphane, the best winemaker is one that largely keeps his hands to himself, allowing the alchemy of nature to do what it does best. He thinks of himself as a lazy winemaker, in the best sense that the wine is made in the vineyard and the winemakers best skill is staying out of the way of the fruit’s expression in the cellar. Today, Vivier is one of the United States’ most noted practitioners of the art of Pinot Noir.

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Winemaker Notes Vivier Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is generous, expressive and begging to be drunk! It has deep aromas of pomegranate, red cherries and blueberries with nuances of garrigue, Angostura bitters and orange peel. The medium-bodied palate is softly chalky and fresh, full of voluptuous, spicy fruit, with pretty botanical accents on the long finish. About Winery Winemaker Stephané grew up in Meloisey, Burgundy in the Hautes-Côtes de Beaune. He learned from a 70-year-old winegrower in Pommard. He obtained advanced degrees in viticulture and enology from Université de Bourgogne in Dijon, and subsequently worked in Switzerland, Sonoma and New Zealand. He was attracted to American vineyards where winemakers were not bound by tradition or AOC restrictions. The winery was designed and developed to accommodate every aspect of de Villaine's winemaking philosophy of minimal intervention. Aubert de Villaine, former Co-Director of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, married Larry Hyde’s cousin, Pamela, bringing the two families together. To Stéphane, the best winemaker is one that largely keeps his hands to himself, allowing the alchemy of nature to do what it does best. He thinks of himself as a lazy winemaker, in the best sense that the wine is made in the vineyard and the winemakers best skill is staying out of the way of the fruit’s expression in the cellar. Today, Vivier is one of the United States’ most noted practitioners of the art of Pinot Noir.

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Winemaker Notes The nose is accented by Meyer lemon, yellow apple, and pear notes. Undertones of mint and greengage offer a layer of complexity while a hint of Meyer lemon pith contributes spiciness. The palate is round and unctuous owing to the well-developed tannin structure and moderate acid profile. Flavours of Meyer lemon and lemon curd envelope the palate. The older vines are blended with newer plantings of Calera and Wente clones, which brings terrific balance and is wonderfully nuanced and elegant. About Winery Like most good stories, the history of Williams Selyem owes much to serendipity. If a grower with an abundance of fruit hadn’t given Burt Williams a few tonnes of free grapes in the 1970s, Burt might never have discovered his love and flair for winemaking. And if Burt and his partner Ed Selyem had been able to afford the French Burgundies they both favoured, they might never have tried making their own pinot noir. The two friends didn’t set out to produce wines for anyone but themselves. And they surely never imagined that their humble experiment in home winemaking would spawn a cult-status winery of international acclaim. Together, Burt and Ed set a new standard for American-made pinot noir, and elevated Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley to among the best wine growing regions in the world. Now considered Russian River Valley royalty, Williams Selyem are responsible for some of the most sought-after handcrafted expressions of pinot noir across both the New World and Old.

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Winemaker Notes Brooding and darker in profile compared to the Russian River Valley bottling, the Sonoma Coast is a completely different animal. Plum, dried herbs and savory undertones complete the darker aromatic profile. Full bodied at the entry, the palate becomes saturated with flavors of plum and brambly fruits. The mid-palate weight is compelling, and the firmness of the tannins seem to melt to the extract of the wine. The palate is then refreshed with enough acidity that carries the wine to the finish with a lingering hint of a sous bois character. About Winery Like most good stories, the history of Williams Selyem owes much to serendipity. If a grower with an abundance of fruit hadn’t given Burt Williams a few tonnes of free grapes in the 1970s, Burt might never have discovered his love and flair for winemaking. And if Burt and his partner Ed Selyem had been able to afford the French Burgundies they both favoured, they might never have tried making their own pinot noir. The two friends didn’t set out to produce wines for anyone but themselves. And they surely never imagined that their humble experiment in home winemaking would spawn a cult-status winery of international acclaim. Together, Burt and Ed set a new standard for American-made pinot noir, and elevated Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley to among the best wine growing regions in the world. Now considered Russian River Valley royalty, Williams Selyem are responsible for some of the most sought-after handcrafted expressions of pinot noir across both the New World and Old.

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Winemaker Notes The 2023 Alpha Omega Chardonnay is straw yellow with hints of gold. Youthful aromas of golden delicious apple and stone fruit, accent notes of white flower, toasted cereal grains, French toast, honey and phyllo dough. An exciting core of melon, kumquat and lemon custard fruit mix with hints of hazelnut, nutmeg, maple candy and stony minerality. After whole cluster pressing, the Chardonnay Napa Valley 2021was barrel fermented in 100% French oak, 33% new barrels. Partial malolactic fermentation provides a richer and fuller aspect to the wine that was then aged in the same barrel composition for 19 months with periodic stirring of the lees. To soften the impact of oak and preserve freshness, the winemakers selected larger puncheons for 30% of the barrels. About Winery Established in 2006, Alpha Omega’s mission is to create artisanal wines drawing on Old World vineyard handcrafted practices and emphasis on unique terroir driven characteristics that reveal a sense of place combined with New World technology and science. The winery, located on the Rutherford Bench in the heart of Napa Valley, exudes the utmost experience of hospitality in an authentic place reflective of the Napa Valley farming community. Presenting world-class wines in a convivial setting remains just as paramount to vintners Robin and Michelle Baggett today as when they opened the winery’s doors on July 1, 2006. Alpha Omega boasts a picturesque setting, highlighted by views of its landmark water fountains and reflecting pond, stunning vineyards and the statuesque Mayacamas Mountains. The breathtaking scenery makes for the perfect backdrop to enjoy the handcrafted wines made with grapes from prized, historic vineyards by Alpha Omega’s talented winemaking team. A warm staff of well-trained wine educators, the postcard-worthy setting and the modern farm-style architecture of the winery on Napa Valley’s famous Highway 29, paired with beautiful wines was the intentional vision the Baggetts conceived when they toured the valley in 2005 searching for a property to purchase to open their first winery together. To create an estate comparable to the finest in the valley, the Baggetts took on the project in the same fashion that helped them achieve success in other fields — Robin as an attorney, grape grower and vintner in San Luis Obispo and Michelle as an international hotel interior designer later becoming a hospitality marketing and communication professional and branding whiz. Creating the brand name Alpha Omega in 2005 predestined their ambition to craft the ultimate winery experience from beginning to end. Today, Alpha Omega is honored that its estate is considered one of the top wineries in the region. When it came to building its brand, Alpha Omega spared no expense. There were no limits for the starry-eyed vintners who aimed to bring their vision to fruition. Several months into negotiations for the property, Sir Peter Newton of Newton Vineyards suggested to the Baggetts that they talk to his winemaker and assistant winemaker about joining their new winery project. This team together had excelled at making award-winning wines for Newton Vineyards in Napa Valley and left to do the same for Alpha Omega. The Baggetts’ relationships in the valley afforded them the opportunity to procure the best grapes from prized vineyards throughout the top AVAs of Napa Valley — most notably Thomas Vineyard in Rutherford, Beckstoffer To Kalon in Oakville, Beckstoffer Georges III in Rutherford, Beckstoffer Dr. Crane and Beckstoffer Las Piedras in St. Helena, Stagecoach in Atlas Peak, Drew Vineyard in Mount Veeder and Sunshine Valley in the Oak Knoll District.

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