2023 | WE 94 Bright and fresh aromas of peach, melon and violets immediately spring forward with notes of stone and earth in the background. This mouthfilling wine displays a wide range of complex flavors including grapefruit, pear, white strawberry, and jasmine, all supported by a earthy mineral base. The wine has yet to show off its true character and will be even better starting warmer months of 2025.   About Winery Domaines Ott is a prestigious, historically significant winery in Provence, France, celebrated for elevating rosé to a premium, world-class standard. Founded in 1896, it is known for its certified organic practices, the iconic curvy amphora-style bottle, and its ownership under the Champagne house Louis Roederer.

Read more less

2025 | WE 93 Pastel pink hue with soft, rosewood tints. The wine displays a fresh nose redolent of red berries, citrus fruits and white blossom. It is luscious and fruity on the palate with a smooth and silky mouthfeel. Fresh notes of citrus zest accompany the persistent finish.   About Winery Domaines Ott is a prestigious, historically significant winery in Provence, France, celebrated for elevating rosé to a premium, world-class standard. Founded in 1896, it is known for its certified organic practices, the iconic curvy amphora-style bottle, and its ownership under the Champagne house Louis Roederer.

Read more less

2019 | D 95 The 2019 Avinodos Cabernet Sauvignon from the Stags Leap District is a powerful yet elegant Napa Valley wine, showcasing ripe dark fruits such as blackberry, cassis, and plum, layered with notes of cocoa, tobacco, leather, and smoky oak. With firm tannins, lively acidity, and a grippy finish, it balances richness with structure, making it both approachable now and age-worthy through 2038. Aged in 100% French oak (50% new), this limited-production wine (125 cases) has earned critical acclaim, including 97 points and Best in Class at the Sunset International Wine Competition, highlighting its depth, complexity, and classic Stags Leap character. About Winery AvinoDos Winery was founded in 2012 by Dan Dexter and his wife Julie, built on a foundation of friendship and deep agricultural roots, with a vision to craft small-lot, single-vineyard Napa Valley wines that embody both quality and community. AvinoDos, meaning “wines from two,” reflects the partnership and shared dream of its founders, who combined Dan’s Midwestern farming heritage with Napa’s winemaking tradition. From the beginning, the winery emphasized authenticity and connection—working closely with local growers, producing varietals like Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Zinfandel, Rosé, and Sauvignon Blanc, and inviting wine lovers of all backgrounds to share in the experience. The entrepreneurial spirit of the West shaped their philosophy: to make wines true to Napa’s essence while fostering a welcoming environment rooted in friendship. With guidance from respected winemaker Gustavo Brambila, AvinoDos quickly established itself as a boutique producer known for limited-production, award-winning wines that highlight the character of Napa Valley’s terroir.

Read more less

1998 | WA 97 t offers up notes of raspberry jam, Asian plum sauce, blackberries and smoked game in an incredibly complex, nuanced style. While not unctuous in texture, it is rich, round, savory, complex and deep. 2000 | WA 97 Truly great stuff, this medium to full-bodied 2000 exhibits scents of rose petals intertwined with charcuterie, spring flowers, blue and black fruits, and hints of raspberries, cola, and mint oil. This profound, extremely nuanced, powerful, exuberant Pinot Noir boasts terrific definition and personality. 2001 | WS 97 Described as having "incredible richness, density and concentration 2006 | WA 96 It just began to reveal its ultimate potential. Notes of forest floor, plums, black cherries and raspberries intermixed with notions of blueberries and smoked meats are found in this dark plum/ruby/purple-tinged wine. Clos de la Roche-like, it exhibits sweet tannin and impressive depth, but as mentioned above, it has tightened up considerably over the last year and is probably best forgotten for another 1-2 years. 2013 | VIVINO 4.5 The wines are left on the lees after fermentation. No fining, filtering or cold stabilization is done, so the wines may have a fine sediment and occasionally tartaric acid crystals. Rich and opulent with noticeable sweetness reflecting generous alcohol, the wines have a reputation for aging very well. About Winery If you haven’t heard of Helen Turley, or tasted one of her wines, you’ve definitely not been paying close enough attention to the wines coming out of California in the last 10 years. She is arguably one of the most influential winemakers in the business, receiving critical acclaim for almost every wine she touches. Aside from her own boutique winery, Marcassin, which she runs with husband John Wetlaufer, Helen has been the consulting winemaker for some of the best wineries in the country – Colgin, Bryant Family, Martinelli – just to name a few. Marcassin (french for 'young wild boar') is a VERY small winery – in fact it’s so small that the wines have actually been made at the Martinelli winery in Russian River Valley. Located on the Sonoma Coast, the Marcassin vineyard is planted to 50/50 Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and is about 10 acres in size. Fruit for the other vineyard designated wines is sourced from other neighboring vineyards. Marcassin will always be a small winery; John & Helen feel the perfect size is 100 barrels, enough for 2,500 cases.Helen’s winemaking philosophy is simple: great vineyards, meticulously farmed, limited yield, long hang time and natural yeast. She approaches every project with these same priorities.

Read more less

2022 | VIVINO 4.1 The 2022 Château des Muraires L'Excellence des Muraires is a dry, pale pink Côtes de Provence rosé produced by Bernard Magrez. A blend of Grenache and Cinsault, it features aromatic notes of red berries, citrus, and flowers with a lively, mineral-driven palate. It is a fresh, well-balanced wine designed for immediate, youthful consumption.  About Winery Born in Bordeaux in 1936, Bernard Magrez is a self-taught wine magnate who built an empire, becoming the only owner of four Classified Grands Crus in Bordeaux. Starting in spirits in 1961, he shifted focus in the 1980s to high-end wine, acquiring prestigious estates like Château Pape Clément, Fombrauge, and La Tour Carnet. His portfolio now includes over 40 estates globally, known for combining traditional terroir with modern, technological innovation. 

Read more less

2023 | JS 91 With beautiful pale straw color and a slight green hue, this Chardonnay greetsyou with vibrant aromas of lime zest, Meyer lemon, green apple and bright whitepear, accented by a delicate mineral touch, white flowers and toasted almonds.Known for being a fruit forward wine, it offers crisp, bright acidity on the palatewith dominant lemon and mineral flavor. The citrus acidity rounds out to a long,velvety texture, with lingering and balanced notes of pineapple and Bosc pear. About Winery Sonoma-Cutrer was founded in 1981 in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California. Initially, the winery focused exclusively on producing high-quality Chardonnay, embracing Burgundian winemaking traditions. Over time, they expanded their portfolio to include Pinot Noir, releasing their first vintage in 2002. Sonoma-Cutrer is known for its six unique vineyards, each offering distinct terroir characteristics. The winery has also been a leader in sustainability efforts, earning the "Certified Sustainable" stamp on its labels.

Read more less

2022 | JS 93 Aromas of sweet, spicy vanilla from the oak barrels enhance the wine’s fresh earthiness. On the palate, smooth, fine tannins elevate the warm spices and vibrant red berry flavors. With balanced medium acidity and a juicy core, it finishes with medium length, capturing the finesse and complexity of the Russian River Valley. About Winery Sonoma-Cutrer was founded in 1981 in the Russian River Valley of Sonoma County, California. Initially, the winery focused exclusively on producing high-quality Chardonnay, embracing Burgundian winemaking traditions. Over time, they expanded their portfolio to include Pinot Noir, releasing their first vintage in 2002. Sonoma-Cutrer is known for its six unique vineyards, each offering distinct terroir characteristics. The winery has also been a leader in sustainability efforts, earning the "Certified Sustainable" stamp on its labels.

Read more less

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.

Read more less

2021 | JS 94 The 2021 Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard, matured for 16 months in 69% new oak, is bursting with scents of pomegranate and raspberry preserves, orange peel, licorice, allspice and earth. Medium-bodied and powerful, the palate features concentrated, hedonistic flavors. It has a surprisingly elegant structure of silky tannins and bright acidity and boasts a long, perfumed finish.  2022 | JS 96 This tastes so pure and polished, concentrated but refined. Goes deep in pretty red cherries, black cherries, blackcurrants, spearmint and cocoa. Made from a blend of Pommard, Swan and Mt. Eden clones. Medium-bodied, focused and well balanced by acidity and moderate tannins. 2023 | WE 93 Nimble and playful aromas of raspberry coulis, rose petal and shiitake bounce around the glass on the nose of this Pinot. The palate brings flavors of concentrated cherry, cedar, cocoa powder, cinnamon and orange peel that vibrate on the finish   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.

Read more less

2000 (PRE-ORDER) | JS 97 Fresh, lively, and luxurious. It boasts a "second energy" compared to the original 2000 vintage release, showing more depth and complexity. 2002 (PRE-ORDER) | V 97 Described as "Dom Pérignon squared," noting its intense concentration and initial austerity. 2003 (PRE-ORDER) | VIVINO 4.7 2003 was a notoriously hot, dry, and difficult year in Champagne, marked by a severe spring frost and a record-setting August heatwave. This led to early, highly concentrated, and low-acidity grapes, making it a daring, bold vintage. 2004 (PRE-ORDER) | V 97 The 2004 Dom Pérignon P2 is now entering its first plateau of maturity, where the first notes of aromatic development are present. Hints of marzipan, lemon confit dried flowers, mint, spice and baked apple tart lend notable complexity throughout. Soft contours add to its open-knit, creamy personality. 2006 | V 99 Described as a "total stunner" and "dazzling," noting its incredible complexity and explosive finish. About Winery Dom Pierre Pérignon, a French Benedictine monk, set out his vision to "create the best wine in the world" when he became Cellar Master at the sacred Abbey of Hautvillers in 1668. Dom Pérignon dedicated over 40 years to this mission, employing a visionary spirit and daring approach to the wine making process. Over that time, he became known as the "father of champagne" for laying down the fundamental rules for the traditional Champagne production method (La Methode Champenoise or Traditionelle). A favored wine of the Sun King Louis XIV, Dom Pérignon himself compared his wine to "drinking stars". Dom Pérignon: an absolute commitment to VintageDom Pérignon's commitment to vintage is absolute. Each Dom Pérignon is a true act of creation, made from only the best grapes. The champagne's intensity is based in precision, so inviting, so mysterious. Each Vintage has three Plénitudes, and embodies the total faith in the creation that is constantly renewed by Chef de Cave Vincent Chaperon. Coupled with a bold sense of playfulness, Dom Pérignon inspires the greatest creators in the world.Made only from the best grapes grown in one single year, each Dom Perignon's Vintage represents a harmonic balance between the nature of the year and the signature of Dom Pérignon. After no fewer than 8 years of elaboration, each vintage emerges complete, seamless and tactile. Dom Pérignon Champagne is made through an assemblage of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, created by using only the best grapes harvested from the 17 Grands Crus in Champagne and the Premier Cru of Hautvillers.

Read more less