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Bright medium ruby. Sexy perfumed lift to the aromas of cassis, black cherry, raspberry, mocha, menthol, licorice and violet. Wonderfully broad and mouthfilling but conveys an impression of weightlessness; all in finesse but there's no shortage of stuffing here. Intense flavors of red and darker fruits, milk chocolate and spices show a clever light hand with the oak (70% new French). Richer and more pliant than the 2015 version, and also better balanced. The very long, slowly mounting finish saturates the palate with a complex perfume of fruits, flowers and spices and noble tannins. Like the Merlot, this is not an obvious powerhouse but a classy, utterly seamless wine with a light touch. V 94 pts, WS 94 pts, JD 93 pts. -
Plenty of blueberry and blackberry character with hints of spices. Medium body. Fresh finish. Hints of chocolate add to the complexity. JS 91 -
It's not often you come across a white pinot noir, which is why we strive to make our wine with a delicate touch to allow the unique properties of this red grape to come through as a white wine. We hand-pick our pinot noir grapes typically about a week earlier than when we pick for our red wines to preserve acidity. Then they are whole bunched pressed very gently which allows us to minimize maceration and have little color pick-up. All of the color and most of the tannin in red wine comes from the skin so if you press right away and press lightly you can extract the clear juice, creating a beautifully light-in-color white wine with red wine characteristics. Finally, we allow it to settle out in a tank overnight and then it is clean racked to ferment in stainless steel at a low temperature to retain aromatics. Like our white wines, it’s sur lee aged and bottled in the spring. 100% Pinot Noir. -
The dark and intense fruit aromas jump out of the glass with ripe plums, blackberries on the vine, and tones of sweet mint. The mouthfeel is full, balanced by gentle acids and rich tannins. Flavors are reminiscent of dark chocolate covered cherries and spicy black pepper. The long finish shows cigar box and cedar spice. A vintage that will age well into the next decade. RP 97 pts., JS 93 pts. -
The 2017 Arise offers a rich attack with sweet, plush tannins and notes of cherry, plum, and smoked duck in a long finish of coffee, plum, and blueberry. An ideal 2016 harvest season resulted in rich fruit of uncompromised character. The 2016 Arise is Blackbird at its core of supple winemaking. Blend: 55% Merlot, 25% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot. RP 92 pts, WW 92 pts, WS 90 pts -
We started to pick the grapes, manually, in early October, in small 20 kg/44 lb boxes. The first selection was carried out at the vineyard, and we collected only the best bunches, perfectly ripe and in top condition. At the winery, a second selection was carried out at the sorting table, removing those clusters found to be less suitable. After gentle destemming and crushing, the grapes were placed in tanks where they underwent alcoholic fermentation at a temperature below 28°C/82°F. After 18 days of fermentation and maceration, the wine underwent malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels, with weekly bâttonages for two months. It was aged for 22 months in new French oak barrels (70%) and the rest in French oak barrels with two wines. JS 92 -
Takes a bright and relatively fresh approach, with raspberry and plum coulis flavors racing through first, backed by a plumper feel on the back end, showing notes of anise, mocha and briar. Merlot, Petit Verdot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2026. 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 7% Malbec, 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. JS 93pts, RP 92 pts, WS 91 pts. -
Playful, candy-coated raspberry aromas bounce from the glass along with sweet cigar spice, followed by a lush palate of dark cherry and soft yet pithy tannin. Finishes with quenching acidity and lingering, velvety texture. 2016, 2017, 2018 vintage rated 92-93 pts. -
This blend of 45% Syrah, 39% Grenache, 9% Mourvèdre and 7% Counoise offers lush aromas of violet, lilac, lavender, vanilla and blueberry on the nose. The palate offers plenty of black currant and spice flavors, with sandy tannins and fresh acidity holding it all in check. WE 95 pts. -
Coming mostly from Sonoma, the 2017 Zinfandel Old Vine is medium ruby in color and opens with fantastic aromas of mixed berry preserves with spiced peaches and cranberry, potpourri, dried hollyhock, rooibos tea and oodles of exotic spices. Medium-bodied, it offers intense tricolored flavor layers with grainy tannins and juicy freshness, finishing long on a peachy note. A perfumed, restrained and delicious style. Blend: 86% Zinfandel, 5% Petite Sirah, 5%Carignan, 4% Field Blend Reds. WS 93 pts, WW 92 pts, RP 91 pts. -
This wine has a beautiful balance of raspberry fruit profile with warm spice, black tea and a delicate cocoa. The fruit on the palate is juicy but if you lean in there is a quiet brooding character to this wine that still has a lot yet to give. The Acid holds the fruit in check and the tannins keep the gentle momentum into a long finish. In a word, ‘delicious’. 100% Pinot Noir. JS 93 pts, WE 92 pts, WS 91 pts, W&S 94 pts.
