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Avennia
Here are the world-class spring wines by Avennia. Today we share the brilliant wines of Avennia — a joint venture between former Microsoft exec Marty Taucher and winemaker Chris Peterson. These wines are incredibly consistent and extremely well-made. They show texture, varietal character and brilliant tension. I have been so impressed with the white wine program and their rose wine that is consistently one of the best you find in the Pacific Northwest. Former DeLille Cellars Winemaker Chris Peterson stands tall at the helm. He is probably best known for his reds, but he has a magnificent touch with his whites. Check out the dazzling 2024 Avennia ‘La Perle’ White Wine (OB, 95) which is quite simply one to purchase by the case. Learn more about these special wines at avennia.com Here are my reviews of the new Avennia wines. 2024 Avennia ‘Oliane’ Sauvignon Blanc- The 2024 ‘Oliane’ Sauvignon Blanc comes from the Boushet and Red Willow vineyards in the Yakima Valley. Once on the nose
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Bouchaine
Here is the beautiful modern facility at Bouchaine. For years when I was in graduate school I admired the drinkability of Bochaine wines. A winery with serious history, set in the southern end of the Napa Valley, Bouchaine Vineyards is the oldest continuously operating winery in the Carneros district. Land here was first cultivated in the 1880s, and later transformed Gerret and Tatiana Copeland in 1981, evolving into a sustainably farmed producer of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. The wines were really good across the board. I love the 2024 ‘Carneros’ Gewurtztraminer (OB, 92) which is viscous with great flavor range. Learn more at https://bouchaine.com/ and here are my reviews of the new releases by Bouchaine. 2024 Bouchaine ‘Carneros’ Gewurtztraminer- The 2024 Bouchaine ‘Carneros’ Gewurtztraminer is fragrant and beautifully-textured stuff. Pink grapefruit and papaya flavors mingle well with green melon notes on the palate. Drink 2026-2032- 92 2024 Bouchaine ‘Alsatian Blen
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Big Table Farm
Here is the stunning new 2025 Rose (OB, 94) by Big Table Farm. One of the jewels of the Willamette Valley, Big Table Farm was founded by Clare Carver and Brian Marcy — two of the great people in Oregon wine. Marcy has a longstanding history in the wine industry, formerly serving as winemaker for Neyers prior to moving north and settling in the Willamette Valley. Wines are exceptionally good year in and year out. They have been making wines that have great flavor density and range, with terrific texture. Once again, Carver and Marcy have crafted one of the finest Rose wines you will taste in North America. Check out the 2025 Big Table Farm ‘Laughing Pig’ Rose (OB, 94) which is a hard to beat combination of weight, finesse and flavor range Learn more about Big Table Farm at http://www.bigtablefarm.com/ Here are the fantastic new release wines by Big Table Farm. 2025 Big Table Farm ‘Laughing Pig’ Rose- The utterly fabulous 2025 Laughing Pig’ Rose is a powerful, concentrated effort that wa
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Sojourn Cellars Vertical Tasting
Sojourn Cellars makes some incredible, cellar-worthy Pinots and Chards. Last Saturday I descended upon Sojourn Cellars in downtown Sonoma. It had been several years since I made my visit to taste some of the outstanding Pinots and Chards from this region. Sojourn Celalrs is under new ownership and we talked about the approach to wines. The wines have been remarkably consistent and they show terrific aging potential. The winery dates back to 2001 when two tennis friends–Craig Haserot and Erich Bradley–who shared a passion for two things: great wine and tennis. With Erich’s experience as an Assistant Winemaker at Arrowood Winery, the two developed a plan to produce small bottlings of Cabernet Sauvignon from outstanding vineyard sources. They began with a hundred cases of Cabernet Sauvignon that they sold to friends and family. Today they produce more than different wines and have customers worldwide. It was fun to see how these age and I was enamored by the 2021 ‘Sangiacomo’ Pinot Noir (
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Whitman Hill
Great photo of the Whitman Hill vineyard. Today we share a newer producer from the Yakima Valley. Whitman Hill Vineyard sits at 1,200 feet on the south- and east-facing slopes above the Yakima Valley, where steady air movement, balanced sun exposure, and a natural cold-air drain create ideal conditions for even ripening and vineyard health. Beneath the surface, layers of sandy loam and fragments of caliche—a pale, porous rock unique to this area. Before establishing Whitman Hill, Scott and Denise Whitman co-owned a winery on Washington’s west side, sourcing grapes from the Yakima Valley and becoming deeply connected to the quality and character of its fruit. Their first wines for that project were made humbly in their garage. In 2020 the had the chance to acquire property in Zillah, which became Whitman Hill. New wines were really good. I love the 2024 Whitman Hill Chardonnay (OB, 91) which is neatly textured stuff with good richness. Learn more about this project at https://whitmanhil
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Tsillan Cellars
Here are the outstanding new wines by Tsillan Cellars. It is my pleasure to share a really good producer in the Lake Chelan AVA. This scenic location has a beautiful setting with plenty of outdoor seating. The 127 acre estate is Chelan’s largest planted vineyard. They make an exceedingly long range of wines from Chardonnay to Syrah from this estate. Italian varietals are also planted at the estate vineyard. Garrett Grubbs has been making great wines for Tsillan and joined the team in 2021. It is exceedingly difficult to grow many of these estate varietals in the heat that is accumulated in Lake Chelan. Grubbs did an excellent job with this lineup. I really love the 2023 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Malbec (OB, 91) which powerful and has great varietal character. Learn more at https://tsillancellars.com/ and here are my reviews of the new releases by Tsillan Cellars. 2024 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Viognier- The 2024 Tsillan Cellars ‘Estate’ Viognier offers lychee and melon notes on the nose
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St. Innocent
Here are the beautiful new sparkling wines by St. Innocent. One of the great estates in Oregon, St. Innocent was founded by Oregon Wine Pioneer, Mark Vlossak. Mark has a longstanding history in the Oregon wine industry as the first single vineyard Pinot Noir made by Mark dates back to 1989 from the O’Connor Vineyard. In 2006 Mark set up his winery at that same site of his first single vineyard wine, which is now named the Zenith Vineyard. For years I have loved Mark’s Pinot Noirs which exude class in their elegance and flavor range. Vlossak makes some of the finest Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc in the state, as his wines have a knack for landing on my Top 100. I love the 2021 St. Innocent ‘Cremant d’Innocent’ Sparkling Wine (OB, 93) which is entirely made from Freedom Hill Pinot Blanc grapes. Learn more about these awesome wines at https://stinnocentwine.com Here are the great new releases by St. Innocent. 2021 St. Innocent ‘Crement’ Rose Sparkling Wine - Composed from mostly P
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Aubaine
Here are the beautiful new 2024 ‘Windfall Vineyard’ wines by Aubaine. Today we share an outstanding producer of Oregon Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. Aubaine focuses on single vineyard and estate only wines. One of the great people in Oregon wine, Andy Lytle has a love of Burgundy and Champagne, as he is half of Lytle-Barnett. An iconic winemaker, Isabelle Meunier, has made a range of wines for producers across the Willamette Valley. Meunier is native of Quebec, and she studied winemaking and viticulture at the University of Dijon in Burgundy, as well as in New Zealand at Lincoln University. Following her eduction she worked at famed producers Felton Road in New Zealand, as well as Dominique Lafon of Domaine des Comtes Lafon. She has a more than impressive resume and has worked with Evening Land as well as LAVINEA. The new wines from 2024 were outstanding. I love the 2024 Aubaine ‘Windfall Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (OB, 93) which is beautifully textured stuff with a lush mouthfeel. Learn more a
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Corison
Here are the gorgeous 2023 releases by Corison. Today we share one of Napa’s historic wineries. Cathy Corison seems to produce amazing wines in tough vintages. A California wine icon, Corison is a master’s degree graduate of the Enology program at UC Davis and has previously served as Chappellet winemaker prior to starting her own winery. For years Corison has implemented a trademark more Bordelaise, and restrained style to her Napa wines. The wines have precision, power and restraint. They age so gracefully. I am so impressed with what she achieved in 2022. Her 2023 wines are even better. I adored the 2023 Corison ’St. Helena’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 97) which is vibrant and nervy with serious power and poise. Learn more about these elegant Napa wines at https://corison.com/ Here is my review of her new Corison wines. 2023 Corison ‘St. Helena’ Cabernet Sauvignon- The 2023 ‘St. Helena’ comes from several undisclosed sites in this district. This shows up inky in the glass, offerin
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Sign of the Dove
Sign of the Dove is a cult Napa producer from some of the region’s most distinguished vineyards. Today we share the utterly enchanting wines of Sign of the Dove. This Napa Valley brand comes from some of the famed vineyards in the region and are made by the world-class winemaking team of Jesse Katz and Hillary Sjolund. Sign of the Dove is led by a father-and-son team behind the brand, Marc and Jake Taub. Their bottlings from Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III and Beckstoffer Missouri Hopper Vineyard are some of the best wines from Napa that I have tasted in the past year. I scored all of the wines from 2022 and 2023 100 points which is nothing short of an epic achievement. This is truly cult Napa status. Learn more about these incredible wines at https://signofthedove.com/ and here are my reviews of the 2022 and 2023 Sign of the Dove wines. 2022 Sign of the Dove ‘Beckstoffer Vineyard Georges III’ Cabernet Sauvignon- Showing beautiful structure and concentration in this warm vintage, the
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Kinhaven
Here are the electric new releases by Kinhaven. Set in the backdrop of the Blue Mountains, Kinhaven is crafting some really impressive wines. Kasey and Cameron Davenport serve as Kinhaven proprietors and have been in Walla Walla for many years. Kasey and Cameron’s are originally from Northern Michigan. They both had a diverse past to get to Walla Walla. Kasey was formerly a wedding and event planner while Cameron has formerly worked as a chef on yachts, eventually becoming a captain. They were amazed by the richness of the Walla Walla Valley and their family eventually launched Kinhaven several years back. Wines are made by Cameron, who has painted a beautiful story from the warmer 2023 vintage. I was extremely impressed with the overall lineup which comes from mainly the 2023 vintage. Wines are well-structured and powerful with a beginning, middle and end. Check out the outstanding 2024 Kinhaven ‘Walla Walla Valley’ Viognier (OB, 93) which is viscous and dense with terrific flavor and
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Isenhower
Great photo of Isenhower, located in Walla Walla, Washington. It is my pleasure to share the wines from Isenhower, founded in 1999 by Denise and Brett Isenhower. As the 18th winery in Walla Walla, the winery has held fast with Denise serving as general manager while her husband has been serving as the winemaker. Isenhower Cellars is one of the few medium sized Washington wineries that is 100% husband and wife owned and operated. They built their winery in 2002 and opened the Woodinville tasting room in 2009. Currently Isenhower Cellars produces 7,500 cases a year. I really enjoyed their 2023 ‘Rara Gravis’ Grenache (OB, 92) which has really nice flavor complexity. I Learn more about this great winery at https://isenhowercellars.com/ and here are my reviews of the new Isenhower wines. 2024 Isenhower ‘Le Cadeau Vineyard’ Chardonnay- The 2024 ‘Le Cadeau Vineyard’ Chardonnay shows off ripe peach, starfruit, flinty accents and minerals on the palate alongside a soft mouthfeel. Juicy an
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L'Angolo Estate
Great new releases by winemaker Chase Renton and his L’Angolo Estate wines. It is my pleasure to write about the wines of L’Angolo Estate which is a stalwart producer located in the Dundee Hills. L’Angolo Estate was founded by proprietors Holdings and Lou Renton, who purchased a 20 acre property in the Dundee Hills several years back. The estate vineyard is planted to 6 acres of Pinot Noir and 4 acres of Chardonnay, which were planted in two successive years. Vines are set in a combination of Jory and Nekia soils, as the site has four clones of Pinot Noir and two clones of Chardonnay across 13 clone-specific vineyard blocks. The last two releases of wines from this site have appeared as nicely concentrated and loaded with red and black fruit flavors, with great flinty and stony undertones. Winemaker Chase Renton has a background in wine sales and also studied at Apicius Wine Studies in 2011. He has led L’Angelo since 2012 and has formerly worked harvests in California and Burgundy befo
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Chehalem and Stoller
Great photo of Oregon wine icon, Bill Stoller, who graciously spent time with me for an interview before his passing last year. Today we share the Rose wines of Chehalem and Stoller. I wanted to give my heartfelt remembrances to Oregon wine icon, Bill Stoller who I chatted with last year. Stoller dates back to 1993 when Bill Stoller acquired a family property from his cousin. Immediately Stoller saw potential to grow world class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Two years after the acquisition he planted 10 acres each of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay and fast forward to today the vineyard is now the largest contiguous vineyard in Oregon's Dundee Hills. The property spans 400 acres, with 225 acres focused on growing vines at elevations ranging from 220 to 640 feet. Ten varietals are planted in this vineyard, including Viognier, Pinot Meunier and even Aligote. The new wines were awesome and Chehalem winemaker Katie Santora has created another outstanding Rose. I really enjoyed the 2025 Chehal
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LucidWild Estate
LucidWild is now clearly one of the premier players in Oregon wine. Today we share wines from one of the most impressive new wineries that I have tasted from anywhere in the past year. Located in the Dundee Hills, the story of LucidWild began in January 2021 with Blair and L.J. Nicholas who helped transform the former Bella Vida vineyard into an immersive, design-forward estate featuring 28-year-old dry-farmed vines, a 15,000-square-foot facility with WineCaves, and a focus on small-production Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. This is my first chance to professionally review these wines and I was honesty blown away with the overall quality. The incredible 2024 LucidWild ‘Hidden’ Chardonnay (OB, 95) is a total stunner and filled with texture with rocky/salty nuance. The best wine I tasted was the total masterclass 2024 LucidWild ‘Chosen’ Pinot Noir (OB, 97). This is now cheap treat at over 300 bucks — but you are going to be amazed with its precision, its poise, richness and flavor density. It
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Virtue Cellars
Here are the great new 2023 Virtue releases. Today we share the wines of Virtue Cellars— a Seattle-area winery that was founded in 2013 by Kevin and Kathryn Mueller. Virtue are pulling from some of the most acclaimed locations in Eastern Washington and produce roughly 1,000 cases of Bordeaux and Rhone style wines each year. The wines are well-priced from some awesome vineyards. They did an excellent job navigating 2022. The wines from 2023 are even better. Check out the 2023 Virtue Cellars ‘Unity’ Red Wine (OB, 93) which has really outstanding flavor complexity. Learn more about these wines at https://www.virtuecellars.com Here are the great new releases by Virtue Cellars. 2023 Virtue Cellars ‘Enthusiasm’ Grenache- The 2023 ‘Enthusiasm’ was sourced from the acclaimed Ciel du Cheval Vineyard on Red Mountain. Ripe red fruits collide with shades of orange peel, wet rocks and loads of salty minerals with red rose water accents. Drink 2026-2033- 92 2023 Virtue Cellars ‘Unity’ Re
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Knudsen Vineyards
Great new lineup by Knudsen Vineyards. Today we share the wines of Oregon wine pioneers Cal and Julia Lee Knudsen who began their wine journey in 1971. Located centrally in the Dundee Hills AVA, the Knudsen family has grown grapes at this location for 45 years. For years I have loved the Argyle wines sourced from this great vineyard as these grapes have helped produce some of the top sparkling wines made in North America. After the passing of Cal Knudsen in 2009, his children, each of whom had followed individual pursuits in business and finance, were compelled to return to the vineyard and then start Knudsen Vineyards winery in 2014 with the help of Argyle winemaker Nate Klostermann, and with the assistance of Rollin Soles. The new wines are world-class. Check out the amazing 2023 Knudsen Vineyards ‘Dundee Hills’ Pinot Noir (OB, 92) which offers fabulous QPR. Learn more about these fantastic wines at http://knudsenvineyards.com Here are the fantastic new Pinot Noir release by Knudsen
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Laurent-Perrier
Here is the absolutely mesmerizing 27. iteration of ‘Grand Siecle’ by Laurent-Perrier. Today it is my pleasure to share renowned champagne producer, Laurent-Perrier which was established in 1812. Located in the heart of Champagne, in Tours-sur-Marne, vines are set on limestone soil, highly chalky and showing the distinctiveness of the region. The chalk subsoil holds sufficient water, during dry spells and due its porous nature also provides good drainage when it is wet to prevent roots of becoming water logged, acting a bit like a sponge. Laurent-Perrier produces a beautiful range of champagnes including one of the world’s most popular Rose champagnes. I adored the new NV Laurent-Perrier Brut Rose Champagne (OB, 93) which is so delicious to enjoy now. One with good aging potential is the 2015 Laurent-Perrier Brut Champagne (OB, 94) which is dense and delicious stuff with serious weight from this slightly warmer vintage. Chef du cave Michel Fauconnet Laurent-Perrier in August 1973 doing
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Robert Biale
Here is the sensational new lineup of 2024 Zins by Robert Biale. It is my pleasure to bring you one of California Zinfandel producers. The story of Robert Biale is an inspired history that utilizes some of the oldest Zinfandel sites in the area, producing wines with good ripeness but overall a focus on poise, flavor and aromatic range. These are wines that are well-structured and bring a great sense of place. At the helm is David Natali. A New York native, David graduated from Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service and developed a passion for winemaking after bottling at a friend’s small winery. He formerly served as cellar hand at Clos Pegase Winery and later studied at the University of Montpellier in France, where he received his master’s degree in Viticulture and Enology. After two and a half years of living and studying abroad in Montpellier, France, and Udine, Italy, David returned to California. He became the Assistant Winemaker for La Rochelle Winery, later taking the Assistant
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King Estate
Here is the brilliant new 2021 ‘Brut’ by King Estate. Today we share the outstanding wins of King Estate. For years this winery has been making some of the best Pinot Gris in the Willamette Valley. King Estate director of winemaking Brent Stone has a longstanding history in the industry and makes a really terrific range of wines. It was many years ago that Oregon wine legend Ed King realized that the southern portion of the Willamette Valley was a perfect spot to grow Pinot Gris. They now make several hundred thousand cases of their ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Gris that you can find in wine shops and supermarkets across America. Brent Stone has now been at the helm since 2011. He has been doing a fantastic job with the wines that range in SKUs from Sauvignon Blanc and Rose to Sparkling Wines and inky Syrah. King Estate is arguably Oregon’s most beautiful winery with sweeping views of the valley and its vineyards. I love the new 2021 King Estate ‘Brut’ Sparkling Wine (OB, 93) which
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Ken Wright Cellars
Here are the beautiful new wines by Ken Wright Cellars. It is my pleasure to share the wines from one of Oregon’s historic wineries. The wine dream began in the 1980s as Ken Wright worked as a waiter in Kentucky. At the restaurant Ken was exposed to the great wines of the world. After spending eight years winemaking in California for Ventana Vineyards and Talbott Vineyards, Ken was finally convinced to move to the Willamette Valley in 1986. He then started Panther Creek cellars and then founded his namesake winery in 1994. In 2001 he added Tyrus Evan, a Syrah based winery, to his portfolio. The wines have been consistently great over the past ten years. Check out the outstanding 2024 Wright Cellars ‘Willamette Valley’ Chardonnay (OB, 93) which is a gorgeous bottling for the price. Even better is the 2024 Ken Wright ‘Shea Vineyard’ Pinot Noir (OB, 95) which shows off this incredible site with loads of tension and salty nuances.. Learn more about these fantastic wines at http://www
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Davis Estates
Great photo of the Davis family of Davis Estates. It was back in 2011 that the Davis family purchased the century-old estate winery and began their ambitious restoration project to create a distinguished winery. Mike Davis has a long and fond association with the Napa Valley. Growing up in San Mateo County just south of San Francisco, his family spent summer vacations at the Napa Valley Ranch Club. Davis Estates is the culmination of a life long dream. Davis Estates is a family owned and operated estate located in Calistoga. Winemaker Walter Leiva is a Napa native with a degree in Viticulture and Enology from Napa Valley College, Walter took a non-traditional path into winemaking, driven more by curiosity and a love of science than a lifelong dream. He has formerly worked at Gloria Ferrer, Andretti Winery, Odette, and Laird Family Estate, gaining experience with everything from sparkling wine to Italian varietals to cult Cabernets. His new wines were beautiful across the board. I love
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Sullivan Rutherford Estate
Here are the amazing new wines by Sullivan Rutherford Estate. Today we share the wines of Sullivan Rutherford Estate which began back in 1972. Jim Sullivan’s interest in wine was formed in the 1950s with a simple grape arbor given to him and his new bride as a wedding gift and he began to make wine at home before moving his family to Rutherford and establishing Sullivan in 1972. New owners took over in 2018 which involved investing in vineyard programs and plans are underway to build a state-of-the-art winery and hospitality facilities which was all led by entrepreneur Juan Pablo Torres-Padilla. I love the new wines from the 2023 vintage. Check out the stunning 2023 Sullivan Rutherford Estate ‘J.O. Sullivan Founders Reserve’ Cabernet Sauvignon (OB, 97) is a world-class Napa Cab with some serious potential. Learn more at https://sullivanwine.com and here are my reviews of the new 2023 wines by Sullivan Rutherford Estate. 2023 Sullivan Rutherford Estates ‘Coeur de Vigne’ Cabernet Sauvign
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R|A Family Wines
Here is the stunning inaugural 2023 R\A Family Wines Syrah. The R/A Family Wines is all about a family partnership between the Reynvaan and Andrews families. Sourced from a newer planted site in the Rocks District, the wine is 100% Syrah from this cobblestone-laden location outside the town of Milton-Freewater. The J. David Vineyard is the source of R|A Family Wines and was named after J. David, the founder’s father. After identifying the site, they removed the original vines and replanted from the ground up, focusing on a Syrah program. The new wine was a total stunner. The 2023 R/A Family Wines Syrah (OB, 97) is a total masterclass of texture, richness and stony essence. Matt Reynvaan did an incredible job with his Reyyvaan ‘23s and this wine shows the attention to detail that he afforded in this warm vintage. Learn more at https://rafamilywines.com/ and here is my review of the inaugural release by R|A Family Wines. 2023 R|A Family Wines Syrah- Sourced from this estate vineyard in t