Clos Saint-Jean’s 2021 Deus Ex Machina is a concentrated, full-bodied Châteauneuf-du-Pape built on ripe red and black berries, licorice, roasted nuts and cedar over polished tannins. Elevated but well-handled alcohol and vibrant acidity frame a long, persistent finish. Serious cellar potential, with drinking now through 2040 in good cellars.
A concentrated, full-throttle G2 that leans into black-fruit power and spice. The structure and length are here, but the elevated alcohol and ripe tone make it feel less precise than top-tier Saxum vintages.
Rutherford Hill—among Napa’s Merlot pioneers—delivers a plush, full-bodied 2022 that marries ripe black-fruit intensity with polished oak and a long, savory finish. It’s approachable now yet structured enough for short-term cellaring, offering strong value at the winery’s $38 release price.
Cline’s Ancient Vines Zinfandel continues to define accessible California heritage wine. The 2022 vintage draws from century-old Contra Costa vineyards to produce a plush, spice-laced expression of Zinfandel that’s both generous and finely balanced. With ripe berry fruit, savory depth, and soft oak framing, it’s one of the strongest vintages
A ripe, classically CdP profile, black cherry and plum wrapped in smoke and pepper, delivered on a full-bodied frame with a long, cohesive finish. The 60/40 Grenache-Syrah blend shows old-vine depth and the hallmark mineral imprint of galets roulés
A single-vineyard Texas High Plains Merlot with real intent: black-cherry core, graphite and clove detail, full body, and a long, driving finish. Newsom fruit provides the altitude and diurnal snap; Siboney’s cellar work preserves depth without heaviness.
The 2021 Fiori di Fano from Robert Renzoni Vineyards delivers a refined Super Tuscan–inspired blend that balances California richness with Italian structure. Composed of 52% Sangiovese, 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 8% Merlot, it is expressive now yet clearly built for the cellar.
Built for a hot year, Cuvée du Baron 2022 puts ripe black cherry and plum on a smoky, savory frame, then tightens to a stony, warm finish. It’s plush, frank, and unmistakably southern Rhône—terroir speaking with the volume turned up.
Old-vine Gamay with a granite heartbeat: La Croix Blanche 2020 stacks dark berries and lavender over graphite and cool stone, carrying its weight with quiet authority before a long, composed finish.
Grenache in a well-cut suit: La Bernardine 2021 moves from black-cherry depth to licorice and warm spice, then tightens on a clean, stony line—polished, composed, and quietly persuasive.
The 2017 Domaine Dupré Goujon Saint-Lager “Rose” Gamay offers a strikingly mineral-driven expression of Beaujolais, where graphite, slate, and cedar mingle with ripe black fruits. Structured and full-bodied, it highlights the more serious side of Gamay.
High-mountain Cabernet with altitude in its bones: Ao Yun 2014 lifts dense black fruit on a cool herbal current, tannins fine as silk-road dust, and a finish that hangs like twilight over the Meili range.
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