Sonoma


Showing 13–24 of 24 results

  • DuMOL Wildrose Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017

    DuMOL Wildrose Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir 2017

    £110.00

    “The 2017 Pinot Noir Wildrose Vineyard is one of the more reticent wines in this range. I imagine the 33% whole clusters have a lot to do with that. Bright, punchy and super-expressive, the 2017 has so much going on. Freshly cut flowers, mint, crushed rocks, dried flowers and savory herbs all grace this finely cut, wonderfully nuanced wine. The 2017 is fabulous, but it needs time. Drinking window: 2022-2032. 95+ points

    Over the years, I have learned to allow for plenty of time for my tastings at DuMol. I was super-impressed with the wines I tasted on my last visit. Andy Smith continues to grow the range thoughtfully. The Chardonnays and Pinots remain the strong suits, mostly because they form the core of the range and have really been fine tuned over time. The 2017 Chardonnays have turned out just as well as I had hoped they would. The wines are rich, deep and full of character. Today, I favor the 2017s over the 2018s, which come across as lighter. Then again, the Chardonnays see pretty long élevage (by California standards) of 11 months in oak and 6 months in steel (for the vineyard designates) so there is plenty of time for the 2018s to perhaps gain a bit more dimension. The two vintages appear closer in quality for Pinot Noir. Smith opted to handle the 2018s very gently in the cellar, and did half the number of punchdowns than the norm. Both the 2017s and 2018s are vivid and super-expressive. I favor 2018 over 2017 for the Cabernets and Syrahs, as the longer and more benign growing season was clearly more favorable for both varieties.”

    Antonio Galloni, Vinous (01/20)

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  • Joseph Swan Cuvee de Trois Zinfandel 2018

    Joseph Swan Cuvee de Trois Zinfandel 2018

    £54.95

    Review to follow

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  • Joseph Swan Saralee's Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018

    Joseph Swan Saralee’s Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018

    £59.95

    Review to follow

    In Stock

  • Joseph Swan Trenton Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

    Joseph Swan Trenton Estate Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

    £84.95

    Review to follow

    In Stock

  • Joseph Swan VHSR - Redux Zinfandel 2017

    Joseph Swan VHSR – Redux Zinfandel 2017

    £49.95

    Review to follow

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  • Littorai Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023

    Littorai Hirsch Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023

    £105.00

    “The 2023 Pinot Noir Hirsch Vineyard is quite expressive, even in the early going. Lifted aromatics and mid-weight structure are its signatures. Crushed flowers, bright red-toned fruit, mint, cedar, sweet pipe tobacco and blood orange all grace the palate. A wine of dimension and class, the Hirsch opens gradually with some coaxing. Deceptively medium in body, the 2023 Hirsch is deep and layered. Brisk saline notes and a kick of whole-cluster nuance explode on the finish. Drinking window: 2026-2035. 96 points

    Littorai is one of my favorite visits in Sonoma County because I taste two vintages each time: the young vintage that is just about to be bottled and the bottled wines I tasted from cask the year prior.

    Proprietors Ted and Heidi Lemon turned out a strong set of wines in 2024. Ted Lemon describes 2024 as a year with big berries and thick skins that required considerable crop thinning all the way to the weeks before harvest in the latest sites. Fermentations were very slow, and total tank times were long. Even so, some of the wines are on the lighter side structurally. The Wendling, Haven and Thieriot Pinots were bottled in November 2025. I tasted all the other 2024 Pinots from tank just prior to bottling and before final sulfur additions, always a tricky time. I won’t be surprised if the wines turn out even better than these first impressions suggest. Today, the Pinots are a bit reticent, but that is not unusual at this address. As is the custom, Pinots see a good bit of stem inclusion, 25-35% for most wines, although some can be zero. Sites such as Savoy and Mays Canyon are often higher. The 2024s have a bit more stem inclusion than most years. I was deeply impressed with the 2024 whites, which offer a combination of richness and energy that is hugely appealing.

    The bottled 2023s are just as compelling as they were last year. Richardson Ranch and Mays Canyon were the only Pinot sites picked in September. Everything else was harvested throughout October and into the first week of November, when the Thieriot Pinot was picked. This is a very special set of wines from one of Sonoma County’s and Anderson Valley’s leading grower estates.”

    Antonio Galloni, Vinous (01/26)

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  • Littorai The Pivot Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022

    Littorai The Pivot Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022

    £107.50

    “The 2022 Pinot Noir The Pivot Estate Vineyard is such a classy wine. Silky and aromatic, with striking fruit purity, the 2022 is seriously impressive. Crushed red berries, chalk, mint, white pepper and slate lend notable brilliance throughout. The sculpted style is so appealing. Drinking window: 2025-2032. 95 points

    My annual tasting at Littorai is always one of the highlights of the year because the wines encompass so many top vineyards in Sonoma County and Anderson Valley. Explorations of site. That’s what this range is all about.

    Cold, foggy weather was a constant in the early part of 2023. Conditions were much more favorable in Anderson Valley, where growing degree days outpaced those of Sonoma through late May. “Between the Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley, we had the most radically different start to the year as I have ever seen,” Ted Lemon noted. “It was the exact opposite of 2022.”

    July saw high temperatures that were problematic in some spots, notably Savoy, where Lemon dropped a significant amount of the crop because of sunburn. Cluster sizing continued throughout August and September, leading to fruit being dropped as late as mid-September. The Pinots were picked starting on September 20 with Mays Canyon and Richardson Ranch. All the other Pinots were harvested in October, with two picks on November 1. For Chardonnay, harvest ran from October 10 to 25, almost a month later than 2022. The Pinots were vinified with a fair proportion of whole clusters. I tasted all the 2023s from tank, except for the Charles Heintz Chardonnay (which was still fermenting). Lemon opted to bottle a handful of Pinots early because of their softness. Those wines are reviewed from bottle.

    There aren’t a lot of surprises with the bottled 2022s. The whites are soft and open-knit, as they were last year, while the Pinots are every bit as exciting as they were when I tasted them from barrel. Stem inclusion is in the 20% range for most Pinots, a bit less than in 2023. Stylistically, the 2022 are quite supple, while the 2023s are more delineated.”

    Antonio Galloni, Vinous (01/25)

    In Stock

  • Littorai B.A. Thieriot Vineyard Chardonnay 2022

    Littorai B.A. Thieriot Vineyard Chardonnay 2022

    £110.00

    “From vines planted in 1996, the 2022 Chardonnay B.A. Thieriot Vineyard is scented of white peaches, meringue, beeswax, cracked almonds and oyster shell. The light-bodied palate is tangy and energetic despite its layered flavors, which are expressive yet pleasantly restrained in terms of ripeness. Its mineral character adds complexity and a shimmery feel, and it has a very long, nuanced finish. 398 cases were made. Drink: 2025-2035. 94+ points”

    Erin Brooks, Wine Advocate (03/24)

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  • Littorai Richardson Ranch Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023

    Littorai Richardson Ranch Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023

    £110.00

    “The 2023 Pinot Noir Richardson Ranch is floral and lifted in feel. Crushed flowers, red/purplish berry fruit, lavender, rose petal and spice grace this mid-weight Pinot. Brisk acids support the saline finish. Today, the Richardson Ranch comes across as one of the more understated wines in the range. There is something about this wine—and the other wines from this site I have tasted from other producers—that suggests Richardson Ranch is a very special site. Drinking window: 2026-2033. 94-96 points

    My annual tasting at Littorai is always one of the highlights of the year because the wines encompass so many top vineyards in Sonoma County and Anderson Valley. Explorations of site. That’s what this range is all about.

    Cold, foggy weather was a constant in the early part of 2023. Conditions were much more favorable in Anderson Valley, where growing degree days outpaced those of Sonoma through late May. “Between the Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley, we had the most radically different start to the year as I have ever seen,” Ted Lemon noted. “It was the exact opposite of 2022.”

    July saw high temperatures that were problematic in some spots, notably Savoy, where Lemon dropped a significant amount of the crop because of sunburn. Cluster sizing continued throughout August and September, leading to fruit being dropped as late as mid-September. The Pinots were picked starting on September 20 with Mays Canyon and Richardson Ranch. All the other Pinots were harvested in October, with two picks on November 1. For Chardonnay, harvest ran from October 10 to 25, almost a month later than 2022. The Pinots were vinified with a fair proportion of whole clusters. I tasted all the 2023s from tank, except for the Charles Heintz Chardonnay (which was still fermenting). Lemon opted to bottle a handful of Pinots early because of their softness. Those wines are reviewed from bottle.

    There aren’t a lot of surprises with the bottled 2022s. The whites are soft and open-knit, as they were last year, while the Pinots are every bit as exciting as they were when I tasted them from barrel. Stem inclusion is in the 20% range for most Pinots, a bit less than in 2023. Stylistically, the 2022 are quite supple, while the 2023s are more delineated.”

    Antonio Galloni, Vinous (01/25)

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  • Pax Nellessen Vineyard Syrah 2022

    Pax Nellessen Vineyard Syrah 2022

    £58.95

    “The 2022 Syrah Nellessen Vineyard is fabulous in the way it marries huge fruit density and more typical peppery, gamy notes. Blue/purplish fruit, lavender, black pepper and iron are all dialed up to the maximum. This is especially rich, sumptuous and deep, with all the raciness that can develop in wines that are picked very late, as this was. Harvest was in early November. Drinking window: 2025-2032. 94 points

    Pax Mahle is one of the most thoughtful, articulate winemakers in Sonoma. His range always seems to have something new, as is once again the case this year. I was especially impressed with the 2022 Syrahs, given the challenges of the growing season. Cool sites seemed to make it through the Labor Day heat without serious issues. Many of these vineyards were picked late into October. As always, the Syrahs are fermented with 100% stems. The single-vineyard Syrahs are aged in neutral oak, while the Hillsides is aged in cement, an approach that consistently works for that blend. There’s plenty to explore in the other wines, but I always find myself especially drawn to the Syrahs here, as the wines are incredibly site-specific and distinctive.”

    Antonio Galloni, Vinous (01/24)

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  • Pax Sonoma Coast Syrah 2020

    Pax Sonoma Coast Syrah 2020

    £41.95

    “This is a stellar set of new releases from Pax Mahle. The 2019 Syrahs in particular are tremendous. There is a radiance and lushness to the 2019s that gives them so much allure, and yet the overall style of the wines remains intact. As always, the Syrahs are done with 100% stems and aged in concrete and/or neutral oak. I would be thrilled to drink any of these wines any day of the week.”

    Antonio Galloni, Vinous (06/22)

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  • Pax Sonoma-Hillsides Syrah 2021

    Pax Sonoma-Hillsides Syrah 2021

    £59.95

    “The 2021 Syrah Sonoma Hillsides is towering and statuesque in bearing from the very first taste. I don’t think I have ever tasted a Sonoma Hillsides with this much finesse, this much purity. A wine of vertical energy, the Sonoma Hillsides possesses tremendous depth from start to finish. In many vintages the Hillsides leans towards a darker expression of Syrah. The 2021, on the other hand, is marked by more of a red/purplish fruit profile, with bright floral and citrus overtones that confer freshness. Once again, Pax Mahle made one of the truly epic wines of the year. His Sonoma Hillsides has been one of the very finest wines in Northern California for a number of years now. Drinking window: 2024-2036. 98 points

    Pax Mahle presented a stellar set of new releases in our most recent tasting. The 2021s might be the most impressive set of wines I have ever tasted here. The Gamay Noirs show just how expressive this variety can be. But Syrah once again steals the show in a collection of wines that hit all the right notes. The wines are done with 100% stems, with fermentation in concrete or steel. Aging takes place in neutral 500-liter barrels for about ten months. The exception is the Sonoma Hillsides blend, which is aged in concrete. In my view, the Sonoma Hillsides is the most compelling wine in this range and one of Syrah’s great expressions in the United States. The 2021 is more than a worthy follow-up to previous vintages. Pax fans will also want to check out the new Halcon Estate, which Mahle purchased with Baron Ziegler of Marine Layer in 2021.”

    Antonio Galloni, Vinous (08/23)

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