PAUL HOBBS 2021 PINOT NOIR WEST SONOMA COAST
The 2021 Pinot Noir (West Sonoma Coast), a new wine in this range, is lights out. Rich, ample and bold, the 2021 races across palate with layers of purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol, licorice and spice. A dollop of stems adds nuance, but without dominating the overall balance. There's terrific acidity and structure to play off the natural fruit richness that is such a distinctive attribute of the best sites in the appellation."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 96 POINTS - "The 2021 Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast is another new wine in the Paul Hobbs portfolio. It comes primarily from the Goldrock and Cleary vineyards, was vinified with 17% whole clusters and matured in 33% new oak. It has deep scents of black cherries, blueberries, violet, conifer and mossy bark. The medium-bodied palate is ripe yet crunchy, with concentrated, nuanced fruit, grainy tannins, energetic freshness and a long, earth-laced finish. It's a powerful expression that deserves 3-5 years in bottle to unwind. 976 cases were made."
PEAKE RANCH 2019 CHARDONNAY "PEAKE RANCH VINEYARD" STA. RITA HILLS
Anybody who has been in our store asking for California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir recommendations has surely heard us mention the wines of Peake Ranch. This producer has previously been on our domestic "Top Wine" list in both 2018 and 2021, and judging by this new release, there's a good chance that they will be on the list this year!
Peake Ranch is a boutique, family-run winery owned by John and Gillian Wagner. Like all of us who have visited Santa Barbara County, the couple fell in love with the beautiful countryside and the friendliness of the people. They purchased Peake Ranch with a vision of building a winery and a house on the property, and producing extraordinary wines. They also bring a humbleness and sense of humility, which is honestly quite refreshing. They are already receiving rave reviews from the critics, and considering this is only the fourth vintage of this wine, this is an impressive feat!
Located on the eastern end of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA on Santa Rosa Road, the Peake Ranch estate is a 105-acre parcel with 50 acres of vines. The plantings are all along a hill that exposes the vines to the cool air that comes off the Pacific and into the Santa Ynez Valley. The combination of North, South, East and West facing slopes coupled with the exposure to varying degrees of the cool wind give the vineyard a diversity of fruit flavor profiles that is unique for a ranch of their size.
Most domestic Chardonnays with this score sell close to, if not in excess of the triple-digit price point. But being ones who wish to have their wines enjoyed, rather than just talked about, the Wagners decided to keep their prices on the more reasonable end of the spectrum, and this sells for just $54.95!
Jeb Dunnuck rated this at 98 points, and thinks this "ranks with the creme de la creme in the vintage". Erin Brooks from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate rated this at 95+ points and writes that the wine "promises to gain complexity over the next decade in bottle". Couple the score with those noteworthy statements, and you'll see why Peake Ranch is one of our favorite wines to not only recommend, but also to take home ourselves!
JEB DUNNUCK 98 POINTS - "From the home estate in the Sta. Rita Hills, the 2019 Chardonnay Peake Ranch Vineyard is another rock star of a Chardonnay. Stone fruits, crushed stone, white flowers, toasted nuts, and a subtle marine-like salinity all emerge from the glass, and it's medium-bodied, pure, and racy on the palate, with a fabulous texture. This ranks with the creme de la creme in the vintage. Hats off to winemaker Wynne Solomon for another incredible wine."
DOMAINE EDEN 2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
Mount Eden has a long and glorious history. Originally planted by a man named Martin Ray, many of the original Mount Eden Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays are some of the best renditions California has ever produced! Flash-forward to the present, and the wines are just as good as they always were. In addition to their estate wines, they produce a second wine called Domaine Eden. Sourced from well-maintained vineyards not far from their estate, Mount Eden utilizes the same exacting methods for their estate wines: natural indigenous fermentations - both primary and secondary, French barrels, no fining, filtration or any other manipulation.
The Domaine Eden Cabernet program is a combination of Bordeaux varieties, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon from Mount Eden, Domaine Eden and three exquisite sites in Saratoga and Los Gatos. It is a true Bordeaux blend encompassing the top five Bordeaux grapes varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot with small additions of Petit Verdot and Malbec.
ANTONIO GALLONI 94 POINTS - "The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is the wine to focus on in this range in 2018. Dark and brooding, the 2018 is such a classic Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet. It offers up copious black fruit, dried herbs, chocolate, lavender and underbrush, all in a super-classic, mid-weight style that is hugely appealing. This might very well be the best value in artisan, high-end California Cabernet."
The 2021 Pinot Noir (West Sonoma Coast), a new wine in this range, is lights out. Rich, ample and bold, the 2021 races across palate with layers of purplish fruit, lavender, spice, menthol, licorice and spice. A dollop of stems adds nuance, but without dominating the overall balance. There's terrific acidity and structure to play off the natural fruit richness that is such a distinctive attribute of the best sites in the appellation."
ROBERT PARKER'S WINE ADVOCATE 96 POINTS - "The 2021 Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast is another new wine in the Paul Hobbs portfolio. It comes primarily from the Goldrock and Cleary vineyards, was vinified with 17% whole clusters and matured in 33% new oak. It has deep scents of black cherries, blueberries, violet, conifer and mossy bark. The medium-bodied palate is ripe yet crunchy, with concentrated, nuanced fruit, grainy tannins, energetic freshness and a long, earth-laced finish. It's a powerful expression that deserves 3-5 years in bottle to unwind. 976 cases were made."
PEAKE RANCH 2019 CHARDONNAY "PEAKE RANCH VINEYARD" STA. RITA HILLS
Anybody who has been in our store asking for California Chardonnay and Pinot Noir recommendations has surely heard us mention the wines of Peake Ranch. This producer has previously been on our domestic "Top Wine" list in both 2018 and 2021, and judging by this new release, there's a good chance that they will be on the list this year!
Peake Ranch is a boutique, family-run winery owned by John and Gillian Wagner. Like all of us who have visited Santa Barbara County, the couple fell in love with the beautiful countryside and the friendliness of the people. They purchased Peake Ranch with a vision of building a winery and a house on the property, and producing extraordinary wines. They also bring a humbleness and sense of humility, which is honestly quite refreshing. They are already receiving rave reviews from the critics, and considering this is only the fourth vintage of this wine, this is an impressive feat!
Located on the eastern end of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA on Santa Rosa Road, the Peake Ranch estate is a 105-acre parcel with 50 acres of vines. The plantings are all along a hill that exposes the vines to the cool air that comes off the Pacific and into the Santa Ynez Valley. The combination of North, South, East and West facing slopes coupled with the exposure to varying degrees of the cool wind give the vineyard a diversity of fruit flavor profiles that is unique for a ranch of their size.
Most domestic Chardonnays with this score sell close to, if not in excess of the triple-digit price point. But being ones who wish to have their wines enjoyed, rather than just talked about, the Wagners decided to keep their prices on the more reasonable end of the spectrum, and this sells for just $54.95!
Jeb Dunnuck rated this at 98 points, and thinks this "ranks with the creme de la creme in the vintage". Erin Brooks from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate rated this at 95+ points and writes that the wine "promises to gain complexity over the next decade in bottle". Couple the score with those noteworthy statements, and you'll see why Peake Ranch is one of our favorite wines to not only recommend, but also to take home ourselves!
JEB DUNNUCK 98 POINTS - "From the home estate in the Sta. Rita Hills, the 2019 Chardonnay Peake Ranch Vineyard is another rock star of a Chardonnay. Stone fruits, crushed stone, white flowers, toasted nuts, and a subtle marine-like salinity all emerge from the glass, and it's medium-bodied, pure, and racy on the palate, with a fabulous texture. This ranks with the creme de la creme in the vintage. Hats off to winemaker Wynne Solomon for another incredible wine."
DOMAINE EDEN 2018 CABERNET SAUVIGNON SANTA CRUZ MOUNTAINS
Mount Eden has a long and glorious history. Originally planted by a man named Martin Ray, many of the original Mount Eden Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays are some of the best renditions California has ever produced! Flash-forward to the present, and the wines are just as good as they always were. In addition to their estate wines, they produce a second wine called Domaine Eden. Sourced from well-maintained vineyards not far from their estate, Mount Eden utilizes the same exacting methods for their estate wines: natural indigenous fermentations - both primary and secondary, French barrels, no fining, filtration or any other manipulation.
The Domaine Eden Cabernet program is a combination of Bordeaux varieties, mainly Cabernet Sauvignon from Mount Eden, Domaine Eden and three exquisite sites in Saratoga and Los Gatos. It is a true Bordeaux blend encompassing the top five Bordeaux grapes varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot with small additions of Petit Verdot and Malbec.
ANTONIO GALLONI 94 POINTS - "The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is the wine to focus on in this range in 2018. Dark and brooding, the 2018 is such a classic Santa Cruz Mountains Cabernet. It offers up copious black fruit, dried herbs, chocolate, lavender and underbrush, all in a super-classic, mid-weight style that is hugely appealing. This might very well be the best value in artisan, high-end California Cabernet."
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