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Sumptuous aromatics of pomegranate, black raspberry, clove, orange zest, toasted vanilla, and dried florals arise on the nose of this wine. The palate oers concentrated black currant, black strawberry, coriander, mocha, candied orange zest, and tannins on the finish. *Cellar Selection* (TP)

This wine delivers a benchmark Anderson Valley flavor profile at a price point that is simply unbeatable. Over-delivering on value has always been at the core of the Anonymous Wine Collective, and I'm certain this wine does that and then some. I'm thrilled with the end result of this bottling that I was able to compose from barrel samples dialing in the exact character I wanted to capture from this top quality vintage and great but (top secret) vineyard source. The wine is loaded is pure forest berry fruit, dusty, earthy spices, brambles, Redwood grove, and alpine herbs. Elegant and silky, but full of flavor and layered nuance. For $20 I challenge you to find a more complete bottle of Pinot Noir that delivers the goods so emphatically! Enjoy!

We've worked with brothers Jean-Marie and François Cherrier for more than 20 years, and their wines remain one of the benchmarks for value in Sancerre. For us, they've long served as a lodestar for what classic Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc should be. It was great to reconnect with the family at Wine Paris earlier this year and taste through the new releases. As the next generation becomes increasingly involved in the domaine, the Cherriers are finding exciting new ways to build upon a tradition that has made them one of our most trusted partners. The 2025 vintage was a challenging one, with reduced yields across much of the region. Fortunately, our long-standing relationship has helped preserve the majority of our allocation, even if quantities are a bit tighter than usual. The new Sancerre captures everything we love about the estate's style. Aromas of Meyer lemon and ruby red grapefruit lead the way, followed by hints of nectarine, wild thyme, and white flowers. The palate shows impressive ripeness and polish, delivering generous texture and concentration without sacrificing freshness or balance. Year after year, this remains one of the most re-ordered wines in the category. If you've yet to discover what makes Cherrier such a perennial favorite, the outstanding 2025 vintage is the perfect place to start.

Since acquiring the property in 2009, Virginie Saverys has worked to convert all 162-plus hectares of vineyards to organic and biodynamic practices. In 2015 the Sangiovese was harvested relatively early, between 10-28 September. Hints of dried rose petals, violet, pepper and black tea add complexity to fragrant red cherry and strawberry. (MM)

*Tasting Note Redacted*

Awesome levels of blackcurrants, darker cherries, roasted herbs, chocolate, and scorched earth all emerge from the 2022 Château Malartic-Lagravière, an incredibly concentrated, rich, layered beauty that has velvety tannins, a deep, layered mid-palate, and a blockbuster finish. It's easily the finest I've tasted from this château and is a riveting 2022 that deserves 4-6 years in the cellar and will keep for two decades or more. The 2022 is based on 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc, with the élevage spanning 20 months in 60% new French oak. There are a little over 8,000 cases of this brilliant wine.

Masotti Napa Cab - back again and bigger and bolder than ever! Last year when we introduced the Masotti wines to our customers there was a scramble to snatch them up at the crazy prices we secured and we expect the same this time around, too! If you missed the 2021 Masotti Cab here's the scoop - These wines are crafted by Mitchell Masotti whose day job is making wines at Bevan Cellars! Mitchel has worked alongside luminary Russel Bevan for more than a decade and works with some of the finest fruit around the valley. Clocking up more than a dozen 100-point wines under the Bevan label, this guy knows how to make rich, powerful, crowd-pleasing wines! The 2022 Napa Cab shows the forward and decadent style of the vintage with ripe dark fruits, blackberry, plum, boysenberry hints, too. Dark roast espresso beans, hints of sweet oak spice, new leather, hot stone. Soft, round tannins meld with lush fruit, it's a real mouthful of of easy drinking Napa goodness. As even sub-$50 Napa Cabs become ever scarcer, we backed up the truck at this super sharp price. However, once folks start buying it by the case there's no telling how long it will last.

Aromas of honeydew melon, guava and golden apple. On the palate, the wine has buttery textures, sustained acidity and spiced-citrus length. *Gold Medal*

This brand-new bottling under The Anonymous Wine Collective is just beginning to come into its own. Bottled only a few months ago, it’s really starting to shine! The wine comes from two famous, highly regarded vineyard sites in the Petaluma Gap AVA, part of the broader Sonoma Coast. This is a truly special growing region thanks to the constant cooling breezes that funnel in from the Pacific through a gap in the coastal ranges. That relentless wind plays a fundamental role in producing world-class grapes: it naturally reduces yields and concentrates flavor, slows ripening to build greater complexity while preserving natural acidity, and encourages thicker grape skins that contribute texture and structure to the finished wine. Combine all of that with the region’s rocky volcanic soils, which lend a lively mineral character, and you have the magic of Petaluma Gap. This wine had so much natural flavor and concentration that we decided nine months in mostly neutral French oak was more than enough to frame the fruit. It simply didn’t need any additional “makeup.” The quality of the vineyards and the fruit speak for themselves. The result is a classic coastal California Chardonnay, with beautifully crystalline golden orchard fruit, fresh, stony minerality, vibrant acidity, and subtle, seamlessly integrated oak nuances. Fruit from these vineyards typically goes into single-vineyard-designate wines selling for $60-$80 a bottle. By keeping the source Anonymous, we can bring it to you for just $20. Cheers!

Infectious dark purple florals, spiced damsons and smoky minerals overlay the meaty, juicy texture and fine shapely tannins and purr contentedly towards the finish line. (DWWA 2024)

Refined and earth-driven, showing tightly wound black-fruit aromas with underlying notes of graphite, bitter chocolate and cured meats. The palate is focused and pure with finely tuned tannins and a generous yet precise palate. A lovely wine to drink now or to cellar. Drink or hold.

Velvety in texture with transparent character yet not insubstantial, showing aromas of sour cherries, oranges, dried flowers and some exotic spices. Medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and a precise finish. 90% grenache from sandy soils and 10% mourvedre. (KD)

Welcome to the newest addition to our Rendez-Vous collection: Touraine Sauvignon Blanc. Why did we choose Touraine? Simply put, it offers one of the greatest values for Sauvignon Blanc anywhere in the world. The region's clay-limestone and calcareous soils share many similarities with those of its far more famous neighbor a couple of hours to the east—Sancerre. As prices in Sancerre have continued to climb, many of its top producers have turned to Touraine to craft their value-focused wines. We realized we could do the same. So we reached out to one of our longtime partners with a simple proposition: let's take one of our favorite everyday Touraine bottlings and create the next Rendez-Vous. If you've been a fan of Roches Touraine over the years, here's a little secret—you've found it. This wine is the foundation for the project. I've been buying and tasting these wines for well over a decade, and they've never disappointed. The 2024 is everything I look for in Touraine: sleek, vibrant, and mineral-driven, with notes of lemon oil, fresh verbena, and a lightly chalky finish. There's also a subtle tropical lift that I always love in Touraine Sauvignon Blanc. It gives the wine an open, inviting personality that's equally at home on a Tuesday night or at a weekend gathering. That's exactly what Rendez-Vous is meant to be: exceptional quality at an everyday price. One of our goals with this label is to redefine what a daily-drinking wine can be by leveraging the long-standing relationships we've built with outstanding growers to deliver remarkable value without compromise. We hope this new Rendez-Vous earns a permanent place at your table. Santé—we have a feeling we'll be seeing you again soon.

Aromas of blood plums, violets, licorice, spices and dried herbs. The palate is medium- to full-bodied with a generous mouthfeel framed by finely extracted tannins and bright acidity. There’s tension to the wine and persistent purity of fruit in the finish. California's nod to the northern Rhone at the highest level. 100% whole-cluster fermentation. Drink or hold.

Bright and lifted red-fruit aromas of wild strawberries, confit cherry, rose petals and citrus peel. The palate is medium-bodied with fine-grained tannins and bright acidity, finishing with an earthy undertone. Well balanced and pure. Drink or hold.

This is one of my favorite Sancerre estates and they never disappoint. Their 2024, is another winner. It combines the classic citrus fruit we're accustomed to with pleasant tropical notes thanks to the generosity of the vintage. Simply put, it's complex, satisfying and outstanding as always.

The 2022 Château Tronquoy is the finest vintage of this cuvée ever produced, offering fabulous aromatics of cassis, graphite, violets, flowers, chocolate, and earthy nuances. Full-bodied and beautifully rich and textured on the palate, with sweet tannins and a seamless, concentrated mouthfeel, it’s already hard to resist, and as I said from barrel, it shows the ripeness of the vintage while staying pure, balanced, and seamless. It’s going to benefit from just 4-6 years in the cellar and drink well for 25+ years.

Château Canon has been taking off over the past few years, and here you see why. Just so much complexity, depth, power, interest in the whole thing. This buzzes with life, rises above the palate, full of gunsmoke, truffle, raspberry, blueberry, so delicious. Needs time but already showing it will be worth the wait. 45hl/h, 3.5ph, Harvest September 11 to October 4, 50% new oak. Thomas Duclos consults.

This is a red wine that transports you to your favorite bistro in Dijon or Paris. One with paper on the tables, wooden chairs, and mirrors on the walls, sipping a glass while awaiting your steak au poivre and a tangle of frites. It's immediately charming and totally irresistible. If you've ever wondered where Burgundy keeps its secrets, drive fifteen minutes south of Chablis and you'll find Irancy, a south-facing amphitheater of Kimmeridgian limestone with fewer than 200 hectares of vines and fewer than fifty growers, every one of them making red wine on soils the rest of the world associates with oysters and Chablis. The climate has done Irancy a favor the Côte d'Or might envy: the amphitheater now ripens Pinot comfortably most years, slopes once written off as too cool are being planted, and the village sailed through the 2016 and 2021 frosts that gutted the rest of Burgundy, so the wines have gone from lean and angular to genuinely delicious without losing their chalky northern minerality. The Cantins have been farming here for generations, and Benoît, who bottled his first solo vintage in 1994 with his father Bernard still at his side, works 16 hectares spread across ten of the village's lieux-dits. "La Grande Côte" is sourced from a steep slope that tumbles toward the Yonne River and faces south-southwest so the Pinot soaks up every hour of northern sun, making this cuvée is the fullest and most structured Irancy in Benoit's range. In 2023, vibrant and pure-fruited aromatics leap out of the glass, immediately calling you for a second sniff. Wild fresh berries and fresh violets on the palate all coil around a chalky, beautifully fresh core. Who knew Red Burgundy under $30 could be this compelling?

Sunny, rich and ripe, offering aromas of peach, pear and quince that lead into a texture that is unexpectedly lush yet still retains an elegant balance. The cuvée is based on young vines in St-Romain - two-thirds of the blend this year - complemented by grapes purchased in the Mâconnais. The result is a charming wine perfect for current consumption. (CC)

The 2021 Pinot Noir Radius is a gorgeous wine from a favorable growing season. Velvety berry fruit and elegant structure are the orders of the day. Supple and focused, it is supremely clear and precise, with beautiful curves. Tea leaves, blood orange and sweet black cherry flesh out, expanding like a peacock's tail on the epically long finish. What a beautiful wine. (BN)

I initially hoped this wine would be bottled under our Anonymous Wine Collective label. When I was presented with this incredible parcel resting in barrel, I could hardly believe the pedigree of the vineyard source, the quality of the wine, and the exceptional pricing. Alas, the wine needed to find a home more quickly than the process of creating and approving a new Anonymous bottling would allow. Rather than miss the opportunity, I decided to utilize a label design the winery already had ready to go: Root & Stone. As it turns out, the name couldn't be more fitting. This Chardonnay draws incredible mineral intensity from mature vines rooted in the extraordinary rocky, marine shale soils that define this site. The fruit comes from one of the most iconic vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills and is crafted by a winemaker with decades of experience. Under its regular label, this wine sells for $50 per bottle and has a long history of glowing critical acclaim, routinely earning 92-95 points from top publications. Stylistically, this is a leaner, mineral-driven, almost Chablis-like expression of Chardonnay, with racy acidity, bright floral and citrus notes, salty, stony minerality, hints of toasted rye and golden barley, and just a subtle framing of oak. On the palate, the wine has wonderful tension and a beautifully linear feel, carrying through to a mouthwatering finish of rock salt and citrus zest. I'm super stoked on this wine. For anyone who loves taut, mineral-driven Chardonnay rather than a richer, more opulent style, I truly think Root & Stone delivers unbeatable value.

This new discovery is almost too good to be true. Chateau Chadenne's La Fleur is a gorgeous Fronsac from the famed 2009 vintage, a wine that I fell head over heels for when tasting a few months back and couldn't wait to share with folks at K&L. It's now here and stands tall as one of the best buys in Bordeaux, the kind of combination of value, vintage, and age that you really don't see anywhere else. Just as when I first tasted it, I'm enamored with how fresh and lively this 2009 is. When I think about how the style and panache of the 2009 vintage should evolve with time, it tastes like this. Floral and wild berry aromas lead to a palate that's full of red-to-black fruit, terrific acid lift, and well-integrated tannins that follow through to a finish with a stony, mineral edge that feels very much at home in Fronsac's clay-limestone hills, along with a touch of spice. A beautiful combination of freshness and richness, it hits all the hallmarks of this celebrated vintage. A remarkable wine that defies its low price, this is one to buy by the case. It will impress wine drinkers of all stripes and, given how fresh, composed, and vibrant it remains today, should continue to evolve gracefully for another ten to twenty years. This is a modern classic and a not-to-be-missed value.

A depth of brambly black and blue fruit dazzles on the well-structured palate of the 2024 Pinot Noir, layered in light bolts of baking spice, forest, and black tea. Balanced acidity keeps it fresh and lively and inviting in its youth. Drink now through 2032.

"This is a very special library release. The 2016 vintage is one of the greatest of our lifetime. A forward-thinking family estate, known for their impeccably balanced and polished Barolos, agreed to release a small parcel of their classic 2016 from their cellars for us. Now with years of perfect cellaring, this wine is entering its prime. The tannins have resolved into silk, revealing complex notes of dried cherry, tar, leather, and cocoa. It is a harmonious, complete, and utterly classic Barolo that is ready to drink tonight. A rare chance to enjoy a perfectly aged wine without having to wait."

A blend of 99% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2020 Laroque is deep garnet-purple in color. A little subdued to begin, offering subtle notes of crushed rocks and damp soil, it opens out to a core of ripe black and red plums and fresh blackberries, plus a fragrant waft of lilacs. The full-bodied palate is bursting with taut, muscular black fruits and amazing tension, framed by ripe, rounded tannins, and finishing with great length and depth. (LPB)

Readers will find a rich, flamboyant wine in the 2016 Barde-Haut. There is not a ton of subtlety here, but I am not sure that matters all that much given how immensely pleasing the 2016 is. Crushed rocks, graphite, lavender, blackberry, plum, and violet infuse a Saint-Émilion that offers tremendous textural richness as well as vibrancy. Most importantly of all, the 2016 is flat-out delicious. This is a decidedly opulent, dark Saint-Émilion with all of the elements impeccably balanced. I loved it. (AG)

Elegant and spicy, with a silky texture and mouthwatering acidity and tannins. Red and black tea, savory mountain herbs, tobacco and crushed roses on the palate. Really good. Drink or hold.

Capacious blackcurrant, blueberry and dark cherry fruit cradled in a coffee, cacao richness which fortifies the weighty structure and strident tannins. Oozing substance and charisma. (DWWA)

From Shamrock and Te Whare Ra vineyards located in 70% Awatere and 30% Wairau, with a savvy 18% barrel fermentation. Holy moly, this is simply heavenly, with starfruit, pulpy pomelo segments and glistening limes. Summer frangipanis and lotus flowers. Citrus manages to have the high tones of lime but base tones of ruby grapefruit, and acidity hums, grounded deep within the fabric of the wine. It's slippery, slightly salty and luxurious while uplifting. Every touch point of flavour and texture has been considered and if this is not on your wine list or in your cellar as a modern day representation of Marlborough's innate ability with sauvignon blanc than shame on you. Flippin' heck it’s good. Closure: Screw cap. 13.5% alcohol.

Rose, mint and a whiff of forest floor accent primary aromas of ripe red berry on the gorgeous 2021 Capalot from rising star Cristian Boffa. Made with grapes grown in the Capalot MGA in La Morra, the elegant, vibrant palate delivers ripe raspberry, succulent red cherry, cinnamon stick and licorice accompanied by taut, refined tannins. Bright acidity keeps it well balanced and loaded with energy. (KO)

As ever, rock solid Margaret River cabernet, ticking the boxes for all the right regional and varietal qualities as it goes along. Just on the full side of medium-bodied, the flavours of cassis and cedar build on the palate, escorted along by the fine but firmish tannin that rolls on through the finish to linger in the aftertaste. Enjoyable now or for years to come. (SC)

Chiseled golden apple frolics with brioche and bruised yellow pear on the nose that is accented by baby's breath. Stony minerality infuses the palate that brings in bread dough and lemon peel. This wine's citrus lift would complement shrimp cocktail, sushi and grilled asparagus.(AC)

After tasting the Petaluma Gap chardonnay and the Anderson Valley pinot noir, this (also) brand-new cabernet was my last stop for the day. With the other two being outstanding, especially for the $, I had high expectations for this one. This one was quite the change! The other two leaned more into brightness and acidity. This lil monster looked very deep and brooding in the glass. It almost looked unfiltered. I'm not sure if it is but, it kind of appears that way. For me, that is a very good thing. After letting it breathe, out came the black currant, tobacco, cedar and chocolate cherry scents. In the mouth, quite formidable with mouth-coating fruit of more currants, dusty red cherries, earth, clean wood and milk chocolate. Initially the finish starts smoothly, gathers speed and become tart with the clean (and fresh) wood dominating. A very, very light bit of smooth chalk also comes into play, if there is such a thing. Like the other two Anonymous wines that I tried today, this one is a bargain, and it will certainly age for quite a few more years.

Finding a properly aged Montepulciano d'Abruzzo of this pedigree is a rare thrill. While visiting one of the region’s most historic, traditional estates—a family famous for holding their top wines back for a decade or more before release—I was offered a tiny allocation of this magnificent 2011 from their personal library. The 2011 vintage was warm and generous, yielding a wine of immense concentration that has now softened into absolute elegance after years of perfect cellaring. The nose is incredibly complex, offering layers of baked blackberry, dried plum, cured tobacco, leather, and a signature hint of dark cocoa. On the palate, the once-massive tannins have melted into a velvety, seamless texture, carrying savory notes of balsamic and earth through a remarkably long, persistent finish. It is a profound, soul-stirring expression of mature Abruzzo that is fully ready to drink tonight, offering an unforgettable experience of aged Italian wine without the typical premium.

We began the Discovery Series as a way to introduce our clients to outstanding producers from well-defined regions, pairing great wines with the history and backstory that bring them to life. We were truly astounded by the success and reception of these wines, and deeply encouraged by the trust you placed in us to deliver what we consider best-in-class wines at best-in-class prices under a label we will continue to develop. During the search for Discovery wines, however, I encountered a number of bottles that didn’t quite fit that specific mold, yet still offered incredible quality and value. That realization led to the creation of the Rendez-Vous label — a place to showcase wines we believe will become staples in your weeknight rotation. This project was born during a visit with our friends at Dauvergne et Ranvier in the Southern Rhône. Together, we conducted a series of blind tasting trials, working through dozens of samples and experimenting with different lots to build what I hoped would become the perfect Rhône-style blend. I began by tasting individual parcels — some already blended, others single varietal expressions. Several Côtes du Rhône lots produced charming and approachable wines, but once we moved into the Côtes du Rhône Villages selections, the depth of fruit and overall expansiveness increased dramatically. After settling on my preferred blend, we presented it to our winery partners. Watching everyone’s reactions as we arrived at the final composition was incredibly rewarding — we were unanimous in our enthusiasm. Just like that, our first Côtes du Rhône Villages blend was born. The final wine leans toward Syrah (approximately 70%), supported by a generous 30% Grenache. It shows a beautiful core of raspberry and wild strawberry fruit, backed by impressive concentration and layered notes of tobacco, black pepper, and savory spice. Now that the wine has rested in bottle after its journey from France to our warehouse, it has fully settled into its character. At recent staff trainings, I shared this wine with our teams and felt that same sense of satisfaction seeing their reactions. It has quickly become a staff favorite. There is tremendous personality here and, as I like to say, it truly overdelivers for the price. Join us for a little Rendez-Vous with this exciting new release — I think you’ll find as much pleasure in drinking it as we did creating it.

An awesome Saint Emilion, the 2015 Château Barde-Haut showed even better on this occasion than on release. A huge nose of sweet crème de cassis, jammy blackberries, violets, leather, and dried herbs gives way to a full-bodied wine that has a great mid-palate, ripe, silky tannins, not a hard edge to be found, and a great, great finish.

Kamptal takes its name from the Kamp River, which flows through this Austrian winegrowing area before joining the Danube. GRÜNER by Etz presents the region’s signature Grüner Veltliner grape in a one-liter bottle, with the 2025 vintage clearly anchoring this release.

Charismatic lemon curd, ripe apricot and apple pie laced with sweet vanilla. Exceptionally juicy and luscious with zippy citrus acidity and a lengthy saline persistence. (2026 DWWA)

Colombe and La Chapelle Saint Victor often arrive in tandem and Chapelle has always been the more terroir-driven sibling. Where La Colombe emphasizes fruit, Chapelle leans into precision and minerality. Crisp Red Delicious apple, citrus zest, and subtle wild herbs are framed by a streak of limestone-driven freshness that carries through the finish. There's an understated complexity here that makes it equally enjoyable on its own or alongside food. Pair it with grilled seafood, Niçoise salad, or simply a warm evening outdoors, and it's easy to understand why this has become one of the defining wines of our Provence program.

Right now we have by far the best price in the country on this Napa Valley classic! In fact we're $15 a bottle lower than the next best competitor. Thanks to some exceptionally sharp pricing, you can stock up on benchmark Napa Cabernet for literally half the regular price. Yep, $25 for legitimate Napa Valley Cabernet from the team at Louis Martini. As one of the most historic producers in the valley, Louis Martini has long been a stalwart of classically styled, structured Napa Cabernet. I’ve been lucky enough to taste Martini Cabernets going all the way back to the 1960s, and these wines helped define the very character of Napa Valley Cabernet as we know it today. The winery is state of the art, and the team is committed to the legacy of this incredible property and their role in resuscitating the domestic wine industry after prohibition. The 2022 is drinking beautifully, with the warmth of the vintage giving the fruit profile a little more generosity and immediate appeal. There’s a gorgeous mix of crushed redcurrant, ripe plum, blackberry, loamy earth, charred spice, and subtle leather. The ample fruit is nicely framed by grainy, structured tannins (perhaps from a component of mountain-grown fruit) that carry the wine through a long, satisfying finish. This has the substance and structure to drink beautifully over the next 5–6 years and likely beyond. Louis Martini's Napa Cab is already a very solid buy at its $50 SRP. At 50% off, this is one of those no-brainer Napa Cab deals you simply don’t want to miss. Buy a few for now and a few for the cellar. Cheers!

The 2016 Paradigm is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, and 2% Cabernet Franc. This is a stunning wine, currently in a phase of compact fruit and impressive density that highlights its remarkable potential. Notes of black currant pressed violets and rose petals dominate the profile, underpinned by a deep vein of electric acidity, black truffle, and loamy earth. The full-bodied richness builds beautifully on the palate, showcasing a seamless integration of superfine tannins already beautifully polished at this stage. This wine is a testament to patience—please hold onto this as long as you can, as it promises to evolve into something extraordinary over time—a masterpiece of balance, density, and elegance. I find myself shaking my head over the lack of critical praise for these wines over the years and applaud the consumers who have locked into a spot on the mailing list at Paradigm because they are world-class wines from pedigreed vines, ageworthy, and offer just about the best QPR (quality-to-price ratio) in Napa these days. (JC)

For my money (and I have some in the cellar), the 1998 Haut-Brion is the finest vintage from this estate between 1989 and 2000, surpassing the 1990. While it remains decidedly youthful at age 25, it is beginning to stir, unfurling in the glass with aromas of dark berry fruit, cigar wrapper, loamy soil, pencil shavings and burning embers. Medium-bodied, deep and concentrated, it's layered and elegant, with refined tannins, lively acids and a long, perfumed finish. Exemplifying the ideal of intensity without weight, it enjoys a slight edge over La Mission Haut-Brion in this banner year for both properties. (WK)

The compelling Conti Costanti 2021 Brunello captivates with pronounced aromas of fragrant purple flower, eucalyptus, Mediterranean brush and perfumed berry. All about class and extreme finesse, the elegant palate delivers succulent wild raspberry, crushed Marasca cherry, spiced orange zest and star anise set against a backbone of fine-grained tannins. Fresh acidity lends balance and great intensity. Year after year Andrea Costanti turns out what are among the very best wines from Montalcino, and the 2021 is no exception, it’s an absolute stunner with great aging potential. (KO)

Cranberry, cherry and earthy rhubarb aromas meet with bold chai spice on the nose of this bottling. The palate is rounded with warm baking spices that are wrapped in lush, creamy tannins, proving easy to quaff.

The 2019 Clendenen Family Vineyards “The Pip” Santa Maria Valley Nebbiolo (Winery Direct Library Release) is absolutely lovely to sip. As I write this, it’s late at night, and I’m having it with crackers and some cold leftover steak after receiving it as a reward from an esteemed K&L colleague for catching (and later releasing in the wooded area of my backyard) a massive wolf spider in her bathroom. I wasn’t planning on drinking wine or even eating dinner, but I couldn’t resist opening this bottle as soon as I got home. After the first sip, I felt more than fairly compensated for my efforts. Black plum, juicy berries, dried rose petals, lemon balm, rooibos tea, and a subtle tarry note unfold across the palate, with a stony mineral quality adding another layer of complexity. It’s light on its feet, with food-friendly acidity and the kind of easygoing character that makes it just as enjoyable with a few casual snacks as it is at the dinner table. At full price, it’s an excellent value. At more than 45% off right now, it’s a screaming deal. Buy this for dinner with friends who know and love wine, particularly fans of the late, great Jim Clendenen and Au Bon Climat. As a library release from such a storied producer, it’s the kind of bottle your host or fellow guests will appreciate without ever knowing how little you paid for it. True to Italian tradition, “The Pip” spent three years aging in large 500-liter Hungarian oak puncheons, followed by another year in bottle before its original release. It has now had an additional seven years to rest and is still going strong, a thoughtful and elegantly rendered expression of Nebbiolo. Dog lovers may also get a kick out of the fact that the Pip series is named for Jim’s beloved late Border Collie, Pip. I can’t help smiling at the thought of the two of them being together again. I like to think that all dogs and great winemakers go to heaven.

Compelling smoky mineral and sultry lemon characters ebb and flow across the nose and palate with a gorgeous crunch of acidity and texture. Very long and delicious. (2024 DWWA)

The 2023 ‘Geyserville’ is a marvelous, silky blend of mainly Zinfandel (70%) with 18% Carignane, 9% Petite Sirah and a touch of Alicante Boushet. Very dark in the glass, this delivers beautiful violet rose petals alongside mocha, tar, Cuban cigar and notes of garrigue with loganberry compote. The palate is fresh and refined, with an elegant mid-palate mouthfeel and light dusting of salinity. Well-structured and weighted, offering plenty of depth and flavor density, this is a marvelous effort that has yet to fully hit its stride —- but the incredible potential is there. The combination of weight and tension suggests this will be very long-lived. Give this another year in the cellar before uncorking. Drink 2026-2045.