Results for: "Anonymous"

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!

*Tasting Note Redacted*

This is the second edition of Anonymous that we’ve produced in partnership with this incredible, world-renowned winery—a relationship that dates back to earlier editions of our emeritus house label, Kalinda. The last release was a single-vineyard, single-block wine. This time, working hand in hand with the winemaking team, we felt the synergy of multiple components created something even more compelling than any one individual element. The blend brings together estate-grown fruit with several barrels sourced from highly renowned, Grand Cru–level single vineyards. The wine is composed primarily of heritage clones—Hyde (Calera selection), Swan, and Pommard—with smaller portions of Dijon clones. The fruit was fermented in small, open-top tanks with native yeast and approximately 20% whole-cluster inclusion. After fermentation, the wine was aged for 15 months in French oak (30% new) before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Working with this team is a true pleasure. With decades of winemaking pedigree and multiple 100-point wines to their credit, this partnership embodies everything the Anonymous Wine Project stands for. Under its own label, this wine typically retails for $80–$100. The value made possible through anonymity is simply sensational.

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!

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.

The latest Cabernet from the Anonymous Wine Collective is a truly special wine with an incredible backstory. I was lucky enough to walk among the vines with the winemaker and hand-pick barrels in the cellar to put together the final blend. It has been an absolute joy to help create this tiny, 200-case bottling from a historic block of vines that played an instrumental role in putting Napa Cabernet on the global map. The block of vines from which this wine originates was planted in 1974. It sits above the valley floor on a perfect alluvial bench at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains, along the western edge of the valley. The vines, an old heritage clone of Cabernet grafted onto St. George rootstock, grow in extremely rocky soils composed of weathered basalt and compressed volcanic ash, or tuff. From the late 1970s through the 1980s, fruit from this very block was a component of early Opus One bottlings and was blended into Robert Mondavi’s iconic Reserve Cabernet alongside To Kalon fruit (apparently to add structure!) My initial dream was to bottle a pure Cabernet Sauvignon from these 50-plus-year-old vines. However, while tasting barrels, I fell in love with some Merlot and Petit Verdot from a neighboring block planted in the mid-1990s. After trying several renditions of a Bordeaux-style blend, I decided to add equal parts Merlot and Petit Verdot to the cuvée, as they beautifully complemented the dense, brooding old-vine Cabernet. The final blend was literally scribbled on the back of a napkin and sealed with a handshake. Once the components were racked together, the finished wine went back into barrel (Taransaud barrels, no less) for several more months, allowing everything to marry before bottling. Even though this wine is still an absolute baby, the quality is already clear to see. It is inky, brooding, and powerful, with an uncommon depth of black fruit, crushed rock, savory graphite, cedar, bay laurel, and beautifully integrated barrel spice. Please decant the wine for at least an hour if drinking it anytime soon, allowing it time to open up. I think it will be in fine form by this coming autumn and should have more than 20 years of aging potential. This is a wine I am incredibly proud of and one I will be enjoying on special occasions for many years to come!

Our latest Pinot Noir from the Anonymous Wine Collective comes from the newly minted SLO Coast AVA. This ultra-cool-climate growing region on California’s Central Coast has long been renowned for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and other aromatic white varieties, but has now been formally recognized with the creation of an AVA defined by its immediate proximity to the Pacific Ocean. We partnered with one of the region’s most celebrated and critically acclaimed producers to craft this entirely estate-grown and produced Pinot Noir from vineyards located just a few miles from the coast. The fruit was hand-harvested and meticulously sorted before undergoing open-top, native fermentation with 10% whole-cluster inclusion. Each block was handled separately until the final barrel selections were made, bringing together our favorite components into one seamless expression of the SLO Coast. The wine is effusively aromatic and pure - a silky, highly perfumed expression of Pinot Noir that is drinking beautifully right out of the gate. Yet, knowing the reputation of this estate, it should also age gracefully for many years to come. Once again, our commitment to preserving the anonymity of our winery partners allows us to offer this wine at a fraction of the price it would command under the regular label. I hope you enjoy it. Cheers!

This is the second edition of Anonymous that we’ve produced with this incredible, world-renowned winery, and it takes the quality to an entirely new level. I’m proud to say I worked hand in hand with the winemaking team to craft this custom blend from the crème de la crème of single-vineyard components sourced from some of the region’s most sought-after sites. At the core of the wine are three Grand Cru–caliber vineyards, including old Wente clone vines planted in 1974. Most of the fruit comes from the far western edge of the Russian River Valley, where the AVA meets the West Sonoma Coast. The ultra–cool climate, Goldridge soils, and meticulous viticulture ensure that only the finest fruit makes it through the doors of this esteemed estate. The fruit was gently pressed, and the juice was racked to top-quality French oak (30% new), where it fermented with native yeasts and aged on its lees for 15 months. The final blend is composed of 12 carefully selected barrels, chosen not only for their exceptional individual character but also for their seamless integration as a whole. I couldn’t be more proud of this wine. Working with this team is a true joy. With decades of winemaking pedigree and multiple 100-point wines to their credit, this partnership embodies everything the Anonymous Wine Project is about. Under its original label, this wine typically retails for $75–$90. The value delivered through anonymity is simply sensational.

An absolute classic rendition of Zinfandel this legendary, historic site. There tons of rich, brambly fruit from the old vine Zin, but also real substance and complexity from the inclusion of Alicante Bouchet and a Primitivo clone brought here by Italian immigrants over a century ago. The wine shows a real sense of place with a crushed rock and ferrous mineral tone from red iron-rich loam and volcanic cobblestones that define the soils of the site. The picture perfect growing season in 2023 gave this wine lots of vibrancy and focus to balance all that old vine concentration and potency. The subtle use of both French and American oak is a well known signature when combined with this beautiful fruit. The value here, as with all the Anonymous wines is simply outstanding! Enjoy!

This stunning bottle of Chardonnay under our Anonymous Wine Collective label really captures the complex terroir of the Santa Cruz Mountains. The wine comes from two unique vineyard sites in very different sub-regions of the AVA, each contributing a distinct character to the finished blend. One vineyard is extremely coastal, sitting just a few miles from Monterey Bay and receiving daily fog along with consistent cooling winds off the ocean. Sandy soils and a long, slow growing season produce a bright, focused style of Chardonnay with wonderful verve, vibrant acidity, and a distinctly saline mineral character. The second vineyard sits on the opposite side of the mountain range, looking down toward Silicon Valley. Here, a warmer climate and rocky Franciscan shale soils yield a more powerful, structured expression of Chardonnay, with greater depth and breadth. The two components complement each other beautifully, creating a layered, complete wine where the sum is truly greater than its parts. The coastal site brings freshness, energy, and salinity, while the warmer mountain site adds weight, structure, and complexity. Together they form a compelling expression of the remarkable diversity found within the Santa Cruz Mountains. The finished wine was aged for 10 months in mostly seasoned French oak barrels (just 20% new oak) and 10% of the wine was fermented and aged in concrete egg.

This marks our inaugural rosé under Anonymous—and it’s nothing short of phenomenal. Mediterranean in spirit and crafted from Mourvèdre, this dry rosé comes from ancient, own-rooted vines planted over 120 years ago in the deep, sandy soils of Contra Costa County. These venerable vines have endured for more than a century thanks to those remarkably sandy soils, which are inhospitable to phylloxera and allowed them to survive when so many others did not. Naturally low-yielding, the old vines produce fruit of striking concentration, purity, and freshness. The grapes were gently pressed and fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel, then aged for four months on fine lees in a combination of stainless steel and neutral oak to build texture and nuance without sacrificing vibrancy. The result is a beautifully expressive rosé brimming with bright, juicy red fruit, hibiscus, alpine strawberry, and hints of spiced citrus peel, all underscored by a crystalline minerality. Dry and refreshingly precise, it balances crunchy fruit, tactile texture, and layered depth, finishing zesty and mouthwatering. I’ll be drinking this all spring and summer long—it’s simply delicious.