Barbara Banke of Jackson Family Wines does nothing that isn't infused deeply with passion. So when I heard that she entered a partnership with a long-standing friend, Peggy Furth - formerly of Chalk Hill Estates - to develop a line of wines called Windracer, I was immediately curious. These are two class-act, business-savvy women, who earned their stripes and their very considerable paychecks on their own, well before they became part of California's North Coast elite vintners. I knew that the wines and terroir they chose would be distinctive.
Read MoreIt’s always a treat to taste small production wines, and Andy Smith’s coveted DuMOL wines certainly fit that bill.
Read MoreRuss Langord reached out to me toward the beginning of the COVID19 shut-down in the US. I loved the idea of his - and his wife Sharon's - winery's message. What a good time - as is any, really - to talk about the principles on which they founded their venture: "lovemore dreammore sharemore"?
Read MoreThese Pinot Noir and Chardonnay tastings were primarily conducted in Sonoma over the course of two visits (one for ten days, one for three days). My ten-day visit was thorough, covering eight hundred and four miles (1,294 km) and 39 winery appointments.
Read MoreRich and abundantly fruit-driven on the nose with a vibrant, gold color and supremely ripe orchard fruits, this Chardonnay has a delightfully chewy texture thanks in large part to its excellent fruit concentration.
Read MorePinot Noir isn’t an easy grape to grow and it isn’t an easy grape to vinify either. Combine those two points with low yields and you have a wine style that tends to be pricey, wherever it hails from. Plus, Sonoma isn’t an appellation known for its bargains, whatever the grape variety may be. So, when I recently purchased a dozen Sonoma Pinot Noirs under $40, I was particularly pleased to find these three bottlings under $25.
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