Reviews

October 2023 94 Points, Top 100 Winery of 2023 Wine & Spirits

Darrin Low blends this organically farmed fruit from two estate vineyards—Walraven in the hills above Boonville (61 percent) and Dach, surrounding the winery in Philo (39 percent). The wine ferments without added yeasts in barrels (10 percent new), then ages in them for 10 months, where the flavors concentrate into an earthy, airy, long and graceful chardonnay at 12.5 percent alcohol. The fruit has a range of citrus notes, from orange zest to lime pith and light, dusty tannins carrying notes of lemon meringue, giving a sweet and savory end. Pour it with roasted wild mushrooms, like chicken of the woods.

August 2023 90 Points Vinous Media

The 2020 Chardonnay Estate is a very pretty, airy wine. Hints of lemon peel, white flowers, tangerine oil and spice are some of the notes that grace this soft, weightless Chardonnay. All the elements are very nicely balanced.

June 2023 92 Points Vinous Media

The 2019 Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard is a very pretty, fragrant wine redolent of crushed red berry fruit, chalk, mint, white pepper and orange peel. I admire its energy, class and transparent expression of Anderson Valley. This airy, weightless Pinot is a total charmer.

March 2023 91 Points Decanter

A textural Chardonnay with crystalline purity and plenty of tension to balance out the rich fruit flavours. Wet river stones, a saline brightness, white flowers and springtime herbs are interlaced with apricot, white peach, and lemon oil on this medium-bodied, expressive Chardonnay. Organically farmed grapes are hand-picked at night from three estate-grown and organic vineyards in Anderson Valley, near the towns of Boonville, Philo and Navarro along the Navarro River. Whole-cluster pressed, the grapes were allowed to fully oxidise before racking to barrel off the gross lees. Entirely barrel-fermented and aged 10 months in oak, of which just four percent is new.

March 2023 93 Points Decanter

The 2019 release marks the first vintage this wine was produced with a label that boasts of the organic grapes that produced this brooding and muscular Pinot Noir, which is all power and drive. Heady dark berry fruit and cedar spices segue into a rich mid-palate infused with red cherry, pomegranate, flamed orange peel and Indian spices. Talk about a standing-ovation finish: notes of clove emerge, followed by tangerine peel, crushed cocoa nibs, scented with blue fruit and dried flowers, all framed by silky tannins, and lifted acidity, freshness and balance. Small batches of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Pinot Gris grapes were allowed to spontaneously ferment with indigenous yeast. A combination of punch-downs, foot treading, and gentle pump-overs was used during a roughly eight-day skin contact maceration prior to pressing in a small basket press—slow and cool indigenous malo-lactic fermentation in 60-gallon French oak barrique.

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