Red Wine

J. Suckling 94/100 "focus, precision, refined tannins, beautiful fruit, firm, polished, tight center palate of fruit and tannins. " Vinous: “performs well above its station."

Rated as the best Napa Cabernet Sauvignon in Decanter’s panel tasting, this wonderful wine is dark, dense yet smooth and juicy with ripe blackberries and dense plum; juicy and concentrated.

Bright garnet, good attack, creamy and polished, perfumed, perfect, very long and serious. Biodynamic Organic.

Parker 92 "excellent... aromas of crushed currants, plums, candied violets and baked clay... rich and youthfully chewy, with a crunchy core of fruit and fine-grained but firm structuring tannins"

A huge, berry-scented mouthful; a blend of mostly cab, with merlot and petit sirah in supporting roles. Silky but crisp with wild blackberry and currant, the wine shows ripe fruit and ripe tannins and is a bargain at the price point

Made with incredible craft and passion by owner Byron Dooley, this wine is made from 100% Luminous Hills fruit and is built for early approachability as a richer wine, but with backbone and vibrancy.

All estate fruit from the original Monte Bello estate, from lots considered not inferior, but more suitable for early consumption rather than the grand vin's 30-yr window approach. So, effectively the 2nd wine of Monte Bello. Minimal intervention as ever, natural and organic. 20 months in air-dried American oak, half new. The first vintage from these vineyards was 1892, and the oldest vines making this wine were planted in 1949. Eric the winemaker, visiting us in Cambridge, tipped us off that this is a smart buy.

I've been a fan of this from the start. 100% Zin, organic and minimal intervention as ever. To sum up this is a wine of serious character and intrigue - a proper, honest, shamelessly Californian Zin, whilst also filling the role of ready-to-pop take-to-a-smart-dinner-party treat full of deep plum-skin joy and vanilla silk. JebDunnuck.com: 93 Points “All Zinfandel from the Dry Creek Valley, the 2018 Zinfandel East Bench offers up a great, pure, medium to full-bodied style that carries lots of classic spice, brambly herbs, incense, and plum-laced fruits. Nicely balanced, structured, and with solid length, this terrific Zinfandel will be even better with a year in bottle and keep for a decade.” – Jeb Dunnuck (May 2020) Wine Spectator: 92 Points “Appealingly old-school and just rustic enough to highlight the vibrant, briary wild berry flavors, laced with dried sage and licorice notes, building tension toward lively tannins. Drink now through 2028.” – T.F. (March 2020) Blue Lifestyle: 92 Points “Rich plum, sec and vanilla nose; silky and crisp; juicy and fresh, lively with hints of earth and spice, silky, energetic and long. Organic.” – Anthony Dias Blue (April 2020)

Zinfandel-based, ancient vineyards. Lovely richly-spiced, open style. Great vintage.

SIngle-vineyard wine since 1966. Zin-based, vines up to 125 years old. Natural winemaking, organic farming. Collectable classic, but gorgeous now.

92 points - James Suckling: "attractive, bright, red-cherry aromas with a wealth of fresh flowers and an attractively defined palate that delivers smooth, glossy and ripe tannins that carry plenty of vibrant fruit. Good definition here. Drink or hold."

Based on Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, the 2013 Optimus offers lots of graphite, earth and peppery herbs to go with tons of red and black fruit characteristics. A full-bodied, rich and layered red that epitomizes Paso Robles, it has beautiful freshness, a silky texture and a great finish. Drink it anytime over the coming decade.

"A Mediterranean blend of Zinfandel, Carignan, Alicante Bouchet, Syrah and assorted mixed blacks fermented with native yeasts and aged in primarily neutral containers (15% in new French oak), it is a California version of a high-class Cotes du Rhone. Lots of berry fruit intermixed with lavender, pepper and meaty black cherry and black currant flavors emerge from this satisfying, round, expansive, generous red. An outstanding, killer value that should provide pleasure over the next 1-2 years. If there is a better value in California wine, I would like to know about it." - The Wine Advocate.

Made with incredible craft and passion by owner Byron Dooley, this wine is made from 100% Luminous Hills fruit and is built for early approachability as a richer wine, but with backbone and vibrancy.

The Crusher Pinot Noir is powerfully aromatic, with notes of pomegranate, rose petal and nutmeg. Juicy and spicy on the palate, this wine exudes flavours of plum, glazed strawberry and cinnamon bread from 12 months of French oak aging.

Steve Kistler, started as a winemaker at Ridge (long-term fave of ours and true California royalty) in the 1970s. He and his dedicated long-standing team founded this winery in his favourite coastal one in eastern Sonoma, cool and perfect for gloriously complex, aromatic Pinot Noir. His skill and dedication are peerless, his wines a sensual joy. Very rare, we only get a few dozen a year from the tiny UK allocation. A must-try Parker "The 2018s from Occidental are simply magnificent" "While everyone knows of Steve Kistler’s remarkable chardonnays, I believe his pinot noir will ultimately prove even more historic." - ROBERT PARKER, JR.

Parker 90 pale to medium ruby in color and has an herbal/earthy nose with sage and mint, bitter citrus peel, amaro, tart red cherries and wild blackberries. The palate is light to medium-bodied with herbal and bitters-tinged fruit and spicy berries notions, grainy tannins and great juicy freshness on the finish. 325 cases produced.

Parker91 Pale to medium ruby, the 2016 Pinot Noir features scents of dried cranberry and red cherry, orange peel, potpourri and hints of smoked meats over a core of wild blackberry and black raspberry. The palate is light to medium-bodied with spicy fruits, a great frame of grainy tannins and integrated freshness, finishing long. 975 cases produced.

JancisRobinson.com: 'Aged in 50% new Francois Frères French oak barrels. The wine was racked in the spring and then aged another 20 months (24 months total). ‘Estate bottled’ is emblazoned on the front label. Fairly subtle aroma of violets and a very dry finish. Serious wine that is still in its infancy.'

Parker 90pts: 'The medium ruby colored 2017 Zinfandel Sonoma County is scented of spiced peaches, warm raspberries, blueberries and potpourri with notes of cinnamon, dried leaves and exotic spices. The palate is medium to full-bodied, soft and lush with juicy acidity and a long, flavorful finish. This is an easy-drinking but nonetheless delicious Zinfandel and a great value.' Drink: 2020 - 2026

Decanter Magazine Outstanding (95-97pts) December 2020 "Reserved plum and blackberry nose. Plump and svelte, concentrated and fleshy, with fine-grained tannins and enough acidity to give some persistence. Well made. Dark chocolate finish." WINE ENTHUSIAST 90 points || This wine is a richly layered and softly approachable expression of the variety. Blackberry, plum and caramel are wrapped in a viscous, velvety texture that lasts through an impressive finish. Before grapes dominated the landscape, the oak studded Napa Valley provided rich grazing land for sprawling horse and cattle ranches. Black Stallion is located on the historic Silverado Trail in Napa Valley`s Oak Knoll District, and was once home to the Silverado Equestrian Center, an indoor arena that welcomed up to 3,000 visitors. The property`s name pays homage to this equestrian history, and today its 32 hectares cover some of Napa`s most prestigious vineyards. Dedicated to producing small-batch, site-specific Cabernet Sauvignon, they have built a stellar reputation for their age worthy, expressive wines with dense, dark berry fruit and medium high acidity. Since acquiring the property in 2010, the Delicato family have expanded the range to include a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir, as well as a Limited Edition range that includes a Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. All these wines are sourced from a selection of exceptional Napa vineyards and adhere to the same principles that made Black Stallion`s original Cabernets famous. In the cellar, winemaker Ralf Holdenried treats each lot gently and individually, from vineyard to fermentation to barrel. Each wine is blended from dozens of individual lots to express its varietal character and the diversity of the Napa Valley.

All estate fruit from the original Monte Bello estate, from lots considered not inferior, but more suitable for early consumption rather than the grand vin's 30-yr window approach. So, effectively the 2nd wine of Monte Bello. Minimal intervention as ever, natural and organic. 20 months in air-dried American oak, half new. The first vintage from these vineyards was 1892, and the oldest vines making this wine were planted in 1949. Eric the winemaker, visiting us in Cambridge, tipped us off that this is a smart buy.

A huge, berry-scented mouthful; a blend of mostly cab, with merlot and petit sirah in supporting roles. Silky but crisp with wild blackberry and currant, the wine shows ripe fruit and ripe tannins and is a bargain at the price point

A huge, berry-scented mouthful; a blend of mostly cab, with merlot and petit sirah in supporting roles. Silky but crisp with wild blackberry and currant, the wine shows ripe fruit and ripe tannins and is a bargain at the price point

Made by all female star team of owner Lindsay Hoopes, Anne Vauter (ex Screaming Eagle) and Jennifer Rue this has richness and eleganc in equal measure. Extended barrel ageing has softened the wine, as has some bottle age, making it exquisite to drink now. It will keep but why wait?

Strawberries and blackberries aromas slowly rise out of the glass. Overtime, more of the anise and clove will mix with these other aromas. Currently, the wine is young with mouth filling intensity and suppleness. Complexity will increase as the wine ages, but this wine should stay “fresh” for 6 or 7 years. In its youth, match this wine with lamb or dried meats. After a few years, as the flavors coalesce, it will pair better with salmon or mild red sauce with pasta.