Au Bon Climat’s “Hildegard” is a recreation of the original varietal planting of the Corton Charlemagne vineyard in 800 A.D. Chardonnay was not part of the mix at the time, but rather Pinot Gris, Pinot Blanc and Aligoté. The combination of this unique blend with long term barrel aging (2 years) made something special. It has a texture, complexity, and distinctiveness that cannot be found in a single white wine varietal. Hand harvested, whole cluster pressed and put into barrel to ferment. The 3 varietals age separate for 2 years in 100% new François Frères French oak barrels. Lovely aroma of vanilla and hazelnuts from the oak, and a mouth-coating richness, makes for a wine that seems like Chardonnay. But the fruit profile is more bruised apple and pear, and the aromas are more floral than Chardonnay. Minerally lavender and vanilla note from the fermentation/aging regime in top-notch barrels. Aromas of ripe stone fruit, contrast nicely with fresh herbal scent as the wine is initially evaluated.

Isabelle is always a blend of the best barrels from the best vineyards at Au Bon Climat, whose aim is to ‘achieve a supple, rich, harmonious, and complex wine’ whilst demonstrating geographic diversity, the exoticity of different clonal possibilities and Jim Clendenen’s preferred winemaking style for Pinot Noir. The 2019 certainly succeeds in that intention with its restrained nose of ripe strawberries and almost pavlova quality to the aromas. However, the impression of sweetness is brought into check by a sensation of redcurrant and cranberry tartness, along with a twist of pink grapefruit to add focus. Mmmmmm, there is depth and complexity on the palate, around which gentle red fruit and earthy raspberries twist with the intensity and smoothness of a python. There is a textural sweetness here and impressive concentration of fruit, yet the tannins are fine and provide a firm grip. Sweet strawberries draw out the long finish alongside notes of autumnal leaves on woodland walks. This is definitely not a shy, retiring type of wine but it is a mouth-coatingly lovely, gentle and characterful Isabelle. Drink 2023-2036.

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.'

From one of the great Pinot vineyards of the world. The wine has a nose of perfumed red and black cherries, star anise and earth. The palate is silky and expansive with nuanced, spice-laced berry flavor layers energized by lip-smacking acidity, with a long finish. Scored 95+ points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate; 94 points Wine & Spirits Magazine; 92 points Wine Enthusiast; 90 points Vinous.

A refreshing, dry white with citrus lemon/lime notes, flinty minerality, and crisp finish. In the mouth the wine is rich and textural, from the time spent on lees in the barrel. This is a great match with shellfish of any kind, or richer white meats such as turkey or duck.

"The lighter ruby-hued 2017 Pinot Noir Isabelle comes from a mix of sites and is all varietal that spent 24 months in 100% new French oak. A classic wine from this team, it offers lots of spiced red fruits, brambly herbs, flowers, and sandalwood in an ethereally textured, medium-bodied, incredibly elegant package. While it has bright acidity, it's beautifully balanced, has supple tannins, and a great finish. It's certainly not for those looking for blockbuster Pinot Noir, but it shines for its complexity, elegance, and nuances." Jeb Dunnock. 95 pts

"The lighter ruby-hued 2017 Pinot Noir Isabelle comes from a mix of sites and is all varietal that spent 24 months in 100% new French oak. A classic wine from this team, it offers lots of spiced red fruits, brambly herbs, flowers, and sandalwood in an ethereally textured, medium-bodied, incredibly elegant package. While it has bright acidity, it's beautifully balanced, has supple tannins, and a great finish. It's certainly not for those looking for blockbuster Pinot Noir, but it shines for its complexity, elegance, and nuances." Jeb Dunnock. 95 pts

Chateau Montelena’s Napa Chardonnay showed that the new world could create classically balanced and complex wines in its own voice, and that from the right sites and with perseverance, the results could equal anything made the world over. Through fads and trends, Montelena has never changed in its philosophy of bringing the sunshine of California in a style that is structured, balanced and age worthy. In 1976, in what is now memorialized as “The Judgment of Paris”, Chateau Montelena Napa Valley Chardonnay was the top-ranking wine against four white Burgundies and five other California Chardonnays in a blind tasting with a who’s-who of the French food and wine industry judging. And as they say, the rest is history. The wine opens with fresh peach, apricot, and honeydew amidst citrus blossom and rose water. The diversity of aromas in this vintage is astounding as the floral characteristics begin to take center stage with time in the glass along with ample fresh pear and cinnamon. The palate is lush viscous, and driven by lemon curd, the palate leans toward creaminess but with enough bright acid, green apple, and toast to bring balance and finesse. The ripeness of the vintage drives the mouthfeel as the flavors exude freshness and vibrancy, a unique combination. The finish is concentrated and persistent, again stone fruit appear, albeit in candied form, along with a hint of white pepper and plenty of orange zest.

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.

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.

Bright and crisp with refreshing notes of citrus, apple, ripe pineapple and tropical fruits and a creamy mouthfeel. And it has the Hoopes family beloved dog Dante on the label. How adorable!

Fuller bodied and off-dry with a juicy, fruity finish. Low alcohol at 11%.

A fantastic rosé from California's flagship variety. Delicate ripe watermelon, appealing strawberry and a hint of dried cranberry swirl together with a gentle sweetness and a crisp, balanced finish. Try with grilled prawns or seared salmon steaks.

The 2017 is one of our best vintages. Rich and powerful, this well structured wine has a darker ruby hue as well as a beautiful nose of cherry, dried cranberry, earthy forest floor, ground herbs, smoked earth. Named after Jim Clendenen's son. Scored 94+ Jeb Dunnuck.

Elegant and well-balanced, Avalon CHARD offers aromas of Golden Delicious apple, orange blossom, guava with hints of vanilla and baking spices. These lovely characteristics flow through to the palate leading to a crisp and refreshing finish.

Big and fruity this wine packs a punch! Enjoy and have some fun with this with some charcuterie.

Opens with bold aromas of boysenberry, black cherry and a bevy of vanilla nuances. On the palate, this wine is fruit-driven with flavours of pomegranate, black cherry, fresh cranberry and nutmeg.

"The 2017 Chardonnay Bien Nacido Vineyard comes from a Grand Cru site in the Santa Maria Valley and was fermented and aged 18 months in 50% new French oak. This Burgundian beauty gives up lots of caramelized citrus, toasted bread, and spice-driven aromatics and shows medium-bodied richness on the palate, with bright acidity and some classic Santa Maria salinity and seaside-like nuances. You can drink bottles today, yet they'll also keep for over a decade." Jeb Dunnock 94pts

Yay! Proper old school unreconstructed big-boy CA chard. Ripe pineapple fruit, butter and banana, creamy as cream, just enough coconut oak. Super well done.

Parker 92 "offers loads of floral perfume on the nose, with touches of baker's yeast beeswax and apricots. The medium-bodied palate is silky, fresh and expansive, with loads of honeyed fruits and a very long, layered finish."

Ramey certainly one of the best, most stylish Chardonnay-makers in CA. Considered by many to be one of the Russian River Valley’s Grand Cru sites, the Ritchie Vineyard is in high demand by the best of the region’s wineries. The plot allocated to Ramey was planted to Wente selection in 1972. The gnarled vines produce but a few bunches of grapes each year, yet the fruit is consistently excellent due to the combination of sandy benchland soil, a cool microclimate and attentive farming. According to Jeb Dunnuck, the 2017 Ritchie “has remarkable purity and elegance to go with ample richness (which is the hallmark of this site) as well as notes of ripe lemon and citrus fruits, lots of spice and crushed rock-like minerality, medium to full-bodied richness, and a great finish. It’s up with the top Chardonnay in the vintage but needs 2-3 years of bottle age.” Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnay will pair well with fresh crab or chicken with a mushroom sauce.

Long-established star winery of Santa Barbara. Creamy vanilla, rich but all in balance. Impressive. Santa Barbara County Chardonnay is a beautiful example of the Au Bon Climat style. The flinty, stony aromas stand out while in the background is a hard spice note from “sur lie” barrel aging. There are notes of lemon-lime and soft vanilla.

Serious classic, a benchmark of Burgundian style in California. Broad-boned, multi-layered savoury/saline/mineral complexity. Packs an impressive punch at the price.

Decanter 95/100: "multi-layered and intensely flavoured with freshly baked bread, spiced white peach, and tangy acidity... very engaging and accomplished". Jancisrobinson.com 17.5 "very confident". Roederer's superb cool-climate California estate, since the 80s and on best-ever form now.

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."

Serious classic, a benchmark of Burgundian style in California. Broad-boned, multi-layered savoury/saline/mineral complexity. Packs an impressive punch at the price.

From its tempting aromas of ripe cherry and black raspberry to its sweet, dusty tannins and supple texture, this a lush and expansive expression of Napa Valley Merlot. Luxurious flavors of black plum, rhubarb crumble and chocolate-covered raspberry mingle with hints of graphite and clove on the long, vibrant finish.

This enticing wine displays gorgeous aromas of blackberry, plum, dark red fruit, and cranberry, with hints of caramel and exotic spices. The luxurious berry notes are echoed on the palate, where they are supported by supple, refined tannins and an energetic mouthfeel that carries the wine to a long, lush finish.

From its plush, refined tannins to its rustic undertones, this alluring Merlot offers juicy layers of black cherry, raspberry and plum. On the palate, the flavors are pure and polished, with a mouth-coating texture that carries the wine to a luxurious, fruit-filled finish. Established more than 30 years ago by legendary vintners Dan and Margaret Duckhorn, our roots run deep at Decoy. This California Merlot showcases the elegance of Merlot and highlights the bold fruit flavors. Reflecting the character of each growing season and the diversity of our vineyard sources, Decoy has established itself as a wine of distinction. From vine to bottle, we craft our wines to the highest standards, only using grapes from exceptional vineyards.

Displaying the lushness and balance that define great Cabernet Sauvignon, this inviting wine features layers of blackberry, black cherry and blueberry, along with notes of dark chocolate and fresh spearmint. On the palate, the bright, juicy fruit flavors are framed by rich, refined tannins that carry the wine to a long, satisfying finish.

Graceful, pure and polished, this enticing Chardonnay offers tantalizing aromas of green apple, nectarine and candied citrus, with fragrant hints of roasted nuts and acacia blossoms. On the palate, it is rich and lushly textured, with a flowing elegance that frames the fresh citrus and stone fruit flavors, while carrying the wine to a long, silky finish. 100% Chardonnay; Oak Profile & Aging: 50% Stainless Steel Fermentation, 50% Barrel Fermentation and 35% New French Oak