Saxon Brown is one of those special wineries. The kind that doesn’t come along all that often, that you wish you could drink every day and share with everyone you know. Which I guess I kind of am sharing it with everyone I know 🤔…

Ferrington Vineyard Pinot Noir! 2016 is the fourth vintage from Ferrington and it’s the first time that Jeff’s produced a Saxon Brown wine from Anderson Valley (although he’s been making Black Kite there for years)… Ferrington is considered one of the most prestigious vineyards in Ando Valley and its rocky soils and multiple clones are known to produce very low yields of complexly flavored Pinot Noir. In his 2013 lineup it was my absolute favourite Pinot. I wouldn’t say it’s a typical Ando Valley Pinot at all. It’s really deep and complex, not really cherry or red fruit forward. It’s just incredibly pleasant and gulpable… I probably gulped more of this than any other wine last year 😆

Bottom line: Winemaker Jeff Gaffner is one of the best winemakers out there. He’s truly passionate about his craft, without being a douche about it (Bonus!) and he’s just an overall great human being. When it comes to his wines, everything he touches turns to gold. So whether you’re drinking his semillon, his unreal Syrah, “zin the way God intended”, burgundy-esque Chardonnay, or one of his 6 Pinot Noirs, you will NEVER be disappointed. He just nails it, across the board.

Ryan and Nicole Knoth, husband and wife team set out to embody the love, energy, philosophy and romantics of wine. And their wines are the proof in the pudding. Their Cabernet is a total go-to for me and I just couldn't wait to share the Kerner. The Kerner is crisp, vibrant and packed full of flavor; from just ripe nectarines and grapefruits to subtle layers of orange blossoms and salinity from the historic vineyards of Mokelumne River AVA. Fun fact; they have been growing wine in this part of Lodi since 1886!

Stonewall Zin! I have always referred to Jeff’s Zinfandel as “Zin the way God intended”. Why? Because it actually tastes like zinfandel, the grape, and not like an over-bearing bomb of fruit, jam and alcohol like many other zins. Too far? Maybe, but honest! Part of the reason is Jeff’s incredible skill and also his vineyard choice. Stonewall Block is basically a vineyard for Pinot Noir (over a short stone wall to Durell Vineyard) so the grapes get the wind and cool climate of the Sonoma Coast. Inky and fruit forward, it’s a wonderful balance of bright fruit and rich mouthfeel balancing juicy ripe black fruits, sweet allspice, chocolate and vanillin caramel lending way to a lingering finish.

Good lord to I love a great Cru Beaujolais (precisely the opposite of how I feel about Beauj Nouveau, ew). And if there is a one wine I would drink year round, it’s this one! Just bright enough to be a perfect summertime red with those BBQs in the backyard and just enough spice, depth and weight to warm you up on a cool winters night eve. This single vineyard, “Le Vivier”, is home to Yohan Lardy. A place he calls his hidden treasure of Gamay Noir. Steep slopes give the grapes a home to build complexity and density among elegance and ease. And at $32, what a steal!

NB: Beaujolais Nouveau Day is November 17 2022… Do yourself a favour - Skip the Beaujolais Nouveau and grab a few bottles of this goodness to celebrate with something that tastes heavenly…

I have long been a big fan of this red burgundy. I really like anything from Maltroye but this particular wine has always held a special place. It’s got a little bit of everything. Minerality, great fruit, some smoke and some floral notes as well. It has the acid that you’d expect from a great burgundy but with some backbone as well, especially in the 2015 vintage. Great balance, every sip reveals something new and it will age quite well.

Merci Maltroye! A Bientot!

Boom goes the dynamite... Some nice scores on this wine too. Northern Rhone sub-region = Hermitage appellation. Think leather, blackberries and spice.

Tasted blind as a prospective blend, the 2017 Hermitage Domaine des Tourettes looks to be a rather early-maturing rendering of the appellation. Hints of roses, tea, green olive and raspberries all mingle on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is softly dusty. Fairly complex and long on the finish, it's charming and approachable - Wine Advocate 94pts

Talisman is “all pinot, all the time”. They’ve been around for just over 25 years and only make less than 3000 cases a year, all Pinot Noir from ~16 different single vineyards that they have a connection with. Dear Founders Marta and Scott, I have to say you’re pretty darn amazing at it 🙏

Sadie’s vineyard is one of only 2 vineyards in Russian River that Marta and Scott source their fruit from, and both are quite different. It’s a beautiful representation of a really fabulous vineyard (named after a most adorable dog) with bright red fruit and stunning complexity, gritty with an amazingly pleasant finish. It’s one of my go-tos for sure… If I like my guests 😉 It’s also a wine found only at the tasting room(!)… But I “know a guy” lol. Hugs Marta and Scott! Thank you for always including me on your journey and I can’t wait until our next get together.

Cheers 🥂

Aurelio Settimo has always been one of my go-to producers for Barolo and I jokingly refer to their Nebbiolo as my “every day Barolo”. It’s brighter and fresher than a Barolo because it has a little less skin contact and is aged in concrete fermentors instead of barrels. It’s still quite hardy and bold since, after all, it is still Nebbiolo. I love this wine, on its own or with food. It’s bold and fun at the same time, just like me 😆.

Salud!

Vincent & Jean Pierre and the Charton Family has owned this 21 acre Domaine since 1940 and they are recognized as one of the most reputable Mercury Producers. Vincent, 3rd generation was nominated in the top 10 best young Winemaker of Burgundy in 2010. No surprise here, these wines are EPIC.

Only 250 cases of this beauty produced and from one of the most reputable producers in Mercurey, this wine shines. It is full of crisp, just barely ripe strawberries, cherries and raspberries, layered with a hint of cocoa. This is a fantastic wine to pair with a slightly richer dish. It has enough body to not fade away and the right amount of acidity to encourage another bite of a roast chicken or grilled steak.

A new wine to me (Thank you Skurnik) and a true pleasure. I love discovering new wines, especially when they blow my mind… And being a true Pinot Noir-lover, I’m excited to have something from South Africa in my cellar!

Peter and Max are the first names of the growers who supplied the fruit for the first vintage of this wine. The fruit sources have since changed but the name remains to honor the beginnings of our multi-vineyard Pinot Noir blend. The philosophy here is to use the different batches to form a blend that is more than the sum of its parts.

Showing both red and black fruits on the nose; wild strawberry and rhubarb work alongside blackberries and tomato leaf while black olives, salted liquorice and a signature charcuterie-like smokiness add gravitas. The palate is fresh, vibrant and precise, with red plum and sour cherry supported by a racy acidity and fine, pine-resin tannins. A full and finessed expression of its multiple vineyards – and a wine with the structure to age beyond 2030.

Naturally fermented with 50% of the fruit de-stemmed and the remainder left as whole clusters. Extraction is kept to a minimum during active fermentation with a total time of 4 weeks on the skins.

Failla is a newer discovery of mine as a recommendation of a great Somm Colleague of mine… I am just so impressed by this wine!  With the pedigree of wines Ehren Jordan was producing from CA, he had a vision to bring his wine making techniques to Oregon and boom, what another winning wine under his belt!  Still using all organic farming and slight whole cluster fermentation this wine is a “Smoking Value”. Black Cherries, blackberries and spice all emerge from this layered and beautifully textured Pinot Noir that’s already impossible to resist. It’s just full of spunk yet still says “Hey, I’m from Oregon. Nice to meet you”. Every sip just kept getting better and better as the wine opened up in my glass. Really well-made, I expect it will age quite well given the balance. It was just lovely… And I can’t wait to have it again (tonight 😆)