Wines

Sourced from Spanish Springs and Norgrove Gardens, 12.9% alc. 9 months aging in 34% neutral 500L barrels, 17% stainless steal tank, 49% neutral 228L barrel.

From the winery: Our Central Coast Chardonnay is sourced from notable vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills of Santa Barbara County and the SLO Coast of San Luis Obispo County. Of particular note are the Spanish Springs and Norgrove Gardens Vineyards, both just over two miles from the ocean. These sites provide vibrancy and marine freshness that benefit from the textural boost of Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay to create a balanced, delicious wine.

Sourced from Jack Ranch Farms, Spanish Springs Vineyard, Greengate Farms and Vista Verde Vineyards, 7 months aging in 228L and 500L barrels, 1month in stainless steel. A delight!

42% Viognier, 18% Marsanne, 18% Roussanne, 12% Clairette, 10% Grenache Blanc

Vineyards:
White Hawk, Bien Nacido, La Presa, Last Frontier, Edna Ranch, Melange Du Rhone

Fermentation:
Barrel fermented on the lees with native yeast. Grenache Blanc Only - tank fermented without heavy lees

Elevage:
5 months in French Oak (7% New, 17% Second Fill, 76% Neutral)

47% Grenache, 38% Syrah, 15% Mourvedre

Vineyards:
Grenache: Alta Mesa, Derby, Spanish Springs, Old Potrero. Syrah: Old Potrero, White Hawk, Wolff. Mourvedre: Alta Mesa, Old Portrero,

Fermentation:
Fermented with native yeast - Grenache: 30% whole cluster, Syrah: 25% Stem inclusion, Mourvedre: 100% Destemmed

Elevage:
23 months in French oak - 4% New, 21% Second-fill, 75% Neutral

96+ Points! This estate has been on fire of late and that doesn't appear to have changed with the 2018 Château Sansonnet. Revealing a dense purple hue as well as a young, unevolved bouquet of pure crème de cassis, graphite, crushed violets, bouquet garni, chocolate, and distinct chalky minerality, it delivers remarkable purity, full-bodied richness, silky tannins, and flawless balance. A wine that builds slowly with time in the glass, offering a beautiful mix of richness, elegance, and length, it's as good, if not even better than the 2016. Don't miss it! - Jeb Dunnuck

93-95 Points! The 2021 Sansonnet is once again a stand out. Blackberry jam, crème de cassis, chocolate, new leather, licorice and espresso give this large-scaled Saint-Émilion tons of depth. As always, Sansonnet is an extrovert, but in 2021 it benefits from a kick of acidity that balances things out nicely. It was impressive both times I tasted it. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous Media

94 Points! Excellent freshness and depth here with ripe but very vibrant berries. Spices, cigar box, black chocolate and incense, too. Quite juicy and bright on the medium- to full-bodied palate. Tannins are fresh and polished. Long and expressive finish. There is a “modern” touch here that gives a sense of restrained plushness to the vibrancy. Better from 2024. - JamesSuckling.com

94–96 Points – Antonio Galloni, Vinous
“The 2025 Sansonnet is remarkable. Explosive and racy, it delivers floral overtones that meld into red/purplish fruit, blood orange, sweet spice and cedar. This is an especially mid-weight, refined Sansonnet, a wine that marries finesse with power.”

94–95 Points – James Suckling
“A solid and creamy red with blackberry, stone and light chalk aromas that follow through to a medium body with a fresh and caressing finish. Excellent.”

95 Points – Jane Anson, Inside Bordeaux
“Coffee and cocoa bean, luscious ripe berry fruits, highly charged with plenty of intensity, bitter fennel on the finish. Takes you firmly into limestone territory, but with an underlying power and mid-palate expansion that is seriously impressive.”

94–96 Points – Jeb Dunnuck
“Based on 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2025 Château Sansonnet has gorgeous aromatics of black fruits, cassis, graphite, and roasted herbs with a beautiful, serious mineral streak. Medium to full-bodied, concentrated and layered, with ripe, polished tannins and beautifully integrated acidity.”

97 Points! Fabulous nose of red fruits, summer flowers and licorice. The very complex interplay of huge fine tannins and richness reminds me of Grand Cru Burgundy, but this has a southerly personality. Great velvety finish that goes on and on. Doesn't want to stop. 80% grenache, 10% mourvedre and 10% cinsault. From biodynamically grown grapes with Demeter certification. Drinkable now, but best from 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! Great red fruit aromas, but also wet earth and tar. Rich, concentrated and very suave on the full-bodied palate, this Chateauneuf has extremely fine tannins and terrific balance. Extremely long, velvety finish with great spicy complexity. A vineyard on sandy soil planted mainly with grenache plus small amounts of mourvedre and counoise. From biodynamically grown grapes. Drink from release. - JamesSuckling.com

94+ Points! Crafted from 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre and 10% Counoise, planted on safre soils in the commune of Courthézon, the 2022 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Saintes Vierges exhales a delicate, refined bouquet of peony, rose, flowers, dark cherries and fresh thyme. Medium to full-bodied, elegant and tense with a textured, fine mid-palate, it possesses fresh, bright acids. This wine exudes a lot of vertical energy. It is best kept in the cellar for the next decade and will be enjoyable for the following 15–20 years. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

94 Points! The 2019 Châteauneuf Du Pape Les Saintes Vierges is another beautiful wine. Ripe cherries, blueberries, rose petals, spice, and hints of spring flowers all emerge on the nose, and it shines on the palate for its beautiful elegance and purity. Medium to full-bodied, with ripe, polished tannins and notable freshness, it's going to evolve for 15 years with no issues. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points!  Floral notes redolent of iris and violet mingled with peony preface the 2023 Vacqueyras from Domaine Santa Duc, a moderately weighted, tense and straight wine with a lot of energy, a juicy texture and a long, ethereal, tangy and endless finish. With time in the cellar, this wine promises to develop greater complexity, revealing its full potential. - Yohan Castaing, robertparker.com

90 Points! Fresh and vivid, with aromas of lemons, sliced apples and some herbs. Medium-bodied with fresh acidity. Crunchy and fruity. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

Ciliegiolo (which means “cherry-like”) is used primarily as a blending grape in Chianti Classico for its aromatic character. In the volcanic hills of the Maremma in south-west Tuscany, it comes to the fore as a major independent varietal in the hands of Carla and Edoardo Ventimiglia. At their Sassotondo winery, they have been using biodynamic farming techniques since 2007 to develop the full potential of this unique varietal.

94 Points! Like the 2019 vintage also reviewed here, the Sassotondo 2017 Maremma Toscana Ciliegiolo San Lorenzo boasts dark color saturation and concentrated fruit, but in the case of this wine, you get softer, more open-knit tannins. Ciliegiolo can famously live up to the hot vintages, especially when the variety is planted in cooler volcanic soils like the kind found in this vineyard cru. The slightly evolved bouquet shows cherry liqueur, almond paste, blue flower and crushed stone. There is a lively, almost nervous quality of the fruit that keeps things edgy and fresh. The mid-weight finish is silky and long. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

From the winery: The fruit for this wine comes from two vineyard blocks located in the western slopes of Sonoma Valley, within the appellation's overlap with the Sonoma Coast AVA. The sites are distinguished by their extremely rocky soils - stones from which were used in the mid-1800's to construct the miles of stone walls that ribbon the region. The site's coastal influences and rocky, well drained soils produce moderate yields of very concentrated Zinfandel.

96+ Points! No wimpy wine, the 2006 Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard (76% Syrah, 18% Mourvedre, and 6% Grenache) has over 16% alcohol. It possesses phenomenal texture, stunning purity, and remarkable freshness, which, again, is attributable to the limestone soils as well as the proprietor’s brilliant hands-off winemaking philosophy. A complex perfume of roasted meats, black fruits, spring flowers, charcoal, and spice is followed by a wine of enormous richness (yet it is neither overweight nor heavy). Beautiful freshness permeates the wine’s black fruit flavors and full-bodied power and length. The finish lasts for nearly a minute. This 2006 should evolve for 12-15+ years. - Robert Parker, robertparker.com

From the importer: “Pipinot” is Lara and Mattia’s flagship wine, produced from four vineyards around Lauzacco of dolomitic limestone origin with soils varying in proportions of loamy clay, gravel, and sand. In homage to the traditional ramato style of vinification wherein Pinot Grigio’s notable pink skins contribute color and texture, the 2023 “Pipinot” macerated for 30 hours before fermenting via indigenous yeasts in the pied de cuve method, aging for eight months in a combination of equal parts stainless-steel tank and 20-hectoliter Slavonian oak botti before being bottled without filtration. Pouring a lovely light gold with glimmers of pink, this texturally layered wine offers notes of melon rind, white cherries, and licorice on a generous but focused frame, with notable but non-intrusive grip and persistence. Aside from the obvious linguistic connection to its constituent grape variety, “Pipinot” in Friulian dialect refers to a rambunctious child—perhaps one who has ambitious ideas about making big changes at the family winery (!)… The 2023 underwent partial malolactic fermentation and contains 13.68% natural alcohol.