Sonoma

95+ Points! A bright straw yellow hue, the 2022 Chardonnay Charles Heintz Vineyard Isobel has a pretty and expressive nose of ripe pear, flinty lift, candied green apples, and lime. Savory and inviting, the palate offers medium to full body but has great persistence on its long finish. This wine provided a remarkable to start to my tasting of these wines from DuMOL. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

98 Points! The 2023 Syrah Sonoma Hillsides is one of the greatest wines I have tasted from Pax Mahle. The Hillsides is a blend of the best sites in the range, fermented in cement with whole clusters and also aged in cement. The long growing season resulted in a rich, heady wine with intense fruit and perfectly ripe tannins. Magnificent. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

97 Points! The 2023 Syrah Sonoma-Hillsides is a blend from the best parts of their vineyard sites, fermented and aged in concrete, with the only oak it sees coming from portions of the barrels of the vineyard designates. In the glass, it pours a deep purple color, revealing aromas of lavender oils, blackberry preserve, and sweet sage. At this tasting, the focus is more on its fruit than its savory tones, but these will undoubtedly emerge as it matures. It has a rich and noble structure, with full body, ripe tannins, and a long-lasting finish. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

95 Points! The 2023 Zinfandel Vellutini Ranch comes from vines planted in 2000. The nose is bursting with intense red fruit: cranberry, rhubarb and raspberry are accented by touches of forest floor and spice. The palate is just as generous, its concentrated, spicy flavors framed by soft tannins and vibrant acidity, and it has a very long, layered finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

94 Points! Sleek and jammy, this vibrant red offers rich cherry, raspberry, mocha and anise flavors that finish with plump and polished tannins. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! Wild bramble fuit, deep spices and wild berries on the nose, with cleansing bright red fruit. This is a solid, medium-bodied Sonoma County wine with fresh, minerally acidity that dances across the palate. Nicely integrated fine tannins frame abundant fruit. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! A bright medium ruby color, the nose of the 2023 Pinot Noir Lyra is lifted and fresh, with focused, bright spice notes of ripe cranberries, cinnamon, fresh roses, and bright herbs. Medium-bodied, this carries seamlessly to the palate, with vibrant, fresh energy, fine tannins, and salty fresh accents. A phenomenal value. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

98 Points! Aromas of seaweed, fresh and dried strawberries, salt and white pepper. Medium- to full-bodied, showing persistence, intensity and structure, with firm, muscular tannins. Long, lightly chewy finish. Needs three to four years to soften, but a solid wine. Best in 2028 and beyond. - JamesSuckling.com

100 Points! An incredible debut wine, showing beautiful aromas of strawberries, cantaloupe, flint and dried seaweed, as well as iodine and dried flowers. Medium- to full-bodied, with Musigny-like power, a magical flex of tannins and closed, poised fruit. Endless. Nothing like this in California pinot noir. Drinkable now, but wait five years if you have the patience. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! Very complex, showing enticing aromas of nougat, dried apples and flint at first, turning to floral notes of lilacs and honeysuckle with a hint of smoke. Medium-bodied with some oily texture, it has a creamy yet refined palate and a steely mineral aftertaste. Vibrant and featherlight yet concentrated. So excellent to drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! Pouring a dark magenta/purple color, the 2023 Zinfandel Russian River Valley is deeper, offering notes of black cherry cordial, dark chocolate, lavender oils, wet stones, and dark sappy earth. The palate is full-bodied, with a broad-shouldered tannic structure that has an even feel, while refreshing acidity holds this wine together. It’s well-structured and has the ability to age over the coming 10 years. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

95 Points! Moving to the West Sonoma Coast (about 4-5 miles inward from the ocean), the 2022 Chardonnay Far Coast Vineyard boasts has a decadent feel but is not heavy. On the nose, it reveals bright, lifted notes of chalky earth, saline, citrus zest, white peach, honeycomb, and fresh flowers. Medium to full-bodied, it has a lovely freshness, with a kiss of sweet fruit through the finish. It has a lovely, savory, and mouthwatering feel without feeling austere and retains its rounded viscous texture, with notes of almond on the finish. Drink it over the next 6-8 years. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com

94 Points, Wine Spectator's #10 Wine of the Year 2024! Oozing with character, this succulent and mouthwatering white offers a fleshy, juicy mix of perfectly ripe peach, mango and lemon bar flavors, with fresh herbal accents of lemon verbena and vetiver. Offers accents of freshly grated ginger, tangerine and crunchy sea salt on the finish. Drink now through 2036. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! The 2022 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is also a bright silver straw color and has a slightly deeper tone. Revealing notes of smoky wet stones, lemon balm, green apples, and fresh flowers, it has a bit more medium-bodied richness. with a lovely. light-on-its-feet feel in this vintage. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points! The 2021 Chardonnay Stone Côte, from a block within the Durell Vineyard, was barrel fermented and matured for 14 months in 13% new French oak. It has detailed aromas of apricot, citrus blossom, oyster shell, matchstick and beeswax. The light-bodied palate combines expansive, mineral-driven flavors with tangy acidity, and it has a long, textural finish. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

94 Points! The 2021 Chardonnay Stone Cote Vineyard is also a youthful golden hue, with aromas of fresh peach, flinty earth, and lemon rind. Full-bodied, it boasts a supple and soft texture, with round fruit up front and fresh lift on the finish. Offering up a luxurious feel on the palate, with well-managed notes of sweet baking spices, honeydew melon, and wet stone, it’s long on the palate and has a good finish. - Audrey Frick, JebDunnuck.com   

91 Points! The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a gorgeous, entry-level wine for the estate. Dark cherry, plum, mocha, licorice, spice and gravel are all pushed forward. This is an unusually forward wine although there is plenty of the typical savory/graphite notes that are so typical of this site. - Antonio Galloni, Vinous

95 Points! A tightly focused beam of bitter cherry, damson plum and raspberry coulis streams through, with mouthwatering cut in the form of ocean breeze minerality that runs from start to finish. Iris and rose hip notes fill in the background as the long, piercing finish shows a remarkably pure and unadorned feel. A high-definition Pinot. Drink now through 2035. - Wine Spectator

95 Points! Slightly more expensive, the single vineyard 2018 Pinot Noir Platt Vineyard spent 17 months in 20% new barrels. It's a bigger wine, with a touch more mid-palate density and depth, yet it still has plenty of underlying structure and tannic grip, offering up lots of redcurrant and darker cherry fruit as well as curing spices, smoke, and foresty, earthy notes. Give this rocking effort 2-4 years of bottle age and enjoy over the following decade or more. This beauty strikes a good balance between Old World and New World. - Jeb Dunnuck

95 Points, Wine Spectator's #8 Wineof the Year 2025! Offers beautifully rendered notes of hibiscus, rose petal, damson plum and mulberry that stretch out lengthily thanks to the fine-beaded acidity and taut, precise tannins. The sapid finish lets in tea and incense hints amid the glistening fruit. Best from 2026 through 2036. - Wine Spectator

97 Points! Complex aromas of iron, iodine, raspberries, blue fruit, mussel shells, lemongrass and orange peel. Medium- to full-bodied with crunchy fruit and a lightly chewy finish. A barrel selection of the best wines of the vintage. A little tight now, but it opens in the glass. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points, Wine Spectator's #3 Wine of the Year 2025! Deeply structured and full of tension, this polished red displays a distinctive personality, offering bold blackberry flavors accented with savory anise, black pepper and dark Asian spices. Ends with big but refined tannins. Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, Carignane, Alicante Bouschet and Mataro. Drink now through 2035. - Wine Spectator

98 Points! Blending 76% Zinfandel, 14% Petite Sirah, 7% Carignane, 2% Alicante Bouschet and 1% Mataro from an estate vineyard in Dry Creek Valley purchased in 1972, the 2023 Zinfandel Lytton Springs exhibits initial chewiness that leads to fine tannins, with a good heft and underlying acidity. Well-woven oak supports a moderately ripe, medium-bodied frame of structured elegance, aged in 100% air-dried American oak. Enjoy now through 2033. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

96 Points! A much cooler growing season delayed the start of harvest by about a month, resulting in a wine with greater restraint than the previous vintage. The 2023 is a more elegant take on this wine, with less fruit intensity, but still unmistakably Ridge. Fresh aromas of herbs from a bouquet garni mix with earthy tones and subtle sweet notes from baking spices. The fruit profile oscillates between ripe red and black berries, with a touch of plums and ripe cherries. Tannins are firm yet polished, and there's a soft creaminess to the palate. A wine that is balanced and quite enjoyable now, with many years to evolve in the bottle. - Decanter Magazine

95 Points, Wine Spectator's #8 Wineof the Year 2025! Offers beautifully rendered notes of hibiscus, rose petal, damson plum and mulberry that stretch out lengthily thanks to the fine-beaded acidity and taut, precise tannins. The sapid finish lets in tea and incense hints amid the glistening fruit. Best from 2026 through 2036. - Wine Spectator

97 Points! Complex aromas of iron, iodine, raspberries, blue fruit, mussel shells, lemongrass and orange peel. Medium- to full-bodied with crunchy fruit and a lightly chewy finish. A barrel selection of the best wines of the vintage. A little tight now, but it opens in the glass. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

97 Points! A smoking good dessert wine, the 2014 Billet Doux offers stunning notes of ripe quince, honeyed peach, toasted bread, and exotic flowers. It brings loads of richness and depth, yet always has a sense of purity and elegance, as well as lightness on the palate. It’s another gorgeous sweet wine from Morlet that will stand up to some of the great Sauternes out there. - Jeb Dunnuck

97 Points! From the same vineyard as the Ma Douce Chardonnay on the second ridge from the coast in Fort Ross-Seaview, the deep red/ruby 2021 Pinot Noir Coteaux Nobles comes out swinging. Packed with layered aromas of sassafras, framboise, roses, cedar, Asian spice, and coriander, it’s medium to full-bodied and propels through the palate with ripe tannins, a long finish, and a plush feel, although it also retains a more vertical spine of fresh acidity throughout. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com