Wines

From the winery: Our 2021 Pickberry Merlot comes from the firm, clay-based soils, about 600' up the northern slopes of Sonoma Mountain. Mother Nature pushed ripeness faster on us than in previous years, trading out lighter herbaceous notes of previous vintages for a focused fruit profile. The wines massive structure coupled with Pickberry's signature blue fruit and intense menthol notes is just right on.

91 Points! A full-bodied, juicy and chewy merlot. Tasty layers of chocolate, cherries, hazelnuts and olives wrapped up in ripe, broad tannins. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

100 Points! Wow. Fabulous aromas of currants, rosemary, mint and orange peel. Perfect nose. Full body with perfectly integrated tannins. It's long and incredible with tangerine, toasted-oak, berry, terracotta and chocolate flavors. It lasts for minutes on the palate. This needs at least five years to soften but so spellbinding now. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Made with Nerello Mascalese taken from all the vineyards. The aromas show plenty of strawberries and cherries with wrought iron and pumice. Medium-bodied with creamy and polished tannins with hints of cedar and light nutmeg. Savory and lightly tannic giving it tension and beauty. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Plenty of citrus, orange peel, honey and beeswax with some pumice and volcanic soil character. Medium body, with firm and integrated tannins that are energetic and integrated. Very pretty now but even better in three or four years. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! This shows notes of darker berries with red licorice and fresh ripe peaches. Intense with hints of moist clay soil and bark undertones. Full and steady on the palate with a firm backbone of chalky tannins that go on for minutes. Lot of tension and energy. Stays long on the palate, turning to a more smooth and powdery mouthfeel. Needs some time. Try after 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! This is more vibrant with red berries, blood oranges, light spices and hints of terra-cotta. Medium-bodied, juicy and fruit-forward with tangy acidity and dusty tannins. Hints of bitter orange at the end. Long and chalky yet very attractive and enjoyable now. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

95 Points! This shows a very attractive, savory character with red cherries and raspberries, accompanied with dried summer herbs, candied orange and red spices. Dry earth, too. Medium- to full-bodied. Very even and seamless tannin structure. Refined and polished with a dusty earthiness that leads to a dry, delicate finish. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! This has a fresh and fragrant nose with beautiful cherries and raspberries as well as rose petals, licorice and crushed stones. It’s firm and linear on the palate with a medium body and vivid acidity. It’s hard to draw a line between the tannins and the earthy, mineral aspect as both build a chalky mouthfeel and lead to a long textural finish. I like the finesse here despite being still quite tight and firm. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

96 Points! Pure cherry fruit here, reminiscent of kirsch, with orange peel and an ashy, mineral backbone to it, almost like cracked flint or gunpowder. Similar aromas and flavors on both the nose and on the palate. Medium- to full-bodied, really tense and firm with chalky tannins and a lingering crushed granite and rock sensation on the palate. Seashells, too. Long. Try after 2025. - JamesSuckling.com

PLEASE BE AWARE, THIS IS A PRE-ARRIVAL WINE - YOU WILL NOT BE CHARGED SHIPPING FEES UNTIL THE WINE(S) ARRIVE

95-96 Points! Blackberry, hazelnut and chocolate, yet it remains reserved and focused. Full body with a solid core of fruit and fine tannins. Very classy. One of the best I have had. - James Suckling

93-95 Points! Quite floral in mature with a nice freshness to the red, pit fruits, the wine is supple, creamy, sweet and fresh. There is a lush quality to the silky fruits, as well as a a touch of spice, elegant-textures and a plummy, fruity-packed finish. The wine is produced from 100% Merlot. 14.6% ABV, 3.7 pH. This is the best wine produced here in ages! Drink from 2026-2045. - Jeff Leve, The Wine Cellar Insider

92-94 Points! From a 4.5-hectare vineyard on the plateau of Pomerol adjacent to Le Pin and one of La Fleur-Pétrus's parcels, Jean-Philippe Janoueix's 2022 La Croix St Georges is the first produced with the input of consultant Thomas Duclos. Wafting from the glass with aromas of cherries, minty berries, licorice and vine smoke, it's medium to full-bodied, fleshy and layered, with a seamless, complete profile and compelling purity of fruit. This has always been an immensely promising terroir, but now it really is an estate to watch. - William Kelley, Robert Parker's Wine Advocate

91-93 Points! Black raspberries, crushed stone, white flowers, and spice (I'd almost guess this was from limestone soils), the 2022 Château La Croix Saint Georges is medium-bodied, with a silky, elegant mouthfeel and a great finish. I love its purity and precision. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! A beautiful Merlot, the 2019 from PlumpJack offers everything you could want from this variety with its plump, fleshy, medium to full-bodied profile as well as terrific aromatics of black cherries, darker berries, leafy herbs, spring flowers, and a touch of chocolate. It’s ready to go yet should continue delivering the goods over the coming decade. - Jeb Dunnuck