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Santa Barbara: Out of Many, One
featured, United States: California
, Aug 2025
The refrain that kept running through my head over the course of two weeks of extensive tasting in and around Santa Barbara County was, “Is there anywhere else in the world that can do this many things this well?” The tapestry that makes up the Santa Barbara wine landscape is easily one of the most dynamic in the United States, if not the world. Through the lens of a long, auspicious growing season in 2023, Santa Barbara yielded an embarrassment of riches.
Beyond Expectations: Twenty-Three Years of Tablas Creek’s Esprit de Tablas
featured, United States: California
, Jul 2025
Constantly evolving while always staying true to its Rhône roots, Tablas Creek’s Esprit de Tablas remains one of the most ageworthy, dynamic red blends in the United States, Since 2000, the Esprit de Tablas (formerly Esprit de Beaucastel) has aimed to mirror Château de Beaucastel’s Châteauneuf-du-Pape through a Paso Robles lens, honoring the pioneering partnership between the Hass and Perrin families.
Littorai: The First Thirty Years
featured, United States: California, Verticals & Retrospectives
, Jul 2025
From humble beginnings in the early 1990s, Ted and Heidi Lemon quietly built one of the most impressive wineries in the United States. Along the way they influenced countless younger winemakers and spearheaded the development of what are now vibrant winegrowing communities in the West Sonoma Coast and Anderson Valley. This report combines tasting notes and impressions from two recent tastings of mostly older vintages, wines that capture all the beauty and pedigree of some of the best sites in both appellations.
High Highs: Santa Lucia Highlands 2023
featured, United States: California
, Jul 2025
Nestled into a narrow, 18-mile stretch to the south of Monterey Bay, the Santa Lucia Highlands is one of the most consistent and consistently under-the-radar winegrowing regions in the United States. A long, even-tempered growing season in 2023 blessed winemakers with the opportunity to ascend to astonishing heights. And ascend they did.
Paso Robles 2022 and 2023: Polar Opposites
featured, United States: California
, Jun 2025
Paso Robles is carving out its place as a premier wine region, proving its adaptability in the face of recent vintages. While the 2022 growing season presented unique challenges that are reflected in the wines, the exceptionally promising 2023s highlight Paso’s flexibility and diversity.
Roederer Estate L’Ermitage: A Complete Retrospective
featured, United States: California
, Jun 2025
This complete retrospective of Roederer Estate’s L’Ermitage, the first of its kind, was illuminating on so many fronts. Most importantly, it proved that Anderson Valley is exceptionally well suited to the production of fine, world-class sparkling wine. I was also deeply impressed with how well the wines age. I had tasted L’Ermitage from time to time but not on a consistent basis; many of these vintages were new to me. I tasted this vertical with longtime Winemaker Arnaud Weyrich and President Nicole Carter during a visit to the property in January 2025.
Cellar Favorite: 1977 Diamond Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill
napa, United States: California, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, May 2025
Even in its fourth decade, the 1977 Volcanic Hill shows little ageing in the glass, attesting to what is reputedly Diamond Creek’s longest-lived Cabernet Sauvignon.
Exploring Sonoma’s Moon Mountain District
featured, United States: California
, Feb 2025
Nestled in the Mayacamas Mountains just east of the town of Sonoma, the Moon Mountain District is one of the most exciting emerging appellations in California. These hillside vineyards offer an intriguing mix of the old and the new, a melting pot of historic vineyards, established players and a generation of younger winemakers who are bringing their energy and enthusiasm to these sites.
Updated - Sonoma and Neighbors 2022 & 2023: Opposites Attract
featured, United States: California
, Jan 2025
Updated: July 3, 2025. It’s that time of year. New releases from Sonoma County and neighboring appellations are starting to hit the market. This report covers some of the most exciting wines I tasted on my recent trip to Sonoma. As is our custom, we will post frequent updates to this article in the coming weeks, which we feel is the best way to keep readers current, given the sheer volume of wines released this time of year. Readers can also look forward to a forthcoming report focused on the Moon Mountain AVA, where the wines are quite distinct from those made in the more central regions within Sonoma County.
Updated - Napa Valley’s 2022 & 2023 Cabernet Sauvignons
napa, featured, United States: California
, Dec 2024
Napa Valley is very clearly at an inflection point of tremendous change on many levels. Shifting consumer preferences, vintages with markedly different and at times challenging conditions, and an evolving market are all topics that are front and center in any discussion of Napa Valley today. “May you live in interesting times,” the ancient proverb says. These are definitely interesting times. My annual report covers the bottled 2022 Cabernet Sauvignons and the nascent 2023s from barrel.