During our Zoom interview on August 17th, we had a chance meet Renée Ary who is the winemaker at Duckhorn Vineyards. We learned that Renée went to Saint Mary’s College and earned a degree in chemistry and art, before entering the wine world. We joked that both those majors are very important in the winemaking world these days. Renée then went on to start her career in the lab at Robert Mondavi Winery. From there she made her way over to Duckhorn. Over the next 11 years, she working her way up from the lab to eventually becoming the assistant winemaker. In 2014, she was named the fourth winemaker at Duckhorn Vineyards. She followed Tom Rinaldi, Mark Beringer, and Bill Nancarrow. Those winemakers put Duckhorn on the map and Renée was charged with keeping the train rolling. Well as you will she from our reviews below, she is doing a terrific job keeping up with that tradition and even more!
Below is a summary of the eight wines that we covered with Renée. As you will see, they were all very good. I was even a little shocked by the winner.
The links below are to our full reviews. If you are interested in ordering and trying these wines, you will find many of these wines via your favorite fine wine shop or on top quality wines lists. You can also order them all via the Duckhorn website.
1. Duckhorn Vineyards 2021 Sauvignon Blanc “North Coast” $32 (KWGTP 91)
2. Duckhorn Vineyards 2020 Chardonnay “Napa Valley” $36 (KWGTP 91)
3. Duckhorn Vineyards 2019 Merlot “Napa Valley” $58 (KWGTP 92)
4. Duckhorn Vineyards 2019 Merlot “Three Palms Vineyard” (Napa) $115 (KWGTP 95)
5. Duckhorn Vineyards 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon “Napa Valley” $80 (KWGTP 92.5)
6. Duckhorn Vineyards 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon “Rutherford” $105 (KWGTP 94)
7. Duckhorn Vineyards 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon “Three Palms Vineyard” (Napa) $105 (KWGTP 93.5)
8. Duckhorn Vineyards 2018 Red Blend “The Discussion” (Napa Valley) $155 (KWGTP 94)
You can find reviews of past and future Duckhorn wines that we cover on the KWG Duckhorn winery page on our website. If you love Cabernet and Merlot, then seeking out and trying Renée’s wines is a must. She told us she makes 7 different Merlots and 11 different Cabernets. That’s a lot! You certainly will not be disappointed when exploring her work! Enjoy – Ken
During our Zoom interview on August 10th, we had a chance catch up with Joel Peterson who is the winemaker at Once and Future Wines. This is the second year in a row we have had Joel on with the Tasting Panel. This year, we covered 7 of his new-release 2020 vintage wines. This was a couple less than last year as he was unable to be produced a few wines because of the fires. As you will come to see, Joel has really knocked it out of the park with his 2019 and 2020 vintages. If you don’t know anything about his Once and Future project, get ready to explore some Zins. If you his loved his old Ravenswood Zinfandels, then you are in for a treat when you get a chance to explore his Once & Future offerings.
I am not going to share all of Joel’s background and how he got into winemaking. There is very nice outline about Joel’s background on his website.
That said, here are a few nuggets that link his Ravenswood history to today. Joel started Ravenswood in 1976. He wanted to focus on Zinfandel. He made “Single Vineyard” Zin’s in a somewhat gothic, Old-World style. He thought the winery, if he was lucky, would grow to 6 or 7 thousand cases. In 1983, seven years after the first vintage, Ravenswood began to grow. The popularity of Ravenswood “Vintners Blend” took center stage. Over the following three decades Ravenswood’s annual production grew to early one million cases. At one point it became the world’s bestselling red Zinfandel brand.
Joel is very proud of the wines he made at Ravenswood. I have even linked to some of my favorites from the vineyards listed here. Old Hill Ranch, Dickerson, Belloni, Barricia, Teldeschi are all fantastic vineyards and produced some stellar Zinfandel’s over the years. However, after nearly 45 years in the wine business, he felt it was time to look backwards and get back to his roots and the original plans.
So, Joel started Once and Future to return to the original vision that he had for Ravenswood from the beginning. A project that specializes in wines from special vineyards made with a sensitivity to place and in a style that he personally loved and believe in. His goal was to make wines that forced him to dust off his old redwood vats and get out a new punch down tool. (His original tool is in the Smithsonian) Wines that dye his hands black/purple and preserve and reflect the greatness of the vineyards that he works with. In short, he makes wines that he loves to make, and you will also love and enjoy!
So, what are these wines? The links below are to our full reviews of all 7 wines that we covered. If you are interested in ordering and trying these wines, you can find a few online, but the best bet is to call or e-mail winery for information.
1. Once and Future 2020 Mataro “Oakley Road Vineyard” (Contra Costa) $40 (KWGTP 91)
2. Once and Future 2020 Zinfandel “Oakley Road Vineyard” (Contra Costa) $49 (KWGTP 91)
3. Once and Future 2020 Zinfandel “Dickerson Vineyard” (Napa Valley) $49 (KWGTP 92)
4. Once and Future 2020 Zinfandel “Teldeschi Frank’s Block” (Dry Creek) $49 (KWGTP 94.5)
5. Once and Future 2020 Zinfandel “Old Hill Ranch” (Sonoma Valley) $55 (KWGTP 93.5)
6. Once and Future 2020 Zinfandel “Bedrock Vineyard Old Vine” (Sonoma Valley) $49 (KWGTP 94.5)
7. Once and Future 2020 Merlot “Sangiacomo Vineyard” (Carneros) 100% $65 (KWGTP 92)
You can find reviews of past and future Once & Future wines that we cover on the KWG Once & Future winery page on our website. If you love Zinfandel, then seeking out and trying Joel’s wines is a must. You certainly will not be disappointed! Enjoy – Ken
During our Zoom interview on July 27th, we had a chance to get to know Rebekah Wineburg who is the Winemaker at both Quintessa & Post & Vine. Rebekah’s passion for winemaking began when she visited Napa Valley with her parents at just 16. It is fascinating that her visit made such a lasting impression on her. She went on to pursue a dual degree in chemistry and biology at Macalester college with the dream of becoming a winemaker.
Her background is full of interesting experiences that have led to her current winemaker responsibilities at Quintessa and her partnership in owning Post and Vine with her friend Erica Kincaid, whom she had met back in the Rudd days.
Her wine background includes a fortuitous internship at Ornellaia. She also worked at Spy Valley in New Zealand, Rudd, and Buccella prior to her two current winemaker projects. I first discovered Rebekah’s talent when I covered the excellent Buccella 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon.
In 2012, Post & Vine was launched. That project puts Old Vine Vineyards at center stage. One of the reasons for starting this project was to save classic Old Vine vineyards by displaying the impressive wines they can produce. It started with a field blend of mixed black varieties from Testa Vineyard. As you will see in our tasting notes, she has spread her wings to include a terrific offering from the Mule Plane Vineyard in Lodi. That wine really caught our attention in this tasting session.
Rebekah has also been the winemaker at Quintessa since 2015. She is a great ambassador of the brand and is doing a terrific job as winemaker at this historic winery.
If you are interested in more information about Quintessa’s history, this video is a brief summary.
If you are interested in more information on Rebekah and her projects. Here is the link to a terrific Q&A session she did with The Wine Write that goes into a lot more details.
Now onto the wines. We covered seven of Rebekah’s new release wines. We also added the 2019 Faust from the Huneeus collection. We wanted to cover this wine even though she didn’t make it. Then lastly for fun, we added a 2011 Quintessa which was from one of our Panel member’s collection. Even though this wine was made by Rebekah’s predecessor, it was fun to cover it with her knowledge and insight on the wine. We have been huge fans of the 2018 wines from Rutherford, so we fully expected it to beat out the 2019. Well, we were wrong. The 2019 edged out the 2018 with the Panel. Here is a video from Quintessa on their impressive 2019 wine.
The links below are to our full reviews. If you are interested in ordering and trying these wines, you will find the Quintessa wines via your favorite fine wine shop or on top quality wines lists. The Sauvignon Blancs are also available for order via the Quintessa website. The 2019 Quintessa is currently allocated. If your are interested, you should give the winery a call. As for the Post & Vine wines, you can purchase these wines directly from their website.
1. Quintessa 2020 Sauvignon Blanc “Illumination” (Napa/Sonoma) $55 (KWGTP 93)
2. Quintessa 2021 Sauvignon Blanc “Illumination” (Napa/Sonoma) $55 (KWGTP 94)
3. Post & Vine 2021 “Rose of Carignane” (Contra Costa County) $19 (KWGTP 91)
4. Post & Vine 2019 “Old Vine Field Blend” (Mendocino) $36 (KWGTP 91)
5. Post & Vine 2020 Carignane “Mule Plane Vineyard” (Lodi) $28 (KWGTP 92.5)
6. Faust 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon “Napa Valley” (CA) $65 (KWGTP 93)
7. Quintessa 2018 US Red “Red Wine” (Rutherford) $240 (KWGTP 96)
8. Quintessa 2019 US Red “Red Wine” (Rutherford) $250 (KWGTP 98)
9. Quintessa 2011 US Red “Red Wine” (Rutherford) $145 (KWGTP 93.5)
You can find reviews of past and future Quintessa wines that we cover on the KWG Quintessa winery page on our website. The Post & Vine reviews that we cover on the KWG Post & Vine winery page on our website. Rebekah’s wines are awesome, and you should definitely try these wines. There is something for everyone at all price points. You certainly will not be disappointed! Enjoy – Ken
During our Zoom interview on June 29th, we had a chance to catch-up with Phillip Corallo-Titus who is the winemaker at Chappellet. Phillip has been the winemaker there since 1990. Phillip is also involved with his family winery Titus. He owns that winery with his brother Eric.
This was our second Zoom interview with Phillip. The first time was in the summer of 2021. We covered the Chappellet winery story during that session. This time, in addition to covering the wines, we talked about a variety of topics. We briefly talked about the Titus wines that we covered this winter and spring. We also discussed how we hoped to cover some of his Acumen wines next year since we have tried one of his older offerings and we liked it. He mentioned that there are not going to be any reds from Chappellet in 2020, so this is the plan for next year along with Chappellet whites. For fun, we also discussed a 2013 Nellcôte Cab that he made. We recently had a chance to try that wine and it was still showing really well. As for Chappellet, this year we talked a bit about how Phillip and long time vineyard manager Dave Pirio have used their experiences to guide the winery through COVID, the 2020 fires and the lack of water due to drought conditions in California. 
As a matter of fact, Prichard Hill was almost lost to fires in 2020. If it were not for the High Demand Earth Work bulldozing crew that was clearing land for a vineyard at Ovid when the Hennessey fire broke out, we might not be having this interview. Using their bulldozers, the crew cleared chaparral, brush, and other vegetation to create a nearly 4-mile firebreak across Pritchard Hill. It saved the wineries in this area. While it certainly takes a very experienced team to deal with fires, COVID and water shortages, it also takes some luck to deal with the last few years. We are very glad that Phillip and his team had a few strokes of luck along with their experience.
Now onto the wines. While most people know Chappellet for their Cabernets. Some of us geeks also know the history behind their exceptional Chenin Blanc. But the Chappellet portfolio includes much more, like terrific Cabernet Franc and Merlot which we covered last year. They have also expanded their reach in 2019, by unveiling their new Grower Collection of wines, which focuses on cool-climate Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs from the finest Sonoma County vineyards. We covered one of each of those wines with Phillip this year .
Below is a summary of the five wines that we covered with Phillip. As you will see, they were all very good. But my favorite over the years has always been his Cabs. This vintage was no different. As matter of fact, the “Signature” Cab took an even bigger step up this vintage!
The links below are to our full reviews. If you are interested in ordering and trying these wines, you will find the “Signature” Cab and the “Pritchard Hill” Cab via your favorite fine wine shop or on top quality wines lists. The Cab and the first three wines are also available for order via the Chappellet website. The 2019 Pritchard Hill currently has a waitlist. If interested, you should join the list.
1. Chappellet 2020 Chardonnay “Grower Collection El Novillero” (Carneros) $55 (KWGTP 91.5)
2. Chappellet 2019 Pinot Noir “Grower Collection Apple Lane” (RRV) $60 (KWGTP 93)
3. Chappellet 2019 Red Blend “Las Piedras” (Napa Valley) $85 (KWGTP 93)
4. Chappellet 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon “Signature” (Napa Valley) $90 (KWGTP 95)
5. Chappellet 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon “Pritchard Hill” (Napa Valley) $325 (KWGTP 98)
You can find reviews of past and future Chappellet wines that we cover on the KWG Chappellet winery page on our website. Phillip’s wines continue to impress us. You should definitely try these wines and many more past options from the Chappellet portfolio. You will not be disappointed! Enjoy – Ken
During our Zoom interview on June 15th, we had a chance to catch-up with Randy Ullom who is the Winemaster for Kendall Jackson. In his Winemaster capacity, Randy oversees the entire Kendall-Jackson portfolio. During the interview we covered four of his new-release Chardonnays. We also talked about how I have been covering Randy’s Chardonnays and his other wines since the launch of KensWineGuide.com. It was great to catch up with him and share the story about how he and George Rose were very instrumental in the successful start of Ken’s Wine Guide.
Randy talked about his background and how he got into wine and came to Kendall Jackson. Randy’s bio goes into great details about that. But what is not is his bio, is his link to the start of KensWineGuide.com. One of my first memories from the beginning was covering his wines with George Rose at the old Palm Restaurant in the Back Bay in Boston. They gave me the opportunity to cover their best wines. Because of this opportunity, it led to me covering many other prominent wines from other highly regarded wineries. Down the road, I made a trip to California to cover more of their wines. It was at a dinner with Randy while enjoying a Hartford Court Chardonnay (Keep it in the family) that we would discover that I used to vacation at a tiny little lake in Vermont that Randy grew up on. My buddy Matt had a camp on Lake Hortonia. After this discovery, I would go there each year for a long weekend and cover at least one of Randy’s wines while I was there. I carried on this tradition until my friend recently sold the camp. It was fun to share stories with Randy about the lake.
Below is a summary of the four Chardonnay’s that we covered with Randy. As you will see, they were all very good. But my favorite over the years has always been his Camelot Highlands. This vintage was no different. But if you ask my wife Theresa, I should just stop covering all these other wines and just drink Randy’s “Vintners Reserve” Chardonnay. If you ask Randy, he might agree. His bio states that when he’s off the clock, he enjoys his favorite dish, Dungeness crab, with Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay. So those two have always been on the same page!
The links below are to our full reviews. If you are interested in ordering and trying these wines, you will find the Vintners and Grand Reserve Chards via your favorite wine shop. The second two Chards are available for order via the Kendall Jackson website.
Kendall Jackson 2020 Chardonnay “Vintners Reserve” (CA) $17 (KWGTP 90)
Kendall Jackson 2020 Chardonnay “Grand Reserve” (Santa Barbara County) $22 (KWGTP 91)
Kendall Jackson 2020 Chardonnay “Seco Highlands” (Arroyo Seco) $45 (KWGTP 91)
Kendall Jackson 2020 Chardonnay “Camelot Highlands” (Santa Maria Valley) $50 (KWGTP 92.5)
You can find reviews of past and future Kendall Jackson wines that we cover on the KWG Kendall Jackson winery page on our website. Randy has always been a master with Chardonnay and based on what we tasted; he is still going strong. You should try these wines and many more options from the Kendall Jackson portfolio. You will not be disappointed! Enjoy – Ken
During our Zoom interview on June 7th, we had a chance to meet with Theresa Heredia who is the winemaker for Gary Farrell Wines. During the interview we covered four of her new-release Chardonnays and five of her new-release Pinot Noirs. We have been covering Theresa’s wines for the last few years and we are always looking forward to the next batch that we receive.
Theresa has been the winemaker at the Gary Farrell Winery since 2012. Prior to that she was the winemaker for the Joseph Phelps’ Freestone Vineyards project on the Sonoma Coast. Her Pinot Noir and Chardonnay’s brought that winery significant critical acclaim. As you will read below, similar accolades have followed her to Gary Farrell.
While at Gary Farrell, Theresa gets fruit and makes wines from some of them most sought out vineyards in California. Some of those vineyards include Rochioli, Bacigalupi, Hallberg, Ritchie, Martaella, Durell and Gap’s Crown.
Below is a summary of the 9 impressive wines that we covered with Theresa. As you will see, many of them come from these impressive vineyards. The links are to our full reviews. If you are interested in ordering and trying these wines, you will find the Russian River Selection wines via your favorite wine shop. The rest are available for order via the Gary Farrell Winery website.
Gary Farrell 2019 Chardonnay “Olivet Lane Vineyard” (Russian River) $50 (KWGTP 92)
Gary Farrell 2019 Chardonnay “Durell Vineyard” (Sonoma Valley) $65 (KWGTP 93)
Gary Farrell 2019 Chardonnay “Ritchie Vineyard” (Russian River) $65 (KWGTP 92.5)
Gary Farrell 2019 Chardonnay “Rochioli Vineyard” (Russian River) $65 (KWGTP 93)
Gary Farrell 2019 Pinot Noir “Russian River Selection” (Russian River) $45 (KWGTP 92.5)
Gary Farrell 2018 Pinot Noir “Martaella Vineyard” (Russian River) $65 (KWGTP 93.5)
Gary Farrell 2018 Pinot Noir “Gap’s Crown Vineyard” (Petaluma Gap) $80 (KWGTP 94)
Gary Farrell 2018 Pinot Noir “Fort Ross Vineyard” (Fort Ross-Seaview) $75 (KWGTP 92)
Gary Farrell 2018 Pinot Noir “Rochioli Vineyard” (Russian River) $80 (KWGTP 92.5)
You can find reviews of past and future Gary Farrell wines that we cover on the KWG Gary Farrell winery page on our website. We will close with the quote from Theresa’s bio page that I liked. “My approach to winemaking is very much about taking advantage of specific vineyard and fruit qualities.” says Theresa. Based on what we tasted, Theresa certainly has done a terrific job showing off the characteristics and qualities of each vineyard she works with. Enjoy – Ken
During our interview on May 25, we had a chance to meet with Todd Graff who is the winemaker and general manager for Frank Family Vineyards. We had covered Frank Family wines over the years, but really did not know much about Todd or the details behind the winery. It was fun to learn about Todd’s background. Having worked at Schramsberg Vineyards (A KWG favorite) we are looking forward to covering one or two of his sparkling wines this fall. He has been leading the effort here for 19 years and has built a very strong team that was clearly reflected in the wines that we covered. They have a very good short video on their winemaking process. It is worth checking out.
We also discussed that Frank Family Vineyards was acquired by Treasury Americas last fall. The good news for us and fans of the winery and its wines, is that Todd Graff, will remain with Frank Family Vineyards after closing. We also have a nice relationship with the folks at Treasury and look forward to continuing to cover the wines made by Todd and his team. Rich and Leslie Frank will maintain the ownership of Winston Hill Vineyard in Rutherford and the Lewis Vineyard in Napa. That said, those vineyards will continue to source grapes for the Frank Family reserve tier after the closing. That is also very good news, as you will see those vineyards sourced the grapes for some very good wines. Overall, the future looks bright for Todd and Frank Family Vineyards. Below is a summary of the impressive wines that we covered with Todd. The links are to our full reviews. If you are interested in ordering and trying these wines, you will find the Carneros and Napa Valley wines via your favorite wine shop. The rest are available for order via the Frank Family Vineyards website.
Frank Family 2020 Chardonnay “Carneros” $38 (KWGTP 92)
Frank Family 2019 Chardonnay “Lewis Vineyard” (Carneros) $75 (KWGTP 93)
Frank Family 2019 Pinot Noir “Lewis Vineyard” (Carneros) $85 (KWGTP 92.5)
Frank Family 2019 Zinfandel “Reserve” (Chiles Valley) $70 (KWGTP 93)
Frank Family 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon “Napa Valley” $60 (KWGTP 92.5)
Frank Family 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon “RHF” (Rutherford) $110 (KWGTP 94)
Frank Family 2018 Red Wine “Winston Hill” (Rutherford) $175 (KWGTP 96)
You can find reviews of past and future Frank Family wines that we cover on the KWG Frank Family winery page on our website. We will close with the quote from Todd’s bio page that I liked. “As soon as we think we know what we’re doing, we’re rookies again. But winemakers don’t have erasers. We have to do it right the first time.” Based on what we tasted, Todd and his team are certainly doing it right! Enjoy – Ken
During our interview on May 4, we had a chance to catch up with Christian Tietje. I first met Christian many years ago during the early days of the Boston Wine Expo. Christian and Billy Grant were enlightening the world with their Four Vines and Freak Show wines. These days, Christian is the winemaker and owner Anarchy Winery. He is as fun as ever and perhaps even more of a mad scientist with his of winemaking. That said, with many vintages of experience under his belt, he is churning out fantastic wines that consistently over-deliver for the price. They will also blow your mind!
The fun part me these days when I interview Christian, is I get to bust his balls about Bordelaise grapes. In the early days, Christian would swear off any wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec and Petite Verdot. The funny part now is that our two highest scoring wines were a 100% Cabernet Franc and blend featuring Petit Verdot, Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. These wines kick ass and are a great reflection of Christian’s winemaking skill. Some people might say Christian found religion; Christian would probably say he has crossed over to the dark side! Either way, it worked out for the best!
Below is a summary of all the impressive wines that we covered with Christian. The links are to our full reviews and complete wine details (Including blend %’s) . If you are interested in ordering and trying these wines, you will find a few of them via your favorite wine shop. The rest are available for order via the Anarchy winery website.
Anarchy 2019 Grenache “Drop Dead Legs” (Edna Valley) $64 (KWGTP 92.5)
Anarchy 2020 Mourvedre “The Agony & the Ecstasy” (Paso) $69 (KWGTP 91)
Anarchy 2019 Red Blend “Anarchy” $57 (KWGTP 92)
Anarchy 2019 Red Blend “The Peasant” (GSM) (San Luis Obispo) $57 (KWGTP 93)
Anarchy 2019 Syrah “Auspicious Omen” (San Luis Obispo) $69 (KWGTP 93)
Anarchy 2020 Cabernet Franc “Furious Muse” (Paso Robles) $80 (KWGTP 94)
Anarchy 2019 Red Blend “Monarchy” (Paso Robles) $57 (KWGTP 95)
Anarchy 2019 Petite Sirah “Heretic” (Paso Robles) $57 (KWGTP 93.5)
You can find reviews of past and additional Anarchy wines that we cover on the KWG Anarchy winery page on our website. We will close with the quote from the Monarchy bottle. “I prefer an interesting vice to an annoying virtue.” – Moliere. So, explore your favorite vice with these Anarchy wines and enjoy! – Ken
During our interview on April 27th, we had a chance to catch up with Janell after a very long hiatus. I first met Janell many years ago during the early days of the Boston Wine Expo. These days, Janell is the head winemaker and owner Janell Dusi Winery. Janell was born and raised on the Dusi Vineyard where her grandfather Dante taught her the old-world Italian style of winemaking. The Dusi family’s heritage and history in Paso Robles Wine Country dates back to the early 1920’s, where grape growing was a craft.
Another fun discovery, was the story of the Paper Street Vineyard. We learned that after years of searching, in 2013 Mike Dusi found a 360-acre parcel of land in the Willow Creek AVA. It was hilly, rocky, covered in dead trees, and had been ignored for many years. It was a brutal piece of land – and in his eyes, perfect. The family thought he had gone a little crazy, but that was just the beginning.
A Paper Street is a road or street that appears on maps but does not exist in reality. The piece of land off Kiler Canyon was quite literally on one of these. Mike Dusi saw something special, and the Paper Street Vineyard was born. Continuing and expanding on the legacy of generational farming, for 3 years he worked with sons Matt and Michael to clear the land and plant the vineyard. The elevation, steep hillsides, and white calcareous terrior create excellent growing conditions for making bold, balanced, and complex wines. Of the 360 acres, 110 was cultivatable. Those 110 acres are steep, rocky, and full of limestone. They include varieties such as (of course) Zinfandel, Mourvedre, Grenache, Syrah, Clairette Blanche, Tempranillo, Carignane, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Petite Sirah. Their first official Paper Street vintage was 2016.
We certainly left the interview knowing that Janell and her family are farmers. Janell is also a passionate winemaker and very good at what she does.
To get a cool visual of the J. Dusi winery, check out this video of the vineyard and the tasting room.
Another cool video is this one of the Paper Street Vineyard. Enjoy!
Below is a summary of all the impressive wines that we covered with Janell. The links are to our full reviews. If you are interested in ordering and trying these wines, you will find a few of them via your favorite wine shop. The rest are available for order via the J. Dusi winery website.
J. Dusi 2021 Pinot Grigio (Paso Robles) $20 (KWGTP 90)
J. Dusi 2019 Zinfandel “Dante Dusi” (Templeton Gap) $44 (KWGTP 90)
J. Dusi 2019 Zinfandel “Gazzaroli” (Paso Robles) $52 (KWGTP 93)
J. Dusi 2019 Petite Sirah “Caterina’s” (Paso Robles) $52 (KWGTP 93)
J. Dusi 2019 Red Blend “The Other Brother” (Paso Robles) $44 (KWGTP 94)
Paper Street 2019 Mourvedre “Cornflower Blue” (Willow Creek District) $68 (KWGTP 92)
Paper Street 2019 Red Blend “The Narrator” (Willow Creek District) $68 (KWGTP 92.5)
Paper Street 2019 Zinfandel (Willow Creek District) $68 (KWGTP 93)
Paper Street 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Willow Creek District) $78 (KWGTP 92)
J. Dusi 2016 “Zinfandel Port” (Templeton Gap) $32 (KWGTP 93.5)
You can find reviews of past and additional J. Dusi wines that we cover on the KWG J. Dusi winery page on our website. Cheers! Ken
During our interview on April 20th, we learned several thing in speaking with Kristen. The first thing we learned, was that in 2012, Kristen moved to Sonoma County to dedicate herself to wine full time. In addition to joining the winemaking team at Korbel, where she spent six years honing her skills working with sparkling wine and Pinot Noir. Simultaneously, she also gained some invaluable experience with cool-climate Pinot Noir working for Joseph Phelps’s Freestone Winery on the Sonoma Coast.
After joining Goldeneye in 2019, Kristen quickly distinguished herself for her unparalleled work ethic, gifted palate, and scientific acumen. She rapidly rose through the ranks from enologist II to assistant winemaker in Feb 2020 to winemaker in June of 2021.
Kristen shared with us, the unique characteristics of their three estate vineyards. We learned how the Confluence Vineyard develops vibrant red fruit characteristics in their wines. While the Gowan Creek Vineyard which is right at the winery, yields voluptuous and deep blue-fruit styled wines. I also noted how the wines appear to be evolving in a bit more restrained fashion of the last 4 years. She agreed, especially with the Gowen. The last Estate vineyard we explored was the Narrows Vineyard. This vineyard is on a hillside and delivers fascinating terroir-driven rusticity in its wines. All three estate wines were very different. We also had a chance to try the “Ten Degrees” Pinot which is a blend of the best barrels from the three Estate vineyards. They certainly picked the right barrels in 2019! Finally, we also had a chance to explore a Pinot from the Cerise Vineyard. This vineyard from the Anderson Valley has supplied grapes to the Kosta Browne label and now Kristen gets to play and craft wines from those grapes as well!
Below is a summary of all the impressive wines that we covered with Kristen. The links are to our full reviews. If you are interested in ordering and trying these wines, you will find a few of them via your favorite wine shop or fine dining restaurant. The rest are available for order via the Goldeneye website.
Goldeneye 2020 Gewurztraminer “Confluence Vineyard” (Anderson Valley) $40 (KWGTP 92)
Goldeneye 2021 Rose “Vin Gris of Pinot Noir” (Anderson Valley) $36 (KWGTP 92)
Goldeneye 2019 Pinot Noir “Anderson Valley” $60 (KWGTP 92)
Goldeneye 2019 Pinot Noir “Confluence Vineyard” (Anderson Valley) $88 (KWGTP 93)
Goldeneye 2019 Pinot Noir “Gowan Creek Vineyard” (Anderson Valley) $88 (KWGTP 94)
Goldeneye 2019 Pinot Noir “The Narrows Vineyard” (Anderson Valley) $88 (KWGTP 94)
Goldeneye 2019 Pinot Noir “Ten Degrees” (Anderson Valley) $130 (KWGTP 95)
Goldeneye 2019 Pinot Noir “Cerise Vineyard” (Anderson Valley) $140 (KWGTP 94)
You can find reviews of past and additional Goldeneye wines that we cover on the KWG Goldeneye winery page on our website. Cheers! Ken
