{"id":2918,"date":"2026-11-12T03:09:36","date_gmt":"2026-11-12T03:09:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/?p=2918"},"modified":"2026-11-12T03:09:36","modified_gmt":"2026-11-12T03:09:36","slug":"winemaker-interview-series-kwg-blog-post-dante-west-and-tony-biagi-of-amici-cellars-august-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/?p=2918","title":{"rendered":"Winemaker Interview Series &#8211; KWG Blog Post Dante West and Tony Biagi of Amici Cellars &#8211; August 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Amici-Winemaking-Team.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-2921\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Amici-Winemaking-Team.gif\" alt=\"Amici Winemaking Team\" width=\"300\" height=\"222\" \/><\/a>On Wednesday, August 19, 2026, we interviewed <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amicicellars.com\/winemaking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><u>Dante West<\/u><\/strong><\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amicicellars.com\/winemaking\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><u>Tony Biagi<\/u><\/strong><\/a> of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amicicellars.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><u>Amici Cellars<\/u><\/strong><\/a>. Dante is the winemaker and Tony is the director of winemaking and partner. We covered their 2025 Sauvignon Blanc, a 2023 Chardonnay, and a 2024 \u201cReserve\u201d-level Pinot Noir. In the interview, we got to know Dante and Tony and learned a bit about their backgrounds. We wrapped up the August 19 tasting with five single-vineyard 2023-vintage Cabernet Sauvignon wines from some very-well-known and high-profile vineyards. You can read about Dante and Tony and Amici Cellars, as well as the summary of our reviews of all of these very impressive wines, in the blog post!<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Before we get to the wines, I thought I would share some tidbits that Dante and Tony shared in the interview.<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Tony-Biagi-Director-of-Winemaking.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-2922\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Tony-Biagi-Director-of-Winemaking.gif\" alt=\"Tony Biagi Director of Winemaking\" width=\"260\" height=\"246\" \/><\/a>Tell us a bit about <strong>Tony Biagi \u2013 Director of Winemaking &amp; Partner<\/strong><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Here is his winemaking history.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">1992\u20131995 &#8211; Early training was at Dry Creek Vineyards and Hess Collection<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">1995\u20132001 &#8211; Duckhorn Vineyards<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Joined Duckhorn as an enologist in 1995, working under winemaker Tom Rinaldi.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Progressed to assistant winemaker.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 1994, he was the founding winemaker and crafted the inaugural vintage at Paraduxx<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">2001\u20132002 &#8211; Neal Family Vineyards<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Became general manager and winemaker.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">2003\u20132012 &#8211; PlumpJack Estate Winery<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Joined in March 2003 as winemaker.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Became responsible for the group&#8217;s flagship Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon program.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">2005\u20132012 &#8211; CADE Estate Winery<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Became the founding winemaker when CADE was established on Howell Mountain in 2005. Was involved with building the winery.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Developed its Cabernet Sauvignon program.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">2012\u2013Present &#8211; Hourglass Winery<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Joined Hourglass in 2012 as winemaker, after Bob Foley.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Took responsibility for wines from the Hourglass and Blueline Estate vineyards.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">2013\u2013Present &#8211; Patria Wines<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Founded his own wine label in spring 2013 with business partner Kimberly Jones.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Became winemaker and partner.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">2022\u2013Present &#8211; To Kalon Vineyard Company<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">&#8211; Began collaborating on the 2022 vintage with Andy Erickson.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">&#8211; Appointed winemaker in June 2023 and took the lead that vintage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A few of his other Consulting Projects over the years involved the following wineries.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Clos du Val (For 3 years)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Sinegal where he developed the estate&#8217;s wine program alongside Ryan Knoth.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Lasseter Family Winery<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He started at Amici in 2015 as the winemaker for Amici and Olema.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He mentored Jesse Fox and now Dante.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">His philosophy is great wines are made in the vineyard.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He believes in small batch winemaking.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Finally, Tony&#8217;s goal with making wine is to craft a wine that he and the winemaking team enjoy drinking and then he is confident others will enjoy it as well.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Dante-West-Amici-Winemaker.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-2924\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Dante-West-Amici-Winemaker.gif\" alt=\"Dante West Amici Winemaker\" width=\"260\" height=\"319\" \/><\/a>Dante West &#8211; Winemaker<\/span><\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Went to UC Davis &#8211; Studied enology and viticulture.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Discovered his love for wine after an introductory wine making course.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He did a harvest at Cape Mentelle Vineyards in Margaret River, Australia.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Worked at Flowers in 2016 and Mending Wall Wines from 2016 to 2018.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He was a production assistant at Arista from 2018 to 2020.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He joined Amici Cellars in 2020 as Assistant Winemaker.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He initially worked alongside Tony Biagi and Jesse Fox, overseeing winery operations, and assisting with the production of Amici&#8217;s Napa and Sonoma wines.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 2022, after Jesse Fox left for Sequoia Grove, Dante was promoted to Associate Winemaker working alongside Tony Biagi. He participated in evaluating the vintage and overseeing production.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Since 2024 Dante has carrier the title of Winemaker of Amici Cellars and Olema Wines.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><strong><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Matt Courtney &#8211; Consulting Winemaker<\/span><\/strong>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He is the Winemaker and Owner of Ferren Wines since 2013.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He has been the Winemaker at Arista Winery since 2013 and Volterre Wines since 2018.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He joined Amici Cellars as a Consulting Winemaker in March of 2022.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">He is Tony\u2019s best friend and serves as a sounding board for Tony and the team. Especially with Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Amici Cellars History<\/strong><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It was founded and started in a garage by two friends (John &amp; Bob) in 1991-1992.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 2007 to 2008 they made plans to greatly to expand Amici in 2009<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">So, after more than 15 years of producing wine as a passion project with relatively modest distribution, John Harris and Bob Shepard made a much larger commitment to developing Amici into a significant Napa Valley wine business.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Joel Aiken who was the winemaker at Beaulieu Vineyard for almost 27 years was the first winemaker at Amici from 2009 thru 2015.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">After Joel the winery transitioned to Tony in 2015.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 2012 -2013 the winery had started to secure some very good grape contracts which was pivotal in their growth.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In 2016-2017 they added some single vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay contracts that helped with their expansion. They also hired Jesse Fox from Ram\u2019s Gate.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Today they make 35 to 40 different wines.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Two labels that feature Quality and Value are Olema and No Curfew.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The Olema brand focus\u2019 on wines made in France and Sonoma County.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In France, they make a Cr\u00e9mant de Loire, a Cotes de Provence Ros\u00e9, and a Loire Sauvignon Blanc at custom crush partners in France.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They visit 1 to 2 times per year to assist with the blending.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">In Sonoma County they make a Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir, and a Cabernet Sauvignon. These wines are made at Clos du Val in their custom crush facility.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Their No Curfew brand is their small production California tier under a screw cap and used as a by the glass pour option.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">600 to 700 tons on average.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They make a Chardonnay, a Pinot Noir, a Red Blend, and a Cabernet Sauvignon.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">At No Curfew, They only have one rule: Stay up for the good parts!<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Because Wine is Fun!<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">A delicious bottle of wine shouldn\u2019t break the bank.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Live every day like Saturday!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The 2025 Sauvignon Blanc<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Comes from the <a href=\"https:\/\/beckstoffervineyards.com\/vineyard\/napa-valley\/melrose\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Melrose Vineyard<\/strong><\/a><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Planted by Duckhorn 33 years ago.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Introduced to Tony by Tom Rinaldi.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Now owned by Beckstoffer.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They use French oak barrels.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The 2023 &#8220;Windsor Ridge&#8221; Chardonnay<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Not a single vineyard site. Instead sourced from the El Dorado and Flora Marie Vineyards.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Both vineyards are on the same ridgeline overlooking Windsor.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They use heavier toasting and new oak barrels.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The 2024 &#8220;Reserve&#8221; Pinot Noir<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Comes from three different vineyards.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Manzana Vineyard (Dutton Ranch), Zio Tony Vineyard (Martinelli), and DZ Vineyard (Flowers Winery)<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They prefer heritage clones. (Calera, Swan, 943, and 777)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Morisoli-Vineyard-Blocks.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-2923\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/Morisoli-Vineyard-Blocks.gif\" alt=\"Morisoli Vineyard\" width=\"250\" height=\"217\" \/><\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/historicvineyardsociety.org\/vineyard\/morisoli-vineyard\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Morisoli Vineyard<\/a><\/strong> Cabernet Sauvignon<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">John Harris (CEO) got them in.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They took Treasury\u2019s vines when they gave them up.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Their grapes come from the <strong>Plinio Mario (PM) Block<\/strong> which is very close to the JJ Cohn Vineyard used by Scarecrow.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beckstoffervineyards.com\/vineyard\/heritage\/missouri-hopper\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Missouri Hopper Vineyard<\/strong><\/a> Cabernet Sauvignon<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Touches Vine Hill Ranch and Harlan.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/beckstoffervineyards.com\/vineyard\/heritage\/to-kalon\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>To Kalon Vineyard<\/strong><\/a> Cabernet Sauvignon<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Schrader gave up their grapes in the C1 Block. Dante grabbed it!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.closduval.com\/cdn\/shop\/files\/ClosDuVal-September2024-82.jpg?v=1754362041&amp;width=900\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Hirondelle Vineyard<\/strong><\/a> Cabernet Sauvignon<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Located in the Stags Leap District.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is a little warmer than Coombsville.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Owned and farmed by Clos du Val.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cimarossa.com\/vineyards-orchards\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Cimarossa Vineyard<\/a><\/strong> Cabernet Sauvignon<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Mia Klein makes wine for the owners.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They only sell to Amici. First vintage was 2019.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Fun fact: A stare contest uninterrupted for 5 minutes led them to selling grapes to Amici.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They share 2 blocks with Mia.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">The growing season here is short. It is the last vineyard to go thru veraison.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">That said, the ripening happens quickly!<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It is a terraced vineyard with lots of soil types.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Their Napa Cabernet Sauvignon will increase in quality in vintages 2024, 2025, and 2026.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">They found and acquired better grapes for it.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Look for it as it will over-deliver!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Vintages \u2013 looking head!<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">2024 &#8211; A classic vintage, but with a smaller crop.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">2025 &#8211; Cooler vintage.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Below is a summary of the wine offerings from Amici that we covered with Dante and Tony. The links below are to our full reviews. If you are interested in ordering and trying these wines, you will find some of these wines via your favorite fine wine shop or on top quality wines lists. You can also find a few online. For example, you can purchase most of these wines on the Amici website. A few wines are available to club members only. All the details can be found on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.amicicellars.com\/wines\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><u>their online store page<\/u><\/strong><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/AMICI_GOLD-LOGO.gif\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-2920\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/11\/AMICI_GOLD-LOGO.gif\" alt=\"Amici Logo\" width=\"300\" height=\"203\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">1) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Amici-2025-Rutherford-Sauvignon-Blanc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Amici 2025 Sauvignon Blanc &#8220;Rutherford&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> $45 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 94<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">2) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Amici-2023-Windsor-Ridge-Chardonnay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Amici 2023 Chardonnay &#8220;Windsor Ridge&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (Sonoma Coast) &#8211; $75 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 93.5<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">3) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Amici-2023-Reserve-Cabernet-Sauvignon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Amici 2024 Pinot Noir &#8220;Reserve&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (Russian River Valley) $75 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 95<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">4) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Amici-2023-Morisoli-Vineyard-Cabernet-Sauvignon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Amici 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon &#8220;Morisoli Vineyard&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (Rutherford) $195 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 96.5<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">5) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Amici-2023-Missouri-Hopper-Cabernet-Sauvignon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Amici 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon &#8220;Missouri Hopper&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (Napa Valley) $250 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 96.5<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">6) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Amici-2023-To-Kalon-Vineyard-Cabernet-Sauvignon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Amici 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon &#8220;To Kalon Vineyard&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (Oakville) $250 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 97<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">7) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Amici-2023-Hirondelle-Vineyard-Cabernet-Sauvignon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Amici 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon &#8220;Hirondelle Vineyard&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (Stags Leap District) $195 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 96<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">8) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Amici-2023-Cimarossa-Vineyard-Cabernet-Sauvignon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Amici 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon &#8220;Cimarossa Vineyard&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> (Howell Mtn) $195 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 97<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong><u>Additional Chappellet Wine Covered In A Subsequent Tasting:<\/u><\/strong><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">9) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Amici-2024-Sonoma-County-Sauvignon-Blanc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Amici 2024 Sauvignon Blanc &#8220;Sonoma County&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> $25 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 92.5<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">10) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Amici-2024-Sonoma-Coast-Chardonnay\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Amici 2024 Chardonnay &#8220;Sonoma Coast&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> $30 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 93<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">11) <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Amici-2024-Russian-River-Pinot-Noir\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amici 2024 Pinot Noir &#8220;Russian River&#8221;<\/a><\/strong> $40 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 93.5<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">12) <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Amici-2023-Napa-County-Cabernet-Sauvignon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Amici 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon &#8220;Napa County&#8221;<\/strong><\/a> $50 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 91.5<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #000000;\">13) <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine_review\/Amici-2023-Reserve-Cabernet-Sauvignon\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Amici 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon &#8220;Reserve&#8221;<\/a><\/strong> $99 (<span style=\"color: #800000;\"><strong>KWGTP 96<\/strong><\/span>)<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\">You can find reviews of past and future Amici wines that we cover on the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/wine.php?winery=2694\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong><u>Amici KWG winery page<\/u><\/strong><\/a> on our website. We hope you enjoy these terrific wines as much as we did. Cheers! \u2013 Ken<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>On Wednesday, August 19, 2026, we interviewed Dante West and Tony Biagi of Amici Cellars. Dante is the winemaker and Tony is the director of winemaking and partner. We covered their 2025 Sauvignon Blanc, a 2023 Chardonnay, and a 2024 \u201cReserve\u201d-level Pinot Noir. In the interview, we got to know Dante and Tony and learned [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2924,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3817,103,1756,1740,2263,18,188,1476,13,3818,3596,203,88,3819,3760,1188,2701,11,1305,2746,2707,123,1759,1306,3820,12,1304,1187,2900,171,102,249,9,138,109,1120,67,1068,105,1647,1302,2734,1256,90,126,8,6,1292,1288],"tags":[3807,3806,1343,3779,1762,2781,848,2762,1768,3792,3814,625,1176,1479,3786,491,3816,3783,3572,3797,3796,3778,3017,1641,2336,3804,3801,3789,3313,3787,3430,2715,3815,3781,779,2709,3810,3793,3791,3492,3798,3802,2812,2780,3799,3788,1837,3323,2247,507,3780,3794,661,3785,3795,1340,3782,492,3808,349,3809,1427,1469,910,518,3811,3813,3784,1124,704,1077,3805,1725,1642,1339,3812,3790,3800,3803],"class_list":["post-2918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-amici-cellars","category-andy-beckstoffer","category-andy-erickson","category-beaulieu-vineyard","category-beckstoffer","category-cabernet-sauvignon","category-cade","category-calera","category-chardonnay","category-cimarossa-vineyard","category-consulting-winemaker","category-duckhorn","category-high-end-wines","category-hirondelle-vineyard","category-historic-vineyard","category-howell-mountain","category-jesse-fox","category-kens-wine-guide-tasting-panel","category-lasseter","category-missouri-hopper-vineyard","category-morisoli-vineyard","category-napa-valley","category-oakville","category-patria","category-patria-wines","category-pinot-noir","category-plumpjack","category-red-wine","category-reserve-wine","category-robert-foley","category-russian-river-valley","category-rutherford","category-sauvignon-blanc","category-scarecrow","category-schrader","category-sonoma-coast","category-sonoma-county","category-stags-leap-district","category-to-kalon","category-tom-rinaldi","category-tony-biagi","category-vinehill-ranch","category-virtual-wine-tasting","category-white-wine","category-wine-ratings","category-wine-recommendations","category-wine-reviews","category-winemaker","category-zoom-wine-tasting","tag-3807","tag-3806","tag-amici","tag-amici-cellars","tag-andy-erickson","tag-arista-winery","tag-beaulieu-vineyard","tag-beckstoffer","tag-bob-foley","tag-bob-shepard","tag-c1-block","tag-cabernet-sauvignon","tag-cade","tag-calera","tag-cape-mentelle-vineyards","tag-chardonnay","tag-cimarossa-vineyard","tag-clos-du-val","tag-consulting-winemaker","tag-cotes-de-provence-rose","tag-cremant-de-loire","tag-dante-west","tag-director-of-winemaking","tag-duckhorn-vineyards","tag-dutton-ranch","tag-dz-vineyard","tag-el-dorado-vineyard","tag-ferren-wines","tag-flora-marie-vineyard","tag-flowers-winery","tag-france","tag-harlan","tag-hirondelle-vineyard","tag-hourglass-winery","tag-howell-mountain","tag-jesse-fox","tag-jj-cohn-vineyard","tag-joel-aiken","tag-john-harris","tag-lasseter-family-winery","tag-loire-sauvignon-blanc","tag-manzana-vineyard","tag-martinelli","tag-matt-courtney","tag-melrose-vineyard","tag-mending-wall-wines","tag-mia-klein","tag-missouri-hopper-vineyard","tag-morisoli-vineyard","tag-napa-valley","tag-neal-family-vineyards","tag-no-curfew-wines","tag-oakville","tag-olema","tag-olema-wines","tag-paraduxx","tag-patria-wines","tag-pinot-noir","tag-plinio-mario-block","tag-plumpjack","tag-pm-block","tag-reserve","tag-russian-river-valley","tag-rutherford","tag-sauvignon-blanc","tag-scarecrow","tag-schrader","tag-sinegal","tag-sonoma-coast","tag-sonoma-county","tag-stags-leap-district","tag-swan","tag-to-kalon-vineyard","tag-tom-rinaldi","tag-tony-biagi","tag-vine-hill-ranch","tag-volterre-wines","tag-windsor-ridge","tag-zio-tony-vineyard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2918"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2918\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2928,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2918\/revisions\/2928"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/2924"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.kenswineguide.com\/blog\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcateg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