90+ Points | Critical Acclaim | Wine & Sparkling Wine

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Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points | The 2022 Gigondas Racines (75% Grenache and the rest Syrah and Cinsault) was mostly destemmed and spent 14 months in foudre. Coming from slightly lower elevation parcels (just beside the estate) and older vines, it's slightly deeper ruby-hued and has a meaty bouquet of black cherries, melted licorice, tapenade, and peppery garrigue. This carries to a more structured, medium to full-bodied, concentrated Gigondas that's going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age.

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Decanter 92 Points | Enticing nose of sweet spices, caramel, prunes, wild forest fruits and herbaceous nuances. Fresh and harmonious, with a lengthy finish. 

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James Suckling 91 Points | A supple, deeply fruity wine that’s generous in blueberry, milk chocolate and black cherry flavors on a full body. Mild tannins keep the texture smooth and easy in this Bordeaux-style red blend that is dominated by cabernet sauvignon.

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James Suckling 92 Points | Very fruity and generous, bursting with cherries, blackberries and raspberries on the nose, and creamy blueberries and strawberries on the palate. Toast, cedar and savory nuances come out with more sips. Full-bodied, long and rich. Rather soft tannins. Drink or hold.

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La Valentina's Bellovedere is the winery's highest expression of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo. It is a single-vineyard wine from the subzone of Terre dei Vestini, in the rolling hills near the Abruzzo coast and the city of Pescara. The Bellovedere is intended to demonstrate the great possibilities of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo, and as such the wine is produced only in the years with great weather conditions and fully mature grapes. The Bellovedere vineyard takes its name from a park in the center of Spoltore with a view of the vineyards and the ridgeline of the Gran Sasso peaks behind, as shown on the label.

• 94 James
  Suckling
• 92 Wine
  Spectator

Winemaker's Description

Our Russian River Selection bottlings are quintessential Russian River Valley wines blended from some of the region’s top vineyards, taking advantage of varied climates and unique site characteristics. The 2022 Russian River Selection Pinot Noir has seductive aromas of Luxardo cherries intertwined with rose petals, fresh fennel, dark berry preserves, and a hint of savory earth. The youthful yet complex palate offers juicy flavors of sour cherries, blood orange, wild raspberries and with a dollop of tangy tamarind. Fine-grained tannins are balanced by firm acidity, creating a full-bodied texture, lending to an incredibly long, spicy finish.

Expert Review 

James Suckling - 92 Points: Bright aromas of dried strawberries, wild raspberries, dried herbs and Jolly Ranchers candy. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannins and acidity, giving fresh flavors of cherry confit, toffee apples and rhubarb.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2018

Vinous 96 Points | The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is impressive. Elegant and poised, the 2018 is a wine of reserve at this stage. Dark red/purplish berry fruit, mint, sage, spice, mocha and dried flowers open first, followed by a kick of vibrant acids that lends notable energy throughout. All this young Cabernet needs is time in the bottle to fully come together. I won't be surprised if it turns out to be a touch more compelling than the 2019 tasted alongside it. Truth be told, both vintages are captivating, but for very different reasons. Superb.

The Wine Advocate 95 Points | Currently being offered to mailing list members as part of a three-vintage pack (2008, 2013, 2018 for $700), the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a killer wine that should continue to drink well for another 15 years or so. It offers up evolved notes of cigar box but remains fresh, with intense redcurrant and cassis still in evidence on the nose. Medium to full-bodied, it's silky, aristocratic in bearing and long on the finish.

Decanter 93 Points | Considerably more depth than the Napa Valley release, although a bit shy on the nose at first. After oxygen exposure, aromas of grilled plums, lilies and roasted peppers frame a black-fruited core. The texture is fantastic, showing off a sweet, rich but classic frame that is both coating and refreshing. Finished with a beautifully earthy, iron-like quality.

Winemaker Description 

Fresh and lively, the wine opens exclusively with raspberry, mint and plum sauce. The baking spices soon follow, leaning clove initially but with plenty of cedar and vanilla. Still subtle, the ripe fruit elements, mostly cassis and fig at this stage, lurk beneath the surface along with beautiful hints of graphite and toasted sage, awaiting additional time in glass. Still very tightly wound, it’s the texture and mouthfeel that drive the palate initially.

The tannins in particular are somewhat coarse but not so angular to overshadow the abundant dark fruit. The dynamic tension on the mid-palate serves to focus and magnify the layers of black cherry, cocoa powder, and black pepper, before turning slightly earthy and dusty.

The structure is pronounced, but still harmonious and well defined. It’s in the transition to the finish that the acidity materializes in almost candy-like fashion, a beautiful contrast to the supple tannins. Here the wine’s density shines elegantly, well balanced between smoky, espresso bean and delicate, dried blackberry. It’s the latter that defines the finish at this moment, persistent in length and depth. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020 

James Suckling 98 Points | Subtle and beautiful on the nose with currants, flowers and light sage aromas that follow through to a full body with ultra-fine tannins and a long and flavorful finish. Extremely polished and poised.

The Wine Spectator 97 Points | Dripping with black currant, blackberry, black cherry, iron and toasty oak flavors, this red is suave and polished. Features flashes of tobacco and wild herbs that add even more detail as this builds to a long, kaleidoscopic finish. Presents civilized tannins that are well-integrated and provide structure. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Cabernet Franc.

The Wine Advocate 96 Points | Inky dark in appearance, the 2020 Solaia is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon with smaller percentages of Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. This vintage unfolds to exuberant richness and thick layers of blackberry and plum. The tannins are sweet and expertly crafted, adding both depth and fruit weight. The 2020 vintage is quite bold, and it plays its best cards in terms of texture and mouthfeel. It’s a bigger, more accessible wine compared to the last two vintages on the market. Spice, toasted coffee bean and more dark fruit color this full-bodied Tuscan red.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

James Suckling 98+ Points | So many beautiful primary fruit aromas. Al dente. Peaches. Very floral. Aromatic. Full-bodied and extremely fine tannins with length and beauty that show incredible depth. Superb brightness and reality. Exciting. Cabernet franc freshness and dynamics come through now, even though the blend is 60% merlot and 40% cabernet franc.

The Wine Advocate 96+ Points | This estate's shift in the direction of gentler extraction and more reductive, less overtly oaky élevage continues, and this extreme vintage only underlines that. Fermented at cool temperatures (20 to 23 degrees Celsius), and with an increasing proportion of the wine's Cabernet Franc component matured in large wooden foudres, the 2022 Angélus wafts from the glass with deep aromas of dark berries and cherries mingled with hints of iris, licorice and pencil lead. Full-bodied, deep and seamless, with a layered core of cool, vibrant fruit, powdery tannins and a long, saline finish, it's a brilliant young wine in the making. The 2022 is a blend of 53% Merlot, 46% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. 

Neal Martin of Vinous writes 95 Points | The 2022 Angélus was cropped at 40hL/ha. It is aged partly in foudres (around half the Cabernet Franc, to be exact) and the remainder in new barrels, the Grand Vin with 14.45% alcohol and 3.65 pH. This takes a few minutes to unfold in the glass. Blackberry, iris petals and crushed stone notes are focused and delineated. There's opulence locked into these aromatics, but that is contained. The palate is medium-bodied with a mineral opening. Graphite and fresh tobacco thread through the layered black fruit, perhaps spicier than recent vintages. A gentle grip on the finish has some wood tannins to resolve, which should be addressed during its élevage. This will need several years in bottle, probably a decade; then I envisage this Saint-Émilion soaring.

Expert Reviews - 2022 Release 

James Suckling writes 99 Points | Sweet-berry, walnut, licorice and violet aromas that follow through to a full body with round, chewy tannins that are polished and beautiful. Notes of iron, too. The tannins are broad and mouth filling, giving a caressing and exciting texture on the palate. If you give this a year to two to soften, it will deliver even greater richness and flavor. A blend of 2008, 2010 and 2011. Great after 2023.

Luis Gutiérrez of the The Wine Advocate writes 98 Points | The NV Único Reserva Especial 2022 Release is a blend of wines from 2008, 2010 and 2011, mostly Tinto Fino with some Cabernet Sauvignon mixing lots from the Único wines from those years. In the past, the blend was older vintages, but now it's wines that are around the same age as the Único. It has the complexity of mixing terroirs, vintages and grapes with parameters very similar to Único, 14.5% alcohol and good balance with a pH of 3.83 and 5.4 grams of acidity (measured in tartaric acid per liter). In the blend, they look for keeping the style of past blends, combining the more aged notes of the older wines and the freshness of the younger ones. I was very pleasantly surprised by the performance of this Reserva Especial, which seems to be going back to the character of the blends from yesteryear, with more finesse, elegance and nuance. This is perfumed, elegant, harmonious and balanced. It has very fine, already polished tannins and integrated acidity. 2008 and 2010 are cooler years, and they seem to give the blend this freshness and elegance. It has all the components, and especially the balance between all of them, to age nicely in bottle. 16,961 bottles and 201 magnums were filled in June 2018.

Winemaker Description 

Unico Reserva Especial bears witness to the past, it pays homage to the history of Spanish wine and their traditions. A non-vintage wine combining the balance between the best vintages and harvests, it faithfully reflects the magic of a legendary land. Unico Reserva Especial 2022 is a blend of the 2008, 2010, and 2011 vintages and a blend of 95 % Tinto Fino (Tempranillo) and 5 % Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine is suitable for drinking now, but it can be aged for up to 40-60 years, if stored in the ideal conditions. It offers an infinite complexity that is gradually revealed, in every sip, the palate immensely silky and elegant. A true work of art!

Expert Review - Vintage 2021

The Wine Advocate 92 Points | The 2021 ÀN/2 was produced with 65% Callet, 20% Fogoneu and Mantonegro and 15% Syrah. It fermented in 4,000-liter oak vats and concrete and matured in French (60%), American (30%) and Central European (10%) barrels for 12 months. It has a moderate 13% alcohol and a pH of 3.51, with a bright ruby color and a nose with notes of smoky bacon and violets, with less influence from the barrels, which is more evident in the palate but does not overwhelm. It feels fresher than previous years.

Winemaker Description 

ÀN/2 is a perfect introduction to the wines of Mallorca. This unique red is made from old vine Callet, Mantonegre-Fogoneu and Syrah fermented in a combination of stainless steel and concrete—macerated only briefly to retain the freshness and flavors of the fully ripe fruit.

Aged for just over one year in a combination of 80% French barriques and 20% American oak.

Expert Review - Vintage 2012

International Wine Cellar 92 Points | Bright red. Intense red fruit and blood orange scents are underscored by dusty mineral and spice notes. On the palate, taut redcurrant, strawberry and raspberry favors gain sweetness and flesh with aeration. Sexy oak spices build on the finish, which features silky tannins and an echo of fresh red berries. There's 70% new oak here and it expresses itself by spiciness, not vanilla or mocha.

There are no superlatives sufficient for the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Romanée-Conti Grand Cru Monopole 2015. The sole property of the DRC estate, the Romanée-Conti vineyard — a mere 1.8 hectares in the heart of Vosne-Romanée, Côte de Nuits — produces what many consider the greatest wine on earth. The 2015 vintage, harvested from vines averaging 56 years of age, has earned perfect 100-point scores from both Decanter and Wine Advocate, cementing its place among the most extraordinary bottles ever produced. Only 403 cases were made.

Domaine de la Romanée-Conti

Founded in the 18th century and owned jointly by the Leroy and de Villaine families, Domaine de la Romanée-Conti is the most celebrated wine estate in the world. Farming entirely by biodynamic principles, with yields among the lowest in Burgundy, DRC produces wines of transcendent complexity from the greatest Grand Cru vineyards of the Côte de Nuits — Romanée-Conti, La Tâche, Richebourg, Romanée-Saint-Vivant, Grands-Échézeaux, and Échézeaux. The Romanée-Conti vineyard itself is a monopole — owned exclusively by DRC — and its wine is produced in quantities so small that it remains one of the most sought-after and collected bottles in existence.

Critical Acclaim — 2015 Vintage

100 Points — Decanter: "Aromatic fireworks of ripe red and black fruits, toast, spice and a note of decadent perfume lead into a complex palate showing pristine flavours of ripe raspberry, dark cherry, spice, cream and minerals. Lavishly upholstered by sweet, dense filigree tannins and buoyed by fine acidity — the opulent texture and presence of this wine is beyond remarkable. Arguably the ultimate terroir wine, this 2015 is also the epitome of truly great Pinot Noir. Drinking Window 2025–2060."

100 Points — Wine Advocate: "Opening to reveal a bouquet of kaleidoscopic complexity, notes of raspberry and red plum mingling with rose petal, peony, blood orange and spice. Silky, medium to full-bodied and stunningly complete, its supremely elegant tannins entirely cloaked in pristinely delicate red fruit. Despite its incredible concentration and persistence, this Romanée-Conti is utterly weightless, and its effortless harmony and unremitting finish preclude any argument about its benchmark quality."

99 Points — Burghound (Allen Meadows): "Sometimes, try as I might, words fail to communicate adequately those few transcendent experiences where a wine is just so amazing that it's impossible to capture it. The breathtakingly beautiful nose reveals an exotically broad range of highly perfumed floral, spice, tea and incense-like nuances. The opulently textured, concentrated and equally mineral-driven flavors accentuate the perfumed character of the nose — the finish lasted for seemingly several days."

98 Points — Vinous: "Enters the mouth like liquid velvet, expanding to show an incredible 3-D texture and great depth to its soil-inflected flavors of flowers, spices, mocha, underbrush and savory minerality. This utterly seamless, spherical wine saturates the entire palate like a thunderstorm breaking out across a wide front. Should easily evolve positively for three decades or more."

Tasting Profile

Profound and ethereal. The nose is a kaleidoscope of ripe raspberry, dark cherry, rose petal, peony, blood orange, spice, toast, and incense. On the palate it is simultaneously opulent and weightless — liquid velvet with a 3-D texture, pristine red fruit, savory minerality, and filigree tannins of extraordinary finesse. The finish is seemingly endless. A wine that defies description.

Details

2015 | Pinot Noir | Romanée-Conti Grand Cru Monopole, Vosne-Romanée, Côte de Nuits, Burgundy, France | AOC Romanée-Conti | 750ml | 403 cases produced

Provenance & Cellaring

Harvested 10 September 2015. Bottled 22 March 2017. Drinking window 2025–2060. Store at 55°F in a dark, vibration-free environment. Decant 2–3 hours minimum if opening now. A wine for the ages — patience will be extraordinarily rewarded.

Expert Review - Vintage 2021

Allen Meadows of Burghound writes 91 Points | There is a touch of post-bottling reduction, but the underlying fruit seems to be ripe. On the palate there is excellent freshness and verve to the utterly delicious medium-bodied flavors that also exude a more prominent minerality on the beautifully textured, long and well-balanced finish that is shaped by notably fine-grained tannins. This is also lovely and a wine that should be approachable in its youth yet repay up to a decade of keeping, perhaps even slightly more.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2022

Charles Curtis MW of Decanter Magazine writes 94 Points | Lucie Coutoux explained that although La Maltroie and Champgains (as they spell it) are roughly the same elevations on the band of premier crus, there is more limestone in Champgains that gives a bigger wine. In 2022, this shows ripe notes of passionfruit and lime peel with an accent of hazelnut and hay. The texture is supple and rich, almost fat, but pleasantly so. The grapes are from the domaine's parcel of 0.44 hectares at the top of the slope. Drinking Window: 2027-2050.

Jasper Morris of Inside Burgundy writes 92 Points | A glowing pale lemon yellow. There is a clear white fruit charm to this, a little more chiselled than the softly welcoming Chenevottes, with a limestone length and purity at the finish. Drink from 2027-2032.

Allen Meadows of Burghound writes 91 Points | This is aromatically similar to the Maltroie though with evident floral elements. There is slightly better volume and mid-palate density to the delicious and caressing but punchy medium weight flavors that possess a healthy amount of sappy dry extract while exhibiting better overall depth and persistence. This too should be approachable young but easily repay mid-term keeping.

Expert Review -  Vintage 2021

Jasper Morris, MW of Inside Burgundy writes 96-98 Points | Fractionally denser in colour than Clos St-Denis with a meatier bouquet, some blood orange as well as the traditional blueberry of this vineyard. A little white pepper comes up. This is brilliantly complete, no feeling of a lighter vintage, with superb grace at the finish. Ripe alpine strawberries. 76% whole bunches. Drink from 2030-2038. 

Christy Canterbury, MW of TimAtkin.com writes 97 Points |  Spicy and smoky on the nose, tangy red currants and raspberries soak into the palate. The tingly acidity makes you sit up straight! The mulberry and açai flavors on the palate are complemented by lively minty lift. Dense and structured, this has mercifully eternal length. This beautifully expresses its structuring terroir and the vivid freshness of the vintage.

Neal Martin of Vinous writes 96 Points | The 2021 Clos-de-la-Roche Grand Cru comes from five lieux-dits. This was slightly more reduced than the Clos Saint-Denis, dark berry fruit, briary; a faint touch of seaweed emerges with time. The palate is medium-bodied with finely-sculpted tannins, harmonious and tensile, again, discretely building with a transparent, lightly peppered finish that lingers in the mouth. Excellent. Drink: 2026-2050. 

Charles Curtis, MW of Decanter writes 96 Points | This wine is a contender for best in class and one of the very best of the vintage across all appellations. The colour is a fairly deep ruby hue, and the wine displays a lovely ripe plummy fruit with accents of mineral, cigar wrapper and earth on the nose. The texture is initially silky and approachable, but with time one sees that this is a powerful wine with lots of tannin behind that; it is a wine built for ageing. This wine has it all. Drinking Window: 2027-2050. 

John Gilman 95 Points | The 2021 Clos de la Roche from Domaine Dujac is also an outstanding young wine. The beautifully complex nose offers up scents of red and black cherries, plums, chocolate, mustard seed, venison, sweet stem tones, a marvelous base of soil and cedary oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and complex, with fine depth at the core, good soil undertow, ripe, buried tannins and a long, impeccably balanced and vibrant finish. Outstanding juice in the making. 2037-2100. 

William Kelley of The Wine Advocate  writes 93-95 Points | More brooding than the Clos Saint-Denis, Dujac's 2021 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru opens in the glass with aromas of dark berries, cherries, sweet forest floor and baking spices. Full-bodied, layered and muscular, with impressive concentration and a long, rose-inflected finish, it's another of the range's high-points. 

Allen Meadows of Burghound writes 92-95 Points | from a 1.95 ha holding in 5 different climats). This is also aromatically quite pretty with markedly floral-suffused aromas of poached plum, black cherry and a touch of green tea. There is both fine volume and energy to the powerful yet highly seductive medium weight plus flavors that culminate in a dusty, firm and youthfully austere finale. This is quite compact yet balanced and it stands a very good chance of being excellent in time. Drink: 2036+. 

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2021

Jasper Morris 94-96 Points | Darkish purple colour. The nose is too reduced to speak at first, but the red fruit powers on through. The palate has everything it really should, with a level of energy and waves of fruit over and above the delightful Beaux Monts. Just the right acidity to finish. Drink from 2027-2035. 

Tim Atkin 95 Points | This is the smallest cuvée of Malconsorts that Dujac has made from these vines planted in 1995, in 1976 and in the 1960s. It is a bit cranky now with notable reduction and edgy, leafy freshness. However, the structure is marvelous thanks to the tangy acidity and creamy, lush tannins. Whole cluster spice, ripe red cherries and tobacco fill up the long finish. Give this a few years.

Vinous 94 Points | The 2021 Vosne-Romanée Aux Malconsorts 1er Cru has a very appealing, well-defined and poised bouquet with slightly leafy red fruit tones and a touch of dried blood in the background. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins. It's much more "classic" and drier in style than the 2022, yet I appreciate the structure on the finish. This doesn't quite reach the level I expected from barrel, but it will give at least a decade of drinking pleasure. 

Wine Advocate 92-94 Points | Aromas of dark berries, smoked duck, spices and petals preface Dujac's 2021 Vosne-Romanée 1er Cru Aux Malconsorts, a medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy wine that's structured and compact, standing out as one of the most backward, but also among the most promising, cuvées in the cellar.

Expert Review

The Wine Advocate 91 Points | My favorite of the three tawnys reviewed in this segment is the 20 Year Old Tawny. It offers an amber color, a spicy, tobacco, cedary, smoky, complex nose, dense, rich flavors that belie the color's aged, feeble look, and an expansive personality. It is a classic example of how delicious and complex a 20 year old tawny port can be. Tawny ports are aged in wood from essentially a solera system for the number of years indicated on the bottle. In most cases I prefer the younger ten or twenty year Tawnys to the ancient forty to fifty year old wines, but it is really a matter of taste. I tend to like more fruit rather than the oxidized and aged characteristics of the very old tawnys. 

Winemaker Description 

Expert Review - Vintage 2020

Michael Alberty of The Wine Enhusiast writes 94 Points | Caffè latte, cranberry and lilac aromas make for a heck of an introduction. Then comes the wave of blackberry, rosemary, tarragon and English breakfast tea flavors—delicious. This wine features the sturdiest tannins this side of a tannery, so be prepared to offer it a little air. Enjoy now until 2034. 

Expert Review - Vintage 2019

Decanter 96 Points | This wine is among the best village-level Monthelies that I can remember. Coche produces it from his 0.3ha of south-facing vines in the village and some purchased fruit (which accounts for 15% of the total). The super-ripe cherry fruit is adorned with rose petal and licorice notes, and firm tannins and crisp acidity back up the pretty aromas. Perfect for drinking now for the fruit, or for mid-term ageing. Drinking Window 2025 - 2040.

John Gilman 92+ Points | The 2019 Monthélie “Côte de Beaune” from Domaine Coche-Dury is another beautifully sappy bottle in the making, with a more black fruity personality than the Auxey-Duresses. The nose jumps from the glass in an expressive blend of plums, black cherries, espresso, pigeon, bonfire, a lovely base of dark soil tones and a deft touch of new oak. On the e palate the wine is pure, full-bodied and already nicely plush on the attack, with a sappy core of fruit, fine soil signature, ripe, fine-grained tannins and a long, complex and beautifully balanced finish. Fine, fine juice.

Vinous 91 Points | The 2019 Monthélie Village is a little more backward on the nose compared to the Auxey-Duresses, well defined but just a bit timid at the moment. The palate is medium-bodied with firm tannin, nicely structured with dark berry fruit towards the finish. (NM)

Winemaker Description 

The 2024 growing season for the San Luis Obispo Coast was marked by higher-than-average rainfall and a notably cooler spring. The wet winter and early spring precipitation replenished water reserves, providing a strong foundation for vine growth. The cooler temperatures in spring delayed bud break, pushing the season back slightly compared to typical years. As temperatures gradually warmed in late spring and early summer, the vines caught up, and overall growth was robust, however the cool spring inhibited the vines production and yields were slightly lower than average. The summer months experienced moderate heat, which helped in developing the grapes’ flavors while maintaining good acidity.

Flavors of vibrant raspberry and the subtle herbaceousness of dried oregano with delicate notes of oak that give a hint of toasted marshmallow.

Drawing on our 50+ years of experience at Cakebread Cellars, we craft Central Coast wines as complex and charismatic as the people who share them. Who says your everyday glass can’t be extraordinary, too?

In jewelry making, a bezel is the grooved setting that secures a gem or watchface in place. The name speaks to the craftsmanship behind every bottle of Bezel wine – the skill, precision and experience we’ve honed through 50 years of winemaking at Cakebread, and brought to the Central Coast.

Our winemaking mission is simple, though the resulting wines complex: Seek the best grapes from the West Coast’s finest vineyards and let that region’s personality shine through in each wine. Winemaker Jane Dunkley chased her passion for world-class winemaking all the way from her native Australia to Portugal, Italy and finally, the Central Coast of California.

Today she lives, works and breathes in the same spectacular spots as the grapes she crushes for Bezel. Jane’s on-the-ground knowledge of Paso Robles and the SLO Coast builds on the Cakebread team’s deep expertise to make Bezel wines the dynamic, distinctive individuals they are.

Our Pinot Noir from California’s San Luis Obispo Coast is deep and thoughtful, with layers that are well worth getting to know. Ripe plum, black cherry, and raspberry reach out first, with a whisper of cedar and a wink of baking spice. This California Pinot pairs well with others – especially the ones you love.

Expert Review - Vintage 2023

James Suckling 95 Points | A very pretty red with blackberry, black-cherry, flint and crushed-stone aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with a firm, focused tannin structure under the poised fruit. Long and caressing. Complex and crunchy. Drink or hold.

The Wine Advocate 91 Points | The 2023 Cabernet Franc Magdalena Vineyard boasts slightly darker-hued fruit than the regular bottling, with the aromas tending toward black raspberries and black cherries. At the same time, it's perhaps a bit less leafy but still reasonably floral. In the mouth, the wine is medium- to full-bodied and silky-textured, with soft tannins that linger on the finish.

Winemaker Description 

Our single-vineyard iteration of our pillar red variety, Cabernet Franc, with more weight and structure than our traditional version. This fruit hails from a two-and-a-half-acre block within our Magdalena Vineyard- a warmer site which produces fruit that is amongst our ripest picks in each vintage. This additional development yields bold tannins up front which advance into red fruit transitioning to purple; black cherries, red plums, holiday seasoned cranberries. Texture, depth, and freshness are found in green flavors and garden soil earthiness, thanks to the rain of the earlier part of the '23 vintage. A drier and hotter fall is to thank for the counterbalancing fruit and composition.

Upon release, this Cab Franc has youthful muscularity to it, and has been destined to cellar beautifully. Drink now through 2038.

Perfect for pairing with rosemary roasted Parsnips and Lollipop Lamb Chops or Maple Roasted Butternut Squash with Pomegranate Seeds and Pepitas.

Memo Summary Notes

The Hermann J. Wiemer Cabernet Franc "Magdalena Vineyard" 2023 is a standout single-vineyard red from arguably the most prestigious estate in the Finger Lakes. While the winery is world-famous for Riesling, their Magdalena Vineyard—a warmer, 2.5-acre site on the western shores of Seneca Lake—is known for producing the region's most "serious," age-worthy Cabernet Franc.

The 2023 vintage is a significant release, as it was recently highlighted by James Suckling as one of the top-scoring New York reds ever tasted.

Pair with - Meats: Roast pork belly with sweet soy, lollipop lamb chops, or a classic steak with arugula and Parmigiano. 

• Vegetarian: Maple-roasted butternut squash with pomegranate seeds or a hearty lentil soup.

• Service: This is a "serious" red; decant for 30 minutes to let the flinty mineral and tobacco notes emerge from the primary fruit.

Expert Reviews - Vintage 2020

Jeb Dunnuck 94 Points |  The 2020 Chardonnay Sanford & Benedict Vineyard (20% new French oak) has a touch of chamomile in its perfumed aromatics of golden apple, honeyed toast, spice, and subtle green almonds. Complex and nuanced aromatically, it's medium-bodied on the palate, has high yet nicely integrated acidity, terrific balance, and outstanding length.

91 Wine Spectator | Displays wonderful density, offering nectarine and lemon sorbet notes at the core, with a touch of salted, roasted almond. This white shows a hint of crunchy sea salt, with lemon verbena and lemon blossom aromatics. Firming acidity adds a refreshing punctuation point. Drink now. 331 cases made

Producer Description 

This Sanford & Benedict Chardonnay is bright, beautifully layered, and nuanced. Meyer lemon, candle wax, and cut straw all grace this very savory Chardonnay. Orange marmalade, stone fruits, and chamomile work seamlessly with the rich textures on the palate. This wine is natural with richer dishes and even light game.

Expert Review - Vintage 2021 

Luis Gutierrez of the Wine Advocate 96 Points | The 2021 Pegaso Granito has a very clean nose and comes through as very approachable, with an elegant personality. They picked all grapes together (there were some unripe grapes) and fermented it all together. The wine has a medium-bodied palate, the granularity of the tannins is extremely small, and it has a very fine mineral sensation. It has incredible elegance and finesse, with lifted aromatics, high-pitched, acute, fine-boned and with the frontal tannins from the granite soils.

Producer Description 

Cebreros is both the name of the village and the appellation of origin in the southeast of the province of Ávila, within the greater Sierra de Gredos region, the mountainous area located on the continental divide of Spain. The region is unspoiled, wild, rustic, full of energy and light, and as authentic as it gets. It is a transitional zone where northern Spain gives way to southern Spain. The wines from the Sierra de Gredos mountains to the west of Madrid (aka Vinos de Madrid) have finally begun to claim their rightful place alongside other top wine regions focused on producing world-class garnacha. For many insiders, the region is now leading the conversation about this Mediterranean garnacha grape, now understood to be indigenous to Spain. 

Whole clusters are picked by hand in small boxes, with a strict selection made in the vineyard. The clusters are de-stemmed, crushed, and fermented spontaneously with native yeasts in stainless steel tanks and large neutral French oak foudres. The wine is then aged for 18 months in new and used 600L French oak barrels sourced from different forests.

Expert Review - Vintage 2021

The Wine Advocate Luis Gutierrez writes 97 Points | From the vines on the mid slope and has a very elegant, fragrant nose with notes of concentrated violet and a solid palate. The slate tannins give a talcum powder texture, and the wine opens up in the mid-palate, making it very expansive. In the long term, it seems like the slate gives a better palate and the granite is more nose.…This has the combination of the cooler year and the resilience of the slate soils, coming through as complex and elegant, powerful and concentrated but with an ethereal side to it too. Bravo!

Producer Description 

The Pizarra vineyards are found on red metamorphic slate soils, which are unique to the village of Cebreros, folded into the mostly granitic mountain range. This slate soil makes Cebreros unlike any other village within the Sierra de Gredos region. Pizarra soil is located above 950 meters, up to 1200 meters, mainly with an eastern orientation. 

The wines from here have a signature expression: they are always fresh, complex, direct, and profound. Pizarra is a limited production wine produced from over 60-year-old, bush-trained garnacha vines, yielding 15hl/ha from the vineyards of Arrebatacapas, La Redonda, La Curva, Fuente Fabian, and Presidente. The farming at Pegaso is organic, and the wines are made with low intervention and minimal sulfur at bottling.

La Framboisière has been one of Domaine Faiveley's monopoles since 1933, producing wines of remarkable character: intense red fruit aromas, pleasant minerality, and a silky elegance that reflects the soul of Mercurey. The estate's vat house is named after this iconic parcel, a testament to its enduring importance.

Vineyard
Varietal: Pinot Noir
Vines Planted: 1962, 1978, 1981
Total Area: 10.61 ha
Exposure: South-East
Soil: Clay-limestone
Viticulture: Undergoing Organic Conversion

Vinification
Fermentation: Partial whole cluster with twice-daily pumpovers; 15–19 day vatting
Aging: 12 months in French oak, 10% new
Fining & Filtration: Unfined; light lenticular filtration
Alcohol: 13%

Tasting Notes
Old vines over thirty years of age yield an exceptionally aromatic wine. The nose opens with pretty, airy notes of redcurrant and raspberry. On the palate, a smooth, fruity attack evolves toward ripe red berries, orange rind, and a touch of allspice, with silky tannins and a fresh, lively finish.

Vinous 89 

Expert Review

The Wine Advocate 90 Points | The non-vintage Fino offers up aromas and flavors of sea salt and roasted nuts. It is excellent as an aperitif or as an accompaniment to sushi. 

Expert Review

Expert Review

Wine Spectator 89 Points | There's a richness here offsetting the firm structure, but the iodine and roasted walnut notes shine on the finish. Caramel, burnt molasses and tobacco round out the flavor spectrum. Drink now. 1,750 cases made.

Winemaker Description 

Mahogany colour with iodine tinged edges. Strong and nutty, with hints of varnish, caramel and vanilla. Very dry, well-rounded structure, with faint hints of saline, a slightly bitter and long- lasting finish.