Reviews

The 2022 The Surrealist is 60% Cabernet Sauvignon and 40% Petit Verdot from vineyards in St. Helena and Rutherford. Silky and aromatic, the 2022 is racy to the core. Lifted floral overtones soar out of the glass. This mid-weight, flamboyant red has a ton to offer. This is such a distinctive wine.

The 2022 The Charmer is a blend of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, pretty much all from Oakville. It offers up a beguiling mix of black cherry, plum, chocolate, leather, licorice and incense. This fleshy, opulent red packs a tremendous punch.

The 2022 Cabernet Franc No. 17 is 100% Cabernet Franc, mostly from St. Helena, with a touch of Oakville. It offers an intriguing mix of varietal aromatics and ripe 2022 vintage fruit, all dialed up in classic JCB style.

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Phi is a blend of the No. 1 and No. 10 Cabernets. Pliant and creamy, the 2022 offers up copious dark red cherry fruit, plum, blood orange, spice and a kiss of French oak. It's a powerful, dense, overt wine.

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon No.10 is loaded with dark cherry fruit, spice, new leather, mocha and licorice. Floral overtones brighten a deep core of super-ripe fruit. Silky in feel, this is a very good wine for the year. - Antonio Galloni

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon No.1 is packed with dark cherry, plum, leather, spice and menthol. This deep, fleshy Cabernet packs a serious punch. Graphite, gravel, cured meats, incense, tobacco and scorched earth linger on the finish.

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Wappo Hill emerges from Jean-Charles Boisset's home vineyard. Deep, layered and vibrant, the 2022 is wonderfully explosive right out of the gate. Blackberry, sage, menthol, lavender and licorice burst from the glass. Bruising tannins need time to soften, but this is a commendable effort for the year.

A bright yellow color, the 2014 Champagne Grand Cru Gala Brut is entirely Chardonnay from the Grand Cru village of Chouilly in the Côte des Blancs and was aged in the cellar for seven years prior to release. Layered aromas of fresh pineapple, lemon confit, honeysuckle, and croissant are followed by a palate that packs in loads of intensity and richness and is full without feeling heavy or cloying. Offering a pillowy mousse, even, fresh acidity, and a long, rounded finish, it’s impressive and concentrated and is going to offer a wide drinking window over the coming 8-10 years. - Audrey Frick

An elegant, almost delicate wine that is nonetheless full-bodied, distinctive and memorable. It's creamy in texture, but backed by vibrant acidity that lifts the crisp apple and ripe pear flavors. Accents of vanilla bean, buttercream, baking spices and lemon zest. Drink or hold. - Jim Gordon

A really exciting, densely concentrated wine that's vibrant, elegant and linear. Made from some of the coolest sites in coastal Sonoma County, it has a freshness and lift that's very appetizing. Aged in 50% new French barrels, it's lively, spicy and velvety on the palate, with excellent depth and also length in the finish. Drink or hold. - Jim Gordon