The UK, after all, is the second-largest export market for the fourth-biggest wine producing region (after France, Italy and Spain) in the world. And, in terms of value, American wine (the vast majority of it Californian) is easily the biggest US agricultural product imported into the UK, accounting for around 15% of total US agricultural exports, according to the Wine Institute of California.
And yet, surprise was a repeated theme when the judges for this year’s California Collection convened after they’d finished tasting through their flights of several dozen California wines (all of them exclusive to the UK’s independent sector) earlier this year. Time and again, the judges, all of them experienced independent wine merchants, and some of them specialists in California wine, expressed surprise at what they’d tasted. There was surprise at price. Many of the judges were happy to find good-quality wines at the sort of mid-range price points where California – with its reputation as a provider of successful mass-market brands and some of the world’s most in-demand, high-priced fine wines – is sometimes assumed to be weak: the £10-to-£20 and £20-to-£30 brackets provided many of the judges’ most highly rated wines in this year’s final selection of 50 wines, with many more only narrowly missing the cut.
No less significantly, there was surprise at California’s stylistic range, and the quality found in each style and grape variety. As the Collection line-up presented over the following pages shows, our judges were very impressed by the increasingly confident cool-climate winemaking represented by many of the Chardonnays and Pinot Noirs. But they were also reminded of how good Californian winemakers are at what might be regarded as their traditional strengths. That might be the “fatter, richer style” of Chardonnay which, as Holly Willcocks of Half Cut Wines says, “you don’t find elsewhere”. Or it might be the “more full-bodied reds” – the Cabernet and Zinfandel – that “pleasantly surprised” Sarah Hatton and Virginia Myers of Tenaya Wine, for example. Further stereotype-busting fun could be found in the very presence of wines made from such diverse and unusual grapes as Albariño, Picpoul, Grenache Blanc, Viognier, Trousseau, Petite Sirah and Carignan, while a variety that has fallen from fashion’s frontline, Merlot, was responsible, either on its own or as part of a blend, for some of the highest-scoring wines in the tasting.
The variety – of price point, style and grape variety – is the product of a winemaking scene that has never been more vibrantly diverse, with the producers responsible for the 50 California Collection wines ranging from hipster micro negociants and historic small family producers sourcing from single vineyards to quality-conscious large producers working with growers across the state.
Collectively these producers are changing outdated perceptions of California wine, although not everything they do is a surprise. As Emily Silva, of the Oxford Wine Company, said of her flights, “I was hoping and expecting to taste some delicious wines and that is what happened.” In this way, at least, California is only too predictable.
Given the size of its production, and its long-established position as one of the leading suppliers of wine to the UK, it’s remarkable that California still has the capacity to surprise British wine merchants and drinkers.
Holly Willcocks
Half Cut Market
london
Virginia Myers & Sarah Hatton
Tenaya Wine
Sheffield
Rachel Gilbert
Pacific Wines
London
Emily Silva
Oxford Wine Company
Oxford
Duncan Gammie
The Wee Vinoteca
Hitchin
Jaime Fernandez
Vino Vero
Leigh-on-Sea
Chardonnay
California
Enotria&Coe
Cannonball founder Yoav Gilat spotted a gap in the market for affordable, high-quality California classic varietal wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Chardonnay before launching Cannonball to fill the gap in 2006. Since then, the company, which sources top-notch fruit from a range of grower contracts across the state, has grown to supply wine to 47 US states and 30 export destinations. Our judges could see why. “Lemon meringue pie and some tropical fruit; very Californian but with good balance; attractive, with wide appeal – nice label.”
Anderson Valley Ellis Wines
As the name suggests (“Copain” is French for friend) there is a decidedly Gallic influence at this Russian River Valley-based estate. Single-vineyard, or singleappellation Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah is the name of the jeu, and our judges were thoroughly impressed with the way Copain play it, with three slots in the Collection 50, among them this Anderson Valley Chardonnay. “Big, smoky richness, with fresher notes of melon and peach; great balance between mineral freshness and rich texture. Great branding; delicious wine.”
California Propeller
New York-based wine and spirits importer and supplier T Edwards is the name behind Norton Ridge, a project that draws on close relationships with growers in Napa and Sonoma to make, in the company’s words, “straightforward, food-friendly wines”. Our judges thought there was a little more to this unoaked Chardonnay than that, however. “Fun and striking label; toasty nose – lots of croissant and biscuit. Chantilly cream, butter, pineapple, apricot, red apple, lemon curd, jasmine. Floral, with delicate but precise flavour characteristics. Classily integrated lees and acidity.”
Monterey
Hallgarten & Novum Wines
The Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes grown by the Fanscioni family in northern Monterey are much in demand among the region’s top vintners. The family’s 290ha of cool-climate, sustainable vineyards at the foot of the Galiban Mountains is also the source of the fine wines they make under their own Old Stage label – with this skilfully oaked Chardonnay charming the California Collection judges with its “ripe Meyer lemon, peach cobbler and butterscotch flavours, and its lovely weight, structure, well balanced acidity, and long finish”.
Russian River Valley
Enotria&Coe
Patz & Hall has been working with its roster of highprofile growers for three decades now, with long-term partnerships enabling them to work closely to provide wines with strong sub-regional identity. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are the focus, with this classic Russian River Chardonnay from the Dutton Ridge vineyard coming in an “appealingly traditional bottle. Upfront on the nose, it has lots of banana and tropical fruit, and lots of vanilla-oak but with freshness that makes it all so well integrated and pleasurable to drink.”
Sommelier and writer Rajat Parr and winemaker Sashi Moorman were two of the biggest stars to graduate from California’s trailblazing 2010s In Pursuit of Balance movement. And their graceful winemaking imprint is very much in evidence on this Chardonnay from their Sandhi collaboration in Santa Barbara. Drawing as ever from partner growers with small plots in the cool-climate Central Coast, it has, our judges said, “energetic acidity, notes of pineapple, and ocean-mist minerality. An elegant and stunning wine – and we love the label, too.”
Richard Sanford and his partner Michael Benedict planted their pioneering Sanford & Benedict vineyard in the cool of the Santa Rita Hills in 1971. Now owned and run by Terlato, the Sanford wines produced from the 52-year-old vineyard and its 20-year-old neighbour La Rinconada are regularly ranked among California’s elegant best – including by our panel. “Beautiful nose of pear and white peach, spiced oak, toast and yeast; lean minerality; gentle smoothness, well balanced, and a lovely label.”
Sourced from a vineyard separated from the Pacific Ocean by a chain of hills in the San Bernabe AVA, this Chardonnay shows off the classic Monterey balance of cool freshness and fruit, with a 20% portion aged in new and used French oak for six months providing extra depth and complexity. “Bright and fun with a lime skin quality as well as fresh green apple,” the judges said. “Really like that citrussy fresh vibe with just a touch of creaminess – really good value.”
Planted in the late 1990s, Solomon Hills, the coolest vineyard in the cool Santa Maria Valley, has quickly established itself as one of the best places to grow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in California. The vineyard benefits from a constant maritime influence, which is harnessed here for “a wine thoroughly deserving of the price tag. The ripe tang of lime curd and bite of green apple, but with underlying smoothness that only comes from winemakers that know their Chardonnay. A seriously impressive wine.”
One of the original Rhône Rangers, the singular and ever-adventurous Bonny Doon founder and winemaker Randall Grahm has always ploughed his own furrow, and here he comes up with his unique take on Picpoul, a variety that is rarely seen outside its Languedoc home. Blended with 10% Grenache Blanc, it has “bright notes of lemon and lime from the Picpoul balanced by juicy stone fruit from the Grenache,” our judges said. “Great balance between freshness and texture; an attractively understated label and really good value.”
Santa Lucia Highlands, Roberson
Sommelier-turned-winemaker Graham Tatomer honed his winemaking skills during a spell in Austria, where he worked as assistant winemaker at legendary Wachau producer Emmerich Knoll. Since setting up on his own in California in 2006, he has established himself as one of the USA’s leading Riesling producers. The Steinhügel has a “graceful, floral almost rose-petal Muscat-type nose. It is beautifully done, so pretty and balanced, with lovely ripeness but a feathery feel, and loads of racy Riesling acid in place. All very accomplished.”
Given the consistent quality of Trefethen’s dry Riesling each vintage, it’s hard to understand why the variety has never really taken hold in Napa. Experience certainly helps: Trefethen produced its first Riesling wine in 1974 and, according to our judges, the latest 2021 vintage is as good as ever. “Super fresh, pretty nose with just a hint of petrol. Light spritz to start but opens to a lush mouthfeel with good acidity. There’s an appealingly classical look to the bottle, too.”
Napa Valley
Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies
One of Napa’s most celebrated producers certainly lived up to its reputation at this year’s California Collection tasting, with three wines in the final Top 50. The oak-aged Sauvignon Blanc was a standout. “Highly aromatic but also slightly steely, this is really complex with aromas of crisp apple, sea salt, smoke, struck match, dried mango and lychee. Racing acidity, and lots of citrus characters, plus spices such as cardamom from the oak and an exciting, ever-changing, long finish.”
Santa Barbara County
Viognier 2021
Santa Barbara County
Hallgarten & Novum Wines
Andrew Murray swapped palaeontology for oenology after falling in love with Syrah and Viognier on a trip to the Rhône as a student. More than 40 years later he’s become one of California’s leading practitioners of both varieties at his eponymous winery in Santa Ynez. “Very well balanced – a tough thing to achieve with Viognier. Refreshing levels of acidity and restrained alcohol are worth paying the extra for. Notes of lime, peach and nectarine with a clean, steely finish. Very enjoyable.”
Adelaida District, Paso Robles
Liberty Wines
A joint venture between the Perrin family (of Châteauneuf-du-Pape’s Château de Beaucastel among other Rhône ventures) and the Haas family of US importer Vineyard Brands, Tablas Creek has been demonstrating just how good Rhône varieties can be in Paso Robles for more than 30 years now. This Roussanne-led blend with Grenache Blanc and Picpoul has “a hint of citrus freshness leading into a medley of stone and tropical fruit. Great textural weight, but with enough acidity to balance. A great wine.”
I was pleasantly surprised by the number of unusual wines from different grape varieties I had in my flights. They were really great to taste, although I have to say the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir wines were the most successful for me.
I really, really liked the Pinots as a category. There was a vibrancy and levity about them that was just beautiful, fresh winemaking … the vibrancy and freshness and earthiness that I can’t get enough of. I just love it so much! Since nobody can afford Burgundy anymore, Californian wines are starting to look like value for money, which I never thought I’d say.
We’ve increased our listings of California wine significantly over the past 18 months, and sales for December 2022 were almost double December 2021 – it’s been really big. We have 40 to 50 SKUs, leaning heavily towards the premium end; we’re also hoping to find a Californian Chardonnay or Pinot under £15. I definitely tried a few things in this tasting that would fit into the range, and a few things that I was so happy I tasted, but, because of the price, I don’t know if I could justify it.
“I was hoping and expecting to taste some delicious wines and that is what happened.”
Emily Silva, Oxford Wine Company
I really, really liked the Pinots as a category. There was a vibrancy and levity about them that was just beautiful, fresh winemaking … the vibrancy and freshness and earthiness that I can’t get enough of. I just love it so much!
Anderson Valley
Champagne Louis Roederer’s California outpost focuses on what it calls “site-specific” Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the domaine’s 50 acres of vines across the Anderson Valley, with sustainable practices, including fully certified biodynamic in one of its vineyards, as ever part of the Rouzaud family’s mission. “Swish tannins: very supple and fine. Very attractive ripe cherry and raspberry; a subtle touch of smoky-earthy complexity; a tangy finish. Very well made and juicy and drinkable; not at all forced.”
Pinot Noir 2020
Santa Maria Valley
Armit Wines
Bien Nacido winemaker Anthony Avilla makes some of California’s most in-demand cool-climate wines using fruit from Bien Nacido, one of California’s most celebrated and longest-established Chardonnay and Pinot Noir vineyards, which was planted in rocky soils by brothers Bob and Steve Miller in the strongly maritimeinfluenced Santa Maria Valley in the early 1970s. The Estate Pinot is a “super elegant and pretty wine but with lots of structure, finesse and concentration, ripe cranberry, wild strawberry, smoked plum, and a long finish”.
Anderson Valley Ellis Wines
The second of this impressive winery’s trio of appearances in this year’s California Collection is sourced from the historic Edmeades vineyard next to the town of Philo in what the locals term the “deep end” of the Anderson Valley. “Somewhat Burgundian in style, this has a very seductive nose and a long, fine palate,” the judges said. “Filled with smoky, deep wild strawberries, plush cherries and fine, nimble tannins, it has the ability to age but is drinking beautifully now.”
Anderson Valley Ellis Wines
Like its Chardonnay companion in the Copain “Les Voisins” series, this stylish Pinot Noir is sourced from multiple sites across the Anderson Valley – the “voisins” or neighbouring vineyards of the wine’s name – comprising various soils and elevations ranging from valley floor up to 670m. “Very attractive and drinkable with its just-ripeness: crisp and direct and fluent; tangy red fruit and savoury tannins; great, long finish; very elegant, with floral red fruit, wild berry, bramble fruit, and subtle earth.”
Santa Lucia Highlands
Castelnau Wine Agencies
Hahn sources fruit from its three Santa Lucia Highlands (SLH) vineyards – Lone Oak, Doctor’s, and Smith & Hook – in this Pinot Noir, and each brings its own characteristics to the finished blend. The fruit is fermented in open-top fermenters and aged for up to 11 months in barriques to create a wine filled with “spicy-earthy notes and bright cherry; ripe fruit and juicy tannins, with a tangy cherry finish. Good quality in a fuller, riper style, but maintaining balance attractively.”
Russian River Valley
Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies
Run by Christine Hanna since 1991, the Hanna family business is one of the reference estates in Sonoma, with more than 100ha of vineyards spread across five sites producing around 50,000 cases a year. The estate Pinot Noir is aged for 10 months in 47% new French and Hungarian oak barrels. “Sage and raspberry, cherry and berry: very pure and perfumed fruit. Fine-grained tannin and good brightness; lucid and fluent. Long cherry finish. Great quality.”
I was really impressed by some of the mid-range Chardonnays, which were really hitting similar levels to some of the more pricey stuff, but also offering a good range of production styles. Some of my customers really want the ripe style, but some won’t go near Chardonnay because they think it’s all oaked. In this tasting, I had four completely stainless steel, no-oak Chardonnays – getting people into that is really nice. When I drank the Sandhi Chardonnay, I was blown away, as I always am. I don’t know what they do, but it’s absolutely incredible! The price points were pretty decent [in all styles]. There were a small number I thought were a little bit pricey, but more often than not I was surprised and thought “that’s really good value for what I’m tasting”. Especially the Zins and the Merlots, where I was a little bit, “Wow, can’t believe that’s 20 quid!” These are up there with wines that are like £30 or £40.
[In our business] we’re all US, California, Washington, Oregon, and we have 110 different lines at the moment [just after Christmas], but we usually tend to have about 130. We try quite hard to be in the sub-£30 zone, sourcing wines that are good quality in that £10 to £30 range, and 56% are under £30 at the moment.
In this tasting, there were some wines that were really nice but they were just in that £50 to £60 bracket – and once you’ve got three delicious Pinot Noirs at £50-plus, you don’t really want another one. I really like the Patz & Hall; I just don’t need another £55 Pinot on the shelf.
I find Zinfandel is a much more affordable range. Well over 50% of our Zins are under £20, not £30, and they’re bloody delicious.
“All it’s done is make me want to search out more of their wines.”
Rachel Gilbert, Pacific Wines
In this tasting, I had four completely stainless steel, no-oak Chardonnays – getting people into that is really nice. When I drank the Sandhi Chardonnay, I was blown away, as I always am. I don’t know what they do, but it’s absolutely incredible!
Founded in 1979 before the Russian River Valley had earned its reputation as a stellar site for Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, La Crema became one of the state’s leading cool-climate producers after being acquired by Jess Jackson in 1993. Today it operates in numerous cool-climate California sites, including Monterey, the source of this “well-priced” Pinot. “Really love this,” said one judge. “Such gorgeous transparency but with a real concentration of flavour. Careful winemaking and the Pinot fruit really shines through.”
Enotria&Coe
Patz & Hall’s Pinot Noir collection takes in bottlings from the Russian River Valley, Carneros, Mendocino and the Santa Lucia Highlands, and the company’s master of the variety also extends to this blend of 18 small, independent, family-owned vineyard plots in Sonoma. “Vividly ripe Pinot character full of bright cherry and raspberry, but not at all sickly, just hitting that full ripe Pinot stride very nicely indeed, with a touch of dark herby quality. Lots of pleasure, fine tannins; good length.”
Like its fellow California Collection winner Sanford Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay, Sanford’s judging panel-pleasing Pinot makes use of both of Sanford’s superb estate vineyards: Sanford & Benedict and La Rinconada, both of which benefit from the cooling fog that drifts in from the Pacific seven miles away. “Bucket loads of depth and concentration, lots of acidity, juicy and ripe red fruit, subtle creaminess, well integrated tannins and long finish,” the judges said. “Our perfect Pinot.”
Arroyo
The titular Ranch 32 is a special place for Scheid: it’s where the company first planted vines in 1972, when Monterey County had yet to gain its reputation as a fine-wine region. On the west side of the Salinas Valley, it benefits from exposure to Monterey’s famous cooling afternoon winds. “This a well-balanced, fuller style of Pinot Noir with dark cherry and a fuller mouth feel. Lots of structure, smoky black fruit, dried red fruit, depth and roundness. Very good for the price.”
Napa Valley
Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies
Grgich blends Merlot from three vineyards to get the required balance of richness and freshness: fruit from the cooler American Canyon and Carneros vineyards is joined by a selection from the warmer Yountville. It all adds up to “the best example of Classic Cali Merlot: intense black fruit and rich fruitcake, polished oak and soft but noticeable tannins. Sweet and vibrant; a wine to get lost in. Beautiful. A seriously bold and decadent red from an iconic producer. What more could you ask for?”
Napa Valley
Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies
Part of the Terlato premium California portfolio, Rutherford Hill has two significant advantages: a collection of more than 50ha of vineyards taking in the full range of Napa Valley terroirs; and one of the valley’s most extensive cave networks for ageing wines in perfect conditions. Both come into play in a complex Merlot with “intense notes of soft black fruit, rich toasty oak, smoke and leather. If you’re going to spend this sort of money on a wine, this is what you want.”
Paso Robles
Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies
Hope Family Vineyards’ flagship Paso Robles Cabernet is a blend of select vineyard lots which are fermented and then aged separately for 11 months in a mix of a new and used French oak, before getting another two months’ ageing as a final blend. “Outstanding Cabernet – pretty perfect,” the judges said. “An almost faultless wine, incredibly powerful yet well balanced showing classic Cab notes of blackcurrant and cedar. A wine that is well worth the price.”
Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley Bancroft wines
An estate with a long history – it was founded by the Italian immigrant ancestors of the current owners in the 1920s – Black Stallion’s wines draw on extensive vineyard holdings in the varied terroirs of Napa Valley. The estate Cabernet has a “gorgeous bouquet of ripe fruit,” the judges said. “Morello cherry, juicy ripe blackcurrants, bramble and cassis. Thick soupy tannins that cling to the rich, velvety fruit. Classic Napa Cab in a full, but not overworked, fruit-packed style.”
Like its fellow Cannonball member of the 2023 California Collection, a Chardonnay, this Cabernet Sauvignon ultimately won over our judges with its quality-to-value ratio. But regardless of the price, it was a much-loved wine that hit several judges’ sweet spots. “Generous, friendly, fruity, and approachable nose. Toast, smoke, damp forest floor, cherry, blackcurrant. Lovely bouquet of fruit with serious structure. The tannins are soft, ripe and well-integrated, leaving a juicy and delightful wine. Great value for the price.”
Napa Valley,
With fruit sourced from some of Napa’s most reputed growers – William Hill, Sun Lake, Cypress Ranch, Sage Canyon and others – and with the wine spending 16 months in a mix of French and American oak, this has “proper Napa Cab richness of cassis, black liquorice, dark berry, cedar, blackberry pie – a powerful and concentrated wine with a long finish and pronounced acidity plus tannins for meat. Will no doubt be even better after a while in the cellar.”
Castelnau Wine Agencies
Smith & Hook has been a standout producer on the Central Coast for more than 40 years now, working with a group of small, like-minded growers in the warmer sections of the region in AVAs such as Arroyo Seco, Paso Robles, San Antonio Valley, Hames Valley and San Benito. The flagship Cabernet “has a pretty and fragrant nose, with floral notes and rich dark blackcurrant and cherry. Soft, rich with sweetly spicy oak and a lingering finish.”
Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley
Daniel Lambert wines
A serial over-achiever in the California Collection judging over the years, Napa’s Trefethen once again shone in 2023 with four wines in the final 50. This Cabernet stood out for its “deep, rich, brooding nose. Voluptuous and welcoming, it has an inky, weighty appearance, thick and textural,” the judges said. “Enveloping aromas of dark stewed cherries, star anise, leather, blackcurrant, bay leaf and a touch vegetal. Would be very happy to see this age, as it shows huge potential.”
We
We ended up being quite impressed by the Chardonnays and really loved the Pinots, but we were really pleasantly surprised by the more fullbodied reds. On the whole, those bigger ones were really impressive: the Zinfandels, which we don’t usually lean towards, and the Cabs as well. We specialise in California, so we do have quite a lot. But we’re always looking for more California. Of the wines we tasted here, we really liked the Trefethen wines: the one with the owl on the label (Eshcol), and the one with a red dragon (Dragon’s Tooth), which was a higher price point. That’s a range we’d be looking at for sure, we liked them so much. We gave full marks (100 points) to a Pinot, Sanford, and a Cabernet, Austin Hope. The Austin Hope was very balanced, interesting and complex. It made Sarah change some of her travel plans when she goes to California in a few months – she’s definitely going to go to Austin Hope!
We don’t have anything Californian in stock at the moment, so it’s definitely something we’re looking to expand into. Some of the Chardonnays have a place. It’s always a matter of finding something from different places and asking whether you could get it from somewhere closer. But definitely some of the richer styles of Chardonnay have something to offer. They do what they’re supposed to do, the fatter richer oakier style that you don’t find elsewhere. Some of the Zinfandels were quite interesting, too, and they’re not something you’d see from another wine-producing area. I also love the Sandhi wines, and there are a lot of wines out there that would suit us.
“The tasting was as we’d have expected: lots of amazing wine, lots of Pinot and Chardonnay.”
Sarah Hatton and Virginia Myers, Tenaya Wine
“It was nice to see a bit more variety.”
Holly WilLcocks, Half Cut Market
gave full marks to a Pinot, Sanford, and a Cabernet, Austin Hope. The Austin Hope was very balanced, interesting and complex. It made Sarah change some of her travel plans when she goes to California in a few months – she’s definitely going to go to Austin Hope!
Virginia Myers and Sarah Hatton
Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Contra Costa County
Roberson
A rare winery in the built-up Bay Area, Viano Vineyards’ 25ha of hillside vines are run by John and David Viano, descendants of the original Vianos who set up the family estate, after emigrating from Piedmont in 1920, on a vineyard planted in 1888. “An old favourite, this is great value, especially given its age. A nose that is savoury and vegetal with blackcurrant. Rich and fruity, but lovely mushroom, from age. Tannins are soft and fully integrated.”
Charles Wetmore
Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Livermore VaLley, Fells
From one of the oldest wine producers in California, this classic Californian Cabernet hails from a single vineyard in the southern hills of the Livermore Valley. Aged for 18 months in 40% new oak, it’s “an intense red wine with a precise character, full of blackcurrant, cigar box and vanilla oak. The full body and finely textured tannins make it a wine to enjoy with food. Very well put together, with good complexity – a lot of wine for under £25.”
The McNab Ranch in Mendocino was one of the first biodynamic vineyards to be established in the US, and is, in the company’s words, “the agricultural heart of Bonterra Organic Vineyards”. It is also the single-vineyard source of this impressive Cabernet Sauvignon, which, according to the judges, is “gorgeous wine. Dark bramble fruit, a little minty, some tobacco and creamy oak on the nose. Really delicious, with a long complex fruit finish and a lovely velvety texture. Hints of cedar. Perfect balance.”
Paso Robles
Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies
The idea behind the Dueling Pistols label is to make equal-parts blends of two complementary varieties. The range features a Zinfandel/Syrah and this Cabernet/ Petite Sirah, both from Paso Robles, and both using the same winemaking recipe: the varieties are fermented separately before being aged together in French oak. “Juicy, velvety dark fruit on the nose. Blueberries, brambles, some freshness, with lots of very well balanced acidity and a pleasing finish” was the outcome of this duel.
Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley
Daniel Lambert wines
The red dragon on the label is a nod to Trefethen’s Welsh heritage: the grandmother of the current generation at the Napa winery, Catherine Trefethen, was originally from Wales. The wine itself is an unusual blend of Malbec, Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot sourced from the rockiest corner of the Trefethen vineyard. “Dense and rich and feeling quite young with lots of oak, sweet and inky fruit: sultanas, prunes and cassis. A big, rich, but fresh wine.”
Oak Knoll District, Napa Valley
Daniel Lambert Wines
The Eschol range is conceived as the introduction to Napa Valley producer Trefethen’s extensive range, with the red being a sustainably produced blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec with a little Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc. “Juicy, youthful, a little like a young claret, it’s elegant with fresh acidity and grippy tannins. Smoky, medicinal with notes of tomato leaf, tobacco leaf, moss, violets, leading into bright black cherry and plum. Good intensity, and a very good price.”
The Trinchero family are one of the big names in the US drinks industry, with more than 50 leading wine and spirit brands in their portfolio. The Trinchero Napa Valley brand sits at the top of their tree, with grapes sourced from 80ha of estate vineyards in Napa. This single-vineyard Cabernet is “rich, dense black cherry deluxe – glossy black cherry skins and ripe juice in abundance. Layered and sweetly fruited; deep, rich, ripe. An enjoyably sensuous experience.”
Over the past quarter-century, David Swift Finney has built Orin Swift into one of California’s most exciting cult producers, making a series of boldly individualistic wines with labelling and branding to match. This 100% Petite Sirah is, as our judges put it, typically “off the wall. Deep notes of bramble and black cherry with rich notes of coffee bean. A full-bodied wine with fine-grained tannin and a long, enjoyable finish. Something a bit different with very cool packaging.”
Santa Ynez Valley
The red partner to Andrew Murray’s equally well-liked Viognier in this year’s Collection is another example of Murray’s skill at coaxing the best from Rhône varieties in Santa Barbara County. “Liquorice and lavender Syrah; very dark and juicy blueberry and blackberry with a pleasingly reductive touch and some cracked black pepper. Nice keen refreshing finish with just a streak of rosemary bitterness. Bang on for the money for an authentic expression of this variety.”
Santa Cruz
Bancroft Wines
Old vines are at the heart of everything Alex Krause and John Locke do at Birichino, where they make a portfolio of low-intervention wines from grapes sourced from family-owned vineyards, many of which are own-rooted and date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. A Carignan/Syrah blend, Scylla is a “juicy, natural-feeling Rhône/Languedoc-like red with lovely easy succulence and earthy, animal tones. Soft and pillowy red fruit, brooding red cherry, subtle baking spice, cherry pie, juicy tannins, lovely acidity, and a nice, long gentle finish.”
Mendocino
Enotria&Coe
Like Bonterra’s fellow California Collection 2023 winner The McNab, The Butler is a single-vineyard wine from one of the pioneering green producer’s biodynamic vineyards – the “breathtakingly beautiful” Butler Ranch – a blend in this case of Syrah, Grenache and Mourvèdre. “Deliciously effective rich wine that is very much in the southern Rhône style, with notes of violets, star anise, blackberries, and cassis. There is plenty of chew and warmth and complexity, with lots of aromatic detail and pleasingly grippy tannin. Good work!”
Founded by Deron Edmeades in 1972 on a vineyard planted by his father Dr Donald Edmeades in 1963, Edmeades joined the Jackson Family Wines portfolio when it was snapped up by Jess Jackson in 1988. It’s been a Zin specialist throughout its history, with this example offering “ripe blackberry and stewed plum, with a hint of chocolate raisin. Pronounced savoury notes of leather and black pepper, combined with firm tannins and high alcohol – great, intense wine at its best with a hearty meal.”
Best known for her work in her new home, Swartland in South Africa, Californian star winemaker Andrea Mullineux has turned her attention to her original home state, California, with her Fog Monster project. This blend of old-vine Zinfandel, Carignan and Mataro sourced from the Bedrock vineyard is “a complex red with notes of blackcurrant, black cherry, clove and black pepper. Smooth, well integrated tannins and a long finish. It is a very well-made, beautiful wine –juicy, sweet, with the complexity of age, and with some seriously cool branding.”
Napa Valley
Awin Barratt Siegel Wine Agencies
Napa icon Grgich Hills sources all of its Zinfandel from a single 14ha vineyard above Calistoga –the warmest of the company’s five vineyards. It is farmed, like the rest of Grgich’s holdings, organically. For the estate Zin, the fruit is fermented in stainless steel and aged for 18 months in neutral oak. “Delightful fruit quality, a ripple of plum and blackberry, blueberry and floral notes. Great balance of tangy acidity and tannin – beautiful, serious stuff, with a savoury finish.”
The Kirschenmann vineyard is one of the most revered vineyard sites in Lodi (and, indeed, California), a shrine to old-vine Zinfandel that was planted on its own roots in 1915 in what importer Indigo describes as a “chalk and silica-rich oxbow of the Mokelumne River”. Winemaker Nathan Kandler’s version “oozes complexity and richness, yet the tannin and alcohol sit perfectly with everything else: deep plum, a hint of raisin with dark chocolate and sweet vanilla to follow. Truly lovely wine.”
£35.99
£16.99
Napa Valley
Lanchester Wines
A could-only-be-California blend of Cabernet, Zinfandel, Merlot, Malbec and Petite Sirah from the Napa Valley, this “powerful” red is one of two wines produced at Trinchero’s Taken project – a brand that aims to make the most of Napa’s heritage, while also feeling “unrestrained by convention”. It’s a “big, rippling, muscular red with lots of brambly fruit, mulberry and plenty of ripe tannin giving a velvety feel; very rich and intense and reminiscent of Ribera del Duero thanks to its balancing freshness.”
Fells
Planted on sloping benches that lead to the Arroyo del Valle and Arroyo Mocho streams, the Beyer Ranch is one of the Wente family’s favourite Zinfandel locations. For the eponymous cuvée, the highly experienced producer (founded in 1883) ages the wine in a mix of stainless steel and neutral oak. “Classic raisiny aromas and deep black fruit, smooth yet rich with decadent notes of dark chocolate.”
