Brent scored this wine: 95/100

Eye: Pale with a cherry/garnet rim. Nose: Floral, concentrated, complex red berry notes. Palate: As on nose, perfumed,floral, concentrated red berry flavours, touch of white pepper, medium minus body with medium intensity. An extraordinarily finely textured, poised and very supple wine supported by a perfect, demure, balancing acidity. It has a very long and echoing finish. Truly one of a kind. Grace indeed. It should continue to evolve and grow more complex for many years to come. Date Tasted: May 28, 2015 bcpinotnoir.com @bcpinotnoirinfo

Brent scored this wine: 95/100

In the glass, the wine has a medium depth with some purple on the rim. The bouquet is a very engaging interfuse that includes floral notes of hyacinth and lilac as well as nuanced mulberry and loganberry. On the palate, the flavour follows the nose showing complex dark red and black berries in harmony with the florals and adds graphite/earthy notes, black currant and subtle tobacco/tomato leaf. The wine possesses an adroit, floating balance of all these elements. The body and intensity here are on the upper side of medium. The finish is very long with an intense retronasal quality that drifts around the palate. This is Napa Valley Cabernet but it does not fall into either of the oft encountered styles that Napa Valley can show i.e.swaggering & juicy, or fruit dense & oak palisaded. What comes through here is the craftsmanship and vision to tease out this particular Cabernet Sauvignon that is mostly from estate fruit from the winery's Hershey Vineyard at the 1800 foot level on Howell Mountain in Napa Valley. Though the flavour profiles would certainly be different,(and even the grapes) in terms of restraint, focused flavours, exquisite balance, imagination and sheer breed it bears comparison to Mas la Plana from Torres or Hill of Grace from Henschke. Overall, a remarkable and singular wine. Philippe Melka is the consulting winemaker here. He has received several 100-point scores from The Wine Advocate and been named by Robert Parker as one of the top nine wine consultants in the world. Born in France, his first job out of school was at Château Haut Brion. From there,he took a position with the Moueix Company and worked at Dominus Estate in Yountville to study soils in 1991. He returned to France in 1993 to deepen his expertise at Chateau Petrus. Melka has divided his time between soil study and winemaking at a number of wineries around the world. B+ to A- ~ 95 points $139.99 bcpinotnoir.com @bcpinotnoirinfo

Brent scored this wine: 95/100

Pale with a ruby rim the nose shows, cherry and other sifted red fruit notes with some minerality, smoke, warm stone and some forest floor. In the mouth it shows a lovely dance of cherries, cedar mineral notes, smoke and some earthiness. The best feature here is the harmony of all its components, beautifully integrated and balanced with a delightful lift of acidity. It is the minerality that puts it over the top. A graceful alliance of new and old world pinot noir elements. B+ to A- ~ 95 Talbott Vineyards produces a large range of classic, balanced, elegant single vineyard pinot noirs. Put Talbott on your “must taste” list if you are a pinot noir lover. Sleepy Hollow Vineyard, located in the Santa Lucia Highlands, was designated one of California’s Grand Cru vineyards by Wine Enthusiast in 2016. First planted in 1972, the vineyard is comprised of 565 planted acres divided into three vineyard parcels, Sleepy Hollow North, Sleepy Hollow West and Sleepy Hollow South. Each grows exclusively Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes.

Brent scored this wine: 94/100

Chalk Hill Estate Vineyards and Winery was purchased recently by Bill Foley, proprietor of Foley Family Wines. Founded in 1972 by Fred Furth, the Chalk Hill Estate encompasses 280 acres of vineyards. In the glass the wine is pale with a ruby rim. On the nose there is dark cherry, some vanilla, good acidity and some bright fruit all harmoniously put together. The palate follows the nose with black cherry, vanilla, touch of cola spice, some smoke and the alcohol is elevated but in check and still very well balanced. 100% pinot noir, aged in French and Hungarian oak for six months. B+ ~ 94

Brent scored this wine: 94/100

The nose shows harmonious darker slightly herbal red fruits, with good acidity as well as coffee and exotic fruit notes. On the palate the wine is big and smooth with the flavour elements very well integrated and balanced. One of the challenges for pinot noir winemakers is to craft a wine containing riper more concentrated flavours without losing the balance, subtlety and elegance that distinguishes pinot noir. This is a very successful example of that endeavor and of what Russian River pinot noir can be. The ripe denser fruit, alcohol, tannins and barrel effects are in great harmony, the finish is quite long . Beautifully sculpted, balanced, concentrated Pinot Noir B+ 94 bcpinotnoir.com@bcpinotnoirinfo