Freddy R. Troya

9.0

10Nineths Radius Pinot Noir 2023
Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County, California 🇺🇸

Overview
A clean, approachable Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir that leans into freshness, elegance, and easy drinkability rather than power or extraction. Produced in a small lot of just 680 cases, this is a polished, straightforward expression of cool-climate Pinot, offering clarity of fruit, balanced structure, and an effortlessly drinkable profile that feels true to the AVA’s coastal DNA.

Aromas & Flavors
Bright red cherry, raspberry, and fresh strawberry lead the nose, supported by subtle rose petal, light baking spice, and a touch of damp earth. On the palate, the fruit remains vibrant and pure, with gentle cranberry lift, soft herbal nuances, and a clean, refreshing finish that stays focused and precise rather than layered or dense.

Mouthfeel
Light-to-medium body with supple tannins and lively acidity. Silky, smooth, and very easy on the palate, delivering freshness and flow without weight or heaviness. Elegant, balanced, and highly approachable.

Food Pairings
Roast chicken or turkey. Grilled salmon or trout. Mushroom risotto or lentil dishes. Charcuterie and soft cheeses. Herb-driven pasta or light poultry dishes.

Verdict
A well-made, classic Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir that emphasizes drinkability, finesse, and freshness. Not designed to be profound or highly complex, but very satisfying for casual enjoyment, by-the-glass pours, or pairing versatility. A reliable expression of coastal California Pinot elegance.

Did You Know?
Sta. Rita Hills is one of California’s coolest AVAs, shaped by strong transverse ocean winds from the Pacific that funnel inland, extending hang time and preserving natural acidity, a key reason Pinot Noir here often shows vibrant freshness and aromatic precision.

🍷 Personal Pick
Not a personal “wow” bottle for my palate, but a very solid, honest Pinot that I’d happily pour in social settings where elegance, freshness, and easy drinkability matter most. — 4 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Nid Tissé – Pinot Noir 2023
Radian Vineyard, Sta. Rita Hills AVA, California – USA 🇺🇸

Overview
From the windswept, western edge of the Sta. Rita Hills AVA, the Radian Vineyard is known for producing some of the most structured and site-expressive Pinot Noir in California. Nid Tissé (“woven nest” in French) reflects this sense of intricacy and place, highlighting the cool-climate purity and intensity that the appellation is famed for. 100% Pinot Noir.

Aromas & Flavors
Red cherry, cranberry, and wild strawberry upfront, layered with rose petal, dried herbs, and hints of baking spice. A subtle undercurrent of sea spray and stony minerality underscores the vineyard’s coastal terroir.

Mouthfeel
Linear, energetic, and elegant. Medium-bodied with fine, chalky tannins and vibrant acidity. The wine shows both precision and depth, finishing with a long, mineral-driven echo of red fruit and spice.

Winemaking Notes
Small-lot fermentation with partial whole-cluster inclusion to lift aromatics and add structure. Aged in French oak barrels (approx. 25–30% new), allowing delicate integration of oak spice while preserving freshness and purity.

Food Pairing
Pairs beautifully with roasted duck, wild mushroom risotto, or cedar-planked salmon. Its minerality and freshness also complement charcuterie and earthy cheeses like Tomme or Reblochon.

Verdict
A tightly woven, finely balanced Pinot Noir that captures the essence of the Radian Vineyard. Elegant yet powerful, coastal yet generous — a wine that speaks clearly of place and craftsmanship. Cheers! — 9 months ago

Kevin Murphy

9.2

A smooth, balanced wine. Let it breathe. — 2 years ago

Kamall

9.2

Very nice with a quick decant. Fruit is very Sta. Rita Hills but shifts into mineral and saline elements. Amazing quality from such new vines. 2019s I’ve had from this coastal area of Sta Rita Hills are all excellent. (Chanin, Tyler, Sanford) — 4 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Pardess Hevron Merlot 2023 – Judean Hills, Israel 🇮🇱

Overview
A bold, non-traditional expression of 100% Merlot from the Judean Hills, aged 18 months in oak and built for structure, depth, and slow evolution in the glass. Warm mountain sun and cooling Mediterranean breezes drive ripeness while preserving tension, giving this wine power without heaviness. This is not plush, easygoing Merlot, it leans serious, savory, and muscular, rewarding patience and air. Decanting is highly recommended to unlock aromatics, soften structure, and reveal its true character. Kosher for Passover · Mevushal · Unfiltered.

Aromas & Flavors
Black cherry, ripe plum, blackberry compote, and dark cocoa. Cedar, toasted spice, clove, and light espresso from extended oak aging. Subtle Mediterranean herb, graphite, and earth undertones emerge with air. As it opens, fruit becomes more polished and integrated with savory depth.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and structured with firm tannins on entry that relax with decanting. Broad mid-palate weight balanced by refreshing mountain acidity. Textural grip gives the wine seriousness and food presence. Long, warming finish with dark fruit and spice persistence.

Food Pairings
Grilled ribeye or lamb chops. Beef short ribs or braised brisket. Mushroom risotto or roasted portobello dishes. Aged hard cheeses and firm semi-soft cheeses. Excellent with hearty kosher cuisine and slow-cooked proteins.

🍷 Personal Pick
A Merlot with attitude, powerful, structured, and unapologetically serious. Needs air to show its best side, but once open, it delivers depth, character, and real personality. A bottle for slowing down, letting it breathe, and watching it evolve in the glass.

Did You Know?
Judean Hills vineyards benefit from high elevation, limestone soils, and cooling coastal breezes, allowing grapes to ripen fully while retaining freshness. Extended oak aging and unfiltered bottling contribute to this wine’s structure, texture, and aging potential, making decanting especially important for optimal expression. — 4 months ago

Ming L

9.0

I’ve tasted couple excellent bottles of well aged Pinot from Ashley’s vineyard. This Chardonnay is young but very good too.

The 2022 combines the AVA’s coastal freshness with the vintage’s generous ripeness. Aromas of lemon zest, yellow apple, and grilled pineapple mingle with vanilla, brioche, and a saline breeze. The palate is sleek yet plush, balancing citrus-driven acidity with creamy mid-palate weight. Subtle spice frame a long juicy finish.

8 months in French oak barrel, 30% new. — 9 months ago

Vanessa

9.2

Sandhi ‘Romance’ Chardonnay (2020) is made exclusively with grapes from the Domaine de la Côte estate vineyards, farmed organically, within the Sta Rita Hills AVA of the Central Coast region of California.

After a wild-yeast fermentation, this wine aged 10 months in neutral oak and 6 months in tank. It is textured with flinty mineral notes, next to layered aromas and flavors of toast, cream, cheese rind, white blossom, lime zest and just-ripe apple, pear, white peach, nectarine, honeydew, and starfruit. It is precise, elegant, and nuanced.

It has a freshness and vibrancy with a textured mouthfeel, bright acidity, and a delicately reductive character. At 12.8% ABV, this wine sits firmly within the medium alcohol range, speaking to the cooling coastal winds that are prevalent in the Sta Rita Hills AVA.

It’s absolutely delicious and a versatile culinary complement.

Cheers to Sandhi and beautiful, terroir-driven California Chardonnays! — 2 years ago

with Deked1

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Saxum Cayucos Ridge Vineyard Syrah 2022
San Luis Obispo Coast, Paso Robles, California. USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A bold, ultra-concentrated, high-octane Syrah from the coastal hills of San Luis Obispo, delivering sheer power, density, and ripe intensity. While the site typically suggests cooler-climate tension, this vintage leans fully into richness and alcohol warmth (15.8% ABV), expressing a muscular, almost hedonistic profile. A wine built for impact rather than restraint, showcasing the unapologetic side of modern Paso Robles Syrah.

Aromas & Flavors
Explosive aromas of dense red cherry cola, blackberry compote, dark plum, and baked fruit dominate immediately. Secondary notes lean savory with hints of black pepper, smoked meat, cocoa, and warm spice. On the palate, the fruit becomes jam-driven and saturated, with concentrated sweetness of ripe berries framed by dark chocolate and savory undertones.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied and massively textured, with thick, coating tannins and a warming alcohol presence that drives the finish. The wine feels powerful, dense, and tightly packed, delivering serious grip and intensity rather than lift or finesse. Long, forceful, and undeniably commanding.

Food Pairings
Slow-braised short ribs. Smoked brisket or barbecue. Charred ribeye with peppercorn crust. Lamb shank with rosemary and garlic. Bold, protein-driven dishes that can absorb the wine’s weight and alcohol.

Verdict
A statement Syrah for lovers of maximum extraction, ripeness, and power. While technically impressive and deeply concentrated, this style leans beyond my personal comfort zone, prioritizing intensity over freshness and elegance. Fans of big, bold, high-impact wines will absolutely gravitate toward this expression.

Did You Know?
The San Luis Obispo Coast AVA benefits from strong Pacific influence and marine fog, often producing Syrah with freshness and aromatic lift, making this wine’s sheer concentration and alcohol level a striking contrast to the region’s typical coastal profile.

🍷 Personal Pick
Not my preferred stylistic lane, but an impressive example of how far power and concentration can be pushed in modern California Syrah. A fascinating benchmark wine to taste and analyze, even if not a repeat pour for my own table. — 4 months ago

Vanessa

9.3

“La Côte” of Domaine de la Côte is a DREAMY Pinot Noir from the Santa Rita Hills AVA of California’s Central Coast region.

Here pacific coastal breezes stretch inland and cool the sun-soaked vineyards. Domaine de la Côte has a collection of 6 vineyards on the western edge of Santa Rita Hills. On the back label you see a map of several of their vineyard blocks, including “La Côte” which is organically-farmed and nestled on a steep southeast-facing slope, where it absorbs the radiant sun during the growing season.

The grapes that went into this wine were harvested by hand, cluster-by-cluster, affording a gentler handling of the fruit with reduced risk of oxidation and microbial spoilage.

This wine was then fermented in a concrete vessel using 100% whole clusters (stems and all) thanks to the process of wild, ambient yeasts in the vineyard, winery, and on the skin of the berries…

The result is a positively perfumed and pristine berry-fruited profile with concentrated notes of black cherry, strawberry, raspberry, boysenberry, hibiscus, rosewater, cherry blossom, and anise balanced by a firm backbone of acidity and reserved alcoholic profile (13.1% ABV).

Following fermentation, this wine matured for 10 months in oak (30% new oak), lending delicate secondary notes of vanilla, clove, and cardamom.

The Domaine de la Côte “Bloom’s Field” was among the wines featured in the Somm 3 movie; it was blind tasted next to other French and California wines in a 2018 retake of the 1976 Judgement of Paris that culminated in a tasting of wines by a panel of luminaries of the wine world: Fred Dame, Jancis Robinson, and the late, great Steven Spurrier, who organized the Judgment of Paris back in 1976.

It is a captivating wine and has the structure to age, though we are loving it in its current state. It’s a delicious pairing with the herb-crusted salmon, roasted asparagus, and crème fraiche / chive mashed potatoes.

Cheers!

— 2 years ago

with Deked1

Seth Masterson

8.9

Starts out with a great nose. Lots of ripe yellow pear, quince and guava with a sprinkle of cinnamon.
The texture is a little on the crunchy side as opposed to the smooth velveeta texture that you can get from a nice Vouvray — 2 years ago