Freddy R. Troya

9.7

Amici Cellars – Cabernet Sauvignon, Oakville Ranch – 2016
Oakville AVA, Napa Valley, California 🇺🇸

Overview
A limited-production Cabernet Sauvignon crafted by Tony Biagi (Winemaker of the Year, 2020), sourced from the iconic Oakville Ranch. This special collaboration highlights one of Napa Valley’s most revered hillside sites, known for power, elevation, and depth. A serious, terroir-driven Napa Cab with precision and restraint.

Aromas & Flavors
Layered and compelling from the start: blackcurrant, dark cherry, graphite, crushed violets, cedar, and subtle baking spice. As the wine opens, notes of cassis liqueur, cocoa powder, and savory herbs emerge, adding complexity and dimension.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied yet beautifully balanced. Structured tannins with a polished, velvety texture. After ~60 minutes of decanting, the wine gains lift and cohesion, climbing steadily in aromatic intensity and textural finesse. Long, refined finish with remarkable persistence.

Food Pairings
Ideal with dry-aged ribeye, lamb rack, grilled prime cuts, or mushroom-forward dishes. Also excellent with aged hard cheeses.

Verdict
A standout Oakville Cabernet that showcases both site and craftsmanship. Powerful yet controlled, expressive without excess. This is Napa Cab done with intention, built to impress now with air and to reward further cellaring.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
This wine truly comes alive with time in the decanter. After an hour, it shifts gears, elevated aromatics, deeper layers, and seamless structure. A benchmark example of Oakville Ranch fruit interpreted through a refined, boutique lens.

Did You Know?
Amici Cellars began as a passion project, amici meaning “friends” in Italian, focused on making small-lot wines from Napa and Sonoma’s most prestigious vineyards. That philosophy still defines the winery today, with each bottling designed to spotlight a specific, highly acclaimed terroir. — 14 hours ago

Joe DAscoli

9.4

This is a fascinating blend and the Sangiovese red fruits with a touch of gaminess comes through.

Overall this wine benefits from the blend and it is a crowd pleaser — 6 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.6

Amici Cellars – Flora Marie Vineyard – Chard – 2018
Russian River Valley – Sonoma County – California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A benchmark New World Chardonnay and a true winemaker’s vintage. The 2018 growing season in Russian River Valley was cool and even, with no major heat spikes, allowing fruit from Flora Marie Vineyard to be harvested at ideal ripeness. This wine is all about patience, balance, and restraint, a Chardonnay that prioritizes purity and structure over excess, and one that quietly rivals top white Burgundies in poise and longevity.

Aromas & Flavors
Mineral-driven and refined on the nose, with delicate white florals and a subtle saline edge. The palate unfolds in layers: baked pineapple, citrus zest, yellow pear, and gentle stone fruit, all woven together with remarkable precision. The fruit is expressive yet never loud, framed by a quiet, savory mineral backbone.

Mouthfeel
Silky and composed, medium-to-full-bodied without weightiness. The texture glides across the palate with effortless balance, supported by fresh acidity and an underlying sense of tension. The finish is long, clean, and quietly complex, lingering without overreaching.

Food Pairings
Roasted chicken with herbs, seared scallops, halibut, lobster with olive oil or beurre blanc, mushroom risotto, or simply on its own as a contemplative glass. Equally at home at the table or in the cellar.

Verdict
A masterclass in restraint and purity. This is Chardonnay for those who value nuance, structure, and site expression over overt oak or power. Rare, hard to find, and deeply rewarding, one of the most compelling New World Chardonnays I’ve tasted.

Did You Know?
Flora Marie Vineyard is planted with Montrachet-derived clones from the Côte de Beaune, bringing Burgundian heritage into the cool-climate ridgelines of Russian River Valley, one reason this wine delivers such seamless balance between Old World elegance and New World clarity.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
This is my favorite New World Chardonnay. Period. Elegant, layered, and quietly profound. If you ever come across a bottle, especially this 2018, don’t hesitate. It speaks far beyond what words can capture. — 8 months ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Deep Ruby with complex aromas of black and blue fruits, blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc, aged for 20 months on French oak (60% new). On the palate flavors of currants, black cherry and blackberry with spice, and a touch of oak. Balanced acidity supported the fine dusty tannins. Oak, cacao, and leather were noted on the long finish. Although this wine needs some bottle age, it’s somewhat approachable now. — 19 days ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Olema Pinot Noir 2022
Sonoma County, California 🇺🇸

Overview
100% Pinot Noir sourced across premier Sonoma sub-appellations. Olema is part of Amici Cellars, known for delivering high quality at everyday approachable price points. Sonoma Pinot Noir often leans toward lush fruit with a soft structure compared to the more restrained Burgundian style.

Aromas & Flavors
Juicy red fruits dominate—ripe cherry, raspberry, and pomegranate—layered with subtle spice, clove, and a touch of cola. There’s a delicate hint of rose petals and forest floor rounding out the aromatic profile.

Mouthfeel
Silky and medium-bodied with fine tannins, bright acidity, and a smooth, fruit-forward finish. Very approachable and polished, made to be enjoyed young.

Winemaking Notes
Fermented in stainless steel and aged in French oak (a small percentage new) to preserve freshness while adding just a hint of structure and spice.

Food Pairing
Perfect alongside roasted chicken, mushroom risotto, seared salmon, or even charcuterie. Its freshness makes it versatile with both lighter and savory dishes.

Verdict
A crowd-pleasing Sonoma Pinot Noir—ripe, polished, and balanced. It offers exceptional value for its region, delivering elegance and approachability in one glass. — 4 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Crafted from premier vineyard sites in Russian River Valley, this 100% Pinot Noir captures the hallmark vibrancy of the region. Fermented in stainless steel and aged in French oak, the wine is beautifully balanced, offering layers of blackberry, raspberry, and subtle toasty oak.

Medium-plus in body with moderate tannins, the mouthfeel is smooth, polished, and appetizing from start to finish. It’s drinking beautifully now, but has the structure to evolve gracefully over the next 5–7 years. A confident, fruit-forward Pinot with elegance and aging potential. Cheers! — 7 months ago

Nishith Jobanputra

9.0

Textbook Napa cab. — 2 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Amici Cellars – El Diablo Vineyard Chard - 2020. Russian River Valley AVA, Sonoma County, California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
From the esteemed El Diablo Vineyard perched along the eastern ridges of the Russian River Valley AVA, this 2020 Chardonnay is a beautiful testament to both site and vintage. Using small-berried Wente clone fruit, this single-vineyard bottling delivers a compelling balance of freshness, richness, and regional finesse. 

Aromas & Flavors
The nose unfolds with savory brioche and pineapple juice aromas, leading into a palate that echoes with piña colada and banana cream pie, all carrying through to a lingering finish.

Mouthfeel
Texturally rich yet dynamic, this wine showcases a mouthwatering interplay of freshness and acidity, its savory core holding structure while allowing the orchard and tropical fruit elements to bloom.   

Verdict
This 2020 Amici El Diablo Vineyard Chardonnay delivers single-vineyard character with finesse, layered, textural, and elegantly savory. The balance of piña colada richness and citrus freshness speaks to both the vintage’s warmth and the vineyard’s refined site expression. A showcase Chardonnay that exemplifies the Sonoma Russian River Valley’s renowned versatility and depth. Cheers! 🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
Loved the finish as it was elegant and persistent, echoing tropical sweetness and pastry-driven flavors against a backdrop of subtle savory depth. Additionally, the lingering citrus and stone fruit lift, is very inviting while it's minerality with some nutty undertones lend a compelling complexity. — 4 months ago

Alan Hyde

9.0

Nicely balanced oak — 6 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.5

Amici Cellars – Charles Heintz Vineyard – Chard – 2021
Sonoma Coast – Sonoma County – California, USA 🇺🇸

Overview
A powerful yet finely balanced single-vineyard Chardonnay from the iconic Charles Heintz Vineyard, one of Sonoma Coast’s most respected sites. This is a serious, expressive wine that showcases richness without excess, built on precision, texture, and depth.

Aromas & Flavors
Highly expressive with layered tropical fruit notes on both nose and palate. Ripe pineapple, mango, and baked pear lead, supported by subtle hints of toasted nuts and gentle spice. The fruit is generous but controlled, never tipping into heaviness.

Mouthfeel
Full-bodied with a creamy, polished texture driven by 100% barrel fermentation, native yeast, and full malolactic fermentation. The creaminess is well-balanced by structure and weight, delivering a long, smooth, and textured finish.

Food Pairings
Roast chicken, lobster with drawn butter, seared scallops, creamy pasta dishes, or aged alpine-style cheeses.

Verdict
A show-stopping Chardonnay that delivers complexity, power, and finesse in equal measure. Bold yet composed, this is a benchmark example of Sonoma Coast Chardonnay from a top-tier vineyard. Cheers!

Did You Know?
Charles Heintz Vineyard is renowned for its cool-climate influence and low-yielding vines, contributing to both concentration and natural acidity in wines sourced from the site.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
This is Chardonnay with presence. Rich, layered, and impeccably balanced, one of those bottles that reminds you why site and farming truly matter. — a year ago