Freddy R. Troya

9.2

Paul Hobbs – Chardonnay / 2022
Russian River Valley AVA – Sonoma County / California / USA 🇺🇸

Overview
100% Chardonnay from the Russian River Valley, where cooling Pacific fog allows for extended hang time and optimal ripening. A flagship-style expression from Paul Hobbs, balancing richness with precision and structure.

Aromas & Flavors
Ripe tropical fruit, pineapple, mango, and citrus, layered with orchard fruit and subtle hints of vanilla, toast, and spice. Aromatics are expressive yet controlled, never overripe.

Mouthfeel
Medium+ to full-bodied with a refined, polished texture. There’s weight and intensity, but beautifully integrated acidity keeps everything in line. Subtle creaminess without excess, leading into a long, smooth, and elegant finish.

Food Pairings
Butter-poached lobster, roasted chicken, creamy pasta, scallops, or elevated seafood dishes.

Verdict
A powerful yet disciplined Chardonnay that showcases precision winemaking. Rich in character without losing balance, this is where intensity meets elegance.

Did You Know?
The Russian River Valley’s signature morning fog (pulled in from the Pacific through the Petaluma Gap) slows ripening, allowing Chardonnay to develop both ripeness and acidity simultaneously, a key to its balance.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is Paul Hobbs in full control. Intense, layered, and polished, yet never heavy-handed. The tropical profile is elevated, the texture is refined, and the finish is impressively long. A Chardonnay that commands attention but delivers it with elegance. — 3 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

8.9

Yarden – Chardonnay – 2023
Galilee – Golan Heights Winery, Israel 🇮🇱

Overview
A dry, terroir-driven Chardonnay from the elevated vineyards of the Galilee and Golan Heights, where altitude and cooler temperatures preserve freshness and minerality. This is a restrained, modern expression, focused more on clarity and balance than overt oak influence, allowing site and fruit purity to take center stage.

Aromas & Flavors
Clean and expressive with notes of tropical fruit layered over subtle orchard tones. Pineapple and ripe mango lead, followed by baked pear, green sliced apple, and a light citrus peel accent. Mineral undertones add definition and keep the fruit in check.

Mouthfeel
Medium-bodied with crisp acidity and a refreshing line through the palate. The texture is smooth yet energetic, finishing dry and clean with lingering fruit and mineral tension.

Food Pairings (Kosher-friendly)
Grilled or roasted fish, herb-roasted chicken, vegetable couscous, quinoa salads, or kosher cheeses such as aged gouda or manchego-style alternatives. Also excellent with Mediterranean mezze or simple olive-oil–driven dishes.

Verdict
A well-made, honest Chardonnay that delivers freshness, balance, and a clear sense of place. Not flashy or heavily oaked, but dependable and expressive, an easy recommendation for those who enjoy mineral-driven, food-friendly whites.

Did You Know?
Yarden sources fruit from some of Israel’s highest-elevation vineyards, where cooler nights help maintain acidity, key to the wine’s freshness and structure.

🍷 Personal Pick Highlight
I appreciate the purity here. Clean, mineral, and refreshing, with just enough fruit weight to stay engaging. A solid kosher, non-mevushal Chardonnay that respects both terroir and balance. — 6 months ago

Ellen Clifford

9.1

F-ing delightful, Pegasus, take me away. Well first let the Pegasus catch its breath (aka let the vino breath), then hop on. Smells a little earthy as a winged horse is want to be, but take sip and the steed takes flight. Fly through hella raspberry…orchards? Descend enough to grab those and some cherries fresh off the tree then accelerate through a tunnel of (politefully chill) oak barrels and chill. Oh! But this flight didn’t have turbulence rather (abandoning metaphor) it is supes silky but while it punches with fruit and pepper it then smooths itself across your tongue like a lace tablecloth. Aka achieves smoothness with texture and the flavors and sensations seem to pop all over my tongue prior to my hopping on my metaphorical pegasus who is (describing the finish) descending into a cherry orchard (not just cause I’m doing a stage reading of Chekhov’s “Cherry Orchard” soon) and lovingly (as lovingly as a creature with wings and hooves can) sending me to find my way back through the barrels to who knows? It’s like I’m Alice in Wrinkle in Time-land. Cool Pinot from NZ I’d like to take another flight on a different Pegasus Air line. Just to see. — 5 years ago

Adam Beasley

9.1

Give me all the Savoie Jaquere you’ve got. Sweet orchard fruit, alpine herbs, melted snow. Love it. — 6 years ago

Adriana Fabbro

9.1

Felt like a justifiable extravagance during quarantine. Surprisingly aggressive mousse: bubbles were audible and hit the back of my tongue like pop rocks. Austere but pretty, like an early spring day, when it’s sunny but still too cool to ditch the winter coat and when some trees are blossoming but most are still bare. Aromatics: brioche, orchard fruit & blossoms (underripe apple, pear), early spring wild flowers, a touch of something tropical (passion fruit?). Flavors: baked apple, buttery notes quickly give way to alpine snow melt and reverberating, enamel-stripping acidity. A peculiar, but perfect date for Easter brunch. — 6 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.5

One of my favorite Napa producers & vintages from Philip Togni.

On the nose, ripe, perfumed florals, creamy fruits of; blackberries, mulberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, raspberries, plum and strawberries on the glass edges. Vibrant baking spices; vanilla, light cinnamon, clove & nutmeg. Dark smooth spices, mocha chocolate with caramel, dark berry cola, notes of black licorice, sweet tar, forest floral, fresh tobacco leaf, just a touch of dry herbs, graphite, loamy clay and dark, fresh red florals with lavender & violets.

The body is, round, ruby, lush & full. The structure, tension, length have just tipped to the very beginnings of the waning stage but, the balance is incredible. Ripe, perfumed florals, creamy fruits of; blackberries, mulberries, dark cherries, black raspberries, raspberries, plum and strawberries on the glass edges. Vibrant baking spices; vanilla, light cinnamon, clove & nutmeg. Dark smooth spices, mocha chocolate with caramel, dark berry cola, chalky volcanic minerals with some grit, crushed dry rocks, notes of black licorice, sweet tar, forest floral, tobacco with ash, soft leather, saddle-wood, some underbrush, just a touch of dry herbs, graphite, loamy clay and dark, fresh red florals with lavender & violets. The round acidity is near perfect. The long, round, ripe, ruby, lush, well balanced finish sings on the palate for minutes.

Photos of, the Philip Togni vineyard, cellar staff-Salvador Sanchez, Philip Togni and his daughter Lisa and their barrel room.

Producer notes and history...Philip Togni was born in England and earned a degree (the Dipome National d’Oenologie) at the University of Bordeaux under Emile Peynaud. World famous Winemaker & mega Wine Consultant Michel Rolland also studied under Emile.

After his studies, Philip Togni moved to the Napa Valley in 1959. His first job was planting vines at Mayacamas.

In his career, he has been the Winemaker for Chalone, Chappellet, Cuvaison, Gallo, Inglenook and Sterling before starting his own winery.

Philip Togni was the Winemaker at Chapellet when they made one of the top wines from the 1960’s, the legendary 1969 Chapellet.

Philip Togni Vineyards were founded in 1975 when he purchased 25 acres atop Spring Mountain at an elevation of 2,000 feet. It took until 1981 to plant the vineyard. Sadly, he had to replant in the early 1990’s due to phylloxera.

The winery released its first vintage in 1983, a Sauvignon Blanc. However, he no longer produces white wine.

It took a few more years until the first Cabernet Sauvignon wines were produced at the estate. The debut vintage for Philip Togni Cabernet was the 1985 vintage. The initial vintages of Philip Togni were 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Philip Togni does not produce wines with high alcohol. A style from Napa that is sorely missed by me.

The style of his wines are Left bank. Left Bank wines had a big influence on his winemaking and the estate. However, if you have ever spent time looking at his labels for alcohol levels, they’re nowhere to be found.

During the 1980’s, the BATF allowed wineries to state that their wine had the alcoholic strength of a table wine, which was around 7% to 14%. For wineries that had not requested to change their labels, those wineries were not forced to provide specific percent of alcohol. If their labels remain unchanged from their label during the 1980’s, they were only required to state the wine as table wine.

The vineyard contains rocky and clay soils at 2,000 feet. Like Howell Mountain, the vineyard is well above the fog line, which allows for more sunlight and riper fruit.

The Estate is planted to 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 2% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot.

Philip Togni makes three wines:

Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon. It is aged in 40% new, French oak barrels for an average of 20 months before bottling.

Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon is a big, powerful, tannic when wine young. PT requires longer cellar time. It’s made from ripe mountain fruit that can easily take a 10 to 20 year to fully mature. And trust me, it is closer to 20 years of aging before it’s ready to drink.

Philip Togni also produces a second wine called “Tanbark Hill.” It’s named after a prominent hill near the Estate. Tanbark Hill is a 3 1/2-acre parcel of young vines. A very good second wine for less money.

The third wine is Philip Togni Ca’ and is sweet red dessert wine that is produced from the grape, Black Hamburgh. This grape was popular in the Napa Valley before Prohibition. Black Hamburgh is also know as Black Muscat. It is a grape variety derived from the crossing of the Schiava Grossa and Muscat of Alexandria by R. Snow of Bedforshire, England in 1850, according to my studies.

Philip Togni remains a family Winery. The estate is managed by Philip Togni (in his 90’s), his wife Brigitta Togni and their daughter Lisa Togni. In time, it is expected that Lisa Togni will take over the estate.

— 8 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Mony Vineyard Chardonnay–Semillon 2019 — Judean Hills, Israel 🇮🇱

Overview
A semi-dry white blend from the Judean Hills composed of Chardonnay and Semillon (12% ABV). A thoughtful, layered expression that leans more intellectual than crowd-pleasing, structured, textural, and quietly complex.

Aromas & Flavors
Light lemon curd, honeysuckle, subtle orchard fruit, and a faint oxidative/reductive whisper that adds intrigue rather than distraction. Gentle creaminess woven through citrus zest and soft stone fruit tones.

Mouthfeel
Medium body with a distinctive texture, soft, slightly creamy, yet structured. The Semillon brings weight and roundness while Chardonnay keeps tension and line. Long, reflective finish that lingers with citrus oil and floral nuances.

Food Pairings
Roasted chicken with herbs, baked sea bass, creamy mushroom risotto, mild curries, or aged Manchego. Also compelling on its own as a contemplative glass.

Verdict
A wine that makes you pause. Complex to the bone and multilayered, it rewards attention and patience. Not a simple “patio white”, this one asks questions and invites conversation. Possibly too nuanced for the casual white wine drinker, but deeply satisfying for those who enjoy texture and structure.

Did You Know?
The Judean Hills sit at elevation with significant day–night temperature shifts, allowing grapes to retain freshness while developing depth, a key factor behind Israel’s increasingly refined white blends.

🍷 Personal Pick
One of the most intriguing blends I’ve tasted recently from the region. Textural, cerebral, and memorable, the kind of white that stays on your mind long after the glass is empty. — 4 months ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.0

Arthur Metz – Crémant d’Alsace Cuvée Prestige (N/V)
Alsace – France 🇫🇷

Overview
Made in the traditional method, this Crémant d’Alsace blends Pinot Blanc, Pinot Auxerrois, Pinot Noir, and Chardonnay (exact ratios not disclosed). Arthur Metz, founded in 1904, is one of Alsace’s largest and most recognized sparkling producers, with a long tradition of crisp, approachable fizz.

Aromas & Flavors
Dry, floral, with grapefruit zest, ripe mineola, and mandarin peel. Light orchard fruit notes bring freshness, accented by a subtle mineral edge.

Mouthfeel
Clean, crisp, and light-bodied. Fine bubbles carry bright citrus flavors into a refreshing, easy-to-drink finish. Very much in line with traditional Alsatian sparkling style.

Food Pairings
Ideal as an aperitif, with shellfish, sushi, or light salads. Also pairs nicely with goat cheese or Alsatian tarte flambée.

Verdict
A lively, floral, and citrus-driven Crémant d’Alsace. Easy to enjoy, refreshingly light, and a great alternative to Champagne at an approachable price point. 🍾✨

Did You Know?
Crémant d’Alsace is France’s most popular Crémant AOC, with over 30 million bottles produced annually — yet it often delivers Champagne-like character for a fraction of the price. — 9 months ago

Ely Cohn

9.2

Idiosyncratic Chardonnay with a lineup of notes that seem bizarrely out of box but come together in a wonderful way to form something I won't forget. No playbook for Chardonnay in Beaujolais.

This is extroverted and wavers between an artificial grapiness and blossoming florals, ripe orchard, citrus, and tropical fruits. Like Welch's grape soda or purple snow cones sitting there alongside the natural forms of green melon balls, fuzzy peach, soft apricot, and ginger.

Drank over three days and stayed consistent - the strangest mix I positively loved. — 4 years ago

Matté

Manager The Wine Cellars

9.1

Baked pear with a subtle touch of cinnamon, frangipane but also some more earthy notes of cheese rind, wet stone along with galia melon rind on the nose and some smoky honey.
Palate has good poise and balance with a fine line of acidity keeping the quite weighty orchard fruit lifted, even edges into some light and very refreshing tangerine citrus character.

Nice amount of age but should continue to develops for some years, represents excellent value for money.

(Jacquère planted on limestone) — 5 years ago

Dasha

9.2

Stillleben = still life. 60PN, 30CH, 10PB. Loaded with bruised orchard fruit (red apple skins and yellow apples), Marcona almond, cereal, cherry pits/Kirsch, less oxidative and rich than the Bistrotage. Nice chalk line, herbs. Mousse disappears rather quickly. — 6 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.1

The Furlani line is a tamer version of the Indigeno wines in the same category. Less fringe. Less funk. Less sour. Equally fruity but less complex. This is the best I’ve had from Furlani and it has an interesting nose of lemon and white flowers with a yeasty musty tone. Basic pallet - orchard fruit and quickly dissipating C02. — 6 years ago

Bryce Wiatrak

9.4

If there is one thing I admire most about Chablis, that would be precision. This example cuts like a sushi knife - every molecule finding its place in line. Flavors of frozen green apples, chalk, oyster shell, and snow. There are worse things to have in your glass at 6pm. — 8 years ago

Freddy R. Troya

9.4

Saxum — James Berry Vineyard White 2023
Paso Robles – Willow Creek District AVA, California 🇺🇸

Overview
A powerful, Rhône-inspired white blend composed of 46% Grenache Blanc, 30% Roussanne, 20% Chenin Blanc, and 4% Chardonnay, sourced entirely from the iconic James Berry Vineyard, delivering intensity, texture, and serious structural presence.

Aromas & Flavors
Dense stone fruit, baked pear, preserved citrus peel, and subtle tropical tones lead the aromatics. Layers of honeysuckle and warm orchard fruit intertwine with gentle herbal nuance and faint almond creaminess. On the palate, ripe yellow peach, quince, lemon oil, and savory mineral notes unfold with depth and clarity.

Mouthfeel
Rich, broad, and commanding with impressive mid-palate weight. The wine carries a firm line of tension through the back palate, preventing any sense of heaviness despite the elevated alcohol. Texture is polished, energetic, and confidently structured, warm yet controlled.

Food Pairings
Roast chicken with herbs and lemon. Grilled halibut or monkfish with beurre blanc. Moroccan spiced tagine. Aged Comté or Alpine cheeses. Cream-based seafood pasta.

Verdict
Serious, layered, and unapologetically bold, this is a thinking person’s white wine. Intensity meets balance, delivering both immediate impact and clear aging potential. A standout expression of Paso Robles whites pushing into Grand Cru mindset territory.

Did You Know?
James Berry Vineyard is one of Paso Robles’ most celebrated sites, better known for producing legendary Rhône-style reds. Seeing this level of complexity and structural precision translated into a white blend highlights just how versatile and elite this terroir truly is.

🍷 Personal Pick
This is not a casual patio white, it’s a layered, expressive, high-octane wine (15.2% ABV) built for contemplation, food, and cellar evolution. Definitely a white wine for red wine lovers. — 5 months ago

Jay Kline

9.8

The 2007 Montrachet pours a bright yellow color with medium viscosity. On the nose, the wine is developing with insane notes of ripe orchard fruit and a little tropical fruit too: peach, Meyer lemon, lime, even some orange along with starfruit, and passion fruit. There’s also honeysuckle, some nuts and OMG, don’t even get me started on the minerals. On the palate, the wine is dry with medium+ acid. Confirming the notes from the nose. The finish is forever long. The fruit and acid are in perfect balance. A wow wine in a line-up of wow wines. Drink now and through 2047. — a year ago

Devin Brown

8.9

The description: A wonderful bouquet of whites spices, a core of fresh pear and apple, wild white flowers and a white sand mineral quality. Youthful, complex and enticing. Satin-cream textures lead to a core of white fleshed orchard fruit flavours, some spice and mineral and acontrasting acid line. Refreshing, balanced, even and lengthy. Well made and ready to drink from 2022 through 2026.
The opinion: I agree and think we are drinking it at exactly the right time! — 2 years ago

Delectable Wine

Follow to learn about our favorite wines & people.

9.2

The 2019 Sancerre Les Chasseignes has a ripe and open expression. It fills the mouth with a sense of effortlessness, which Stephane Riffault puts down to both the caillottes soil and the ripeness of the vintage. It is in the riper spectrum of Sauvignon aromatics. This wine leaves the variety's green flavors far behind and focuses instead on orchard fruit and almost heads into the realms of tropical fruit, which isn't something you normally associate with Sancerre. Gently refreshing with the caillottes providing a line of chalkiness on the finish. One for the short to medium term due to the vintage's ripe profile. (Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, August 2021)
— 5 years ago

Lyle Fass

Founder Fass Selections

9.5

Now the high end Jurgen wines. Sick nose. Incredible. The next cult German Pinot. It’s so obvious. Nose of intense black cherries, mid season best of bunch red cherries, some cooling blueberry that echoes Cecile Tremblay. Loads of spice and earth. But so so so refined. Delicate yet intense nose. Superb. Beguiling. Huge minerality. Smells like red rocks. You sniff for 10 minutes before you sip as it is so good and keeps changing. After 10 minutes there is massive complex aromas. Palate has insane inner mouth perfume and massive elegance. Incredible palate. Mega juicy and so complex. So pure and clean. Lithe and elegant but intensely flavored with bursting mid season red and black cherries. Incredible energy and sweetness of fruit and man it is so so elegant. Pure as the driven snow. This is mega elite. The intensity combined with delicacy is incredible. Masterful balance and top of the line purity. Delicate and powder tannins with perfect ethereal ripeness. 9.5 for now. But I see this going higher. Insanely long finish. — 6 years ago

Ely Cohn

9.1

Domaine De L’ecu makes wines of quiet beauty, soul, and truth which need a present attentiveness to appreciate. In the right calm state of mind they communicate. The three Muscadets in this sub-soil line have each their own personality. Granite has a leesy richness over lemon and yellow orchard fruits. — 7 years ago

Isaac Pirolo

9.2

The Migration label first appeared in 2001 as the second label of Goldeneye, both under the Duckhorn masthead, first focusing on Pinot Noir and later adding Chardonnay. Like Paraduxx to Duckhorn, it is no longer a second label, but a winery unto itself. In 2008 Migration, and by extension, Duckhorn, produced its first Chardonnay. In 2009 they produced their first Chardonnay from the legendary Charles Heintz Vineyard. The Charles Heintz Vineyard is located just outside of the town of Occidental where Charlie’s family has farmed the land for over 100 years. Two ridges in, and only about 8 miles from the Pacific Ocean, the vineyard is situated in the Green Valley of Russian River Valley AVA. Heintz has become one of the most famous Chardonnay sites in California, with notable producers including Ceritas, DuMol, Freeman, Flowers, L'Angevin, Kosta Browne, Littorai, Migration/Duckhorn, Moone-Tsai, Pierson Meyer, and Williams Selyem. With its classic Goldridge sandy loam soils, and located just above the fog line, the vineyard receives abundant sunshine and cool ocean breezes. Super mellow Chardonnay, with candied orchard fruit, honeysuckle, wet stone, and some secondary hazelnut, with just a flutter of mushroom in the background. — 9 years ago