"Odedi"

9.1

Notre Vue Estate Winery Balverne Russian River Valley Forever Wild Chardonnay 2019, California

Pale lemon in color with a green/ golden hue.

Nice nose of lemons, cedar, vanilla, toast, limes, grapefruits, honeysuckle, apples, honeydew, earth, minerals, sea salt and light river rocks.

Full bodied, buttery and smooth, with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with citrus, green apples, grapefruits, bitter herbs, spices, oak, vanilla, peppercorn, wet leaves and earth.

Nice tangy finish with almonds.

This is a very enjoyable Chardonnay from Russian River Valley. Elegant, fruity and interesting.

Loved the nose here. Showing nice complexity with a great mouthfeel. Would be nice to revisit it in 3 years.

Good right out of the bottle, and better with airtime (20 minutes).

Good by itself or with food. I paired it with cheeses, crackers and olives.

100% Chardonnay grapes were aged for 5 months in French Oak barrels (20% new).

14.2% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$35. — a day ago

Scott Soren

9.3

My first experience here. Lovely wine. It took some time to open, but the wait was worth it. A muted nose gave way to some florals and the palate is drive by blackberry jam, then some briny olive and peppercorn Really cool. Medium acidity and dark purple hue. Not a long finish but we’ll rounded and time will be it’s friend 93pts now, and i would guess it could reach 94-96 in time — 3 days ago

"Odedi"

8.9

Reddish in color with medium intensity.

Fruity nose with cherries, ripe strawberries, raspberries, light oak, vegetables, earth and spices.

Medium-bodied with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate with raspberries, strawberries, bing cherries, oak, wild flowers, light vanilla, spices, dark chocolates, herbs and peppercorn.

Medium finish with soft tannins and tangy raspberries.

This young Pinot Noir from Sonoma Coast is drinking nicely already. Fruit forward and easy drinking. Light and approachable.

This Single Vineyard is showing mild complexity with a nice mouthfeel.

After after an hour of airtime, it gets earthier, with some bitter herb notes. Would be nice to revisit it in 2 years.

Good right out of the bottle and good with food. I paired it with a charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

A very small production of only 5 barrels.

14.2% alcohol by volume.

89 points.

$42. — 2 days ago

Jay Kline

9.3

This was our “back-up” bottle just in case the 1981 Clos du Val Zinfandel was DOA. In the end, the vitality of the ’81 rendered a back-up unnecessary however, we were resolved to open this nevertheless. The Old Hill Ranch is a historic vineyard endowed with a natural beauty that has few peers. Carefully farmed as a field blend with 30 other varieties, the vineyard is thought to be home to the oldest vines grafted to St. George rootstock (some of them are over 130 years old!!). The wine pours a bright ruby with no signs of sediment. On the nose, dark sour cherry, meat fat, brambles, and pie spice. On the palate, a mix of tart dark and red fruits, minerals, and a soft touch of baking spice. The finish is dry and long. Remarkable structure. Medium+ tannin, medium+ acid. This is a wine with tremendous vigor and it’s just getting started. While this is drinking very well already, I suspect these will have a very long life and should drink very well into the 2030’s and possibly, beyond. — 16 days ago

"Odedi"

9.1

Smith Devereux Winery M Vino Rosé 2020, Russian River Valley, California

A very pretty color of light salmon with a peach hue.

Fruity nose of sweet raspberries, limes, red apples, melons, flowers, red candy, rose pedals, earth and herbs.

Medium plus in body with medium acidity, crisp and refreshing.

Dry on the palate with raspberries, strawberries, limes, grapefruits, bitter herbs, earth and light vegetables.

Nice tangy finish with limes and almonds.

This is a very tasty Rosé from Russian River Valley. Smooth and nicely balanced. Elegant with pretty legs.

This Single Vineyard is showing a great mouthfeel with nice acidity. Really enjoyed the nose.

Good right out of the bottle and good by itself. A great party wine that everyone would love.

100% Pinot Noir grapes. A very small production of only 125 cases.

13.6% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$36. — 10 days ago

Sipping Fine Wine

9.1

Very little Petite Sirah left in the RRV, dominated by Pinot's, however David Rossi has done wonders! Very dark Ruby with aromas of deep dark fruit and exotic spices. On the palate big flavors of blackberry and ripe blueberry with smoky oak, floral notes and dusty drying smooth tannins. Well balanced on a long finish ending with a mineral character. — 3 days ago

Neil Valenzuela

8.9

Medium straw color. Aromas of oaky Chardonnay, honeydew and passion fruit. Interesting Sauv Blanc… more for California Chardonnay drinkers. @ uncorked — 18 hours ago

Shay A

9.2

Though the brutal TX heat is back, it means plenty of time for grilling, and this was a fun red blend to pair with burgers.

A fun field blend where everything but the kitchen sink seems to be in here…mostly zin, with 6-7 lesser known varietals. A bit funky upon opening (pop and pour), this opened to reveal a brambly, tobacco leaf, weightless yet jammy profile. Soft and supple mixed fruits aromatically (mostly red and black fruits), with some added woody notes (more earthy than oak driven). The mid palate here reminds you this is zin to its core with plenty of black cherry compote and then the vibrant acidity driven finish sports some black pepper and spicy rhubarb. Mostly integrated at this point, I think this is at its apex. — 15 hours ago

David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.3

Not exactly pizza wine but, I bought six bottles of this 02 Williams Selyem for $35-$36 w/ tax & fees recently on the secondary market. I have enjoyed a number of their 02’s for many years…such a great Pinot Noir Sonoma vintage. Especially, for WS. I feel for the seller who actually barely might have broke even or even lost a couple of bucks on this sale after fees.

Still spectacular after 18 plus years in bottle. She is still strutting her stuff.

Visually you look at the color in the glass, it’s silty & cloudy.

The body is ripe, rich, smooth & shining integration. The fruits bright, somewhat candied, floral & showing shades of stewed. Blackberries, black raspberries, dark cherries, cherries, poached strawberries, pomegranate juice, slightly dry cranberries, raspberries with singing purple & blue fruits as it sets. Some dark, rich, dark forest floor with dry leaves & twigs w/ tree sap, vanillin, nutmeg, cinnamon, dark spices, notes of dry herbaceousness - bay leaf, sage & marjoram, black licorice, mixed berry cola, powdery limestone & dry rocks, just a hint of pepper, grilled, savory meats, fresh tobacco leaves, red, blue, dark flowers laid in a field of violets. The acidity is like a spring shower. The finish is rich, ruby, well knitted & balanced with length & polish for days.

Its subtle knock, a touch hot at the beginning with it fading in the second glass.

The 02 is singing with another 3-5 years of good drinking ahead. It’s new world with Burgundy threads.

For me, this WS Pinot Noir is seriously peaking. Best bottle of the 02 WS Sonoma Coast I have enjoyed over the 12-15 bottles I’ve had.

Definitely pushing 94. I stole these amazing bottles. Thank you universe. — 5 days ago

Shay A

9.3

Even though I’m a big fan of Ferren’s Frei Rd Chardonnay, this was my first Frei Rd Pinot.

Not sure of normal experiences here, but the richness here seems to fall in between Rivers Marie (love) and Aubert (just so so for me). Darker color in the glass…bit of a purple tinge to it. Aromatically it sports potpourri, violets, underripe black cherries, underripe blue fruit and some cedar. Initially, the front palate seems like it will be heavy based on all of the flavors but it turns really elegant. Dark chocolate, a slight roasted character, and spicy fruits. With RM, I get that orange zest note, and with Aubert, I get more alcohol and kirsch. My in between note here is more ripe pomegranate than either of the others. These probably need 5-7yrs from vintage to be in a good spot. Followed over two days and stayed consistent. — 10 days ago