Accolades
— Jeb Dunnuck, May 2020
VOILÀ (Here it is) — Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon , Justi Creek Estate Vineyards, Sonoma Valley
2022 Vintage
93 Points, Jeb Dunnuck (July 2024)
Pouring a silver green color, the 2022 Voila is by far my favorite of these whites. Composed of mostly Sauvignon Blanc, with the addition of 42% Semillon, it comes from the Justi Creek Vineyard in the Sonoma Valley. On the nose it opens to notes of wet stone, white peach, chive, and grapefruit zest. It has great energy on the palate and a hint of the waxy texture that’s sure to come through with age. Fantastic and long, with a weightless feel, it can be enjoyed over the next 8-10 years.
ZUT ALORS (Shucks) — Sauvignon Blanc, Justi Creek Estate Vineyards, Sonoma Valley
2022 Vintage
91 Points, Jeb Dunnuck (July 2024)
The 2022 Zut Alors is a silver/green-tinged color and was aged for 8 months in 15% new French oak. The nose opens to bright, tropical, fresh lift in its notes of bright lime citrus, white grapefruit, wet stones, and fresh guava. It’s medium-bodied but reveals more intensity and richness on the palate. With good persistence and a long finish, it’s going to hang on for years to come. Drink 2024-2029.
ENJOUÉ (Joyful; Playful) — Rosé, Grenache-focused, Justi Creek Estate Vineyards, Sonoma Valley
2023 Vintage
91 Points, Jeb Dunnuck (July 2024)
A bright pink/salmon color, the 2023 Enjoue is an inviting rosé made from a blend of 41% Grenache, 38% Mourvèdre, 14% Syrah, and the rest Counoise. Offering aromas of fresh strawberries, fresh flowers, and sweet herbs, it’s medium-bodied, elegant, and mouthwatering on the palate, with a light, savory feel, a pithy texture, and a nice lift of wet stone on the finish. It’s not austere, but rather nice and fresh, and harkens to rosés from the south of France.
CHEMIN DE FER (Iron Road) — Grenache-focused GSM, Justi Creek Estate Vineyards, Sonoma Valley
2022 Vintage
95 Points, Jeb Dunnuck (June 2024)
A ripe ruby red color, the 2022 Chemin De Fer is 52% Mourvèdre, 32% Grenache, and the rest Syrah. It offers fruity and primary notes upfront but also reveals a darker mineral undercurrent on the nose, with notes of strawberries, cocoa, tea leaf, candied flowers, and a hint of pepper. It’s medium to full-bodied but floats on the palate with a graceful feel before revealing a darker profile of mineral tones coming through on the long finish. Age this one another couple of years and drink 2026-2045.
DENTELLE DE FER (Iron Lace) — Grenache-focused GSM, Justi Creek Estate Vineyard, Sonoma Valley
2022 Vintage
94 Points, Jeb Dunnuck (June 2024)
Pouring a rich ruby/red color, the 2023 Dentelle De Fer was tasted as a barrel sample and is entirely made from Grenache from the Justi Vineyard in the Sonoma Valley. It offers a spicy and appealing perfume, balancing its sweet red and purple fruit with notes of fresh sage and wet stones. Medium to full-bodied, it has a lovely chalky texture as a barrel sample, and it’s going to soften over the next period of aging, but I like the tension it carries and hope it keeps that nerve. It’s going to be a lovely vintage for this wine
PAYSAGE (Landscape Painting; Countryside) — Merlot-focused Bordeaux Blend, Justi Creek Estate Vineyards, Sonoma Valley
2022 Vintage
96 Points, Jeb Dunnuck (July 2024)
Dark black/red-colored and Merlot focused, the 2022 Paysage is a blend of 85% Merlot, 9% Malbec, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It is ripe and well balanced with a brooding sense to its notes of savory pine sap, dark chocolate, spiced black plum, and cedar. It boasts fantastic energy on the palate for the vintage, with ripe tannins and a long, smoky finish. It will have a lot of charm rather young but would be well-suited for aging over the next 15 years.
AMOUREUX (Lovers) — Malbec-focused Bordeaux Blend, Justi Creek Estate Vineyards, Sonoma Valley
2022 Vintage
97 Points, Jeb Dunnuck (June 2024)
The inky purple-colored 2022 Amoureux is 93% Malbec with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot in the blend, coming from the Sonoma Valley. In the glass, it offers deep aromas of black and blue fruit, with notes of black licorice, black plum compote, espresso crema, and dark stones. Full-bodied, it retains very nice levity on the palate, with plush tannins and notes of dark soil on the finish. I enjoy the savory richness that comes through, and this is going to be a fantastic red to age over the next 15 years.
REMINISCENCE — Cabernet Sauvignon, Justi Creek Estate Vineyards, Sonoma Valley
2022 Vintage
96 Points, Jeb Dunnuck (June 2024)
Dark black/red-colored and Merlot focused, the 2022 Paysage is a blend of 85% Merlot, 9% Malbec, and the rest Cabernet Franc. It is ripe and well balanced with a brooding sense to its notes of savory pine sap, dark chocolate, spiced black plum, and cedar. It boasts fantastic energy on the palate for the vintage, with ripe tannins and a long, smoky finish. It will have a lot of charm rather young but would be well-suited for aging over the next 15 years.
L’AME DU SAGE (Soul of the Wise Man) — Old Vine Zinfandel field blend, Justi Creek Estate Vineyards, Sonoma Valley
2022 Vintage
95 Points, Jeb Dunnuck (July 2024)
The 2022 L’Ame Du Sage Justi Creek Vineyards is a heritage field blend of mostly Zinfandel along with Cabernet Franc, Alicante, Petite Sirah, Grand Noir de la Calmette, Peloursin, Lenoir, Merlot, and Mourvèdre. The nose reveals peppery spice on opening and is ripe with aromas of dark cocoa, red plum, mixed berries, toasted sage, and violets. Full-bodied, it reveals notes of ripe berries and a rounded but even palate. Drink 2024-2034.
SYRAH — Trinity Ridge Estate Vineyard, Moon Mountain District
2021 Vintage
98 Points, Jeb Dunnuck (July 2024)
The 2021 Syrah Trinity Ridge is highly aromatic with resinous notes of scorched earth, pine sap, black plum, and fresh sage. Full-bodied, the tannins are ripe but firm and will need some time to soften, but they reveal a beautiful wine with notes of turned potting soil, cured meat, inky black fruit, and cedar. Drink over 2026-2040.
CABERNET SAUVIGNON — Trinity Ridge Estate Vineyard, Moon Mountain District
2022 Vintage
98 Points, Jeb Dunnuck (June 2024)
A dark red color, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Trinity Ridge Vineyard is entirely composed of Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged for 16 months in 95% new French oak. In the glass, it boasts a very heady and complete layered feel on the nose, with notes of blackcurrant, savory mountain herbs, leather, cedar, dark earth, and tobacco. It’s ripe, expansive, and full bodied, with a kiss of sweet fruit to balance out the savory ripeness, and it has ripe tannins and a long finish. Drink 2027-2047.