Hello and welcome to this week’s dig through the pile of wine samples that show up asking to be tasted. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently.

This past week included some interesting wines from California, Oregon, and Washington. Let’s get started!

One of the insider secrets for finding great wines has always been to track down the personal projects of the assistant winemakers at really excellent producers. In the case of Nonesuch, by Caitlin Quinn, I had it easy. No tracking down required. I was handed a bottle by her boss and told, “You need to taste this.” And boy am I glad. Caitlin spends her days working at Arnot-Roberts Winery in Healdsburg, and for fun, on the side, she makes small quantities of wine. Her Rhyolite White (geology geeks unite!) is an unusual blend of Assyrtiko, Falanghina, and Ribolla Gialla that also happens to be unusually delicious. Best white wine under $25 made in California anyone? Check it out.

I got a few wines from Trothe this past week, the brand that was started by the Andrews Family, who have been growing grapes in Washington’s Horse Heaven Hills for a long time. For more than a decade, the family sold their grapes to others, but have recently started their own label with high aspirations, at least as one might infer from their branding, their pricing, their “highly allocated” approach to selling wine, and the nasty, heavy bottles they’ve chosen to package their wines in. Their sauvignon blanc is made in a Bordeaux Blanc style, and, like its inspiration, will likely age well. Their Cabernet, Syrah, and Mourvedre bottlings are styled for those who like big, ripe wines.

I love getting periodic sample shipments from Big Table Farm in Oregon’s Willamette Valley, and not just because I look forward to the endless variations of labels that appear on the bottles courtesy of artist and co-proprietor Clare Carver. The biodynamic wines that she and her husband Brian Macy produce are honest, soulful, and delicious. This week, I’m recommending their top 2023 Chardonnay, “The Elusive Queen,” and a few of their 2023 Pinot Noirs, including the one that is often my favorite, from Pelos Sandberg Vineyard.

Winemaker Matt Cline and his wife Erin have a passion for old vine vineyards, farming several of them in Contra Costa County. Under their label Three Wine Company, they make a number of single-vineyard varietal wines and blends from these vineyards which are decent, but honestly, my favorite wine that I’ve tasted of theirs is the Faux Pas red blend they sent along recently—a chillable red wine made of Carignane, Zinfandel, Petite Sirah, and Mataro. Throw it in the fridge before your next barbecue and get ready for some fun.

Finally, I also got a couple of new releases from Rhys Vineyards, which is always a pleasure. Their 2022 Bearwallow and Mt. Pajaro Pinot Noirs are both excellent, but I think the Bearwallow from Anderson Valley needs some time, as it was uncharacteristically closed and tight when I opened it this past week. The Mt. Pajaro from the Santa Cruz Mountains, on the other hand, was ready to play, with bright, vibrant flavors. Both will age beautifully.

Notes on all these below!

Tasting Notes

2023 Nonesuch Wines “Rhyolite White” White Blend, Sonoma County, California
Light yellow gold in the glass, this wine smells of orange peel, mango, apricot, and a hint of papaya. In the mouth, zingy, electric lemon and pink grapefruit flavors are welded to some tropical richness, with mango and papaya notes that linger with orange blossom in the finish. There’s a faint hint of salinity here, and an ever-so-faint tannic texture, but mostly a shimmering, diaphanous swirl of flavor. A blend of 16% Assyrtiko, 42% Falanghina, and 42% Ribolla Gialla. Aged in stainless steel and neutral oak barrels for 9 months. 12% alcohol. 168 cases produced. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $25.

2023 Big Table Farm “The Elusive Queen” Chardonnay, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Light gold in the glass with a hint of green, this wine smells of star fruit, lemon peel, and candied lime. In the mouth, faintly resinous flavors of lemon peel, orange peel, and ruby grapefruit have a lovely filigreed acidity that sort of sneaks up on you. Silky and bright, with a long finish. 12.9% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $95.

2022 Trothe Sauvignon Blanc, Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Valley, Washington
Light gold in the glass, this wine smells of vanilla, lemon pith, and golden delicious apples. In the mouth, racy acidity makes flavors of lemon and toasted oak quite zingy and mouthwatering, with a nut skin and the faint scent of passionfruit struggling for attention amidst all the toasted oak. So much potential here, but ultimately just far too much wood for my taste. With some time, that wood may fade a bit, and this wine certainly has the acidity for aging. 11.8% alcohol. Comes in a nasty heavy bottle weighing 1.55 kg when full. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $65. click to buy.

2024 Three Wine Company “Faux Pas” Red Blend, Contra Costa County, California
Light to medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of boysenberry, blueberry, and cherry. In the mouth, lightly crunchy flavors of boysenberry, cherry, and dried herbs are bright and juicy with excellent acidity. There’s a faint tannic texture and touch of wood here as well. Fairly successful. A blend of 63% Carignane, 29% Zinfandel, 6% Petite Sirah, and 2% Mataro. 13.5% alcohol. 614 cases made. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $20. click to buy.

2023 Big Table Farm Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Light to medium garnet in color, with a faint haze, this wine smells of dried flowers, forest floor, raspberries, and a hint of saddle leather. In the mouth, raspberry and cherry flavors have an aromatic sweetness while earthier notes of potting soil and dried herbs run underneath. Faint, chalk-dust tannins. Great acidity. 13.2% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $50. click to buy.

2023 Big Table Farm “Earth” Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Light to medium garnet in color, this wine smells of cherry and forest floor. In the mouth, cherry, raspberry, and raspberry leaf flavors are shot through with road dust and a hint of star anise, as gauzy tannins drape the palate and excellent acidity keeps things fresh and bright. 13.3% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $55. click to buy.

2023 Big Table Farm “Pelos Sandberg Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Light to medium garnet in color, this wine smells of raspberries and raspberry leaf, sour cherries, and chopped herbs. In the mouth, faintly saline flavors of raspberries, sour cherry, redcurrant, and chopped herbs have a lovely powdery tannic texture and a fabulous umami note that lingers with raspberry pastilles in the finish. Excellent acidity and wonderful length. 13% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $72. click to buy.

2022 Rhys Vineyards “Bearwallow Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley, Mendocino, California
Light to medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cranberry and raspberry fruit with a beautiful earthy undertone. In the mouth, cranberry and raspberry fruit flavors are shot through with dried herbs and a touch of fresh sage. Excellent acidity and powdery, athletic tannins. Notes of earth and dried herbs linger in the finish. This wine is slightly more closed than it should be, perhaps suggesting a little time before opening. I suspect a year will do wonders. 13.4% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $89. click to buy.

2022 Rhys Vineyards “Mt. Pajaro Vineyard” Pinot Noir, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Medium garnet in color, this wine smells of raspberries, flowers, and a hint of forest floor and sweet oak. In the mouth, bright raspberry and sour cherry flavors mix with dried herbs and dried flowers. There’s a zingy redcurrant and citrus peel brightness in the finish along with a hint of sweet oak. Fantastic acidity and lovely powdery, gauzy tannins round out a delicious package. 13.7% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $89. click to buy.

2022 Trothe Cabernet Sauvignon, Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Valley, Washington
Dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of black cherries, licorice, and sweet oak. In the mouth, juicy flavors of black cherry, mocha, licorice, and a touch of cola are wrapped in fleecy tannins that stiffen slightly with time. Very good acidity. Ripe and broad-shouldered, but generally balanced. 14.5% alcohol. Comes in a nasty heavy bottle weighing 1.55 kg when full. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $240. click to buy.

2022 Trothe “Limited” Mourvedre, Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Valley, Washington
Dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of chocolate-covered blueberries and black cherries. In the mouth, rich black cherry, blueberry, and blackberry flavors mix with hints of dried herbs and cocoa powder. Faintly fleecy tannins coat the mouth, and excellent acidity keeps things bright and juicy, despite the richness and sweetness of the ripe fruit. Sweet oak lingers in the finish. 14% alcohol. Comes in a nasty heavy bottle weighing 1.56 kg when full. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $160. click to buy.

2022 Trothe Syrah, Horse Heaven Hills, Columbia Valley, Washington
Very dark purple in the glass, this wine smells of ripe blackberries and blueberries. In the mouth, blueberry and blackberry flavors are dusted with powdery tannins and bright with juicy acidity. Sweetish ripe fruit with a tinge of oak. 14% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $160.