Hello and welcome to my weekly dig through the pile of wine samples that show up on my doorstep 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 arrived recently.

This past week was full of goodies. Let’s start with some new-release sparkling wines from Domaine Carneros. I really liked the 2022 version of their vintage Brut, which has lovely balance and a really beautiful texture. Uncharacteristically (for me), I preferred it to both their attractively lean Ultra Brut and the 2019 late disgorged bottling as well. All are worth seeking out.

I’ve got a couple of Chardonnays to recommend this week, one from Garden Creek Vineyards in Alexander Valley, which is a nice balance between richness and more stony notes. That could also characterize the latest Ridge Vineyards Estate Chardonnay, which has a great energy and acidity to balance its ripe fruit.

Before I go on to the red wines from Ridge, I’ve got two more wines to recommend. The first is the latest version of Gerard Bertrand‘s Côte de Roses Rosé from Provence. They sent it to me this week as much to show off its fancy new bottle as much as they did the wine itself. The second wine is from Land of Saints Wine Company, a collaboration between Angela Osborne (queen of California Grenache at her A Tribute to Grace wine company), her husband Jason Osborne, and their friend and fellow winemaker Manuel Cuevas, of C2 Ceallars. The wine is a GSM blend that offers great value at $25.

Last, but certainly not least, I’ve got four new-release red wines to recommend to you from Ridge Vineyards. For those who like their wines ink-dark and brawny, with lots of fruit, the Lytton Springs Petite Sirah delivers its usual heart-of-darkness profile. I much prefer the bright, exuberant juiciness of the Benito Dusi Ranch Zinfandel from Paso Robles. The Three Valleys bottling of a Zinfandel-dominant blend delivers real pleasure at a pretty attractive price point.

And then we get to Cabernet Sauvignon. What is generally referred to as the Estate Cabernet Sauvignon is gorgeous in the cool 2023 vintage, offering wonderful balance and juiciness in a slightly more ready-to-drink form than its big-brother bottling. Make no mistake, though, the Estate Cabernet will age beautifully for a decade or more. The 2023 Monte Bello, however, is a tour de force of a wine and represents one of my favorite vintages in many years. I think I still prefer the 2021 just slightly, but this 2023 (due to be released in the coming months) is a knockout of a wine, and one that will age well (and improve) for decades. If I could afford it, I’d cellar this by the case, but I’m lucky to be able to afford one or two bottles per year. It’s a wine I already dream of drinking in 15 years.

Notes on all these below!

Tasting Notes

2022 Domaine Carneros “Brut” Sparkling Wine, Carneros, Sonoma County, California
Pale gold in the glass with medium-fine bubbles, this wine smells of sea air, lemon pith, and unripe apples. In the mouth, a silky, voluminous mousse delivers flavors of white flowers, lemon, cranberries, and sea air. There’s a clean, ethereal quality about this wine, with a lovely texture and balance. Aged for 3 years on the lees in the bottle. 12% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $35. click to buy.

2022 Domaine Carneros “Ultra Brut” Sparkling Wine, Carneros, Sonoma County, California
Light greenish gold in the glass with medium fine bubbles, this wine smells of apples, lime zest, dried herbs, and grapefruit pith. In the mouth, a silky voluminous mousse delivers flavors of green apple, lime, grapefruit, and crushed nuts. A faint salinity creeps into the finish, adding to the salivary stimulation of the grapefruit and pomelo notes that also linger there. 12% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $50. click to buy.

2019 Domaine Carneros “Late Disgorged Brut” Sparkling Wine, Carneros, Sonoma County, California
Light gold in the glass, with medium-fine bubbles, this wine smells of sea air, toasted sourdough, tart apples, and lemon peel. In the mouth, a smooth mousse delivers flavors of baked apples, toasted brioche, kelp, lemon peel, and pomelo. Tangy citrus notes linger in the finish with a hint of dried herbs. Aged for 6 years on the lees in the bottle. 12% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $62. click to buy.

2021 Garden Creek “Estate Clonal Selection” Chardonnay, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County, California
Pale greenish gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon curd, white flowers, and apples. In the mouth, lemon curd, grapefruit, and vanilla notes mix with pastry cream and grapefruit pith. Acidity seems to slowly build in strength as the wine moves across the palate with a silky texture. While the acidity is generally decent, I feel like the wine is missing some edge or energy that would make it more compelling. Fermented in French oak with Montrachet yeast. Aged for 11 months in 5% new French oak. 13.9% alcohol. 148 cases made. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $??

2024 Ridge Vineyards “Estate – Monte Bello Estate Vineyard” Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of flinty lemon oil, lemon curd, and wet chalkboard with a hint of oak. In the mouth, saline flavors of gunpowder, lemon peel, lemon pith, and lemon tart have a nice bright acidity and a faint chalky grip to them. Somehow both lean and rich at the same time, and very expressive, with good energy. 14.3% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $71. click to buy.

2025 Gérard Bertrand “Cote des Roses” Rosé, Languedoc, Languedoc-Roussillon, France
Palest peachy pink in color, nearly looking like a white wine, this wine smells of orange peel and rose petals. In the mouth, flowers, strawberries, and cherries are silky on the tongue but missing a little of the acidity that would make this wine more exciting and dynamic. 13% alcohol. Closed with a glass (Vinolok) stopper. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $17. click to buy.

2023 Land of Saints Red Blend, Santa Barbara County, California
Light to medium garnet in the glass with ruby highlights, this wine smells of strawberries, boysenberries, and chopped herbs. In the mouth, juicy strawberry, a touch of cola nut, boysenberry, and dried herb flavors have the faintest of gauzy tannins. Notes of boysenberry linger in the finish. A blend of 45% Syrah, 41% Grenache, and 14% Mourvedre. 13.5% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $24.

2023 Ridge Vineyards “Lytton Springs” Petite Sirah, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County, California
Intense, inky purple in the glass, this wine smells of blueberries, wet chalkboard, ink, and wet earth. In the mouth, blueberry, iodine, wet earth, and notes of flowers mix with hints of sweet oak. Decent acidity keeps things fresh as monumental tannins coat the mouth and settle like a weight on the palate. Intense and dark, like a shadow you can’t see into fully. 13.8% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $49. click to buy.

2024 Ridge Vineyards “Paso Robles – Benito Dusi Ranch” Zinfandel, Paso Robles, Central Coast, California
Medium to dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of black cherries, blackberries, and a hint of mocha. In the mouth, blackberries, black cherries, mocha, and dark chocolate notes have a lovely dusty tannic texture and a beautiful stony earthiness that balances the fruit beautifully. Excellent acidity and nicely integrated oak make this a sophisticated and almost regal expression of Zinfandel. Outstanding. 14.9% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $45. click to buy.

2024 Ridge Vineyards “Three Valleys” Red Blend, Sonoma County, California
Dark garnet in the glass with purple highlights, this wine smells of blackberries, blueberries, and a hint of licorice. In the mouth, blackberry, blueberry, chocolate, and licorice flavors have a faint vanilla scent and a light suede-like tannic texture. Rich and ripe but with plenty of excellent acidity, which keeps the overall package bouncy and exhuberant. There’s a light sweetness to the finish. A blend of 67% Zinfandel, 17% Carignane, 8% Petite Sirah, 5% Alicante Bouschet, and 3% Mataro. 14.4% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $33. click to buy.

2023 Ridge Vineyards “Estate – Monte Bello Vineyard” Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Dark garnet in the glass with purple highlights, this wine smells of black cherries, oak, sour cherries, and a touch of blackberry. In the mouth, racy acidity makes tart red blackberry, black cherry, and sour cherry flavors mouthwatering and bright, as sweet American oak brings a coconut note and smooth fine-grained tannins to bear. Notes of black cherry, ink, and dried flowers linger in the finish. Young yet, in need of a couple of years’ bottle aging to really express itself fully, this will be a lovely wine in short order. A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. 13.4% alcohol. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $65. click to buy.

2023 Ridge Vineyards “Monte Bello” Cabernet Sauvignon, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Very dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of violets, black cherries, blackcurrants, and sweet oak. In the mouth, supple, velvety tannins wrap around a core of black cherry and blackcurrant shot through with freshly chopped herbs and the sweet coconut note of American oak. Beautifully energetic and seamless, with great lift thanks to fantastic acidity, this is a wine with the sleek lines of a racecar, built for the long haul. The finish soars on for a long time. Give this 10 years and watch out. A blend of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, and 2% Petit Verdot. 13.2% alcohol. Score: between 9.5 and 10. Cost: $285. click to buy.