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, the temperatures climbed up to distinctly summerlike here in the Bay Area, so I opened more bottles of white wine than I do ordinarily, starting with the latest creation from Aperture Cellars in Sonoma. Winemaker Jesse Katz has launched a new pair of wines he is calling Collage, and this week I tasted the white wine. Puzzlingly, the wine is labeled as a “Proprietary White” even though it is 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Not sure what that’s all about, other than perhaps trying to position what is a particularly high-priced bottle of the variety? Luckily, the wine is pretty tasty, so for those interested in paying three-digit prices for scarce wines, this wine will certainly satisfy.

Perhaps for the rest of us, thankfully, there is Massican. I tasted through this all-white-wine project’s latest releases, and they’re in typically tasty form. It’s been interesting to watch the evolution of this brand and its wines under its new Gallo ownership. The wines, other than the vineyard-designated Hyde Chardonnay, have all moved to being California appellated and have shifted to more organic sources as the power of Gallo’s fruit sourcing capabilities gets leveraged. The glass bottles have become lighter, more recycled and are now produced here in California, dramatically lowering the winery’s carbon footprint. My favorite wines are the Hyde Chardonnay, which can stand toe-to-toe with many top bottlings in California, along with the white blends Gemina and Annia.

This week I also tried two wines from the young Elena Casadei, who hails from the family behind Castello del Trebbio in Tuscany’s Chianti region. Her Le Anfora de Casadei project focuses on various amphora fermented and aged wines from around Italy. This week I’m reviewing her skin-fermented Ansonica from Tuscany, and her Cannonau from Sardinia. Both are nice expressions of what a bit of time in terra cotta can do to wine.

Lastly, I can recommend the latest iteration of winemaker Bibiana Gonzalez Rave’s flagship Pinot Noir, the Goddess, which she makes under her Cattleya label. Rave’s winemaking style is decidedly… rich. She favors riper fruit in general, and generous amounts of new French oak for her elevage. While not entirely my style, those who like richer Pinots will certainly find this one appealing, in particular because it has that nice coastal kick of acidity that makes for a very juicy presence on the palate.

Notes on all these below.

Tasting Notes

2023 Aperture Cellars “Collage” Proprietary White Wine, Sonoma County, California
Pale to light gold in the glass, this wine smells of passionfruit, white flowers, lemon peel, and vanilla. In the mouth, lemon peel, vanilla, and passionfruit flavors are silky and crisp with bright acidity. A long lingering finish of passionfruit tinged with vanilla. Made of 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Aged 18 months in 80% new French oak and then another 8 months in concrete. 13.6% alcohol. 100 cases made. Score: around 9. Cost: $125.

2025 Massican Sauvignon Blanc, California
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of kiwi and green apple. In the mouth, green apple and kiwi fruit flavors mix with passionfruit and a hint of lime pith. A light chalky texture lingers in the finish. Very good acidity. Mostly organic fruit was whole-cluster pressed and fermented in stainless steel and barrels with a combination of commercial and ambient yeasts. Aged 5 months and then bottled unfined and sterile filtered. 12.5% alcohol. 6304 cases made. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $28. click to buy.

2025 Massican Pinot Grigio, California
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of unripe pear, white flowers, and lemon cucumbers. In the mouth, lightly chalky flavors of unripe pears and citrus pith have a nice, bright quality thanks to very good acidity. Hints of leafy greens linger with pear and a little vanilla in the finish. Contains 21% Cortese. The mostly organic grapes were whole-cluster pressed and then fermented in 53% stainless steel, 33% neutral oak, and 14% large oak foudres with a combination of ambient and commercial yeasts. 11.9% alcohol. Closed with a screwcap. 4561 cases made. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $27. click to buy.

2025 Massican “Gemina” White Blend, California
Pale gold in the glass, this wine smells of wet chalkboard, lemon pith, white flowers, and a hint of cucumber. In the mouth, crisp and bright and salty flavors of lemon peel and lime peel mix with wet chalkboard and a touch of chopped green herbs. A faint nutty note of oak lingers in the finish. A blend of organically farmed 50% Greco, 34% Falanghina, and 16% Fiano gets whole-cluster pressed and then fermented in 76% used French oak, 12% stainless steel, and 13% concrete egg with a combination of ambient and commercial yeasts. Aged for 5 months and then bottled unfined and sterile filtered. 12% alcohol. 1720 cases made. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $34. click to buy.

2025 Massican “Annia” White Blend, California
Pale greenish gold in color, this wine smells of yellow herbs, white flowers, star fruit, and a hint of green apple. In the mouth, Asian pear and star fruit flavors mix with chamomile and a touch of sweet oak. Very good acidity and length. A blend of mostly organic 44% Tocai Friulano, 37% Ribolla Gialla, 13% Chardonnay, and 6% Pinot Bianco pressed as whole clusters and then fermented in 84% neutral oak and 16% stainless steel with a combination of commercial and ambient yeasts. Aged for 5 months, then bottled unfined and sterile filtered. 11.8% alcohol. 3820 cases made. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $32. click to buy.

2025 Massican “Hyde Vineyard” Chardonnay, Napa Valley, Napa, California
Palest gold in the glass, this wine smells of lemon peel, vanilla, and toasted nuts. In the mouth, saline flavors of lemon peel, pomelo pith, lemon oil, and hints of cashew are zippy and piquant thanks to excellent acidity. Mouthwatering finish. Organic fruit was whole-cluster pressed and then fermented in 300L new French oak barrels with a combination of ambient and commercial yeasts. Aged 5 months, then bottled unfined and sterile filtered. 12.8% alcohol. 606 cases made. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $50. click to buy.

2022 Elena Casadei “Le Anfore – Ansonaco” Ansonica, Tuscany, Italy
A perfect light amber in the glass, this wine smells of pine resin, candied orange peels, cloves, and aromatic herbs. In the mouth, dried citrus peel, aromatic and resinous herbs, dried apricots, and lemongrass flavors are tangy and bright thanks to excellent acidity, which makes the mouth water. Lightly grippy tannins linger with notes of dried leaves and wet chalkboard in the finish. Fermented and aged in terra cotta amphorae. Certified organic. Demeter-certified biodynamic. Certified BioIntegrale. 13% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $42. click to buy.

2024 Cattleya “The Goddess” Pinot Noir, West Sonoma Coast, Sonoma, California
Medium to dark garnet in color, this wine smells of raspberries, cherries, and blueberries. In the mouth, faintly sweet flavors of cherries, blueberries, and raspberries have faintly gauzy tannins and very good acidity. The oak is fairly well integrated here, but the wine is a bit ripe for my taste, though without being jammy. Fruit from the Goldrock Vineyard was destemmed and fermented with ambient yeasts. Aged for 18 months in 80% new French oak. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. 14.2% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $133. click to buy.

2023 Elena Casadei “Le Anfore – Cannonau” Cannonau, Sardegna, Italy
Light to medium ruby in the glass, this wine smells of strawberries, wet earth, and chopped green herbs. In the mouth, strawberry and fresh herb notes mix with earthy and dusty notes as powdery tannins coat the mouth and linger through the finish with hints of dried citrus peel and road dust. Fermented and aged in terra cotta amphorae. Certified organic. Demeter-certified biodynamic. Certified BioIntegrale. 13% alcohol. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $27. click to buy.