Hidden Gem: This wine is a beautiful expression of high-elevation Cabernet Franc grown in California. The Red Hills sub-Ava in Lake County has iron-rich soil, translating into complex, fully flavored wines with red berries, dark plum, sweet cigar, and star anise on the nose. The flavors on the palate are high-energy, bright, raspberry, Mulberry, Sage, orange, and vanilla cream, with supple acidity creating a mouth-watering finish.— Tonya Pitts
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2022 Block Three / 93 Points / Tasting Panel
Still youthful in demeanor, this wine possesses a savory, earthy Old World character that reveals itself through graphite, Italian herbs and defined tension and grip. Acidity rears up, adding freshness to a flow of black raspberry.
2016 Petite Sirah / 94 Pts / Tasting Panel
Lake County’s rocky red volcanic soil, the 18-acre estate mountain biodynamically farmed vineyard’s high elevation up to 2,200 feet, results in a distinctively elegant expression of this teeth-clutching variety. Aromas of boysenberry, dark chocolate and brush lead to a finely grained texture with notes of dusted chocolate mint, violets and a sinewy, gliding finish of licorice and purple fruit.
2016 Block Three / 93 Pts / Cellar Selection / Wine Enthusiast
This impressive and well-balanced wine is concentrated in a delicious black-fruit flavor, with a softly tannic, velvety texture that’s seductive. Layers of pure blueberry, black cherry and dark chocolate are wrapped in a creamy mouthfeel.
2019 Petite Verdot “Beautifully balanced”
This Petite Verdot has a very fragrant nose with macerated black cherries and crème de cassis enveloped in a veneer of creamy oak that does not impede the fruit. The palate is full-bodied with a salacious dark, creamy cassis and chocolate-tinged fruit on the entry. It is beautifully balanced, with a long, sensual finish that demonstrates just what this esoteric variety can do in the right hands. It should last for 15 years in the cellar.
2022 Petit Verdot / 93 Points / Wine Enthusiast
This bottling stands for a unique varietal, typically a blending grape. The beauty of its production in this region is the richness and complexity of the nose and palate. The aromatics are Olallieberry, Boysenberry, sweet tobacco, dried potpourri, and notes of toasted oak on the nose; the flavors on the palate are youthful dark berries, clove, citrus cream, dried Sagebrush, mild and mouth-watering tannins on the finish. Aerate and pair with smoked meats and hard cheeses.
2019 Cabernet Franc / 92 points / The Wine Guys
Notes of blueberry, red cherry, oak spice, plum, cocoa, slight stem and savory herb. The fruit is rich on the palate with a good amount of oak spice and a hint of vanilla notes. Nice lift on the back palate with some brighter, tart red fruit and acidity. Tannins are present but rather easy going. Decant recommended.
