Cabernet Franc is often thought of as a Bordeaux-style wine. A “sister wine” of Cabernet Sauvignon, featuring muscular tannins and dusty, black cherry fruit. In France’s Loire Valley, however, another style of Cabernet Franc is gaining notice; bright, elegant wine with fine tannin, spicy red fruit and just a hint of fines herbs from the regions of Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur. These regal, cool-climate reds were our inspiration for this wine, which shows classic varietal notes of red fruit, dusty earth and herbs, along with fresh acidity and just enough tannins.
Antonio Galloni Vinous – 94 Pts The 2020 Cabernet Franc Curtis Vineyard screams with varietal character. Wild herbs, flowers, spice and red-toned fruit are all finely sculpted, with bright acids that lend energy as well as brilliance. This mid-weight Franc is absolutely delicious. Even in this warm year, the Franc is full of character.
Antonio Galloni Vinous – 94 Pts The 2020 Carignan Camp Four is one of the standouts in this range. Dark, fleshy and super-expressive, the 2020 offers up an exotic mix of plum, star anise, leather, tobacco and cedar. I especially admire its depth and overall textural resonance. Moreover, this is absolutely delicious and a steal.
The wine presents with a lovely nose of baking spices and the promise of red fruits, on the palate lots of candied strawberry and plums and just the right amount of acidity. The wine is mouth coating without being cloying or heavy.
Pepper and clove introduce licorice brushed aromas of plum, strawberry, raspberry and citrus that define an astonishingly light body. This is a wine that won’t overpower vegetable or seafood and can also stand up to big game. Serve cool.
94 pts Robert Parker The 2020 Mourvèdre Santa Barbara County features understated scents of blackberries, blueberries, lemon peel and Angostura bitters with alluring earthy undertones. The medium-bodied palate strikes an effortless balance between prettiness and rusticity. Its lavender-laced berry fruit is supported by chewy tannins, and bright freshness drives a long, iron-tinged finish.
The 2020 Pape Star Blonde, a blend of 74% Grenache Blanc and 26% Roussanne, offers savory brioche and beeswax on the nose with wafts of apricot and loads of floral nuances. The palate is satiny and expansive with honeyed undertones, and it finishes with lots of freshness and energy. Beautiful now, it should gain more honeyed complexity with time in bottle. 93 pts Robert Parker
Our versatile take on France’sChâteauneuf-du-Pape is made with Grenache, Mourvèdre, Couinoise and Carignane. Custom blended each vintage and aged in neutral oak, this crowd-pleasing wine strikes a perfect balance between bright red fruit, spice and earth. Year after year, our Pape Star remains a fan favorite for its medium-bodied weight, elegant texture and versatility when it comes to pairing wine and food.
We started this project in 2013, making just 69 odd cases with the help of Michael Cruse in Petaluma. Since then we have been refining our techniques in our own cellars. This bottling, made 100% at our Goleta winery in the true Methode Champenoise, is bone dry, with zero dosage. You’ll find it clean and crisp, though pleasingly complex, with lovely signature Jurassic Park flavors of apricot and quince throughout.
Antonio Galloni Vinous - 96 Pts The 2020 Syrah John Sebastiano Vineyard is a powerful, dense wine that shows how compelling this site can be. Ripe dark cherry, plum, chocolate, dried herbs and incense fill out the mid-palate. Readers will find a sumptuous, flamboyant wine, even so, the 2020 has more than enough energy to pull it off.
Antonio Galloni Vinous – 95 Pts The 2020 Syrah Larner Vineyard is one of the most elegant wines I have ever tasted from this Ballard Canyon site. Crushed rose petal, mint, blood orange, spice, dried flowers and mocha are all beautifully delineated. The Larner is super-expressive in this tasting. What a wine!
The 2020 Syrah Santa Barbara County is a fabulous appellation wine and a terrfic introduction to this range. I tasted it after all the vineyard designates and it showed beautifully. Floral accents open first. Spice, tobacco, cedar, dried herbs and black pepper add tons of complexity throughout. 92 pts Antonio Galloni
The 2021 Grenache Peake Ranch is bold and explosive with tons of energy. Crushed red berry fruit, rose petal, mint and blood orange are all nicely amplified. There's gorgeous depth here and all the backbone typical of Peake, but it's done in the Kunin style. This is a terrific debut from a new site in this range. 93 pts Antonio Galloni
