Antonio Galloni Vinous – 92 Pts The 2020 Mourvèdre Santa Barbara Highlands, from a site at 3,300 feet in elevation, is delicate, lifted and exquisitely beautiful. Crushed flowers, mint, lavender, pepper, pipe tobacco and dried herbs all open nicely. This soft, understated Mourvèdre is very nicely done.
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 cellar. 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.
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
Our versatile take on France’sChâteauneuf-du-Pape is made with Grenache, Syrah, and Mourvèdre. 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.
The 2021 Syrah Alisos Vineyard is fabulous. Sadly, this is the last vintage for this cuvee. Inky and explosive, with tremendous density, the 2021 offers a beguiling mix of dark fruit and cool climate savory notes that are woven deeply into the wine's fabric. This is one of the great wines of Santa Barbara. 96 pts Antonio Galloni
Unfortunately, the 2021 Syrah Alisos Vineyards marks the final chapter for this long-standing Kunin staple, as the site has been removed. On a more positive note, the last edition is a remarkable one, showcasing the most sophisticated and multidimensional wine in the Kunin lineup. The bouquet is immensely captivating, offering a crystal-clear blend of black and blue fruits, purple flowers and chalk-dust aromas rendered in high fidelity. On the palate, it melds a racy, sleek texture with inky, punchy density before closing with an impeccably balanced, staining, polished finish of immense saturation yet equal measure of vibrancy and energy—a modern classic expression of Santa Barbara County Syrah that has two decades ahead of it. 96 pts Robert Parker
The 2021 Syrah John Sebastiano Vineyard is a pretty rich, heady wine for Kunin. A rush of black cherry, plum, leather, incense and lavender makes a strong first impression. This has quite a bit more new oak than most of the wines in the range, but it works, given the natural richness of the fruit of this site. 95 pts Antonio Galloni
Antonio Galloni Vinous – (90 – 92) Pts The 2022 Chenin Blanc Jurassic Park Natural saw 21 days on the skins. That approach results in a wine with more texture and a bit lower acidity than the Jurassic Park Chenin, along with a slightly tropical profile. I haven't always loved this wine, but the 2022 is an especially refined edition, and a wine that deserves serious attention.
Dark, brooding and a bit somber, the 2022 Syrah Larner Vineyard explodes from the glass with muscle and intensity. Dark blackberry fruit, menthol, underbrush and white smoke weave a thick, layered web, while nuances of India ink, salty minerals and bittersweet chocolate create an even darker impression. The Larner is a little compact in the mid-palate today, but some time in the cellar should see this blossom into a gem of a wine. 95+ Vinous
A blend of 75% Grenache Blanc, 25% Roussanne from vineyards in the Santa Ynez Valley, Pape Star Blonde is our homage to Châteauneuf-du-Pape blanc. The Grenache Blanc provides an exotic nose of white flowers and spice, while the Roussanne balances things out with its waxy richness. This wine is clean and refreshing but has enough weight and presence to match most anything on your table.
The 2023 Viognier Camp Four Vineyard is another compelling white from Kunin. Aromatic and creamy, with tons of varietal character, the 2023 is so expressive. Hints of ginger, apricot, lime and dried flowers open in the glass. 92 pts Vinoous
This vintage delivered a tremendously pretty wine with an exotic nose of white flowers, almost saline minerality and rich mouth feel. Open the bottle and you will find a red wine lover’s white wine – textured, complex and cellar worthy.
A careful selection of the highest quality declassified barrels from the 2018, 2019, 2020 vintages in our cellar make up this multi vintage blend. Each barrel contributes in a different way to achieve a blend that is both complex and balanced. A true example of a wine that’s sum is greater than its parts.
93 pts Robert Parker The NV Special K Batch 4 is a blend of vintages including 2018, 2019 and 2020 and was sourced from vineyards across Santa Barbara County, including Larner Vineyard and Stolpman Vineyard in Ballard Canyon. The nose combines prettiness and savoriness with aromas of briar fruit, green olives, dried flowers and tobacco leaves. The medium-bodied palate offers generous, savory fruit, a pleasurably chewy texture and a long, complex finish. This is easy to drink without sacrificing nuance and is an ideal pairing for grilled meats.
