Bigger Than Your Head, August 9, 2023 If any two people in the California wine industry could be called a power couple, that epithet could go to Bibiana Gonzalez Rave and her husband Jeff Pisoni. Bibiana — let’s use first names — is owner and winemaker of Cattleya Wines, a producer of chardonnay and Pinot… Read more »
July 2023 Issue We tasted nearly 3,000 wines in June as we head toward another record number of wines rated at JamesSuckling.com in a single year. Many of our top scorers came from California, where James managed to sneak in a short stay at his home in Napa. 2021 Shared Notes Les Pierres qui Décident… Read more »
May 2023 Issue 2022 Shared Notes Les Leçons des Maîtres 93 points Light straw color; dried earth, tart lemon aroma, biting, chalky, medium depth, alive; medium bodied, zingy on the palate; dry, fine acidity, well balanced; tart citrus and chalky flavors, persistent; medium finish.
Get our editors’ exclusive picks from recent blind tastings of complex Oregon Pinot Noirs, rich Barolos and lively California Sauvignon Blancs. Also featured are Australian Cabernets and Syrahs, plus white Burgundies, including grands crus. Sauvignon Blanc Russian River Valley Les Pierres Qui Décident 2021 94 points | $75 | 107 cases made | White Distinctive,… Read more »
Bibiana González Rave is naturally high energy, nearly shimmering with joy at her many passions: family, Sonoma wines, and her new Shared Notes coffee, imported from her native Colombia. It helps, she says with a laugh, that she adores the coffee of her home country, sipping up to 10 cups a day. “Colombia is one… Read more »
10 years ago, Bibiana and Jeff set out to create something together. This would be a wine label dedicated to exceptional and age-worthy Sauvignon Blanc. The goal from the outset was to gain inspiration from two famed regions in France that produce noteworthy styles of this wine: Bordeaux and the Loire Valley (home to Sancerre… Read more »
The continued surge of terrific Sauvignon Blancs from California has cemented the wine’s reputation as one of the most consistent and affordable whites in the state. What’s even more exciting for fans of this complex, fragrant and refreshing variety is how many different expressions there are. The examples I have reviewed over the past year… Read more »
Tasting Sonoma Wines: Bolder and Brighter, with a Unique Coastal Kick In this report we mainly focus on the 2018 and 2019 vintages, which are both fantastic years but for different reasons…2019 was generally cooler, resulting in more elegant and restrained wines with real charm. —Nathan Slone, Associate Editor Image: jamessuckling.com 2019 Les leçons des… Read more »
August 2021 Issue We have long held that Sauvignon Blanc does not get the full respect that it deserves, and those produced by wineries such as Grieve Family, Merry Edwards, Lail and Shared Notes… are guaranteed to bring a change of heart to those who question its status as a truly important variety. —Stephen M…. Read more »
Sonoma: Looking at the 2019s In a nutshell, 2019 is another strong vintage that fits nicely alongside the trilogy of 2016, 2017, and 2018 in terms of quality. I think 2018 is the best of these recent vintages, yet 2019 is certainly not far behind, and as I hope these reviews show, the vintage is… Read more »
