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 »
Summer is the good life: long days of light, slow evenings, time spent outside. In this bright season, we spend mornings and evenings in the open air, talking and eating with friends and family al fresco. purchase wine We invite you to celebrate these days with us, from morning til night. Shared Notes is just… Read more »
purchase wine Jeff Pisoni and Bibiana González Rave may be absorbed in their respective winemaking ventures, but they are still able to collaborate not only in their family life but also in their professional capacities. After all, both Jeff—vintner for the Pisoni family—and Bibiana, who crafts Alma de Cattleya as well as Cattleya wines, possess… Read more »
Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018 While the benchmark estates certainly delivered the goods in 2018, readers should look at the wines from Aperture Cellars, Arista, Blue Farm, Boars’ View, Capture, Cattleya, Chev, CIRQ, Croix, Devil Proof, Ferren, Jeff Cohn, Lasseter Family, Limerick Lane, Lynmar, Mauritson, Ram’s Gate, Shared Notes, Sojourn Cellars, and Wayfarer, just… Read more »
A Project of Married Winemakers Many winemakers say that their job is to simply usher the grapes through the process of fermentation and into the bottle. But even a winemaker who focuses on minimal intervention has hundreds of decisions to make along the way. There are decisions to be made in the vineyard, questions of… Read more »
Two Winemakers, One Vision As a married winemaking couple, Bibiana and Jeff Pisoni have had their fair share of time spent away from home in pursuit of their own wine ventures. In fact, during harvest season (the busiest time of the year for winemakers), they hardly ever see each other. In an effort to remain… Read more »
2016 Les Leçons des Maîtres The nose is well-focused herb, citrus and white peach, crisp green fruit and whiffs of white pepper. Always stunning in its elegance, the palate is effortlessly layered white stone fruit and melon with notes of herb and crisp green apple. Hard to come up with superlatives – it is consistently… Read more »
Brilliance from Sonoma Taking a step back, this is an incredible time for Northern California. Starting with 2012, the region has had one sensational vintage after another… 2016 is unquestionably a world-class vintage for Sonoma… the good news just keeps rolling in from Northern California and this report includes an incredible number of truly world-class wines. Image:… Read more »
Curious about the next generation of Winemakers in California? Want to know who you should keep on your radar? Well, here you go! I’ve written about the talent and passion of Bibiana González Rave for several years now, and I continue to love just about everything she touches. Unquestionably part of the upcoming generation of world-class… Read more »
“The identity of a California winemaker has never been more complicated,” asserts the San Francisco Chronicle article crowning Shared Notes winemaker Bibiana González Rave 2015 winemaker of the year. The idea of estate winemaking has increasingly become just that—an idea—for an emerging generation of independent winemakers who hire out to those who can afford… Read more »
