New Ratings from Jeb Dunnuck
Jeb Dunnuck
August 2024
Now an independent wine critic, Jeb Dunnuck developed a passion for the wines of the Rhône Valley and the Rhône Ranger Movement here in California. He wrote full-time for the Wine Advocate from 2013-2017 until starting his own publication, JebDunnuck.com.
Read his reviews of our recent releases below.
2022 Estate Chardonnay
98 points
Buttered citrus, pineapple, spicy wood, and flower oil notes all emerge from Ridge’s 2022 Chardonnay Estate, which comes all from the Monte Bello Vineyard on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Beautifully pure, medium to full-bodied, and concentrated, it has a Meursault-like oak character, beautiful mid-palate depth, bright acidity, and a gorgeous finish. California Chardonnay doesn’t get much better, and this ripe, opulent, yet flawlessly balanced beauty will evolve for at least a decade.
2021 Monte Bello
96 points
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Bello is based on 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 31% Merlot, and the rest Petit Verdot that was raised in mostly new American oak. It reminds me of the 2016 with its beautifully balanced, seamless style, and it has a riveting perfume of pure crème de cassis, sweet tobacco, lead pencil shavings, and violet-laced aromas and flavors. Medium to full-bodied, flawlessly balanced, and absolutely seamless, it’s a gorgeous Mont Bello that’s surprisingly already accessible, yet it won’t hit full maturity for 7-8 years but will have 30+ years of longevity.
2021 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon
95+ points
The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate comes from a great vintage for Napa Valley and comes all from the Monte Bello Vineyard on the eastern side of the Santa Cruz Mountains. Pure crème de cassis, leafy tobacco, spring flowers, and graphite are just some of its nuances, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a pure, concentrated, layered mouthfeel, beautiful tannins, and a great finish. This Saint-Julien-like beauty needs 4-6 years of bottle age but will keep for 30 years. It’s not far off the Monte Bello and should be snatched up
2022 Geyserville
95 points
A normal Zinfandel-dominated blend of 67% Zinfandel, 20% Carignan, 10% Petite Sirah, and the rest Mataro, the 2022 Geyserville sports a healthy ruby/plum hue (it’s semi-opaque) as well as a rocking nose of ripe plums, blackberries, roasted herbs, pepper, and violets. It’s beautifully textured on the palate and has medium to full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, and perfectly ripe tannins. It’s a beauty, as well as one of the standouts in the lineup in 2022. Don’t miss it.
2021 Boatman
94 points
Coming from the Alexander Valley in Sonoma County, the 2021 Zinfandel Boatman checks in as 90% Zinfandel and 10% Petite Sirah. The Petite Sirah plays a solid role here and gives it darker, richer style than many of the Zinfandels in the lineup, particularly from the Santa Cruz Mountain. Ripe black fruits, candied violets, wild strawberries, incense, and brambly, herbes de Provence-like notes all shine here, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a broad, layered mouthfeel and outstanding length. It’s a smoking good Zinfandel to enjoy over the coming decade.
2022 Buchignani Ranch Carignane
93 points
Another Alexander Valley release and 100% hillside old-vine Carignan, the 2022 Carignane Buchignani Ranch is deep purple-hued and gives up textbook varietal notes of mulberries, red plums, leather, peppery herbs, and loamy earth. It’s concentrated, has a medium-bodied mouthfeel, and present yet ripe, polished tannins. It’s a great example of the variety and will drink well for at least 8-10 years, although I generally aim for drinking most Carignan within a decade of the vintage.
2021 Syrah Grenache Mataro
93 points
Coming from the Lytton Estate Vineyard in Sonoma County, the 2021 Syrah Grenache Mataro is mostly Syrah yet includes 17% Grenache and 9% Mataro. It’s a ruby/plum-hued effort offering a perfumed, more red and black-fruited style in its peppery herb, loamy earth, violet, and leather-driven aromas and flavors. It’s beautifully balanced, medium-bodied, and elegant, with a solid 10-12 years of prime drinking ahead of it.
2019 Lytton Estate Syrah
93 points
Blended with 8% Viognier, the 2019 Syrah Lytton Estate is ruby/plum-hued and offers a smoky, darker style in its red and black plum fruits, peppery herbs, violets, and more exotic incense and orange-like nuances (no doubt from the Viognier). It’s beautifully balanced, medium to full-bodied, and seamless on the palate.
2022 East Bench
93 points
Red, blue, and black fruits, flowery incense, leather, and subtle peppery, underbrush, and cedary notes all shine in the 2022 Zinfandel East Bench, a beautifully textured, medium-bodied, ripe, balanced Zinfandel.
2022 Mancini Ranch
92 points
From the Russian River Valley in Sonoma, the 2022 Mancini Ranch checks in as a Carignan-dominated blend that includes 32% Zinfandel and 7% Alicante Bouschet. It has an almost Châteauneuf du Pape-like bouquet of ripe red and black cherries, peppery garrigue, and leather, and it shows plenty of Zinfandel spice and sandalwood notes with time in the glass. Beautifully balanced, medium to full-bodied, with ripe, polished, yet present tannins, this upfront, total charmer will drink brilliantly through 2032.
2022 Paso Robles Zinfandel
92 points
Blended with 5% Petite Sirah, the 2022 Zinfandel Paso Robles is one of the sweeter fruited, exotic Zinfandels in the lineup. Candied strawberries, red plums, cigar, herbes de Provence, and sandalwood all define the aromatics, and it’s medium to full-bodied, with a terrific core of sweet fruit, supple tannins and outstanding length. I would drink bottles over the coming 5-7 years.
2019 Buchignani Ranch Zinfandel
91 points
The 2019 Zinfandel Buchignani Ranch comes from a site in Sonoma County and is 75% Zinfandel and 25% Carignan. Beautiful ripe black cherries, redcurrants, spicy herbs, and dried flower notes all shine in this beauty, and it’s another ripe yet elegant, polished 2019 from this estate. It’s about as seamless as they come and drinking great today, yet I see no reason it shouldn’t evolve for a decade.
Related Links
- Exceptional Wines: Our Latest Ratings from JamesSuckling.com
- Monte Bello Among Top 25 Wineries to Visit in 2024
- Join Us for Come Over October
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