"Daniel Bouland is one of my favorite producers in the Beaujolais, and his wines deserve to be much better known. Working with almost seven hectares of predominantly very old vines in Morgon, Chiroubles and Côte de Brouilly, Bouland vinifies with whole bunches, pumping over twice a day and gives his wines a classical maceration of two to three weeks. After pressing, élevage is in foudre and cement tank. Concentrated and succulent, Bouland's wines are beautifully differentiated by site and age gracefully. Bouland proudly informed me that he's now using higher-quality corks, so that graceful evolution should be even more regular going forward. He prefers 2018 to 2017, finding the tannins finer, though I like both vintages about equally." William Kelley

"The more serious of Bouland's two cuvées from this lieu-dit—which are now distinguished according to their soil types—is the 2018 Morgon Bellevue Cailloux, produced from older vines in rocky soils. Wafting from the glass with aromas of red cherries, dark berries, rose petals and licorice, it's full-bodied, deep and concentrated, with a multidimensional mid-palate, juicy acids and a long finish. This is a brilliant Morgon!" 94 Points William Kelley

"Daniel Bouland is one of my favorite producers in the Beaujolais, and his wines deserve to be much better known. Working with almost seven hectares of predominantly very old vines in Morgon, Chiroubles and Côte de Brouilly, Bouland vinifies with whole bunches, pumping over twice a day and gives his wines a classical maceration of two to three weeks. After pressing, élevage is in foudre and cement tank. Concentrated and succulent, Bouland's wines are beautifully differentiated by site and age gracefully. Bouland proudly informed me that he's now using higher-quality corks, so that graceful evolution should be even more regular going forward. He prefers 2018 to 2017, finding the tannins finer, though I like both vintages about equally." William Kelley

"Quintessential Charmes-Chambertin, full of exuberance. The palate is ripe and succulent on the entry: a sweet core of macerated dark cherries, mulberry and black plum; a saline notes lining the finish that lingers seductively in the mouth" Allan Meadows 90-93

As these vines age, the wine gets better and better - All Barsotti ranch fruit - 3000 feet elevation - mostly from decomposed granite.

"My goodness, where has the time gone? Here is a pinot noir from Frances and Terry Leighton that actually has its roots in the twenty-first century! It happens to be from the Demostene Ranch, home to Kalin’s finest pinot bottlings since at least the 1978 vintage (please see below) and it is flat out stunning. The deep, pure and beautifully developed bouquet offers up a complex constellation of red and black cherries, roasted gamebird, forest floor, beautiful spice tones (cinnamon, cardamom and cloves), woodsmoke, an exotic hint of eucalyptus and cedary oak. On the palate the wine is focused, complex and beautifully wide open and refined on the attack, with an excellent core of fruit, superb soil signature, still excellent, tangy acids, ripe tannins and a long, perfectly balanced and complex finish. This is still a relatively young wine on the palate (even at age nineteen!) and could do with a bit more time to relax in the cellar, but with decanting, it is awfully easy to drink today. But, witness the 1978 version listed below, it is still early days for this stunning bottle of pinot. This is one of the best vintages of the Cuvée DD I have ever tasted! 2019-2055+." 95+ John Gilman

Steve believes this is about the best Syrah he's ever released. The blend in 2015 is 65% from Fenaughty, and 35% from Barsotti.

Voted the best domestic rose by Eric Asimov in the NYT a year or so ago - the first vintage was 2006 and he was inspired by a Beaujolais vigneron who was doing the same thing. He thinks there's a tenderness to the aromas and textural nature of the grape that amplifies the juicieness and energy of the wine. Fruit from Witters vineyard, about 1000 meters up - on red, volcanic clay. Also a bit from Barsotti which is more granitey and gives a little more structure.

"The new release of Kalin Cellars Cuvée W chardonnay comes in at 13.9 percent octane and offers up a beautifully mature and complex bouquet of fresh apricot, honeyed apples, tangerine, toasted almonds, salty soil tones, brown butter and vanillin oak. On the palate the wine is deep, bright and zesty, with a superb core of fruit, great soil signature and superb length and grip on the precise, complex and very classy finish. The octane does show just a bit on the backend, as there is a whisper of warmth, but I can forgive it this in the face of the climate change we have been living in the face of since the late 1980s. I would’ve loved to have seen this wine at 13.2 or 13.3 percent, but it was not to be in 1996, and these old Wente Clones have still turned out a superb wine even at their higher octane level. 2020-2035." 92 Points John Gilman

The first planting of Vermentino, undertaken on behalf of Edmunds St John, at a vineyard at the Western edge of Placerville, became a co-planting with Grenache Blanc at the last minute, almost as an afterthought. For me the Vermentino shows more early on in it's life - then with a few years, the Grenache Blanc starts muscling in.

"Soon to be released, the 2001 Sémillon was produced from vines planted in the 1880s in the Livermore Valley. As it approaches its 17th birthday, the wine is still remarkably youthful, opening in the glass with aromas of lemon oil, beeswax and honeysuckle, subtly framed by new oak. On the palate, it's medium to full-bodied, textural and bright, with impressive concentration and a vivid, chalky finish. This is quite a bit more reserved than the 2001 Sauvignon Blanc that Kalin Cellars released from the same Livermore Valley site a few years ago." 94 Points John Gilman

After Philippe's recent retirement, his son Tony has taken over at the domaine - the quality of the wines remains excellent, altough the new labels are not to everyone's tastes!

After Philippe's recent retirement, his son Tony has taken over at the domaine - the quality of the wines remains excellent, altough the new labels are not to everyone's tastes!

After Philippe's recent retirement, his son Tony has taken over at the domaine - the quality of the wines remains excellent, altough the new labels are not to everyone's tastes!

After Philippe's recent retirement, his son Tony has taken over at the domaine - the quality of the wines remains excellent, altough the new labels are not to everyone's tastes!

"dark red; pistachio-caramel air to the nose, and baked fruits – red berry jam with a flash of cassis - with a spot of sweetness. The palate also has a sweet debut, with a spurt of tannin from half way. It suggests the lower River Ouvèze levels with its soft fleshiness (tasted blind). Blackcurrant comes into play especially near the end. A wine of some character that keeps going. It is a bit more intricate than it seems on first inspection" *** John Livingstone-Learmonth