2024 Pinot Noir Pasion de la Reine  - Russian River Valley

95 points  (Steve Heimoff)

"The “Reine” bottling is En Garde’s most expensive Pinot Noir. Always dense and concentrated, it lifts the winery’s Pinots to steroid-level richness. It seems to be a barrel selection. The major difference of these three Pinot Noirs seems to consist, besides their grapes’ origins, in the percent of whole clusters in the fermentation: 25% in the Sonoma Coast, 33% in the Branley, and 40% in this Reine beauty. To me, whole cluster fermentation adds to a wine’s primary fruitiness (Beaujolais is the notable example). It can also make the wine tougher; if the tannins are not fully ripe, the wine can suffer from astringency. The diligent winemaker must be a good farmer; he must find the fine line that makes his Pinot Noir more, not less, interesting. Csaba always finds that balance.

The 2024 Reine is not notably different from the Sonoma Coast or the Branley. Tasters will find the qualities that mark En Garde Pinots: ripe, dense fruit, enormous extraction, smooth tannins and mouthwatering acidity, along with a delicious overlay of new oak. For those with a European palate, the wine may be overripe. Those of us raised in California will find it delicious, almost addictive, with its sun-ripened richness. I would drink it from now and through the next six years. " - Steve Heimoff

94 points  (The Wine Palate)

"Pale ruby-purple in color, the 2024 Pinot Noir Passion de la Reine slowly emerges from the glass with fragrant notes of wild strawberries and fresh cranberries, plus nuances of rose bud tea, spearmint, and lavender with a touch of forest floor. The medium-bodied palate is bright and refreshing, delivering red berry and floral layers with a silky texture and a perfumed finish. This was made using 40% whole-bunch fermentation and was aged for 11 months in French oak, 20% new." Food Pairings: Duck Breast, Rare/Raw Tuna, Pigeon, Wild Mushrooms Drinking Window: 2026–2034  -Lisa Perrotti-Brown

2024 Pinot Noir Branley Vineyard  - Russian River Valley

94 points  (Steve Heimoff)

"Not quite the identical twin to the Sonoma Coast, but so close in spirit, you know they’re related. Of course, Csaba’s winemaker’s philosophy dominates: ripeness accentuated with oakiness. The same exuberant flavors—raspberries and cherries—lifted by a bit more toasty new oak. The same smooth, silky tannins and bright, mouthwatering acidity. The same dusky undertones of earth, in this case suggesting rhubarb or root beer, tangy and sweet. A marvelous concoction of candied grapes, the warmth of alcohol, and a master’s practiced vision of Pinot Noir, California-style. Yes, it’s sweetish. But with the firm tannins, bright acidity and earthiness, it finishes dry. If you gave me the choice between the two wines, I’d pick the Branley, due to the extra depth and complexity. On the second day after I opened it, when it had had the opportunity to breathe at room temperature, it developed a gorgeous note of candied orange peel. New layers magically appeared: vanilla bean, cinnamon and clove, white fudge, sugared Christmas cookie, an excitingly citrusy goodness. I’m thinking grilled Porterhouse with brie or blue cheese." - Steve Heimoff

2024 Pinot Noir  - Sonoma Coast

93 points  (Steve Heimoff)

"Hello gorgeous! Young, precocious and flirty, this fabulously delicious Pinot Noir dazzles with pristine raspberry-cherry-blueberry flavors, set off with the smoke and vanilla of oak barrels. It’s a real crowd-pleaser. Yet for all its flattering beauty, there are chthonic depths that offer real complexity and structural interest. My goodness, I could drink the entire bottle in a sitting, it’s that good. I can hardly imagine a just-released Pinot Noir more beautiful than this. The tannins are light and silky, the acidity firm, the finish fruity-sweet yet dry and long. Will it age? I’d pop the cork now and through 2030." - Steve Heimoff