2018 - A (near) Perfect Vintage

2018 Grand Vin - Diamond Mountain District

96 points (SteveHeimoff.com)

"This Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc typifies En Garde’s style of powerful ripeness, massive fruit, lots of oak and youthful precocity. The flavors are huge: black and red currants, intense and penetrating, with suggestions of violets, teriyaki beef and licorice. Those infamously hard Diamond Mountain tannins have been managed into submission, but they’re there, providing a structural framework accentuated by fine acidity. The result is altogether impressive. It’s not dissimilar from the winery’s Fountaingrove Cab, but considerably more concentrated and complex. Fine to drink now, with rich, fatty meats, and should develop in the bottle for at least a decade." - Steve Heimoff

2018 Cabernet Sauvignon - Fountaingrove District

94 points (Steve Heimoff.com)

"A big, posh, plush wine. Almost all Cabernet Sauvignon, with a splash of Cab Franc and Petit Verdot, it explodes in red and black currants, showing how ripe the grapes get in California’s warm, dry summers. Oak is apparent, but not excessive, lending spicy vanilla and wood smoke to the flavors. There’s some warmth from alcohol. It’s a delicious, complex Cab, drinkable now and over the next decade." - Steve Heimoff

94 points (North Coast Wine Challenge)

2018 Pinot Noir Passion de La Reine Reserve - Russian River Valley

93 points (PinotFile)

"Moderately dark garnet color in the glass. Nicely perfumed with aromas of black cherry, black raspberry, turmeric spice and unlit cigar. Similar to the Starkey Hill bottling in purple and black fruit profile but this wine is a bit more refined and grows on you over time in the glass. Toasty oak shows up in the background as a compliment and the tannic backbone is enough to escape flabbiness. The fruit is infused with many spices including cardamom that are more evident on the somewhat persistent finish. The alcohol is well-buried. A little more enjoyable when tasted the following day from a previously opened bottle." - Rusty Gaffney

2018 Pinot Noir Pleasant Hill - Russian River Valley

94 points (PinotFile)

"Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Well-appointed nose of black cherry, blueberry, and oak spice and toast aromas. The mid-weight core of dark cherry fruit explodes in glorious exuberance in the mouth. Flat-out delicious fruit with accents of spice and cola. Stereotypical Russian River Valley Pinot Noir that delights from entry to finish. Even better when tasted the following day from a previously opened bottle." - Rusty Gaffney

2018 Roma's Vineyard Pinot Noir - Anderson Valley

94 points (Sonoma International Film Festival Wine Competition)

2018 Pinot Noir - Sonoma Coast

91 points (PinotFile)

"Moderate garnet color in the glass. Intriguing aromas of black plum black tea, black pepper and tobacco. Mid- weight in sap, offering flavors of black cherry and purple berry. A bit mysterious with a thread of oak in the background and some finishing purpose." - Rusty Gaffney

2018 Starkey Hill Pinot Noir - Russian River Valley

BEST PINOT NOIR (Winemaker Challenge Int'l Wine Comp.)

93 points (Sunset Magazine)

92 points (The Wine Advocate- RobertParker.com)

"Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2018 Pinot Noir Starkey Hill billows from the glass with fragrant notions of crushed Bing cherries, cranberries and fresh raspberries followed by hints of violets, milk chocolate, underbrush and dried Provence herbs. The palate is full-bodied and jam-packed with decadent red berry preserves layers with loads of invigorating herbal sparks and a plush texture, finishing long and perfumed. This was made from Clone 23 and Pommard and aged for 14 months in French oak, 20% new. 777 cases were made." - Lisa Perrotti-Brown

92 points (PinotFile)

"Dark garnet color in the glass. Perfumed with aromas of blackberry, blueberry-pomegranate, black tea and spice. Very ripe, luscious and fullbodied, with flavors of blackberry jam and cassis. Easy drinking, with minimal tannins and a very long, fruitladen finish. The sheer immensity of very ripe fruit obscures any terroir or vineyard identity, but the toothsome fruit is hard to ignore." 

- Rusty Gaffney

91 points (SteveHeimoff.com)

"This single-vineyard bottling is considerably more opulent and generous than En Garde’s regular ’18 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir. Made from grapes grown in Sebastopol, it shows a rich array of cherry, raspberry and date fruits, wrapped into silky tannins touched with a bit of new French oak. The acidity is fine and refreshing; the finish is spicy and dry. On the downside is some heat from alcohol of 15.4%. This is the sort of thing that will annoy some people while leaving others untroubled. I, personally, don’t care, if the tradeoff of high alcohol is richness. I doubt if there’s much ageworthiness here, but who cares? It’s delicious to drink now." - Steve Heimoff