2018 - A (near) Perfect Vintage
2018 Starkey Hill Pinot Noir - Russian River Valley
BEST PINOT NOIR (Winemaker Challenge Int'l Wine Comp.)
96-97 points (PinotFile)
"We tasted through five 2018 Pinot Noirs from barrel. Although recently sulfured, it was easy to recognize the pedigree of the wines. The 2018 Starkey Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir was the standout. Mark this down and grab some of this 96-97 point wine when it is released." - Rusty Gaffney
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
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
2018 Pinot Noir - Petaluma Gap
91 points (Sommelier Challenge Int'l Wine Comp.)
2018 Rose of Pinot Noir - Sonoma Coast
90 points (PinotFile)
"The grapes were harvested from several vineyards in the Sonoma Coast AVA. After crushing, the rosy juice was bled within the first hour to minimize skin contact. After a couple of days of settling, the juice on top was racked and the thick bottom juice discarded. After a long, cold fermentation, the wine sat on its lees to take on additional complexity before it was bottled February 7, 2019. · Delicate pink color in the glass. Aromas of honey and red maraschino cherry. Slightly creamy and completely dry, with flavors of strawberry, blood orange and pear. Nicely composed with upbeat acidity and a pleasing sense of harmony. This is the type of wine that would go well with almost any food." - Rusty Gaffney
90 points (JebDunnuck.com)
"The lightly colored, Provencal style 2018 Rosé Of Pinot Noir offers beautiful strawberry and white peach aromas as well as a medium-bodied, silky, seamless style on the palate. It's a beautiful rose that's also reasonably priced." - Jeb Dunnuck
Make a reservation today
tel: (707) 282-9216
reservations@engardewinery.com
Temporarily, our tastings are held in the courtyard at Mayo Family Winery next to our barrel room. The address is 13101 Arnold Drive, Glen Ellen CA 95442.
We are located on the corner of Highway 12 and Shaw Avenue across from VJB.
9077 Sonoma Highway
Kenwood, California 95452
Testimonials
"This was a delightful surprise as it was an unscheduled stop on our Grapevine wine tour and turned out to be our favorite of the day! We are grateful that, Walter, our driver, was able to introduce us to En Garde and cannot wait to receive our wine club selections!"
"Best tasting we had of our week in Napa and Sonoma. Server was personable, professional, and very knowledgeable."
"We are grateful for Kenwood Winery to recommend our visit to En Garde. First class and excellent wine."
"Fabulous wine and tasting experience! One of our very favorites of the trip!"
"In my opinion, a flight of the best wines I have ever tasted."
"Great wine, great customer service, comfortable environment."
"Fantastic wines, beautiful tasting room, and of course, the amiable Csaba pouring the wines didn't hurt, either. A lovely experience! Thank you!"
"Great visit and opened our eyes to boutique wineries."
"Highly recommend - En Garde is receiving some fantastic coverage/ratings in wine press right now so visit while the wine is still readily available!"
"This is by far my favorite winery! I have been a club member for 5 or so years and can't say enough about this place! Csaba is a brilliant winemaker and everything he makes is A+. "
"The tasting room is elegant, and the staff was very knowledgeable and sincere."
"We really enjoyed our experience & time at the tasting room. Would not hesitate to recommend or purchase any of of the wines offered at En Garde. Csaba was the perfect host! Can't wait til we go back in September!?????"
"En Garde is my new "find" after coming to Napa/Sonoma for 20 years. Cheers!"
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