Results for: "Anonymous"

Another first for the Anonymous Wine Collective: a Syrah under our house label. And what an absolute beauty to kick things off. Sourced from one single hillside block of vines, that we've named "Envy Block" due to it's reputation as the sweet spot on this estate for producing the most potent and explosive Syrah. This very block is coveted by some of the most famed cult producers on the Central Coast and has produced multiple 100-point wines. Most wines sourced from this exact parcel retail between $80 and $160, many of them exclusive mailing-list offerings. Most wines sourced from this exact parcel retail between $80 and $160, many of them exclusive mailing-list offerings. Farmed with certified organic and biodynamic methods. The nose is wonderfully expressive with wild blackberry, black raspberry, dark cherry, dried herbs, violets, and hints of dusty earth. Beneath the exuberant fruit lies a compelling savory streak of cracked peppercorn, charred meat, and toasted exotic spice. Medium-plus in body, the wine carries a mouth-filling texture layered with fine tannins that provide impressive structure and length. The whole-cluster inclusion lifts the aromatics beautifully and keeps the wine fresh, energetic, and linear through the finish. This is a remarkably classy bottle of Syrah and, at this price point, an almost unbelievable value. I think it will resonate equally with lovers of savory Northern Rhône Syrah and fans of rich yet refined California Rhône-style wines. I couldn’t be happier with how this wine turned out - I only hope we made enough once people discover just how good it is for the money.

I'm beyond excited to bring these next Anonymous releases to you! I have huge ambitions for what we can achieve with this project, and this duo of Santa Cruz Mountains Chardonnay and Pinot Noir represent the next leap forward in the plan. I think these wines are probably the most exciting bottlings yet under Anonymous especially since I know the caliber of the producer that we partnered with! Again, we're sworn to secrecy here but what I can tell you is that this Chardonnay is entirely estate-grown and produced in the Santa Cruz Mountains by one of the most highly revered producers in the region. The vineyards are farmed according to organic and biodynamic protocols, with a big focus on heritage clonal material and high-density hillside plantings. The wine is fermented in French oak with native yeast. The barrels are mostly neutral with just 15% new oak. This is a stunningly focused, mineral driven Chardonnay with ethereal concentration of flavor and vibrancy. White meadow flowers soaked in morning dew. Bright, juicy citrus grove fruit, some hints of Golden Delicious apple, toasted almond, chalky minerals, resonating saline minerals are so long and salivating on the palate. The team behind this wine is focused on small-lot, artisanal winemaking. This wine is simply a barrel selection we put together with them specifically for the Anonymous Wine Collective project. I'm lucky enough to have a long, personal relationship with this producer, and I'm absolutely thrilled they chose to partner with us on these wines. At half the price of the regular bottling, for the exact same quality and pedigree the value here is simply astounding. Unbeatable QPR and a wine that I'd happily put into to a blind tasting with Chardonnay from anywhere in the world at 3-4 times the price and be confident that it would more than hold its own. Don't miss this stunner! Cheers!

This marks our inaugural rosé under Anonymous—and it’s nothing short of phenomenal. Mediterranean in spirit and crafted from Mourvèdre, this dry rosé comes from ancient, own-rooted vines planted over 120 years ago in the deep, sandy soils of Contra Costa County. These venerable vines have endured for more than a century thanks to those remarkably sandy soils, which are inhospitable to phylloxera and allowed them to survive when so many others did not. Naturally low-yielding, the old vines produce fruit of striking concentration, purity, and freshness. The grapes were gently pressed and fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel, then aged for four months on fine lees in a combination of stainless steel and neutral oak to build texture and nuance without sacrificing vibrancy. The result is a beautifully expressive rosé brimming with bright, juicy red fruit, hibiscus, alpine strawberry, and hints of spiced citrus peel, all underscored by a crystalline minerality. Dry and refreshingly precise, it balances crunchy fruit, tactile texture, and layered depth, finishing zesty and mouthwatering. I’ll be drinking this all spring and summer long—it’s simply delicious.

This is a seriously classy bottle of Sauvignon Blanc that combines purity of fruit and sheer quaffability with next-level complexity and depth. The source of this wine is a parcel of old-vine Sauvignon Blanc in the heart of Oakville, a subregion of Napa where precious little Sauvignon Blanc is grown anymore, simply because folks can replant the land to Cabernet and get two to four times the price for the fruit or wine. However, some growers realize it’s better to keep world-class Sauvignon Blanc in the ground than plant a few more acres of average Cabernet if the soils aren’t right. We partnered with one such estate to make this wine. That old-vine fruit was then fermented and aged in a variety of different vessels to build texture and tension in the wine. Some was aged in 500L seasoned French oak. Some rested in concrete tank. Another portion aged in a handmade Italian terracotta amphora. I worked with the winemaker to combine these fascinating individual components into one cohesive blend, and I couldn’t be more thrilled with the results. As a young wine, the vivacious tropical and ripe citrus fruits are at the forefront, but there’s also a wonderful mineral tension and crystalline quality to the wine. The portion that spent time in relatively neutral oak boosts the texture just a touch, giving the wine wonderful length and presence on the palate. Despite its relatively inexpensive price point, this is not your typical, simple, stainless-steel, straightforward Sauvignon Blanc. There’s real sophistication and nuance here. I can’t wait to see how this wine settles in; I think it will continue to improve over the coming weeks, months, and probably years. Cheers!

This is the American equivalent of a fine Blanc de Blanc from Avize or Mesnil. It is so refreshing and bright with key lime, creamy lemon, puff pastry and juicy orange flavors. The minerality is generous and it lingers on and on! The bead is very fine, and it reminds me of the Launois Quartz, which I love. I literally jumped on the last remaining bottles that we had of Anonymous Blanc de Blancs from the previous bottling and now, I will not have to despair. Its successor is just as wonderful!

The latest Cabernet from the Anonymous Wine Collective is a truly special wine with an incredible backstory. I was lucky enough to walk among the vines with the winemaker and hand-pick barrels in the cellar to put together the final blend. It has been an absolute joy to help create this tiny, 200-case bottling from a historic block of vines that played an instrumental role in putting Napa Cabernet on the global map. The block of vines from which this wine originates was planted in 1974. It sits above the valley floor on a perfect alluvial bench at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains, along the western edge of the valley. The vines, an old heritage clone of Cabernet grafted onto St. George rootstock, grow in extremely rocky soils composed of weathered basalt and compressed volcanic ash, or tuff. From the late 1970s through the 1980s, fruit from this very block was a component of early Opus One bottlings and was blended into Robert Mondavi’s iconic Reserve Cabernet alongside To Kalon fruit (apparently to add structure!) My initial dream was to bottle a pure Cabernet Sauvignon from these 50-plus-year-old vines. However, while tasting barrels, I fell in love with some Merlot and Petit Verdot from a neighboring block planted in the mid-1990s. After trying several renditions of a Bordeaux-style blend, I decided to add equal parts Merlot and Petit Verdot to the cuvée, as they beautifully complemented the dense, brooding old-vine Cabernet. The final blend was literally scribbled on the back of a napkin and sealed with a handshake. Once the components were racked together, the finished wine went back into barrel (Taransaud barrels, no less) for several more months, allowing everything to marry before bottling. Even though this wine is still an absolute baby, the quality is already clear to see. It is inky, brooding, and powerful, with an uncommon depth of black fruit, crushed rock, savory graphite, cedar, bay laurel, and beautifully integrated barrel spice. Please decant the wine for at least an hour if drinking it anytime soon, allowing it time to open up. I think it will be in fine form by this coming autumn and should have more than 20 years of aging potential. This is a wine I am incredibly proud of and one I will be enjoying on special occasions for many years to come!

This bubble has spent an incredible amount of time on the lees! Seven full years. Comparable to what we see from a few of our very finest small-estate Champagne producers. I really loved its balance of tartness, cream, citrus, poached pear fruit and that super-duper long and chalky finish. It went on forever! There are also some flavors of juicy stone fruits with undertones of exotic Asian spices and Granny Smith apple. I have the distinct feeling that this bottling is also cellar worthy, just like a fine Champagne. I've had bottlings of Schramsberg Blanc de Blanc that were decades old and I can see this one also having that high quality advantage.

Our latest Pinot Noir from the Anonymous Wine Collective comes from the newly minted SLO Coast AVA. This ultra-cool-climate growing region on California’s Central Coast has long been renowned for Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and other aromatic white varieties, but has now been formally recognized with the creation of an AVA defined by its immediate proximity to the Pacific Ocean. We partnered with one of the region’s most celebrated and critically acclaimed producers to craft this entirely estate-grown and produced Pinot Noir from vineyards located just a few miles from the coast. The fruit was hand-harvested and meticulously sorted before undergoing open-top, native fermentation with 10% whole-cluster inclusion. Each block was handled separately until the final barrel selections were made, bringing together our favorite components into one seamless expression of the SLO Coast. The wine is effusively aromatic and pure - a silky, highly perfumed expression of Pinot Noir that is drinking beautifully right out of the gate. Yet, knowing the reputation of this estate, it should also age gracefully for many years to come. Once again, our commitment to preserving the anonymity of our winery partners allows us to offer this wine at a fraction of the price it would command under the regular label. I hope you enjoy it. Cheers!

An absolute classic rendition of Zinfandel this legendary, historic site. There tons of rich, brambly fruit from the old vine Zin, but also real substance and complexity from the inclusion of Alicante Bouchet and a Primitivo clone brought here by Italian immigrants over a century ago. The wine shows a real sense of place with a crushed rock and ferrous mineral tone from red iron-rich loam and volcanic cobblestones that define the soils of the site. The picture perfect growing season in 2023 gave this wine lots of vibrancy and focus to balance all that old vine concentration and potency. The subtle use of both French and American oak is a well known signature when combined with this beautiful fruit. The value here, as with all the Anonymous wines is simply outstanding! Enjoy!