Alquimista Critical Acclaim
| Score | Publisher | Reviewer | Vintage | Wine | Quote |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 91 | Decanter | Jeff Cox | 2018 | Jessie's Grove Zinfandel | Whole-berry fermentation yields a wine that’s floral, estery, ebullient and balletic, with bright red cherry-berry red fruit flavours and signature Zin spiciness. |
| 94 | American Fine Wine Competition | Panel | 2018 | van der Kamp Pinot Meunier | Double Gold Medal Winner |
| 94 | Wine Enthusiast | Jim Gordon | 2017 | Manchester Ridge Pinot Noir | An enticing earthy, toasty aroma is backed by vibrant red- and black-cherry flavors and a lightly tannic texture in this complex and elegant wine. It's full bodied but very well balanced. Best from 2023. |
| 91 | Wine Enthusiast | Jim Gordon | 2017 | Manchester Ridge Chardonnay | This flashy, complex wine starts with intense butter and toasted nut aromas and offers enticing earthy, baking-spice, and almond flavors that run deep. It is concentrated, oaky and indulgent |
| 89 | Wine Advocate | Lisa Perrotti-Brown | 2017 | Van der Kamp Pinot Meunier | Light-bodied, it's delicate and earthy in the mouth, with very soft tannins and juicy acidity, finishing earthy. |
| 92 | American Fine Wine Competition | Panel | 2017 | Confluence Pinot Noir | Double Gold Medal Winner |
| 92 | American Fine Wine Competition | Panel | 2017 | Convergence Pinot Noir | Double Gold Medal Winner |
| 90 | American Fine Wine Competition | Panel | 2017 | Mes Filles Pinot Noir | Gold Medal Winner |
| 90 | American Fine Wine Competition | Panel | 2017 | Jessie's Grove Zinfandel | Gold Medal Winner |
| 92 | American Fine Wine Competition | Panel | 2017 | Lorenzo Chardonnay | Gold Medal Winner |
| 91 | American Fine Wine Competition | Panel | 2017 | Haiku Chardonnay | Gold Medal Winner |
| 94 | American Fine Wine Competition | Panel | 2017 | Manchester Ridge Pinot Noir | |
| 94 | American Fine Wine Competition | Panel | 2017 | Manchester Ridge Pinot Noir | |
| 93 | American Fine Wine Competition | Panel | 2017 | Mes Filles Chardonnay | |
| 94 | Wine Enthusiast | Jim Gordon | 2016 | Oppenlander Pinot Noir | Cellar Selection--This wine will be one for aging, as its vivid, concentrated and nicely tart flavors pair up with moderate tannins for a rather tight expression now that will improve with time. It offers gorgeous black-cherry, black tea and raspberry notes that expand on the palate and linger on the finish. Best from 2025. |
| 93 | Wine Enthusiast | Jim Gordon | 2016 | Haiku Chardonnay | This full-bodied wine is quite concentrated and deep, offering bright, ripe pear and peach along with butter, butterscotch and a touch of honey. The color is a vivid gold, the aroma is like buttered popcorn and the flavors really deliver, leading to a lingering finish |
| 91 | Wine Enthusiast | Jim Gordon | 2016 | Convergence Cuvee Pinot Noir | Fully ripe flavors and generous baking spices from oak barrels give this wine a lot to like. It's full bodied, lightly tannic and deliciously creamy in texture |
| 91 | Wine Enthusiast | Jim Gordon | 2016 | Manchester Ridge Pinot Noir | Scents of warm baking spices and brown sugar meet plummy flavors to give this gentle and full-bodied wine a good, mellow drinkability. It offers a broad, mouthcoating texture and soft tannins |
| 91 | Wine Advocate | Lisa Perrotti-Brown | 2016 | Van der Kamp Pinot Noir | Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers a refreshing line cutting through the delicate red berry and perfumed layers with a soft texture and fragrant finish. |
| 91-93 | Wine Advocate | Lisa Perrotti-Brown | 2016 | Mes Filles Pinot Noir | A nose of intense black cherries, black raspberries and warm cranberries notes with touches of dried roses, garrigue and sautéed herbs. Medium-bodied and finely crafted with a very racy backbone and fine-grained tannins, it finishes long and perfumed. |
| 91 - 93 | Wine Advocate | Lisa Perrotti-Brown | 2016 | Hawks Roost Pinot Noir | A nose of red roses, chocolate-covered cherries and crushed red currants with hints of forest floor, black truffles and dusty soil. The medium-bodied palate is fine and elegant with great freshness and silky tannins, finishing long and perfumed. |
| 90 - 92 | Wine Advocate | Lisa Perrotti-Brown | 2016 | Confluence Pinot Noir | The medium-bodied palate is delicately flavored with floral-laced red berries, framed by soft tannins and finishing with an herbal lift. |
| 90 | Wine Advocate | Lisa Perrotti-Brown | 2016 | Van der Kamp Pinot Meunier | Enticing scents of redcurrant jelly, rhubarb pie and raspberry tart with touches of rose hip tea, dried herbs and fallen leaves. Medium-bodied and sporting elegant red fruit and floral layers, it has bags of freshness and a pleasantly chewy finish. |
| 92 | Wine Advocate | Lisa Perrotti-Brown | 2016 | Lorenzo Chardonnay | Full-bodied, rich and decadently fruited in the mouth, it has a gorgeous oiliness to the texture, with loads of spice and savory and tropical fruit layers, finishing long and creamy. |
| 93 | American Fine Wine Competition | Panel | 2016 | Convergence Pinot Noir | |
| 92+ | Wine Advocate | Lisa Perrotti-Brown | 2015 | Van der Kamp Pinot Noir | Elegantly styled with the light to medium body, it delivers plenty of fruit intensity with a great backbone of finely grained tannins and lively acidity, finishing long with mineral and savory nuances. |
| 87 | Wine Advocate | Lisa Perrotti-Brown | 2015 | Mes Filles Pinot Noir | Medium to full-bodied, it has a pleasant dried berry character in the mouth with chewy tannins and a crisp, somewhat disjointed backbone, finishing just a little angular. |
| 94 | Wine Advocate | Lisa Perrotti-Brown | 2015 | Mes Filles Chardonnay | Big, concentrated and opulent on the full-bodied palate, it offers seductive tropical fruit and savory and spice layers supported by a racy acid line, lifting the generous fruit and creamy texture throughout the very long finish. |
| 93+ | Wine Advocate | Lisa Perrotti-Brown | 2015 | Lorenzo Chardonnay | The perfumed stone fruit and toasty flavor layers rock on the medium to full-bodied palate, with great intensity and depth developing into a long, harmonious finish. Kudos! |
| 87 | Wine Advocate | Robert Parker Jr. | 2014 | Van der Kamp Pinot Noir | The light ruby-colored 2014 Pinot Noir Van der Kamp Vineyards, from a high-elevation site on Sonoma Mountain, pushes the earthy, herbal, spice and stemmy style of Pinot Noir, with sweet strawberry and cherry fruit. |
| 89 | Wine Advocate | Robert Parker Jr. | 2013 | Confluence Pinot Noir | Medium ruby-colored with sweet strawberry and pomegranate fruit, good spice and earth, the wine shows a nice Côtes de Beaune-like character with its cherries and strawberries, earthy spiciness and medium body. |
Praise for Jessie's Grove Zin from Zinfest
| N/A | Connoisseurs’ Guide to California Wine | Steve Eliot | 2017 | Jessie's Grove Zinfandel | This wine was a complete outlier that defied all expectations, and was a good reminder that a winemaker's hand can be at least as important as where the grapes were grown. |
| N/A | The Stockon Record and Lodi News Sentinel | Bob Highfill | 2017 | Jessie's Grove Zinfandel | This was one of my highlights because its light color and Pinot noir-like bold cherry aromas and flavors. The color belied a medium-bodied wine with huge fruit that wasn't at all jammy. Beautiful acidity gave it life. Altogether, really different and special. |
| N/A | Enologist, Robert Biale Vineyard | David Natale | 2017 | Jessie's Grove Zinfandel | Bright floral and red fruit notes with a good acid drive. Pinot noir-like in its delicacy with a long, slightly dry finish. |
| N/A | Winemaker, Ironstone Vineyards | Natale Gagliardo | 2017 | Jessie's Grove Zinfandel | One of my favorites of the day. The color was really nice (due to the carbonic maceration). It had delicious spicy and meaty aromas with tobacco and cigar notes. The fruit reminded me of a cherry candy with a good balance of acid/sweetness that lingered on the finish. |
Some winemakers and winery proprietors are born into the business. Some buy into the business. And some evolve into it. Greg LaFollette of Alquimista evolved quite successfully. He has been called a “vine whisperer,” a “cellar magician,” and a “tireless coaxer and protector of handcrafted wines.” He is one of Sonoma’s most revered winemakers, and was honored as Winemaker of the Year in 2010. He has also been tagged “Prince of Pinot” by the website of the same name. Read more at http://winervana.com/alquimista-cellars/
