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 Cabernet Sauvignon is still the king of red wines, and renditions like this one serve as exemplars. Of course, there’s a wide stylistic range possible with the variety. This falls near the center of the spectrum, with a mix of black and red berries, gentle oak toast, soft pepper, supple tannins, and a long finish where all the elements are well knit together. It’s light enough to pair with chicken or pork and will also work well with beef dishes. Nicely done, particularly at this price point.
94 Rich Cook
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Posted by Rich Cook on August 28, 2024 at 10:50 AM
One of the more recent perks of my wine gig is the occasional virtual visit with a single
estate. As we know, one of the global pandemic’s “silver linings” was massively expanded use of video meeting platforms, so now I sometimes get an opportunity to sit and taste with a winemaker even though we aren’t in the same room. No doubt this serves to reduce the carbon footprint related to my work, and the exchanges are nearly as enlightening as in-person tastings and interviews.
At Donum Estate I’m sure that’s something they’ve factored into their effort to get word about their exceptional products out to the world. It’s a rare thing to run across a producer that’s completely serious about proper stewardship of every aspect of what they do from ground to glass and beyond, and Donum succeeds in all facets of this endeavor.
 Winemaker Dan Fishman explains that the estate is one of a small handful of wineries worldwide to be certified by the ROA (Regenerative Organic Alliance) which carries a far more serious set of demands than just being certified organic or sustainable – and the dividends are already starting to show. Dan reports being able to cut water usage by fifty percent by using soil-appropriate cover crop in every block of vines, maintaining maximum moisture and allowing fruit sugar content to come down without compromising flavor profiles. While expensive to get set up, regenerative farming will pay off with longer vine life, perhaps by as much a double the usual 30-ish years for Pinot Noir. Imagine the benefit of cutting replanting costs by one hundred percent over a sixty-year time period. Additionally, overall improvement in vine health means that a high mildew pressure vintage like 2023 didn’t affect the Donum vineyards as badly as some neighboring sites.
Of course, all of this doesn’t mean much if the finished products aren’t excellent, and I’m happy to report that all the wines I’ve tasted from the property are worth seeking out. Here’s a quick overview:
 Donum, Carneros (Sonoma County, California) Chardonnay “Single-Vineyard” 2021 ($75): This is very expressive right out of the starting blocks, with bright apple, pear and spice aromas taking the lead. A richly textured palate translates the aroma profile into lively flavors, and vibrant acidity washes the palate clean in the finish while leaving a lasting impression of toast and ripe apples. Beautifully realized and boldly stylized, from a vintage that delivered the possibility. 95
Donum, Carneros (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir “Single-Vineyard” 2021 ($95): Here’s a Pinot Noir with gravitas – from color to aroma to flavor, everything about this oozes seriousness. Deeply layered aromas of black cherry, damp earth and brown spices are alluring, and the palate delivers on that promise with a rich texture that makes it seriously enjoyable. It shows a little heat in the finish, which brings out a slight bittering character. This doesn’t offend, but rather adds an extra element to an already complex package. I’d enjoy this in the near term for its freshness. 94
Donum, Carneros (Sonoma County, California) Chardonnay “Single-Vineyard” 2022 ($75): This displays a leaner style than the 2021, more restrained and elegant, but not at all lacking in flavor or aromatics. A combination of notes including bright apple, pear, dried herbs, light to moderate oak influence, and energizing acidity make this a great choice for pairing with seafood. Made without malolactic fermentation, yeast stirring, or racking. A very hands-off wine that you’ll be glad to get your hands on. 93
Donum, Carneros (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir “Single-Vineyard” 2022 ($95): Yet to be released, this shows wood influence that the fruit is still working to integrate. Again, this is not as ripe as the ’21 rendition, showing lots of dry earth and herb character. The fruit is rather shy at present, with mushroom and graphite notes in front. As this integrates, the lurking blackberry and cherry notes will shine. A suggestion of sarsaparilla shows, and that will gain traction over time as well. 93
Donum, Carneros (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir “Three Hills” 2022 ($95): This Pinot is sourced from the three evident hills on the estate. The first vintage of this bottling was the 2018, with the fruit selected from eastern/northern facing slopes that are exposed to less sun and heat. It displays very concentrated aromas, with a mix of damp and dry earth along with crushed rock and ripe strawberry fruit impressions. The earth tones shine on the palate, and a firm grip keeps the flavors dancing through the finish. Again, this is a youngster that will unfurl its fruit elements as its grip loosens with time. 94
Donum, Carneros (Sonoma County, California) Pinot Noir “TFV” 2022 ($95): The source for this is the Thomas Ferguson Vineyard, which was first planted in 1974, acquired in 2016, and then replanted. The site is marked by rocky soils, with a lot less clay content than other vineyards utilized by Donum. This is the third harvest released after the replanting. It will need some time to flesh out, as the tannins are more grippy than those in the “Three Hills” Pinot, but the wine already shows emerging notes of appealing raspberry and black cherry fruit. 95
 In addition to stewarding the land and the people working it, owners Mei and Allan Warburg are serious stewards of modern art, with the winery and vineyards housing over fifty monumental works by famous artists. So, whether it’s for the wine, the art, or both, a visit is in order if you can swing it, and you won’t be disappointed!
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Andrew Holod
Oct. 9, 2024: If you've been frustrated in the past by the linguistic thickets of German wine labels, I'll urge you to stick with it and keep reading, as there is at least one rule of thumb to streamline your selection process. First, the good news for folks who prefer dry wines is that according to the German Wine Institute, half of wines produced in Germany today are legally dry. The easiest way to determine the sweetness of the finished wine is to look at the alcohol level. Higher levels of alcohol represent more of the grape's sugar having been converted to alcohol and resulting in a drier wine. So, for two wines of the same ripeness, the one with the higher alcohol level will usually taste drier. Note that even the 'sweet' wines often balance a relatively higher level of acid with the residual sugar yielding a fresh-fruit like sensation on the palate rather than a confected or concentrated dessert-like sweetness.
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Roger Morris
Oct. 9, 2024: Pritchard Hill is home to a small group of wineries which produce some of Napa Valley's best and most-expensive Cabernet Sauvignons. True, you may not have heard of all of them or seen their bottles on your wine merchant's shelves...or even in the locked displays. In fact, many Pritchard Hill wines are on strict allocation, and their producers don't rely on sales through distributors, even if they bother having one. That list includes Colgin, Brand, Continuum, Bryant Family, Ovid, AXR, David Arthur and Realm Houyi. Even if these wineries may not be immediately recognizable to consumers, many of the top winemakers elsewhere in Napa Valley and wine collectors around the world will tell you that Pritchard Hill is perhaps the best AVA in Napa Valley. But there is one detail these winemakers are quick to add. Pritchard Hill isn't an American Viticultural Area, and isn't like to become anytime soon. There's a reason for that.
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Is there any food more comforting than a rice bowl? Probably not, and few dishes are as simple to pull together as this Asian-inspired treat that is centered on rice. It seems that every Asian culture has its own variation on the rice bowl theme including Japanese Donbury, and Bibimbap-Korea's take on the rice bowl. Asian rice bowls generally include vegetables and some kind of protein such as fish, chicken, tofu, or an egg or two. Moreover, the Asian world of food is filled with spicy sauces such as Gochujang, a funky fermented condiment that adds zing to a rice bowl. In many Asian countries rice bowls are commonly eaten for breakfast, which is something I've often enjoyed myself on a weekend morning accompanied by a cup of coffee and the Sunday paper. This time, however, my goal was to make a rice bowl designed for a simple supper, and a dish that might be especially tasty and versatile enough to go well with a variety of different wines.
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Mary Ewing-MulliganOctober 2, 2024: Tuscany is a remarkable wine region. Although most of its red wines are based on the Sangiovese grape - with notable exceptions along the coast - the variety among them is almost endless. Even within a single DOCG appellation such as Chianti Classico, the wines, always 80 to 100 percent Sangiovese, vary from commune to commune and from producer to producer. A case in point is my recent tasting of five Tuscan Sangiovese wines from a single importer, Dalla Terra Winery Direct. This company specializes in family-owned Italian estates and, thanks to its particular distribution model that eliminates the middleman, the wines are all very well priced at retail. More than ranking each wine against the other in terms of quality, I found myself characterizing the wines stylistically to highlight their unique faces. Sassy, pretty, polished, age-worthy or solid and complete: Even this mini selection of Tuscan reds proves what pleasures await an exploration of Sangiovese in Tuscany.
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German Wine Beyond the Expectation of Sweetness
Pritchard Hill: Napa's Best AVA Isn't Really One
Five Takes on Tuscan Sangiovese
