Wine Enthusiast Reviews by year

Published In Print And On The Magazine’s Website

2023

Annia – 93 points

Aromas of yellow apple, honeydew melon, mineral, lemon zest, orange-blossom honey and dried herbs. The palate then opens further to Meyer lemon, white grapefruit and bay leaf, layered with tangerine, white peach, sedimentary rock.

Gemina – 94 points

The trend of Italian varieties grown in California is one to watch and then discover in wines like this. Find lush aromas of orange blossom, white nectarine, green papaya, lemongrass and mineral on the nose. The palate introduces kaffir lime and white peach, intermingled with fresh herbs, orange zest, mineral and a mouthwatering, dry finish. Pair with grilled sand dabs.

Pinot Grigio – 94 points

This wine is lively, with aromas of guava, papaya, citrus and dried apricot on the nose. The flavors on the palate are apricot, orange cream and pink grapefruit zest, interwoven with dried herbs, white tea and a dry, mouthwatering finish. Pair with steamed clams.

Sauvignon Blanc – 93 points

This wine is zesty, with aromas of ripe lemon, baked apple, dried herbs, lilies and mineral. On the palate, find flavors of pink grapefruit, dried apricot, cinnamon and orange-blossom honey layered with lemongrass and mineral, finishing dry yet juicy. Pair with crab cakes with mango relish.

Hyde Chardonnay – 93 points

Abundant flavors of mixed citrus deepened by crushed and spiced almonds and a hint of toasted pecan. Impressive concentration greets the palate with generosity yet no heaviness followed by a lengthy, compelling finish.

2022

Annia – 90 points

A unique blend of 41% Ribolla Gialla, 33% Tocai Friulano and 26% Chardonnay, this white has a beautiful springtime feel. Aromas and flavors suggest chamomile and jasmine blossom, citrus zest, wet stone, dewy grass warming underneath the rising sun, bee pollen and just-ripe yellow peach and peach fuzz. Light- to medium-bodied, the wine offers a slight fizz on the palate, giving it extra energy and verve from start to finish.

Gemina – 90 points

This white blend is an Italian celebration of 62% Greco and 38% Fallanghina. Racy high acid gives the wine a sense of energy from start to finish and elevates the fresh aromas and flavors of apple, pear, lemon, lime, chamomile, lemongrass and white pepper.

Sauvignon Blanc – 91 points

This is a really well-balanced, engaging and fun Sauvignon Blanc that, alongside its light and lively attitude, shows elements of depth and complexity not often found in this white varietal. Nuanced notes of lemon, lime, green apple skins, beachy-sand salinity, jasmine flower, nasturtium leaf, cut grass and dewy lawn daisy are carried by an energetic acidity yet simultaneously tamed by a smooth, almost glycerol-like texture. The finish is long and begs for another sip to be had. 

Hyde Vineyards Chardonnay – 95 POINTS Light and vibrant, this elegant, beautifully balanced wine from a top-notch vineyard offers citrus blossoms, crisp apples and tangy apricots on a lively base of fruit acidity that refreshes and enlivens the palate. Enjoy it now for its mouthwatering expression and save a few bottles for further complexity after aging. 

2021

Hyde Vineyards Chardonnay – 94 POINTS Perfumed in grapefruit skin, green apple and apple blossom, this is a perennially fresh, complex and light expression of the variety from the esteemed site. Textured and well structured, it is a fantastic wine from a small vintage.20212022

2020

Annia, Napa Valley White White – 96 POINTS (TOP 100 WINE OF 2021) Dan Petroski’s perennially delightful blend of 61% Tocai Friulano, 27% Ribolla Gialla and 12% Chardonnay from Hyde Vineyard stands out in its melding of floral, grippy composure and earthy intensity. Lemon candy, peach and white flower combine around ethereal accents of salt and slate.

Gemina, California White Wine – 95 POINTS Made from 75% Pinot Bianco and 25% Greco from vineyards in Carneros and the Russian River Valley, this white is whole-cluster pressed and fed indigenous yeast before hanging out six months in 100% neutral French oak. Fresh and sleek on the palate, it is bright and crisp in flavors of fig and sea spray.

Sauvignon Blanc – 94 POINTS Made from fruit grown in Pope Valley and Carneros, this is a lifted, elegant and persistently fresh white. It was whole-cluster pressed then barrel fermented with indigenous yeast and aged for six months. A flinty palate presents flavors of wet stone, cucumber and ocean spray.

Hyde Vineyards Chardonnay – 97 POINTS From a great vintage for Napa Valley white wines, this structured and delicious bottling shows bright bursts of citrus, slate and lemon peel. The oak is present yet well-behaved, adding spice and tension it all.

2019

Annia, Napa Valley White White – 95 POINTS This is a consistently beautiful and beguiling white wine, a blend of Tocai Friulano, Ribolla Gialla and Chardonnay, the latter from Hyde Vineyards. Structured, mineral-driven and explosive in flavors of lemon zest, green apple and wet stone, it is a wine well worth stocking.

Gemina, California White Wine – 94 POINTS A rare, beautifully conceived blend of Napa Valley Pinot Bianco and Sonoma County Greco, Gemina is refreshing and hugely memorable in crunchy fruit and freshness. Slatey, with a taste of the ocean, it evolves in the glass to impart a fleshy lushness of fig.

Sauvignon Blanc – 95 POINTS (TOP 100 WINE OF 2020) This is winemaker Dan Petroski’s nod to the Sauvignons of northern Italy. Lemony and sleek, it conjures notes of wet stone, brine and complex, layered acidity, with a lasting tease of green apple and lemongrass.

Hyde Vineyards Chardonnay – 97 POINTS This is a barrel-fermented and -aged white from the famous grower site in Carneros, which does justice to its soulful sense of place. Brioche and nutmeg aromas lead to a midpalate of succulent green apple, pear and oak, with lifted, bright and layered acidity. Complex and completely delicious, it remains focused and balanced throughout.

2018

Annia, Napa Valley White White – 97 POINTS (TOP 100 WINE OF 2019) Made from 48% Tocai Friulano, 41% Ribolla Gialla and 11% Chardonnay, this is fresh and floral in tones of lemon rind, white flower and green apple. Fermented in both French oak and stainless steel, it is structured yet vibrant, gorgeously aromatic and remarkably long-lasting on the palate.

Gemina, California White Wine – 96 POINTS Gemina is 69% Pinot Grigio and 31% Greco, from two vineyards, one in St. Helena and the other in Santa Rosa. With the goal of showcasing both northern and southern Italian inspiration, it deals in fresh lemon peel, white flower and gravelly texture, while being well structured and enduringly fresh. This is a truly lovely, revelatory wine.

Sauvignon Blanc – 95 POINTS For his own label, Larkmead winemaker Dan Petroski looks to northern Italy for inspiration, sourcing from Napa Valley vineyards he admires (ones with the warmest days and coolest nights) to produce this 100% varietal beauty. Robustly fruity and flinty, it shows apricot, lemongrass, wet stone and wraparound acidity that buzzes in freshness.

Hyde Vineyards Chardonnay – 94 POINTS From the famous site in Carneros, the block sourced by the producer consists of Musque clone Chardonnay, planted in the early 1990s and a portion of it also goes into his Annia white blend. Opening in a whiff of confection, it offers steely acidity and a textured taste of lemon rind, grapefruit and white peach, layered and balanced in every sense of the word.

2017

Annia, Napa Valley White White – 94 POINTS (TOP 100 WINE OF 2018) This is a refreshingly stunning blend of 55% Ribolla Gialla, 39% Tocai Friulano and 6% Chardonnay, the latter (from Hyde Vineyard) finding unexpected companionship with its Napa-grown Italian counterparts. Waxy and floral, it tastes of green apple and white peach, with a plush midpalate and lasting tension of vibrant acidity.

Gemina, California White Wine – 95 POINTS Wow, this is a beautiful wine. A blend of 77% Pinot Grigio from the Napa Valley’s Chiles Valley and 23% Greco from Russian River Valley, winemaker Dan Petroski melds them both together into a floral and fresh explosion of vivid flavor. Tart apricot and peach meet freshly squeezed lemon as balanced acidity lingers masterfully on the finish.

Sauvignon Blanc – 94 POINTS Floral and stony, this impressively complex and memorable white has a thirst-quenching grasp of gravelly minerality, a core element built around bold, beautiful flavors of fig, Meyer lemon and tangerine.

Hyde Vineyards Chardonnay – 94 POINTS Spicy lemongrass, ginger and high-toned acidity immediately invite one in to this vineyard-designated white, a study in grainy texture and a light touch of oak. Green apple and lemon-drop flavors tease the palate effortlessly, evolving constantly in the glass.