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“Ferrous” Bolt Block, Gaps Crown Vineyard Leads the Charge

96 POINTS | AUTEUR GAPS CROWN BOLT BLOCK PINOT 2022 ~ Selected from an unusually rocky block of the vineyard, the 2022 Pinot Noir Gap’s Crown Vineyard Bolt Block is a deep red/purple hue and displays the more savory and sanguine side of this site, which is usually more fruit forward and giving. Its rockier terrain shines and adds complexity to the wine, with notes of black cherries, crushed violets, gravelly earth, and wild herbs. Aged for 15 months in 80% new French oak, it integrates into the fabric of the wine nicely. Medium to full-bodied, this wine exhibits notable structure and a more serious character, with a more ferrous side that I particularly enjoy.
I anticipate it has the potential to age over the next two decades.

95 POINTS | AUTEUR MANCHESTER RIDGE PINOT NOIR 2022 ~ Pouring a deeper magenta/red color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Manchester Ridge Vineyard is from the highest vineyard in the Mendocino Ridge AVA, at 2000 feet elevation, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It’s aromatic of refreshing alpine herbs, sappy earth, pine, black cherries, violets, and crushed floral perfume. It has great sapidity and mid-palate richness without being heavy and retains wonderful purity. It has a long finish and is going to show well over the coming 15 years.

2022 Auteur Pinot Noir Gap’s Crown Bolt Block 96 $85
2022 Auteur Pinot Noir Manchester Ridge Vineyard 95 $85
2022 Auteur Chardonnay Green Acres Vineyard 94 $65
2022 Auteur Pinot Noir Labyrinth Vineyard 94 $85
2022 Auteur Pinot Noir Gap’s Crown Vineyard 94 $85
2022 Auteur Pinot Noir Wendling Vineyard 94 $85
2022 Auteur Pinot Noir Balinard Vineyard 93 $85
2022 Auteur Pinot Noir Starkey Vineyard 93+ $85
2022 Auteur Chardonnay Durell Vineyard 92 $65
2022 Auteur Chardonnay Sonoma Coast 91 $50
2022 Auteur Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast 91 $60

SONOMA VINTAGE REPORT OF 2022 >>
Reflecting on that report, I stand behind my remarks that this vintage offers immediate appeal, with wide drinking windows, especially compared to the more structured 2021s. The aromatics lean toward attractive, fruit-driven profiles with savory nuances and approachable structures. The vintage’s top wines offer elegance, purity, and wonderful definition. In particular, the wines from the Sonoma Coast have excelled in 2022, providing some of the highlights of my numerous and extensive tastings. – Jeb Dunnuck

Wine Spectator Officially Celebrates the Modernizing of Chardonnay

Wine Spectator is finally recognizing the major pendulum swing of Chardonnay in the United States, offering Auteur a nice feature in the July Issue, “All About White Wine”. Spending the last 20 years charged up about redefining Chardonnay — it’s wonderful to see the shift in this paradigm. For our longtime supporters, you are aware we’ve embraced this style all along. We will always continue to craft whites that are racy, fresh and vibrant without the “lactic” buttery overtones, while nurturing our partnerships with well-farmed vineyards all along Northern California, keeping the wines true to their regionality.

Enjoy these beautiful Chardonnays aligned with the New American palate. One that fully embraces exotic profiles and freshness of flavors.

94 Points, Ferrington Chardonnay — “Sleek, focused flavors of juicy tangering, lemon and pear show ginger, kumquat and wild fennel pollen on a vibrant frame” WS

92 Points Bacigalupi Chardonnay — “Grilled peach, orange blossom notes are fresh and juicy on plush, fleshy frame. Wildflower honey emerge on the finish.” WS

Forbes ~ Auteur Grows into New Estate

“This new Russian River Estate is nestled into a hillside near the Michelin-starred Farmhouse Inn. “It’s a hidden gem that feels both tucked away and worth the journey,” Juhasz says. “With a 50-foot glass wall framing expansive vineyard views and large doors that open to the terrace, the boundary between indoors and outdoors practically disappears. It’s warm, welcoming, and hard to leave.”

Read Here

San Francisco Chronicle Debuts Auteur Russian River Estate

San Francisco Chronicle Debuts Auteur WInes Grand Opening new Healdsburg Tasting Rooom April 2025

 

We are thrilled to see Jess Lander’s article in the San Francisco Chronicle’s Food and Wine section previewing our new project, Auteur Russian River, which will open in April 2025!

Kenneth. notes, “It feels very different from what we’re doing in Sonoma, but we’re keeping a lot of the DNA,” Kenneth Juhasz continued. “Our spot in Sonoma feels like Provence in the backyard; it’s very relaxing. I walk onto this property and there’s this take-your-breath-away sort of feeling. It’s like, slow down, put your phone down, take a breath and just really experience the wine.”

Link to the article here, SFC_Auteur_March162025

Welcoming Guests to our Second Home in Russian River

Over the last two years, we have been quietly creating a little slice of heaven for you in Russian River Valley. We weren’t actively looking for a property, but we also dreamt of bringing Auteur into the Sonoma’s stunning countryside. So when 10520 crossed our paths, it was magic. When we first visited this special space, we immediately felt a powerful affinity for this piece of land – with its rugged slope of bay, redwood and fir trees, sweeping vineyard views, and the natural springs, we knew it would be a place of renewal, a place to move more slowly, to follow the rivers windy path and to find solace in the shade of towering redwoods and chase the dappled light all the way to the Pacific.

From our hilltop, we offer an uninterupped panoramic embrace of the Russian River Valley located on Wohler Road outside of Healdsburg. Perched on a wooded vineyard hillside, this intimate retreat embraces the region’s vineyards and coastal forests, offering immersive hospitality experiences that draw guests into a setting as layered and expressive as Auteur’s wines.

We can’t wait to welcome you at both locations anchored at both ends of Sonoma County.

Affordable Excellence: Auteur Sonoma Coast Wines are Making Waves in the Press

Wine critics are buzzing about our zingy and earthy flavors! Our value-friendly appellation wines are crafted with passion for embodying the essence of our entire portfolio. We are thrilled to receive such a positive response from the press and warmly invite you to experience this excitement firsthand. Cheers to an endless array of new adjectives to bring to your next celebration.

 

The SOMM Journal

Oh Terre! Auteur!

95 | Auteur 2022 Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast ($50)

Toasty notes are sustained by high-profile acidity. Crème brûlée and pineapple upside-down cake make a dramatic impression as they’re surrounded by bright lemon verbena on the keen mineral finish. 95

96 | Auteur 2022 Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast ($60) This wine boasts delectable notes of cinnamon-spiced pomegranate, hibiscus, and mineral-kissed earth. A pleasant, buoyant mouthfeel upholds black raspberry, a garland of rose petals, and salty mushrooms rooted out of the soil.

 

WINE ENTHUSIAST Editors’ Choice

93 | Auteur Wines 2022 Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast)

There’s a zingy freshness on the pineapple-scented nose of this Chard made from the Old Wente clone that simply screams summer. The palate gives green apple, pear, lemon curd, chalky minerality and fresh cut flower flavors before a racy, acid-driven finish. —T.R.C. Published 9/1/2024

 

VINOGRAPHY

2022 Auteur Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma, California
Pale yellow-gold in the glass, this wine smells of candied lemon peel and pink grapefruit. In the mouth, wonderfully bright and juicy flavors of lemon peel and lemon pith bring in a faint bit of lemon-curd creaminess but also crackling stony minerality and a hint of salinity. Zingy and mouthwatering. Whole-cluster pressed and then fermented with ambient yeasts. Aged 11 months in 25% new French oak. 13% alcohol. 392 cases made. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $50. AY

2022 Auteur Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, Sonoma, California
Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cherries and raspberries. In the mouth, raspberry and cranberry flavors have a bright juiciness thanks to excellent acidity as faint, gauzy tannins coat the mouth, and notes of citrus peel linger in the finish. Hints of dried herbs and a touch of forest floor emerge with time. Fermented with ambient yeasts. Aged 11 months in 35% new French oak. 14% alcohol. 621 cases made. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $60. AY

Read the full review here from wine critic, Alder Yarrow.

https://www.vinography.com/2024/11/vinography-unboxed-week-of-11-10-24

 

WINE SPECTATOR

92 | Auteur Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

Kirsch and red licorice notes are forward and friendly in feel in this red, with light floral and tea notes helping to add range on the lightly toasted finish. Drink now through 2030. 621 cases made.

90 | Auteur Sonoma Coast Chardonnay 

Pretty aromatics of lemon oregano, verbena and green tea mingle with firm flavors of pomelo, lemon zest and green apple on a sleek, mouthwatering frame, with touches of crushed rock minerality and fresh ginger on the finish. Drink now. 392 cases made.

JEB DUNNUCK

91 | Auteur Sonoma Coast Chardonnay

The 2022 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast offers an attractive nose of candied apple, preserved lemon, and honeysuckle. Medium-bodied, it has a light touch on the palate and a nice refreshing feel, with a pithy texture and a clean finish. It’s a very charming wine to drink over the next several years.

91 | Auteur Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir

The dark ruby/magenta 2022 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast takes on deep aromas of black cherries, violets, and sweet herbs. Medium-bodied, it fills the palate with an expansive feel, ripe tannins, and a juicy ripe feel throughout, with a bit of spice through the finish. It’s going to show its best over the next 4-6 years.

 

Hyde Vineyards: A Legacy in Chardonnay & Devoted Grapegrowers

On a typical Carneros morning, the fog lingers in Hyde Vineyards, one of the most hallowed sites for grape-growing in all of California. But what truly stands out when we walk the Hyde property is the airy sea breezes off San Pablo Bay, where you smell the mix of sea salt and garrique. It’s an extraordinary feeling that we consistently and clearly expressed in the salinity characteristics of our Hyde Chardonnay.
Hyde Vineyards is a majestic and impressive 200-acre vineyard situated in Napa County, first cultivated in 1979. Managed by Larry Hyde and his son Chris, who is about to take over the business. Chris, who could carry a large Napa ego, is the farthest from it. Hyde’s are very serious about paying attention to the details and striving for excellence: tiny berries, tiny clusters, great acidity. But every time they replant a section, they adapt to the site better by replacing blocks northeast by southwest in the same direction of the prevailing winds.

Chardonnay from Hyde Vineyard is highly sought-after and has won multiple accolades. It is a highly collectible vineyard to follow. Noteworthy labels include Aubert, HDV, Kistler, Ramey, Mira, Patz & Hall, Ram’s Gate, Saxon Brown, Bouchaine, Massican, and Auteur.

We encourage you to compare a few extraordinary Hyde Vineyard Chardonnay selections.

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Hyde Vineyards
County: Napa
Appellations: Carneros; Napa Valley
Year first planted: 1979
Total acres planted: 200
Chardonnay acres: 113
Primary Chardonnay clones: Hyde Wente; Hyde San Benito; Musque
Soil types: Haire; clay loam
Sustainable and organic practices

____________________________________

Wine Spectator’s California’s Best Chardonnay Vineyards Article Link

94 | Wine Enthusiast

Exciting New Reviews ~ Auteur Manchester Ridge Achieves Stellar Ratings with Perrotti-Brown

We are thrilled to annouce these exciting new review from Wine Editor, Lisa Perroti-Brown. Born and raised in rural Maine, Lisa has spent over 25-years working in the wine industry, living in London, Tokyo, Singapore, and now Napa, California. In 2008, she became a Master of Wine and began working for Robert M. Parker, Jr. at The Wine Advocate. In 2013, she became Editor in Chief for Robert Parker Wine Advocate the publication’s critic for the wines of Bordeaux, Napa Valley, and Sonoma County.  In 2021, Lisa left Robert Parker Wine Advocate to become co-founder of The Wine Independent.

 

Manchester Ridge Scores big with Perrotti-Brown with The Wine Independent

 

2021 Auteur Chardonnay Manchester Ridge  97 Points

Drinking: 2023-2030

The 2021 Chardonnay Manchester Ridge sings of lemon curd, fresh peaches, and apple pie, leading to wafts of fresh ginger and marzipan. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly crafted with wonderfully bright, intense citrus and stone fruit layers, finishing long and savory. This is impressive!

 

2021 Auteur Pinot Noir Wendling Vineyard  95+ Points

Drinking: 2024-2032

The 2021 Pinot Noir Wendling Vineyard is pale to medium ruby-purple in color. It races out of the glass with floral notes of violets, Ceylon tea, and sassafras, leading to a core of cherry cordial, pomegranate, and a waft of rhubarb. The medium to full-bodied palate is bursting with savory-laced black berry layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins and finishing long and fragrant.

 

2021 Auteur Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard  95 Points

Drinking 2024-2030

Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2021 Pinot Noir Savoy Vineyard comes tumbling out with ready-to-go notes of black and red cherries, pomegranate, and spice cake, plus wafts of violets and dark chocolate. The medium to full-bodied palate is bright and energetic, with a lively line and grainy tannins, finishing with a real skip in its step.

 

2021 Auteur Pinot Noir Gap’s Crown Vineyard Bolt Block  94 Points

Drinking: 2024-2030

The 2021 Pinot Noir Gap’s Crown Vineyard Bolt Block is pale to medium ruby-purple in color. It sails out with suggestions of dusty soil, underbrush, and mossy tree bark over a core of redcurrant jelly and black cherry compote. The medium-bodied palate has a fine-grained texture and bold freshness supporting the tight-knit fruit, finishing on a lingering mineral note.

 

2021 Auteur Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast  93 Points

Drinking: 2023-2028

Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2021 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast leaps with fragrant scents of rose oil, cinnamon toast, and fallen leaves, giving way to a core of cranberry sauce, pomegranate, and kirsch. The medium to full-bodied palate is juicy and plush, with a lively line lifting the red berry flavors to a long finish accented with baking spices.

2021 Auteur Chardonnay Sonoma Coast  92 Points

Drinking: 2023-2027

The 2021 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast flies out with bold notions of fresh pineapple, honeydew melon, and juicy pears with wafts of lemongrass and honeysuckle. The medium-bodied palate delivers intense tropical fruit and mineral layers with a crisp line of freshness and a long, zesty finish. 205 cases were made.

 

 

Kimberly Jones Selections 2024 Releases

Link here for full article, The Wine Independent

 

Auteur Named Winery of the Year

Auteur Named Winery of the Year by the Local Sonoma Community!

We are proud to be named Winery of the Year in the Best of Sonoma list. For more outstanding recommendations, click the link above. With nearly 1,800 square miles to explore, it’s no wonder Sonoma County has captured the hearts of so many. Join us soon on your adventure—we can’t wait to welcome you!

BEST OF SONOMA LIST, CLICK HERE