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Without question one of the hottest winemakers in California is Bibiana Gonzalez Rave Pisoni... (yes, that Pisoni...)
"Unquestionably part of the upcoming generation of world-class winemakers who will dominate the California wine scene over the coming decades." Jeb Dunnuck
In 2015, she was awarded “Winemaker of the Year” by the San Francisco Chronicle, just over a year after being named one of Wine Enthusiast “40 Under 40 America’s Tastemakers”.
Here aim is "To produce unique wines of extreme purity, power, and finesse. Complexity in the aromatics and texture on the mouthfeel are my hallmarks. I craft my wines with a long finish that develops in the mid-palate with ample generosity. I pay no attention to “number” when it comes to making harvest decisions, but I do believe on precision with wines driven by acidity and tannins."
I tell you what... she succeeds!
I have just 24 bottles each of these arriving... Trust me and get aboard the Bibiana train now!
 Cattleya Belly of the Whale Pinot Noir 2018
Sale $67.99 – Beats Best US Price Online
97 pts Jeb Dunnuck
“Coming from the Sun Chase Vineyard on the Sonoma Coast (Petaluma Gap region), the 2018 Pinot Noir Belly of the Whale release was 90% destemmed and spent 15 months in 35% new French oak. It’s a slightly darker, more Burgundian style of Pinot Noir with gorgeous notes of black cherries, scorched earth, violets, forest floor, and chocolaty spice all emerging from the glass. It shows a cool-climate style on the palate with medium-bodied richness, perfect balance between its fruit, tannins, and acidity, no hard edges, and a great finish. Where the Cuvee Number One is relatively upfront and approachable today, this is going to benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age and cruise for over a decade. It delivers everything you could want from a Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir.”
"Pinot Noir is a notoriously fickle variety and one must be ready to accept the challenges that come with farming this grape. It is not a decision to be taken lightly. Belly of the Whale is crafted from Donum Vineyard fruit, located in Carneros, the cool, misty gateway to the rest of northern California’s wine country. For this wine, I use Roederer clone Pinot, which is cold-soaked for ten days before being fermented on the skins for 16 days. Once complete, I age Belly of the Whale for 11 months in one-third new French oak barrels.
Here we cross the threshold where we pass from the world we know into a realm rife with danger. The world grows dark. Inky black raspberry, damp earth, and dried and decaying flowers depict the profile of these grapes born of older Pinot Noir vines. Unfined and unfiltered, this is a wine capable of slumbering in your cellar for 10-15 years. The Belly of the Whale is Carneros as you’ve never seen it before. There’s no going back." winemaker note
 Cattleya Call to Adventure Chardonnay 2018
Sale $67.99 net – Best US Price Online
95 pts Jeb Dunnuck
“Formerly called the Pratt Vineyard Chardonnay, the 2017 Chardonnay Call To Adventure offers a deep, rich bouquet of caramelized stone fruits, brioche, white flowers, and a hint of honeysuckle. Medium to full-bodied and powerful on the palate, it has an incredible sense of purity and class, flawless balance, and a great, great finish. It tastes like a top Meursault; it's going to keep for over a decade. It’s just another sensational wine from this incredible winemaker.” JD
"The Russian River Valley is a place of almost impossible beauty, where distinct terroirs reign supreme. It was one of the first places I saw the incredible potential to apply my winemaking skills in California, where I heard my own call to adventure. Crafted from clone 15 Chardonnay grown in Pratt Vineyard, this wine is made from hand-harvest grapes and undergoes full malolactic fermentation before spending over 16 months in French oak barrels.
This tantalizing Russian River Chardonnay beckons you away from the comfortable cuvées you’ve known before. Call to Adventure is an invitation to seek the unknown where the promise of delight is just a sip away if you are brave enough to take the first step. This Russian River Chardonnay is redolent of that hazy line when spring becomes summer: perfumed honeysuckle, ripe mandarin, Meyer lemon, and honeydew melon. With a long finish and round, generous texture, no one can resist the Call to Adventure." winemaker note
Reply to order. The wine will arrive Wednesday. | 
