This week I’m back with another roundup of wines from California, including some new-to-me producers, and some I’ve known and loved for many years.

St. Helena’s Battuello comes through with some interesting offerings from their estate vineyards, which dates back five generations, when Matteo Battuello established it in 1909. The two Valdiguiés that are so delicious, and their Petit Verdot is a stunner.

2019 Battuello Vineyards Valdiguié Rosé– USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena
SRP: $28
Juicy strawberry color. The nose shows raspberries, white cherries, red apple, watermelon rind, along with rhubarb and celery seed. Juicy and ripe on the palate, but it shows crisp and focused acidity, along with a crushable, delicious feel. Mint, flinty, white pepper and magnolia tones add complexity. Fun and delicious but shows solid complexity and depth. (90 points IJB)

2018 Battuello Vineyards Valdiguié – USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena
SRP: $45
Vibrant purple color. Fruity, fun but exciting aromas of cherries, plums, violets, some cinnamon and earth tones. Juicy and smooth on the palate, a velvety/light tannic feel mixes with vibrant acidity. Juicy red cherries and wild blackberries mix with elements of violets, pepper, anise, also some graphite, milk chocolate and coffee. This is a fun but complex and exotic Valdiguié worth seeking out. (91 points IJB)

2017 Battuello Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon – USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena
SRP: $90
Deep purple color. Saucy, deep aromas with plums, jammy blackberries, with roasted coffee, vanilla, anise, mocha, deep, sweet earth. Full-bodied, rich with chewy tannins and moderate acidity. Plummy, saucy, deep blueberries and sweet blackberries. Notes of mocha, vanilla, charcoal and clove add complexity. A big but charming Cab that has complexities to uncover in the decanter or a few years in the cellar. (89 points IJB)

2018 Battuello Vineyards Petit Verdot Battuello Vineyard – USA, California, Napa Valley, St. Helena
SRP: $70
Dark purple color. The nose is deep and saucy with blackberries and roasted fig, lots of graphite, smoky charcoal, black pepper, with violets and clove. Full-bodied on the palate with solid, grippy tannins but the acidity is vibrant and keeps the wine balanced. Dark plums, blackberries and roasted figs (rich but vibrant fruit) mixed with complex elements of rocky earth, anise, black pepper, with nuanced mocha and caramel tones. Complex, delicious, this is one to age or crack around a campfire with grilled steaks. (91 points IJB)

https://www.terroirist.com/2020/11/wine-reviews-california-new-releases-18/