in the press
2023 Cattleya Wine Reviews
Sonoma Coast
2023 Chardonnay
The 2023 Sonoma Coast Chardonnay underwent 60-65% new oak fermentation and maturation. It bursts with bold notes of spiced pears, apple butter, and fresh ginger, plus suggestions of honeysuckle and cedar chest. The medium to full-bodied palate has a satiny texture with bags of spicy orchard fruit flavors and a racy line, finishing long and toasty.
—Lisa Perrotti-Brown / The Wine Palate
Displaying a bright yellow hue with a light haze (they don’t filter or fine any of the Chardonnay or Pinot Noir), the nose of the 2023 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast is pretty and ripe with aromas of fresh pineapples, preserved citrus, wet stones, and fresh flowers. Coming from the Nightwing and Sun Chase vineyards, the 2023 Chardonnay Sonoma Coast was previously known as Cuvée Number 5. Full-bodied, it has a pretty feel on the palate, with lasting notes of lemon custard and vanilla. It’s a beautifully detailed Chardonnay to drink now or over the coming 5-6 years.
—Jeb Dunnuck | Sonoma Report
The 2023 Chardonnay (Sonoma Coast) delivers vibrant acidity, super-concentrated orchard fruit and chewy grip. Green apple, lemon peel, chamomile and chalk open in the glass, grabbing hold of the palate and charging through the finish. I like the contrast of smooth textures/plush mouth-feel against palpable structure
—Bill Norris / Vinous
Graceful, juicy and succulent, this oozes with notes of pineapple, mango and lemon cream on a supple, smooth frame. Salted butterscotch, toasted marshmallow and candied citrus peel, along with lemon verbena accents, come in on the finish. Drink now. 255 cases made.
– James Molesworth, Wine Spectator
Sonoma Coast Chardonnay
2023 Beyond the Threshold
The 2023 Beyond the Threshold Chardonnay underwent 60-65% new oak fermentation and maturation. It waltzes out with a flamboyant perfume of orange blossoms and honeysuckle, leading to a core of lemon curd and juicy grapefruit with a touch of lime zest. The full-bodied palate is rich and dense with vibrant citrus flavors, supported by a refreshing line and satiny texture, finishing very long and savory. Gorgeous.
— Lisa Perrotti-Brown | The Wine Palate
Entirely coming from the Sun Chase Vineyard, the 2023 Chardonnay Beyond The Threshold is a reflective medium straw/yellow color and takes on more toastiness and a bit of flinty reduction in its notes of orange zest, crushed stones, and salted white peach. It’s ripe but floats on the palate with a silky texture, and its signature floral, custardy feel lasts on the finish. It’s quite elegant and long and will likely flesh out more as it matures over the coming 7-8 years.
— Jeb Dunnuck
The 2023 Chardonnay Beyond the Threshold is a barrel selection from one block of Sun Chase Vineyard in the Petaluma Gap. It’s a round-bottomed, broad-shouldered, voluptuous wine with loads of sweet peach, yellow plum, orange marmalade, mint, crushed rocks and a hint of candied lime zest. There’s lots of baby fat from the 100% new oak today, but the precision and balance here is unmistakable. This is not a Chardonnay for the faint of heart, but fans of this larger-scale style will surely be delighted. A year or two in the cellar certainly wouldn’t hurt.
— Bill Norris | Vinous
Fragrant and floral, offering notes of honeysuckle, orange blossoms and wildflower honey. Shows accents of candied ginger and toasted, salted almond, with generous details of peach, apricot and citrus zest, plus bold acidity. Drink now through 2036. 64 cases made.
– James Molesworth, Wine Spectator
Sonoma Coast
2023 Pinot Noir
The 2023 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is what used to be called Cuvée Number 8. It pours a saturated ruby red color and is dark with notes of crushed stones, black raspberries, brambly earth, and hints of pepper spice. Although a full-bodied Pinot Noir, it retains a lightweight feel and has velvety tannins. It has a polished feel with well-managed oak, as well as a good deal of length and saturation through the finish. Drink 2025-2035.
— Jeb Dunnuck
Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2023 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir leaps with bold notions of red currant jelly and black cherries, plus nuances of charcoal, wild sage, and damp soil. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers red and black berry preserves layers with spicy accents and a plush texture, finishing with a refreshing lift.
— Lisa Perrotti-Brown | The Wine Palate
A not-shy version, with a plump core of dark mulberry and blackberry preserves coated with licorice snap and backed by a briar accent on the toasty finish. Offers the vintage’s underlying succulence for balance, but this is for fans of the fruit-bomb style only. Drink now through 2029. 325 cases made.
– James Molesworth, Wine Spectator
The 2023 Pinot Noir (Sonoma Coast) is a bright, vibrant wine, very much in the style of the year. Resonant purple berry fruit, violet flowers, lemony acidity and dense minerality are the signatures. The 2023 closes down on the finish, suggesting it may be entering a period of slumber. Give it at least a year.
— Bill Norris | Vinous
Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
2023 Belly of the Whale
Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, the 2023 Belly of the Whale Pinot Noir pops with bold notes of black cherries and boysenberries, leading to hints of charcoal, bay leaves, and violets. Full-bodied, the palate has a fine-grained texture and a lively line, finishing long and perfumed.
— Lisa Perrotti-Brown | The Wine Palate
The 2023 Pinot Noir Belly Of The Whale is highly expressive of its more exposed position on the Sonoma Coast. It leads with more mineral and savory-inflected aromatics on the nose, with deep and umami notes of black cherries, dark stones, nori, pine, and floral perfume. The palate is more red-fruited and brings more raspberry fruit to the fore, with a mouthwatering spine of acidity and a salty, tension-driven feel. It will benefit from another year or so in bottle and drink its best over the coming 12-15 years.
—Jeb Dunnuck
A frankly ripe, steeped style, with dark cherry, boysenberry and blackberry pâte de fruit notes spilling through, laced with bramble, singed anise and apple wood along the way. Offers the underlying energy to support it all; this is for the hedonist crowd. Best from 2026 through 2033. 112 cases made.
– James Molesworth, Wine Spectator
The 2023 Pinot Noir Belly of the Whale, hailing from the Sun Chase Vineyard in the Petaluma Gap AVA, is dark, brooding and inky today, with a decidedly somber tilt to its savory-leaning persona. Tobacco, cocoa, bitter blackberry and leather unfold in this compact yet powerful wine that feels like it needs tie to come together. The structure is particularly imposing. I preferred this out of tank a few months ago, so I’ll chalk this up to catching the wine in an awkward phase.
— Bill Norris | Vinous
West Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir
2023 The Goddess
The 2023 Pinot Noir The Goddess comes from a vineyard owned by Paul Hobbs on the West Sonoma Coast and pours a bright ruby red color. The nose has more lifted highlights, with a floral perfume and red fruit highlights of grenadine, wet stones, and fresh herbs. I love the focus and balance this wine brings, with refreshing ripe acidity, a long finish, and an incredible energy all the way through. It’s my favorite of the three Pinot Noir offerings from Cattleya and is going to drink well now or over the coming 15 or more years.
— Jeb Dunnuck
Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2023 The Goddess Pinot Noir barrels out with notes of juicy red and black plums and mulberries, plus nuances of baking spices and rose oil with a touch of cardamom. The full-bodied palate delivers firm, fine-grained tannins and bold freshness to support the gregarious black fruits, finishing with a savory lift.
— Lisa Perrotti-Brown | The Wine Palate
The 2023 Pinot Noir The Goddess come from Paul Hobbs' Goldrock Estate Vineyard in the West Sonoma Coast AVA. Beautifully expressive and dialed up to the max, it unfurls a peacock’s tail of aromas and flavors—blue-toned fruit, rooibos tea, blood orange, crushed rocks, pipe tobacco and white pepper explode from the glass. The 2023 boasts an undeniably gorgeous texture. Generous, ample, pliant and supple, this is am undeniable big, forward style of Pinot, but the superb balance here is impossible to ignore.
— Bill Norris | Vinous
This is dripping with notes of succulent mulberry and boysenberry preserves that are liberally laced with anise, violet and iris accents. Flashy anise- and fruitcake-accented toast coats the finish, but the fruit drives through undaunted. For fans of the high-gloss style. Drink now through 2035. 117 cases made.
– James Molesworth, Wine Spectator
Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah
The Initiation
The 2023 Syrah The Initiation is from the Soberanes Vineyard and is made from a clone that was brought over from cuttings in Côte Rôtie. In the glass, it pours a saturated purple color and opens to elegant and savory aromatics of toasted peppercorn, lavender oils, black olive, and preserved plums. It’s full-bodied, coats the palate with plush tannins, and has a youthful primary feel. It has balanced length and is going to benefit from time in bottle, shedding its baby fat and leaning into the more savory character that weaves through the wine beautifully. Drink 2027-2037.
—Jeb Dunnuck
The 2023 Syrah The Initiation comes from Soberanes Vineyard, which is, judging by the litany of stunning Syrahs off this vineyard in 2023, a proper Grand Cru site for Syrah in the United States. The Initiation is an explosive, powerful, richly blue-fruited wine with so much depth and head-spinning complexity. The textural richness is off the charts. Black raspberry, dark chocolate, eucalyptus, sage brush and sweet spice run sprints through the mouth, lingering long through the exuberant finish. Not only is this a serious wine, it’s surprisingly enjoyable today.
— Bill Norris | Vinous
The 2023 The Initiation Syrah is 100% Syrah. Deep garnet-purple colored, it erupts with notes of blackberry pie and juicy black plums, followed by hints of black pepper, lavender, and Provence herbs. The full-bodied palate has sturdy/chewy tannins and bold freshness supporting the bright black fruits, finishing long and savory.
— Lisa Perrotti-Brown | The Wine Palate
Santa Lucia Highlands Syrah
2023 The Reward
Pouring a black/purple color, the 2023 Syrah The Reward boasts notes of pine, graphite, black plum, sappy earth, and crushed rosemary. The palate is much more structured, with rich tannins, dark mineral stony underpinnings that course through the wine, and even ripe acidity. Bibiana brought this clone from Côte Rôtie herself and had it planted by Mark Pisoni at the Pisoni Vineyard. I love the palate of this wine, which is only produced in magnums and is built for the long haul. It will benefit from several more years in the bottle. Drink 2027-2047.
— Jeb Dunnuck
The 2023 The Reward Syrah is 100% Syrah, made from clonal material coming from Cote Rotie. Deep garnet-purple colored, it soars from the glass with fragrant scents of violets, black cherry compote, and raspberry coulis, followed by hints of crushed rocks, roses, and black pepper. The medium-bodied palate has super fine-grained tannins and amazing tension framing the tightly wound black and red berry layers, finishing long and spicy.
— Lisa Perrotti-Brown | The Wine Palate
The 2023 Syrah The Reward, bottled only in magnum, comes entirely from the Pisoni Vineyard, from a block planted to a suitcase Côte-Rôtie clone. It is a seamless, complete wine that takes the opulent, full-throttled approach of The Initiation tasted alongside and dials it back just enough to bring things into sublime harmony. Syrah signatures lead the charge—oil-cured black olive, eucalyptus, blue/purple berries, crushed rocks and mountain herbs—backed up by plush textures and firm yet supremely refined tannins. The 2023 spent 16 months in 100% new French oak, the perfect prescription for rounding the edges and gluing this wine together in utter style. The finish takes The Reward to the next level. Though it’s surprisingly approachable today, still with me, nearly two minutes later. Epic.
— Bill Norris | Vinous