Review: Wines of Bartholomew Estate, 2025 Releases
Bartholomew Estate has been producing wine in some fashion for the better part of a century, including some time in operation as the Buena Vista Winery. The backstory is long and complicated and includes mention of a castle with an entire floor devoted to cats.
Since 2019, Bartholomew has been producing upscale wines from its new home in Sonoma County. We recently received a trio of offerings to review, so let’s get rolling.
2022 Bartholomew Estate Marsanne Roussanne Fifth Hill Vineyard – A classic Rhone blend from a single vineyard in Sonoma. Bright and bracing, with alternating notes of melon, apricot, and lime, filtered through a layer of pastry dough and some crushed almonds. Florals emerge as the wine warms up a bit, the finish evoking jasmine, then applesauce. Something to reach for when you want a more complex and immersive experience than a Sonoma chardonnay can provide. A- / $38
2021 Bartholomew Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Valley – “Jammy” may be a bad word, but there’s so much fruit in this effusive wine that it’s tough to describe any other way. A blend of vanilla-laced cherries and raspberries makes for an experience that feels like a stroll through the farmer’s market, capped off with a bit of bittersweet chocolate and a pinch of anise, placed amidst silky tannins and a concluding note of blueberry syrup. Sweet and fruit-forward, but quite a ride. A- / $65
2021 Bartholomew Estate Zinfandel Sonoma Valley – Surprisingly tame, more effusive with cranberry notes than the traditional juicy plum and raisin notes you might expect from zin. Considerably more tart than anticipated, though backing notes of dark chocolate and cherry cobbler provide a reminder of the varietal in the bottle. At 15% abv you’re well-advised to tread lightly, as it’s eminently quaffable. A- / $44
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