ANTONIO GALLONI’S VINOUS MEDIA 95 POINTS – “Airy and fresh, the 2023 Sticks and Stones wafts up with an array of dried roses and violets, nuances of stone dust and crushed blackberries. Juicy and round on the palate, it offers cooling acidity and citrus-laced red and black fruits underscored by crisp mineral tones. A cascade of inner florals excites the senses as the wine tapers off perfumed and long with a subtle tug of fine tannin.”
JEB DUNNUCK 95 POINTS – “A longtime reference-point estate, Matt and Maureen Trevisan’s Linne Calodo continues to make brilliant, almost eclectic blends that always shine for their complexity, texture, and balance. I loved their 2023s across the board, and this might be the finest vintage I’ve tasted here. The wines have their classic complexity and nuance, yet I love the purity and vibrancy in all of them. They’re relatively approachable as well and already offer incredible pleasure.”
“Based on 80% Grenache, 11% Syrah, and 9% Mourvèdre and aged 17 months in large-format puncheons and French oak barrels (25% new), the 2023 Sticks and Stones emits notes of red, blue, and black fruits intermixed with spring flowers, minty herbs, and peppery nuances. Medium to full-bodied, round, supple, and juicy, it has integrated acidity keeping everything fresh, with ripe tannins and a great finish. Drink 2026-2036.”
ROBERT PARKER’S WINE ADVOCATE 94 POINTS – “Centered around the Stonethrower site, the 2023 Sticks and Stones combines 80% Grenache, 11% Syrah and 9% Mourvèdre. It opens with black and blue fruit on the elegant nose, displaying the atypically dark gradation of fruit that Paso Robles Grenache exudes in this vintage. The palate is seamless and structural, transitioning to an intensely focused, expansive finish of fine-grained, sandy tannins that surround a svelte core of dark fruits and a balanced touch of bracing acidity.”
