Product Line - USA

Proprietor Sam Bilbro has spent virtually a lifetime around wine. His family owns Marietta, while brothers Jake and Scot are behind the reborn Limerick Lane. At Idlewild, Sam Bilbro focuses on Italian and other less well-known varieties. In addition to these wines, I also tasted the, Arneis Fox Hill Vineyard, Vin Gris Dry Creek Valley and Grenache Gris Gibson Ranch. The best wines in this range are compelling, and point to a bright future. ANTONIO GALLONI, www.vinousmedia.com

Having had a relationship with the Bilbro family as importers of the Marietta wines some years ago we were delighted to find youngest son, Sam, was behind this new venture, Idlewild. In many ways the wines are the anitpathy of what so many believe Californian wines are supposed to be. Hunting out heritage stands of Italian and Rhone varietals (mostly in Mendocino County) Bilbro makes extremely interesting wines characterised by texture, savouriness and subtlety. Skin contact is a part of the wines as is a relatively non-interventionist approach; both indicative of the preferences of the younger brigade of Calfornia producers. PWS

The 2017 White The Bee Flora & Fauna, is a classy, polished wine to drink now and over the next few years. Green pear, mint, white flowers and light tropical overtones all grace this very pretty, expressive wine. The Muscat in particular adds an attractive aromatic flair. ANTONIO GALLONI

the dark ruby 2021 Pinot Noir Estate is ripe and sunny with aromas of blackberry, scorched earth, and violets. Full-bodied, with a silky texture, a stony mouthfeel, and notes of toasted cedar on the finish, it's supple and attractive now and will drink well over the next 3-5 years. JEB DUNNUCK

The 2021 Pinot Noir, made with about 15% whole clusters, has a medium ruby-purple color and pure scents of cranberries, baked rhubarb and allspice with wafts of forest floor, charcuterie and orange zest. The palate is light on its feet with generous, floral fruit, refreshing acidity and a soft, approachable frame, and it has a satisfying, spicy finish. ERIN BROOKES, Wine Advocate

Aromas of red plums, raspberries, oranges and pink peppercorns. Fresh, crunchy and delicious, with a medium body and silky, fine tannins. Crushed stone minerality at the end JAMES SUCKLING

Golden Delicious apple and sweet Elberta peach aromas encircle the head, with a touch of thyme and spicy cinnamon basil. This is a crisp, lighter-bodied Chardonnay that delivers white peach, lime and saline flavors on a laser beam of acidity. It will be difficult to resist a second glass. Best Buy. MICHAEL ALBERTY, wineenthusiast.com

Spiced nectarines, honeycomb and saline notes allude to its underlying ripeness. On the palate, it's ripe yet constrained by a savoury scaffolding of spicy oak. Earthy notes of wet pebbles and seapsray add to the wine's texture and flavour profile. The finish is pulled together by a lovely line of fine and chewy phenolics, adding to the tension and energy. GABRIELLE POY

Winemaker Daniel Estrin calls this wine one of tension and generosity. A blend of fruit from Eileen, Louise and the Paul Gerrie vineyards, this wine spends 11 months in barrel and four to five months in stainless steel. Effusive florals lead the aromatic display with a bruised apple note and stony petrichor. The palate is honeyed and shows that tension as well, with Pacific-inspired salinity, chamomile and beeswax carrying the finish. DECANTER

What a pretty nose of white peaches, white lavender, hazelnuts and salted almonds. Full-bodied yet fresh, with sleek, salty layers. Excellent texture and complexity. JAMES SUCKLING

The 2021 Chardonnay Eola-Amity Hills is fresh and floral with notes of quince, yellow flowers, and honeycomb. Medium-bodied, with ripe golden fruit on the palate and fresh underlying acidity to balance things out nicely, it's drinking well now and will drink well over the next 4-6 years. JEB DUNNUCK

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Opus One leaps from the glass with notes of Black Forest cake, Morello cherries, mulberries and fresh blackcurrants plus hints of licorice, wilted roses, Sichuan pepper and iron ore. Full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with juicy black, blue and red fruits, framed by velvety tannins and background freshness, finishing on a compelling earthy/mineral note. Tasted as a barrel sample, this is a truly magnificent Opus One in the making! (99) WINE ADVOCATE

The 2019 Opus One is a dense, beautifully layered wine, but it is also quite restrained. That should serve it well in time. Tasted next to the 2018, the 2019 possesses a bit more textural nuance and body, yet it has all the classicism that is such an Opus One signature. Bright floral accents linger on the sublime finish. (97) ANTONIO GALLONI

The purity of fruit is really something else here, with currants and fresh flowers, such as violets and roses. Flower stems as well. Fantastic length and structure to the wine, with tightness and focus. Wonderful fruit. Graceful. A blend of 78% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot, 7% petit verdot, 6% cabernet franc and 1% malbec. (99) JAMES SUCKLING

Intensely perfumed on the nose, rose petals, violets, deeply scented and seductive. Rich yet expansive on the palate, very open with dark chocolate, cherries, fragrant blackcurrant - sweet and scented, with satin-like tannins that effortlessly support the flavours. There is real drive and persistency to this, fresh, youthful and alive with a vibrant juiciness that is so appealing. No one element is too dominant, this feels harmonious and balanced with an excellent tangy acidity and long minty, herbal finish with edges of tobacco and dark chocolate. A classic Opus with breadth, finesse and energy. Grapes were harvested 10 days earlier than average, on 10th September with harvest lasting four weeks. 6% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec complete the blend. (98) DECANTER

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

… is as fresh and crisp as snow melt flooding a mountain stream. Prickly boysenberry and smoked salmon aromas blend into flavors like raspberry lemonade laced with black tea. Citrusy acidity meets silky tannins on Pike Road. MICHAEL ALBERTY, wineenthusiast.com

A seductive nose of spiced black and dark red cherries, berry compote and subtle earthy scents of moss lure you in. The nose excites for what's to come. A mesh of flesh and spice is corralled by silty tannins with raspberry licorice accents. There's a velvety richness to the texture which ignites the senses. This captures the cool fruited aspects, spice and ebullient side of premium Oregon pinot at an affordable price point. It tastes and feels luxurious. GABRIELLE POY

The grapes for this wine come about 82% from our own block in Mitch Patin’s Lloyd Vineyard on West Soda Rock Road planted in 1998 towards the southern end of Alexander Valley on the banks of the Russian River. 11% comes from the Larrick Vineyard that we farm, and the remaining 7% is Malbec from J. Rickard in Cloverdale.

As always, this wine was produced more like a Pinot more than a Cab. Fermented in open-tops with native yeasts, punched down by hand, and racked to barrels before being aged in 2nd fill French oak barrels for 15 months.

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

Cabernet ……  who drinks Cabernet anymore?   I mean we can't all hang out in exclusive "Gentlemen's Clubs in Mayfair" can we?

So I was super surprised when I had a chance to taste an older (2018) vintage of the Forman Cabernet a few months ago which was superb - so I couldn't wait to have a crack at the new vintage.  California cabernet - all big, juicy and ripe fruit….. right?  Nope - definitely not.  There were layers of blueberry fruit, dusty chocolate, coffee bean, black cherry - and lovely hint of sweet spice and graphite minerality.  Also a hint of oak supporting the rich - but definitely not over ripe - fruit.    With a little time in the glass fantastic savoury notes popped up … think sage, bay leaf all adding wonderful complexity and interest to the wine.

This wasn't an over ripe jammy new world Cabernet … nor was it an austere/mouth puckering Bordeaux  - just a wonderful balanced wine - drink up! MATT O'CONNOR, PWS



The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerful, deep wine that marries elegance and finesse in a way few people can do, like Ric Forman. Rich and sumptuous in the glass, with terrific depth, the 2020 has so much to offer. Black cherry, mocha, licorice, spice, incense and new leather are all dialed up. Although it is early, this 2020 is shaping up to be one of the finer wines of the year.
(95) ANTONIO GALLONI, vinous

The 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley has to be seen as a success in the vintage, revealing a solid bouquet of red and black fruits, tobacco leaf, cigar, and toasted spices. These carry to a medium to full-bodied Cabernet with a good sense of balance, moderate tannins, and outstanding length. It's well done and should evolve for another decade at a minimum. I followed this bottle for multiple days, and it always showed well. JEB DUNNUCK

Extremely perfumed and floral with lavender, lilacs and violets to the sweet, ripe berries, such as blackberries and blackcurrants. Some slate and graphite, too. It’s full-bodied, yet ever so balanced and refined, with super fine tannins that last for minutes. Fresh herbs, such as bay leaf and lemon grass highlight the dark fruit. The quality of tannin is exquisite with wonderful polish and refinement. Lasts for minutes. So wonderful to taste now, but better after 2026. (99) JAMES SUCKLING

Very deep garnet-purple in color, the 2018 Opus One soars out of the glass with bright, bold boysenberries, warm cassis and ripe, juicy black plums notes, plus emerging nuances of lilacs, oolong tea, cinnamon stick, tilled soil and black truffles. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with tightly wound layers of crunchy black fruits, supported by firm, grainy tannins and fantastic freshness, finishing with lifted fruitiness and on a lingering mineral note. (98) WINE ADVOCATE

Power and concentration from the start but with a lovely vein of cool blue fruits and an invigoratingly fresh core. Dark chocolate, coffee, blueberries and pomegranate combine to give a seductive nose and follow through on the palate with an immediate burst of juicy acidity and plush tannins. Layered and nuanced, the texture is striking, elegant and precise with juice that his the side of the mouth supported by oak spice that gently frames the overall feeling giving balance. Abundant in a sense but also reigned in making you want another glass straight away. 80% wild yeast fermentation for the first time as of the 2018 vintage. (98) DECANTER

The 2010 Opus One is on another level and is a deep, concentrated, full-bodied, flawlessly balanced beauty. From a cooler vintage that saw significant heat spikes later in the year, it has incredible purity in its cassis and darker fruits as well as leafy tobacco, flowers, and background oak. With a great mid-palate, ripe, building tannins, and full-bodied richness on the palate, it’s a brilliant wine that has another two decades or more of prime drinking. (98) JEB DUNNUCK – TASTED 2023

Bright dark ruby. Initially reticent nose opened in the glass to reveal wonderfully complex scents of black- and redcurrant, blackberry, minerals, licorice, loam and tobacco leaf, plus a whiff of leather. Seamless, savory and classy on entry if a bit subdued, then delivers lovely restrained sweetness and a complicating wildness in the middle palate that still calls for more bottle aging. Old World in its classic dryness, this highly concentrated Opus One really shines on its vibrant, slowly building back end, where the broad, dusty tannins caress and saturate the palate and allow the fruits and minerals to build. A wine of outstanding depth, clarity, finesse of grain and class; it's hard to imagine that this site could give more. (97) STEPHEN TANZER – tasted 2020

The 2010 Opus One bursts from the glass with an exotic melange of black and blue fruits, menthol, cloves and licorice. Today the 2010 is much more overt, racy and intense than it was just a few months ago. The tannins have begun to soften, releasing the aromas and flavors in an opulent, full-bodied Opus One supported by veins of precise minerality. The 2010 is very, very young, but is also striking in its beauty. (97) ANTONIO GALLONI

The 2021 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills has a medium ruby color and pretty scents of cinnamon stick, aniseed, iron, underbrush and charcuterie with a core of red cherries and cranberries. Medium-bodied yet very concentrated, it has a powdery frame, sparks of refreshing acidity and a very long, graphite-driven finish. Precise and detailed, it deserves to spend another 2-3 years in bottle. (96) ERIN BROOKS, Wine Advocate

Wildly exotic, the 2022 Pinot Noir Mt. Jefferson Cuvée captivates with its seductive blend of dried flowers, incense, rosemary and dried strawberries. This is wonderfully fresh, nearly crunchy in feel, with stimulating acidity offsetting its tart red fruits and hints of sour citrus that pucker the cheeks. The 2022 finishes with youthful tension, lightly structured yet cooling and fresh, leaving suggestions of tart raspberry. About 52% whole cluster fermentation. ERIC GUIDO, Vinous.com

The 2022 Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard Mt. Jefferson Cuvee is gorgeous out of the gate, offering a floral and fresh profile revealing notes of incense and ripe wild raspberries. Medium-bodied and elegant but structured, it has a mouth-filling, rich texture, with ripe tannins and great energy. The acidity is even and ripe, but there's still vibrant energy to it. JEB DUNNUCK

Wonderfully savoury, fresh mint, gravel dust and fresh wild strawberries. Country berries offer an elegant rusticity to the front palate, savoury herbs and white pepper, a new height for Mt Jefferson. DECANTER

A lively, precise and well-composed pinot with notes of sour cherries, red currants, crushed roses and mild spices on the nose, followed through to a medium body with bright acidity. It's crisp and spot-on, with succulent wild berries at the center and verve throughout. Drink or hold. JAMES SUCKLING

Pale ruby in colour. Gorgeous nose that manages to perfectly balance cedary oak and forest floor with sweet red and black fruit. Fresh acidity, firm tannin and a lengthy finish. Bravo! (17.5) JANCIS ROBINSON MW

From eight different sites in the Eola Amity Hills, winemaker Daniel Estrin learned how to make Chardonnay from Litorrai's Ted Lemon. Paul Gerrie makes up the bulk of this wine with Eileen and Louise. 100% barrel fermented Estrin uses a tactile approach to the lees inclusion in this wine. At the entry-level, this wine is still over-vintaged, which builds tension in the wine. Notes of tarragon and chipped flint frame the smoky grilled lemon aromatics. Stony flint streaks introduce the palate, green mangoes, and grilled lemon peel. Delicious and a tad unbelievable as their entry-level bottling. CLIVE PURSEHOUSE, Decanter

The 2022 Chardonnay Eola-Amity Hills is a total pleasure on the nose, wafting up with notions of sweet spice, chamomile and ginger-tinged yellow apples. Round and supple, this possesses a core of juicy acidity that enlivens it's tart orchard fruits as a salty sensation forms toward the close. It tapers off with tension, cleansing and fresh, leaving a mineral twang and hints of sour citrus. Beautiful. ERIC GUIDO

A bright medium yellow hue, the 2022 Chardonnay Eola-Amity Hills is elegant, with a juicy, decadent feel to its notes of sweet oak spice, delicate, floral perfume, wet stone, and fresh white peach. Refreshing and mouthwatering, it’s medium-bodied and crisp, with good ripeness of acidity and a clean, elegant finish. It’s going to age well over the coming 6-8 years. JEB DUNNUCK

More product information will be added here soon! In the meantime, if you do have any questions at all about this product or others in our store, you can contact us by phone or email. Our friendly and experienced team are always happy to assist - we love drinking, selling, talking about and being in and around wine!

The wild mint leaps from the glass at the outset, the Marjorie site was planted in 1982, on its own roots, replanted vine by vine starting in 2000. Aromatics of fresh spearmint, red bramble fruits and a tart spritz of blood orange complete the aromatic appeal. The tannins are substantial here and frame the wine's elegance with a structure that will enable some great ageing. It's a tough site to farm because of the spacing and the low pH. Tart red berries and a melange of dried scrub flavours meld into notes of blackberry and mint and a touch of white pepper to finish. (96) CLIVE PURSEHOUSE, Decanter

The 2022 Pinot Noir Marjorie Vineyard comes from the only pre-existing vines the family acquired when they purchased the winery in 1992. A deeper magenta color, it's perfumed with seductive notes of violets, black raspberries, sweet herbs, and forest earth. The palate offers plenty of purity, and it has a fantastic, savory finish, with ripe tannins and even acidity. It's drinking well now, with a wide window for enjoying over the coming 15 or so years. (97) JEB DUNNUCK

Most diverse soils on the property the Louise is the only site without 100% volcanic soils. The warmest site on the property, protected from the Van Duzer winds from a horseshoe of forest is about radiance of warmth for winemaker Estrin. This site can get big fast, so he picks them a bit earlier than the others and has to pay attention to the extraction, exotic spice aromatics, Chinese five spice and Oolong tea. This is a bit more broad-shouldered and the tannins intimate that this will go the distance. The palate leans into savoury spice, with black tea, wild anise blackberries and mint. Brooding and elegant. (95) CLIVE PURSEHOUSE, Decanter

From a vineyard the Gerrie family planted in 1993 that sits around the winery, the 2022 Pinot Noir Louise Vineyard reveals a beautiful woodsy profile, with notes of mossy earth and higher-toned red fruit shining through, with cranberries, darker red fruits, and Asian spices. It has a chiseled structure, with fine compact tannins, a refreshing lift, and notes of tea leaf on its long finish. It's going to age with grace over the coming 20 years. (96) JEB DUNNUCK

favourite. The elegance overcomes the power of the site, with earth and forest floor aromas finishing the show. The palate is a marriage of ripeness with the savoury character and superb tannins that the vintage has given winemaker Daniel Estrin to work with. This is an ageable example of Oregon Pinot Noir with ripe berries, fresh bing cherry flesh and delicious notes of dried anise. (97) CLIVE PURSEHOUSE, Decanter

A ripe ruby red color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Jessie Vineyard displays a more savory profile. Coming from the winery's steepest vineyard site with a 33% grade, it has an elegant floral perfume of ripe berries, and the texture is supple, with ripe tannins and an approachable feel. It's well-detailed, with a cushion of approachability, but it's fully dry and has a savory undertone. Drink 2025-2040. (96) JEB DUNNUCK

Eileen is at the top of the hill, staring out towards the Coast Range. This wine is a picture of elegance, and the turbulence from the Van Duzer Corridor moves through the clusters and vines. It's satiny, with spiced aromatics, wild herbs and bright tart cranberries. The site's higher acids lift the silky mouthfeel, it comes together beautifully. Blue fruits, wild spearmint and Chinese five spice frame an elegance of red berries and pine bough freshness. The finish shows a sweetness of berries and a note of green peppercorn. (97) CLIVE PURSEHOUSE, Decanter

A deeper and layered profile emerges in the 2022 Pinot Noir Eileen Vineyard, which comes from windswept site where the grapes get thick skins from the wind. It has a more woodsy profile, with savory saline, brothy feel, tea leaf, toasted spice, and black cherries. Drink it over the coming 15-20 years. (97) JEB DUNNUCK

In the windy part of the Eola-Amity Hills, this vineyard sits between 200-275m and is made with about 50% whole cluster, a favourite technique of winemaker Daniel Estrin. Dusty aromatics open the wine with gravelly minerality, wild red bramble fruits and a note of salty sea air. On the palate, that mineral tone continues. Red and black berry fruits compete with a distinct tone of salted blood orange pulp. Wild anise and dill bring a savoury finish to this elegant showing. (96) CLIVE PURSEHOUSE, Decanter

The 2022 Pinot Noir Paul Gerrie Vineyard offers more lifted, savory, and deep aromatics, with an almost Nebbiolo-like structure, with an angular feel to its notes of black raspberries, wild earth, and alpine forest herbs. It has angular bright acidity, as well as lots of tension and linear drive, a stony, salty, mouthwatering feel, coiled tannins, and a clean, savory finish. It needs time to unwind. Drink 2026-2046. (98) JEB DUNNUCK

The 2022 Pinot Noir is composed of fruit from all six of Elk Cove's estate vineyards and was matured in 15% new oak. It's bursting with cranberry sauce, blackberry preserves, cinnamon, underbrush and bitters on the nose. The medium-bodied palate is just as generous, offering concentrated layers of spicy fruit. It has a silky frame, fireworks of acidity and a long, spicy finish. ERIN BROOKES, The Wine Advocate

The 2022 vintage was a classic in Oregon, though bookended by some bizarre weather. Elk Cove has estate vineyards in both the Chehalem Mountain and Yamhill-Carlton AVAs. This Pinot Noir is comprised of wines from six different sites. Brilliant red fruit aromatics, with sweet candied raspberries coming to the fore, buoyed by notes of fresh mint. The palate is fleshy and offers plenty of tannin and structure, fresh red and black bramble fruits interplaying with savoury herbal notes, and finishes with a gravelly mineral tone. DECANTER

A gorgeously bright and savoury Pinot Noir from this 24-ha parcel in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA is done at 50% whole cluster. It's got pretty aromatics of savoury dried herbs, fresh mint, evergreen tips and early-season strawberries. The palate flashes a real depth of fruit with rich brambleberries, brightened by pine sap, smoked sea salt and sumac notes. A delicious coming together of the wine's rich fruit and mineral complexity. CLIVE PURSEHOUSE, Decanter

The 2022 Pinot Noir Goodrich comes from marine sedimentary soils and was crafted with around 40% whole clusters. It has powerful, broody scents of red and black cherries, iron, mushroom powder and violet. The medium-bodied palate has a finely chalky texture and explosive, juicy fruit that lures you in for another taste. It becomes more complex and detailed as it opens in the glass ERIN BROOKES, Wine advocate

Deliciously ripe, the Mount Richmond site is secluded, sitting at the western end of the Willamette Valley with south-east-facing slopes. It's generously aromatic with Christmas spice and clove that lead to black and red berry fruits. The palate is lushly dark fruited, fleshy ripe cherries, hints of turned earth and umami and a wonderful wild anise note at the finish. CLIVE PURSEHOUSE, Decanter

The 2022 Pinot Noir Mount Richmond, from marine sedimentary soils, has deep scents of raspberry and blackberry preserves, rose petals, mushrooms, aniseed and earth. The light-bodied palate features perfumed, spicy berry fruit. It has a silky texture, fireworks of fresh acidity and a long, nuanced finish ERIN BROOKES, Wine Advocate