“A great premiere release…” – Ryan Montgomery, JamesSuckling.com

One sip and this gave us immediate “did we just become best friends” vibes.

Let’s explain. It was a ‘balmy’ May afternoon in Sonoma, and Wine Spies were on their way to conquer yet another Garagiste Festival right off the square. Agent Noir was confident that there would be many diamonds in the rough awaiting, as this awesome event kept bringing the smallest of local producers together as it had in the past led us to discover all kinds of names from Maestro Scheidt to Lussier.

Balmy indeed, as Agent Noir HAD NO IDEA that his student, Balm Krueger, was going to be there too, as he had explained in the class earlier that month that there was too little of his INSANELY GOOD Pinots to share the gory with y’all. Well, a little coaxing, a lot of tasting, some schmoozing, a lot of begging, and a small miracle later, here we are!

The raving 94-point reviews on both inaugural releases aside, (check the RESERVE out here in the Store for the day while it lasts) these wines are too delectable to merely use everyday words to describe them. Call them ethereal. Or otherworldly. They need to be sniffed and sipped to be believed.

Under the Krueger Vaught label, winemaker Balm Krueger and his partner Tacoma Vaught make roughly 4-7 barrels A YEAR. That’s IT. No more, no less, all gobbled up by word of mouth and insider hype, like we are doing today. He hopes to make more one day, but that may be a few years down the road. The fact that he spared a barrel-and-change worth from his “children” (until his firstborn is here in the fall!) for us is hard to fathom. But we are grateful, so will you be.

Humble and soft-spoken, you just would not know upon meeting him that Balm honed his craft working harvests at Kosta Browne, Williams Selyem, and Rochioli, basically covering the who’s who behind the greatest hits of Sonoma Pinot. Before being a busy new dad in charge of a growing label, he decided to go back to school to learn all about the bigger world of wine and broaden his perspective.

And that, he did. Along with developing precious relationships with the top growers of the true, wild, West Sonoma Coast. Along the way, he set his sights on a “hilltop vineyard site west of Occidental,” but he won’t say more to protect the innocent. Ops, we’re talking the home turf of Cobb, Flowers, Failla, Littorai, Wayfarer… you get the drift; no doubt the quality of fruit truly shines through here.

Ripe raspberries, Bing cherries, macerated strawberries, forest floor, and sweet spices all emerge from this classically endowed, layered, graceful Pinot that has loads of sweet fruit. Brought up in a third new French oak, it’s deftly balanced between richness, depth and a great, seamlessly nuanced finish. What a beauty, begging to be paired with anything showcasing exotic mushrooms, duck, or wild salmon. Don’t let the 94 points hold you back; reviewers are conservative with brand-new projects. If this is Balm’s first vintage for Krueger Vaught, you better pile up before the word gets out. We did.

Insiders: WAKE UP. Just THREE barrels made = very little to go around on this quiet Monday.

94 Points – James Suckling “A great premiere release, showing red-fruited aromas of cherries, damp soil, pomegranate, pine resin, beets and rose petals. The fine-tuned palate has soft tannins and bright acidity with an earthy, saline edge that brings out a lovely old-world nuance. 25% whole-cluster fermentation. Drink or hold.” - Ryan Montgomery