“Situated down the road from Dehlinger and Kistler, this estate is on fire, producing Burgundian-styled offerings… if readers have not yet tasted the wines of Walter Hansel, they are missing some stunning wines.” - Robert Parker

North Slope, GONE. Now we head to the South Slope for another similarly styled, big bodied, uber-tasty Pinot. While the North Slope Pinot came entirely from Clone 115 but this is 100% clone 777 - which brings a slightly fuller, earthier style to the table.

If you’re just joining us, we have a TRIFECTA - three small lots from this master crafter of the grape. This is the second of the three offers, and we haveonly around ten cases of each one, They will go fast, so let’s get into it.

These are complex, rich, multilayered wines that would easily fetch $60-$75+ from other producers. Even esteemed wine critic Antonio Galloni states that “these are some of the most fairly priced wines readers will find anywhere in the world.” Yes Walter Hansel has remained humble - perhaps to a fault, with prices always fair - and today from us, they’re near criminal.

Walter Hansels outstrips the competition even at full retail. And most gets scooped up by their mailing list. Hence, why we only have these handfuls of cases to share.

This is understandable when praise abounds. Back to Vinous – “Steve Hansel turns out delicious, affordable wines that capture the essence of the Russian River. These Chardonnays and Pinots are rich, boisterous and full of personality.” While Wine Advocate agrees, adding that “the Hansel wines, besides being delicious, provide excellent value. Bravo!”

No scores on this one but like the North Slope, previous vintages caught 92-93 points each year. The quality is always consistent, so no doubt this one should follow suit. Similar to the North Slope it has plenty of ripe fruit, but a slightly more elevated earthy/forest floor profile.

You’re still reading? Good - but you probably have mere minutes to score what’s left!