Laurel Glen Vineyard

Laurel Glen’s Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the finest, well balanced, elegant reds we tasted recently. 2006?, 2007, and 2011 tasted amazing. Looking forward to tasting 2011 in a couple of years… that’s if we can keep our hands of it till then! Laurel Glen’s Cab Sauv vintage is one to watch and grow with! Excited! 5 for wine quality

Brought my cousins and some friends in here for a tasting and Brian took care of us. There were more wines than I thought to taste here — we did some vertical tasting (different vintages of the same wine) and everything was excellent.
I carried Laurel Glen in different restaurants over the years and it’s always been a well structured, rich layered wine with good mature berry fruit. And tasting these different vintages, plus a more pocket friendly wine named, Counterpoint, was Outstanding.
Highly Recommend! Call for an appointment — Brian or Alex will be your host/​hostess, their knowledge is excellent, and it’s a truly classy experience.
I scheduled the appointment with Jacqueline on the phone and she made recommendations for MacLaren
and La Rochelle
to which both had Exquisite wine and wonderful people.

Best winery we went to all week and I think the best winery I’ve ever been to in my 10+ years of going to this area of the country to drink wine!
Tiny winery. Personal. Intimate. Nothing to look at from the outside. If you want «sweeping vista views» of vineyards, go elsewhere!
But if you want AMAZING Cabernet Sauvignon, holy moly– these guys do it better than anyone. Wow Cab. I thought I had stopped liking Cabs. In truth, I just forgot what a good cab tasted like! These guys DO Cabs. It’s their thing. Almost their exclusive thing. When you go for a tasting, you will get to try many different years from their Cab collection and you will be wowed.
I don’t easily join a wine club but this was a no-​brainer. Wine club here is NOT cheap but the wines are high-​end and unique here. Worth every penny in my opinion! And wow: silver and gold wine club members get their own wine barrel!!! What??? I’m so excited!!!
Other major pluses: we walked in 10 minutes before they were closing and stayed HOURS. The gentleman who was there was beyond generous and friendly. We just loved sitting and chatting with him, and it was obvious that becoming a part of their wine community was just that: joining a community. He actually left us to go hang with another wine club member visiting from out of town for dinner– how cool!
Anyway, GO HERE– and buy their wine! You won’t be disappointed!

What a fun place to stop. Really love out host. She was so friendly and knew a ton about wine. We had many that we liked. Counterpoint and many others. The tasting room is awesome. Loved the tables and the layout. I do recommend this spot. Thanks @sonomachat for the recomendation

Great experience and wine! Fabulous host — friendly and knowledgable. A nice touch with the breadsticks. Intimate and fun.

What a great tasting room with great wines and friendly people. No appointments necessary, we walked right in on a Friday afternoon and was warmly welcomed by the tasting room team. The atmosphere was very relaxed and laid back. We sat outside under their lovely shaded tables and taste some amazing wines!
Our host was incredibly knowledgable and affable. She gave us generous pours and never made us feel pressured to make a purchase. She even gave us recommendations of other wineries to check out. She told us a lot about the Sonoma/​Napa areas and was even familiar with WA wineries (told her I hailed from Seattle).
Their rose was so delicious and refreshing. Their cabs were amazing as well, I especially enjoyed their counterpoint cab. Such big fruit and great body. I love big cabs, and they do them just right. They gave us a two for one tasting deal and waived the fee with a purchase. More than worth it!
Definitely check this place out if you are in the Sonoma area!

This winery was added last minute in our trip to Sonoma wineries about 3 weeks ago and the whole group agreed it was the best in the entire trip — especially in terms of the wines and the coziness of the tasting room. Disclaimer: we focused on reds only and like them full bodied. Visited other wineries based on good (4+ star) Unilocal reviews, one featuring olive oils as well, the other just around the corner. I have to say this one blew them away based on the wines available for tasting.
I separate what I look for in Napa vs. Sonoma cabs. I’d like to call out their Sonoma Mountain cabs. We had a pleasure to compare 11′ and 05′(if I remember correctly) and I was surprised that their cabs age this well during such a time span. Not sure about your experience, but to me this is not something you normally get in Sonoma cabs at this price point. The pours were generous; the people there were nice. If you care about wines more than the views or the event calendar, I would say this place is worth visiting.

I wish there could be a six star review. Because I would utilize the bejesus out of that sixth star.
When I was tasked to arrange a winery visit for a party bus of 25 (gotta love them maid of honor duties!), I found Laurel Glen right here on Unilocal.Jacqueline was more than willing to accommodate our large party and was thrilled beyond belief to serve as a pre-​wedding destination for two grooms from Texas.
To say the experience felt personal would be the understatement of the century. Jacqueline made us all feel right at home, ensuring our glasses were always filled, our smiles always dazzling, and our spirits ever soaring. She was beyond accommodating to our needs and our presence. She even presented us with a reading for the happy couple that brought tears to many of our eyes.
Even long after our bus has rolled away, the entire group is still marveling at the amazing experience Jacqueline and Laurel Glen provided us. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank this amazing establishment for phenomenal wine and a perfect experience.

Lovely tasting room and energetic staff that are well educated on their wines and the story behind them. They do great pairing with chocolate and creating the perfect tasting experience.
I highly recommend grabbing a bottle of the Crazy Old Vine Rose. Beautiful organic rose and unlike most I’ve ever tried. Our guests really enjoyed it on a warm summer evening.
One of the wineries you must check out in Glen Ellen.

Fantastic, amazing staff paired with fantastic amazing wine! Crazy old vine rose is hands down the best rose in the valley. Do yourself a favor and stop by. You will not be disappointed!

Today I embarked on a return journey to Laurel Glen Vineyards. I had heard tell of a 94 point and a 92 pts score from Robert Parker quite recently. Time to finish a vertical tasting I started 5 months ago. I’m not actually a procrastinator, folks. I simply had to wait for them to release the 2010 Cabernet.
Worth the wait.
My first visit to the tasting room was in October for Sonoma Valley Reserve. A group of 10 of us Sonoma winos visited 4 small batch wineries on this exclusive outing. We arrived at the vineyard first high in the mountains. At 1,000 feet above sea level, the rows of vines looked beautiful, against the backdrop of the Sonoma Valley below. We walked through the vineyards, had a private tasting as well as a lesson in the organic shift that the winery had taken, all the while enjoying views on a private deck among the vines.
After our mountainous journey, we headed down to the Laurel Glen tasting room off Highway 12 in Sonoma, California. On the table was placed a vertical flight for each of us with literature and lovely accessories. We sipped on the 2003, 05 and 09 Cabernet. Pouring a 2003 Cabernet is always a treat for guests of a tasting room.
On my most recent visit, I had made arrangements to meet with team leader Bettina Sichel through social media. She had invited me to taste the new release of their 2010 Cabernet which had received a 92 pts score recently from good olé’ Mr. Parker himself. Twist my arm.
While we learned all about the history and organic methods used at the vineyards, we had tasted a Crazy Old Vine Rose’ since we had temperatures over 78 that day even in October. Cali living baby. I bought a bottle of the Rose for a bridal shower I was attending soon and it was a huge hit among the ladies. Next, let’s talk Cabernet!
LAUREL GLEN VINEYARD ‘THE LAUREATE’ CABERNET SAUVIGNON
94pts, Robert Parker
David Ramey took over as consulting winemaker for Laurel Glen Vineyard shortly after the 2010 harvest. The Laureate boasts a dark purple color different from the other Cabernets we had poured.
It also had blackberry notes that I loved and a slight floral nose. This was a superb example of Sonoma County high elevation Cabernet. Having already sipped on their 2003 Cabernet, I would say this could stand up to twice that time if not longer. It was one to remember. I understand that at each test tasting, David Ramey commented that «this was the one».
JUST RELEASED FEBRUARY IS
2010 LAUREL GLEN CABERNET SAUVIGNON
92pts, Parker
David Ramey and Randall Watkins have assembled a beautiful, rich, complex wine, which Robert Parker calls, «the finest Laurel Glen Cabernet Sauvignon I have tasted in over a decade.» Let’s hope you agree

their cab. has great balance and reflect sonoma terrior
the 2007 is really interesting and has different characteristics from other vintages but I really love it.
rose is aromatic and charming!

You’ll give it five when you can sit and relax in the easy comfort of this modern style space.
I’m biased as I was there for an industry happening as opposed to a «tasting.»
Plus, if I give it 5 stars that’s cheating–
Look, wine is a subjective thing… why do Unilocal peeps rate the wine based on their own made up whimsy — -look I’m not Gary V or Bob Parker, I love not to define the wine– that’s your privilege — and I’m quite certain that’s OK. I digress—
Very nice Rosé…hmmm it’s best pairing would be poolside methinks!
Oh the cabs… the cabs…*eyes gaze towards the heavens*
I’d do them over and over again. (Sigh!)
If I were you, I’d get off hwy 12 and call for an appointment.
Get out of the car and loose the lines of people. I hate to say it but Glen Ellen is where it’s at, but please, we don’t want the rest of those people to know so only tell your cool friends, alright?
What’s in it for YOU??? You’ll want to take all three wines home, you’ll learn a little something new, and you’ll probably leave Laurel Glen Winery feeling much better about yourself as a person… I’m kidding… But you will leave happy and more importantly, you’ll be happy to come back! Cheers!