Wine Ratings & Reviews

Spellbound Wines, specifically the Petite Sirah, have received a warm welcome into the industry from their inception in 2002.

Geoff Whitman was featured on "WMUR News" in New Hampshire. This segment included a food & wine pairing with the Spellbound Chardonnay and a "Scallops Casino" dish, prepared by a local chef - for New Hampshire "Wine Week." Click here to view the clip. (January 25, 2010)

92+ points - 2007 Spellbound Petite Sirah Reserve
"A wine from Rob Mondavi, this is a spectacular Petite Sirah with exquisite potential. Inky/purple to the rim, its floral notes intermixed with incense, blueberry, blackberry, scorched earth, and pepper are reticent but can be coaxed out of the glass. The wine has huge concentration and extract, massive fruit and tannin, and should literally be forgotten for 7-8 years. It will evolve for 30+ years. These California Petite Sirahs deserve more attention, but of course, those readers who buy them need to cellar them properly for a considerable amount of time. They may well be California's longest-lived dry red wines."
- Robert Parker Jr, The Wine Advocate (#186, Dec 2009)

Best of the Year 2012 - 2010 Spellbound Cabernet Sauvignon
- Wine Enthusiast, December 2012

Recommended - 2007 Spellbound Petite Sirah Reserve
The 2007 Spellbound Petite Sirah Reserve was selected as one of the top Napa Valley Petite Sirahs by the St. Helena Star tasting panel. View PDF

89 points - 2010 Petite Sirah
"The finest wine of the quartet may be the lowly regarded, but consistently excellent 2010 Petite Sirah. Made from 100% Petite Sirah, it exhibits an opaque purple color along with abundant floral notes intermixed with forest floor, asphalt, black fruits, blueberries and earth. This spicy, rich, full-bodied, mouth-saturating 2010 should be consumed over the next 10-12 years."
- The Wine Advocate, October 2012

88 points - 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon
"Even better is the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon (100% Cabernet Sauvignon). This is a heck of a wine for the price. It reveals Cabernet’s classic cedarwood, creme de cassis, vanillin and spice box notes, copious fruit, medium body and silky smooth tannins."
- The Wine Advocate, October 2012

87 points - 2010 Spellbound Chardonnay
"Winemaker Rob Mondavi, Jr. sourced Chardonnay grapes from predominantly Lodi for this lightly aromatic, balanced wine. It opens with a big taste of ripe golden apples and vanilla, and a slightly tropical finish."
- Wine Enthusiast, September 2012

87 points - 2010 Spellbound Merlot
"The 2010 Merlot includes some Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend. It reveals aromas of coffee beans, damp earth, chocolate fudge, black cherries and black currants. Medium-bodied, ripe and well-made, it will provide plenty of pleasure over the next 2-3 years."
- The Wine Advocate, October 2012

Silver Medal - Spellbound 2002 Petite Sirah
- The San Antonio Wine Festival

Best Red Wine under $15 - Spellbound 2002 Petite Sirah
- At the Atlanta High Museum of Art "Oscars of Wine" event, 2006

Spellbound wines were focused on as a Wine to Watch in the 2006 Midwest Wine Connection
"The wines are distinctly California and are very good! They are full bodied and full of life!" The Spellbound 2002 Petite Sirah was given four grapes and described as, "Wonderfully inviting nose of blackberry fruit. Sturdy flavors and a spicy finish."