It might be hyperbole to say that when Kosta Browne wants to make a Pinot Noir with the fruit from your vineyard, it is a safe bet that you are doing something right. Such is the case with Winner’s Circle Vineyard in the Russian River Valley.

Named in honor of the previous owners of the site, who raised thorough breds on the property, Winner’s Circle produced their first wine in 2013 with Sonoma Coast fruit and the first wine from the estate in 2015. Chardonnay was added, with fruit from the Estate vineyard in 2017, resulting in three wines produced with a total production of a few hundred cases every year.

With such limited supply of what are truly incredible wines, I feel quite fortunate to have now tasted each vintage of all the wines that have been released by Winner’s Circle Wines under the label Bon Pari (“Bon Pari” is a continuance on the horse racing theme; it means “good bet” in French).

The winery is a passion project for owner Clayton Daley, but he spares no expense in making the wines, hiring top winemaker Fred Scherer to make the wines and sourcing fruit for the Sonoma Coast Pinot from top vineyards in the appellation.

The results, at least to me, are striking. As I mentioned, I have now tasted all seven Sonoma Coast Pinots, the five Russian River Pinots, and the four Russian River Chardonnays and I can say without the slightest equivocation that they would stand up to any wines being produced in California today.

Yes, they are that good.

So good, in fact, that I felt they needed to be shared. Thus, last week, I invited a few fellow Houston-based wine writers over for dinner to try the wines with me. I think it is safe to say, that they were all extremely impressed. With the wine. As for the cooking? You will have to ask them.

Given the small production, the wines are not cheap for the average consumer ($75/bottle) but they are well worth it in my estimation. Also, given the size of the operation, the wines are only available on the Bon Pari website, but that is what the brown trucks are for, right?

I served the Chards with a shrimp pesto risotto and pan-seared scallops.

2019 Winner’s Circle Winery Chardonnay Bon Pari Estate, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $75. Under cork. I have sampled a few of the Bon Pari offerings now, wines made by Fred Scherrer, known as a bit of a Pinot guru. The Pinots are fantastic, for sure, but the Chards, well, they are on another level. This is a case in point. Rich, even really rich on the nose, with intense lemon curd, vanilla, and certainly some oak. The palate is nothing short of magical and once again, as I have experienced with previous vintages of the Bon Pari Chardonnay, this just screams to me “Meursault” with its richness, body, and balance. Yowza. An incredible Chardonnay. Extraordinary. 97 Points.

2020 Winner’s Circle Winery Chardonnay Bon Pari Estate, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $75. Under cork. Light, responsible bottle. Medium straw in the glass with a lovely lemon curd tartness in with oak, sure, even slightly smoky oak, and a distinct salinity. The palate is rich (but not as rich as the 2019), but also reserved–this is more in line with Chassagne-Montrachet or even a Chablis Grand Cru. In other words, this is an incredible Chardonnay, with impeccable balance, juicy fruit, racy tanginess, and a boatload of verve. Yes, I prefer the 2019, but only slightly, and this 2020 confirms my contention the Bon Pari Chards are every bit as good (if not better) than the more ballyhooed Pinot Noirs. Outstanding. 95 Points.

With the Pinots, I channelled my inner Thomas Keller with Fig and fennel stuffed roast of pork, sautéed fennel, and fresh corn with buttermilk, crême fraiche, and lime.

2018 Winner’s Circle Winery Pinot Noir Bon Pari Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $75. Under cork. Delightfully responsible bottle. Medium color in the glass with dark berry fruit, more blackberry than black cherry, but both are present. There is also some spice, a bit of earth, and an herbal component (sage? mint?). The palate is quite tart, trying to hold all of the fruit in check. But make no mistake, the fruit is the main, secondary, and background story here. Rich, fruity, fruity, even really fruity. Yeah, it’s fruity, but it is not a one-trick pony–the acidity makes this a stunner. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2019 Winner’s Circle Winery Pinot Noir Bon Pari, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $75. Under cork. Wonderfully responsible bottle. Dark in the glass, particularly for a Pinot with dark berry fruit (blackberry, dark cherry, cassis. Throw in some black pepper and an herbal aspect (thyme? basil?) and we are ready to taste. Whoa. Yes, this is big; there is a ton of fruit, a bunch of spice, and a lot to digest, but this is a delightfully boisterous Cali Pinot and it is offering no apologies. It is what it is. And it is tasty. Really tasty. Great fruit, a balancing tanginess, rich depth, and a je ne sais quoi that elevates this from excellent to Outstanding (and maybe more). This is not for the faint of heart, but it is gangbusters. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2018 Winner’s Circle Winery Pinot Noir Bon Pari Estate, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $75. Fantastically light bottle. Dark, even really dark in the glass, particularly for a Pinot with near-brooding aromas of cassis and forest floor. Yeah, very un-Pinot-like (at least to me). Add some hints of acacia, vanilla, and oak? Yeah. Yowza. The palate is delightful with great fruit, wonderfully tart acidity, and at least a bit of forest floor. Yowza. I know, that has become cliché with me but here it is apt. There are few Pinots on the market (at least those with which I am familiar) that possess all of those elements in the succession that I enumerated. Hot take? Outstanding. 95 Points.

2019 Winner’s Circle Winery Pinot Noir Bon Pari Estate, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $75. Delightfully responsible bottle. Whoa. Yowza. Wowza. medium color but an absolutely gorgeous nose of black cherry, fresh rose petals, bits of anise and red licorice, violet, and a slight meatiness. Holy crap. It only happens about three times a year, but this is a wine that I could just sniff in perpetuity and be happy. But, alas, the measure of a wine is not on the nose (for the most part) but on the palate. And holy mother of Jesus, this palate is off the charts: fruit, yes, but also tartness, breadth, depth, and charisma. Holy cow this is good, but it is so much better than “good”. This is potentially a life-changing wine, a Pinot that will cause you to reflect on all the choices you have made in your life and to question the “not-so-good” ones. Extraordinary. 97 Points.