There was a time that I spent a ton of time on social media. I worked hard to get my Twitter followers to just shy of 100k and was in the process of doing the same with my Instagram account. I maxed out my friends on Facebook. And then it hit me. I don’t like social media even a little bit.

First, Twitter turned into a cesspool, then it became “X” and is now unbearable. Facebook has informed me just about every week that I “didn’t follow the rules” and so now I am no longer suggested to other people. So I guess you can post blatant lies, racism, anti-semitism, and all kinds of political nonsense, but the picture of a wine bottle is just a bridge too far. Instagram was fun for a quick minute when it was about images and engagement. Now, it seems, it is all about “influencers” and shock value. That’s not me, it just isn’t. Plus, no one wants to see me in a bikini or jump off a building.

I do still post on all of these formats, but I really try to spend as little time there as possible, it is just far too depressing.

At the end of April, though, I happened to be on Instagram for a hot second and I got a message from the folks at Idle Cellars in Sonoma County. I had honestly never had any of their wine (I think), but they said that they had been following this blog for a bit and they wanted to send me some of their “juice”.

Giddy-up.

I really had no idea what to expect and I decided to taste the wines without researching even the suggested retail price (afterwards, of course, I did a bit of research, though their website does not offer a ton of insight, to be honest). And since the wines included a rosé and showed up just before the 10th Annual World’s Largest Blind Tasting of American True Rosé, I decided to throw that bottle into the mix. In short? I loved all the wines, but the Sauvignon Blanc and the Merlot (yes, Merlot) might be game changers.

I am going to be out in Sonoma in a few weeks, and I will definitely look these guys up….

2023 Idle Cellars Rosé of Grenache, Sonoma Valley, CA: Retail $30. Very Responsible Bottle (487g; 17.2oz). True Rosé? 100% Grenache. Light, just barely any color here, but a lovely sweet nose of peach, melon, and a hint of strawberry. The palate closely mimics the nose, with a floral aspect as well, but this is certainly more of a tree-fruit driven (peach) rosé, and it is lovely. Excellent. 91 Points.

2024 Idle Cellars Sauvignon Blanc Peterson Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, CA: Retail $32. Responsible Bottle (486g; 17.1oz). Agglomerated stopper. Even though Idle Cellars has been around for 20 years now, I honestly had never heard of them. In my defense, they are located in a part of Sonoma (which is huge) that I just don’t get to that often, and, well, I have no other excuses. But, based solely on this Sauvignon Blanc, I am going to need to visit them. Soon. I have stated dozens of times that I am no fan of the variety, but this SB is, well, different. Close to clear in the glass with plenty of citrus, a hint of freshly cut grass, and no cat pee to be found on the nose. But there is also a white floral note that not only works but makes the wine even more enticing. On the palate? One of the best SBs I have had in a while, with great fruit, a zingy, lip-smacking tartness, incredible balance, and the longest finish for a Sauvignon in memory. If all SBs were like this? I would drink a ton of Sauvignon Blanc. Whoa. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2019 Idle Cellars Grenache Kick Ranch, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $38. Very Heavy Bottle (789g; 27.8oz). 100% Grenache. Amazingly (at least to me), this 2018 is the current release of this beautiful Grenache. Let me say that again. The current release of the Idle Kirk Ranch Grenache is a 2018. [Checks watch. Checks computer. Checks calendar?] Wait. They waited eight years to release this wine? That, alone, warrants a “Whoa”. But the wine, on its merits, is also firmly in the “Whoa” realm with oodles of blackberry fruit, touches of spice, a subtle, delicate floral component, and a verve level that is close to off the charts. Yeah. Whoa. All cards on the table? I had never heard of this winery six months ago, but now? Yeah, I need to learn more. Sure, it is on the bigger side of Grenache, but, dare I say, this might still be a bit young? Yeah. It seems like these guys know what they are doing. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2016 Idle Cellars Merlot Weiler Vineyard, Sonoma Valley, CA: Retail $44. Heavy Bottle (650g; 22.9oz). Under cork. This is a bit crazy, I have to say; this 2016 Merlot is the current vintage of this wine. I am writing this note in July of 2026, so nearly ten years after harvest for the math averse. Outside of Champagne (and perhaps some other rare oddities), no one holds onto a wine for that long before releasing it. That is crazy. The wine is also crazy good. Loaded with fruit still, plenty of cassis, blackberry, and above all, plum, this really is remarkable. The acidity more than keeps pace and the silky tannins on the finish suggest that there is still plenty of road ahead of this beauty. I always say that the most difficult aspect of a wine to buy is age, but the kind folk at Idle Cellars (we have actually never met, but I hope that might change soon), do all that heavy lifting. Under fifty bucks for a decade-old Merlot of this quality? Yeah, giddy-up and Whoa. Outstanding. 95 Points.