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Private Allocation · Previous Buyers Only · Not for Public Distribution
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Artisan Wine & Spirits · Mountain View, California
ROAR
Santa Lucia Highlands · Cult Pinot Noir & Chardonnay
Five wines. Scores up to 96 points.
Only 5,000–6,000 cases made per year — total.
Last chance: single vineyards exit distribution Monday.
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Final Bottles Remaining · You Have Priority Access
Please Respond to Secure Your Bottles · Unclaimed Bottles Go to the Next Buyer
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★ Direct from the Winery ★
ROAR is pulling the single vineyards out of distribution this Monday.
After Monday, Rosella's Pinot, Sierra Mar Pinot, and Sierra Mar Chardonnay will be available only direct from the winery library — at substantially higher library pricing. The bottles below are the last cases coming through wholesale, ever.
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Wines
5 Remaining
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Availability
3 to 36 Bottles
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Status
Monday Deadline
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Dear Artisans,
You are receiving this email because you are one of our VIPs, and we wanted to extend first right of refusal on what remains of our ROAR allocation before these bottles are offered to the general public.
There's a real reason for the urgency this time: ROAR is taking their single-vineyard wines out of distribution on Monday, moving them to winery-direct, library-only release. The Rosella's Pinot, Sierra Mar Pinot, and Sierra Mar Chardonnay will not be available through wholesale again — and when they re-emerge from the winery, it will be at substantially higher library pricing.
What remains is five wines — three Pinot Noirs and two Chardonnays — in very small quantities. The Rosella's pulled a double-96 from Jeb Dunnuck and Wine Enthusiast and Dunnuck himself called it "Volnay-like." The SLH Pinot scored 96 from Wine Enthusiast. The Sierra Mar Pinot earned a rare triple-95 from Vinous, Dunnuck, and James Suckling. The Chardonnays are among the most sought-after whites on the Central Coast.
Every time we receive ROAR, we sell out the same day. This time, most of it sold before we could even send this email — and Monday's deadline is a hard one. If you want these incredible wines, this is the moment.
With gratitude for your loyalty and trust,
James Tran · Sommelier · Artisan Wine & Spirits
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Remaining Allocation · Quick Reference
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What the World's Top Critics Say About ROAR
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Robert Parker praised ROAR as producing brilliant Pinot Noirs that rank among the finest in all of California — a conclusion he reached after a ROAR wine defeated a lineup of Grand Cru Burgundies in a blind tasting he hosted at the Culinary Institute in Napa.
Robert Parker · Winner, Parker's "Pinot Noir vs. Burgundy" Blind Tasting (2006)
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Karen MacNeil, author of The Wine Bible, has compared ROAR to Ferrari — calling them a small producer of some of the most luscious, complex, and rich Pinot Noirs in existence.
Karen MacNeil · Author, The Wine Bible
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Multiple Wine Spectator Top 100 selections, Jeb Dunnuck Top 100 placement (#19 for 2022 Rosella's), and Wine Enthusiast named 2022 Rosella's Vineyard the Best Central Coast Pinot Noir.
Major Publication Rankings · Verified
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The Franscioni family's fruit is so revered that Kosta Browne, Patz & Hall, and Testarossa have all sourced grapes from their vineyards. ROAR keeps only 25% of the fruit they grow for their own label.
Notable Buyers of Franscioni Fruit
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The Acclaimed 2023 Vintage
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The 2023 growing season in the Santa Lucia Highlands was one of those rare years that rewarded patience at every turn. Generous winter rains of 22.5 inches — well above the typical 14 — fully replenished the vines. A mild spring and summer gave way to a long, gentle ripening period. The result is a vintage of uncommon elegance and concentration — and the scores prove it.
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Pinot Noir · Three Expressions
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ROAR Pinot Noir "SLH" 2023
Santa Lucia Highlands, California
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Wine Enthusiast · 96 Points · Editor's Choice
"As much as fans crave this appellation's single-vineyard expressions, the regional cuvees are often better than the sum of their parts. This bottling falls right in line, starting with buoyant aromas of rose potpourri, intense strawberry and baking spice on the nose. The palate pairs poached berry and stewed cherry flavors with acid-driven blood orange peel and herbal pine needle touches." — Matt Kettmann (Oct 2025)
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Jeb Dunnuck · 93 Points
"Bright red fruits, sassafras, minty herbs, and flowers define the 2023 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands. Pretty and pure, this medium-bodied effort shows considerable elegance, soft tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and a forward, charming, and delicious personality. Drink over the coming 4–6 years, if not longer." (Apr 2025)
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Vinous Media · 93 Points
"An excellent introduction to the house style and the character of the vintage. Supple and textured, it boasts a beautifully articulated core of plump, sweet berry fruit and blood orange juiciness. Surprisingly structured for an appellation-level wine, the 2023 is a compelling choice for drinking in the near to medium term while the single-vineyard bottlings soften up." — Billy Norris (Jul 2025)
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Elsewhere $65.00
$54.99
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ROAR Pinot Noir "Rosella's Vineyard" 2023
Santa Lucia Highlands, California · Single Vineyard · Planted 1996 · 455 Cases Produced
| ★ Last Chance · Leaves Distribution Monday |
| Up to 24 Bottles Available · Double 96 |
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Jeb Dunnuck · 96 Points · Volnay-Like
"Coming from a great site in the heart of the Santa Lucia Highlands, the 2023 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard displays a medium ruby hue and reveals a brilliant, Volnay-like perfume of sweet redcurrants, framboise, spring flowers, and damp, foresty earth. Medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and incredibly elegant on the palate, it has nicely integrated tannins and acidity, no hard edges, and a great finish. It shows the cooler, even, lengthy style of the vintage and will evolve gracefully over the coming decade." (Apr 2025)
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Wine Enthusiast · 96 Points
"Bold, lush, comforting and downright unctuous aromas of black cherry, cola and mint show on the inviting nose of this single-vineyard expression from the Franscioni family. The rich palate pairs maraschino and luxardo cherry flavors with chai and cappuccino elements." — Matt Kettmann (Oct 2025)
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Vinous Media · 94+ Points
"The 2023 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard — always the last vineyard that ROAR harvests — is floral and lifted, with fabulous saline energy and deep minerality. In this vintage, the tannins are more prominent than usual and need some time to integrate. Chaparral herbs lend tons of intrigue on the spicy, tense finish. Give this a couple of years to settle in." — Billy Norris (Jul 2025)
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Elsewhere $100.00
$84.99
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ROAR Pinot Noir "Sierra Mar Vineyard" 2023
Santa Lucia Highlands, California · Single Vineyard · 415 Cases Produced
| ★ Last Chance · Leaves Distribution Monday |
| 24 Bottles Remaining · Triple 95 Points |
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Vinous Media · 95 Points
"Dark and brooding, the 2023 Pinot Noir Sierra Mar Vineyard is a massive wine. Black cherry, blackberry, menthol and underbrush introduce a Pinot Noir of somber intensity and serious complexity, but yet again, the bright 2023 acids make this feel very energized. Chewy tannins linger long on the potent, detailed finish. This will certainly need time to come around, but patience will be rewarded." — Billy Norris (Jul 2025)
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Jeb Dunnuck · 95 Points
"Beautiful aromatics of red and black berry fruits, sappy flowers, sassafras, and baking spices emerge from the 2023 Pinot Noir Sierra Mar Vineyard. Round and layered on the palate, this medium-bodied effort shows outstanding balance, sweet, velvety tannins, and impressive length. A very complete, complex, and satisfying wine from the Sierra Mar Vineyard, it should shine for a solid decade." (Apr 2025)
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James Suckling · 95 Points
"A warm, broad, generous wine that's indulgent in ripe, lavish fruit flavors and has the structure to keep them in balance. Cinnamon, cedar, clove and star anise aromas, then a mix of bright raspberry and red and black cherries dominate the flavors. It's full-bodied and moderately tannic, showing a lot of good concentration. Drink now or hold." (Jun 2025)
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Elsewhere $85.00
$74.99
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Chardonnay · Two Expressions
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ROAR Chardonnay "SLH" 2024
Santa Lucia Highlands, California
| Only 5 Bottles Left — That's It |
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Decanter · 90 Points
"Nutty and ripe on the nose, with ample oak spice, it spends 14 months in 37% new French oak, a blend of clones including California heritage site, Wente and Hyde. Ripe bruised apples on the nose, hints of vanilla and a touch of lemon curd. Racked and inoculated in a barrel, the focus here is on oak flavours, baked apple and full malo." — Clive Pursehouse (Feb 2026)
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Elsewhere $60.00
$54.99
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ROAR Chardonnay "Sierra Mar Vineyard" 2024
Santa Lucia Highlands, California · Single Vineyard
| ★ Last Chance · Leaves Distribution Monday |
| Only 3 Bottles Left — That's It |
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Vinous Media · 93 Points (2023 vintage reference)
"The 2023 Chardonnay Sierra Mar Vineyard is a complex, grippy white that is totally engaging from the get-go. Pineapple, lemon curd, toasted almond and passion fruit form the base layer upon which potent, chalky mineral inflections dance. This is a Chardonnay for the dinner table or to lay down in the cellar. Excellent." — Billy Norris (Jul 2025)
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Elsewhere $75.00
$69.99
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Your Response
Secure your bottles now, or graciously pass to the next collector on our list.
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Why This Is the Greatest Value in Cult Pinot Noir
Same Scores · Same Vineyards · A Fraction of the Price
| Wine |
Score |
Retail |
Restaurant |
| ROAR Rosella's 2023 |
96 |
$84.99 |
~$220 |
| ROAR Sierra Mar 2023 |
95 |
$74.99 |
~$190 |
| ROAR SLH 2023 |
96 |
$54.99 |
~$140 |
| Kosta Browne RRV Pinot 2023 |
95 |
$120 |
~$300 |
| Williams Selyem Westside Road 2023 |
94 |
$147 |
~$370 |
| Rochioli Estate RRV Pinot |
95 |
$110 |
~$250 |
| Burgundy Premier Cru (comparable) |
94–96 |
$150–$500 |
$400+ |
ROAR scores as high or higher than wines costing 2–8 times more at retail. Jeb Dunnuck himself compared the 2023 Rosella's to a Volnay Premier Cru. At $84.99, that comparison is almost unfair.
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Why ROAR Sells Out Every Single Time
ROAR's total annual production is only 5,000–6,000 cases — across their entire portfolio. A mid-size Napa winery produces 50,000–100,000 cases. ROAR produces less wine in a year than some producers make from a single vineyard block.
Their single-vineyard Pinot Noirs are produced in quantities that would make a Burgundy vigneron nod: 455 cases of Rosella's. 415 cases of Sierra Mar. 509 cases of Garys'. These numbers come from ROAR's own tech sheets.
Most of this tiny production goes directly to ROAR's own mailing list, which has a multi-year wait. The Franscioni family sells 75% of the fruit they grow to other producers — including Kosta Browne, Patz & Hall, and Testarossa — and keeps only 25% for their own label. What's left for shops like ours is a sliver of a sliver.
We receive our ROAR allocation once, maybe twice a year. Every single time, it sells out the day we announce it — and often before the wines even arrive at our shop. This is not hyperbole. This is history repeating itself.
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With gratitude,
— James Tran
Sommelier · Artisan Wine & Spirits
sales@artisan.wine ·
Live Chat ·
Text 650-880-3553
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