So, you have never heard of Marie Johnston wines? Don’t worry, neither had I until very recently. In fairness to both you and I, this label - or brand - was created just months ago. The Marie Johnston label is the latest project of Jonathan O’Bergin and Marie Johnston – yes, she is a real person – the proprietors at Gryphon Wines in California’s Anderson Valley. Gryphon is a small, quality orientated, Pinot Noir centric winery. BevX will be posting reviews of the latest Gryphon Winery releases next week and you don’t want to miss it.

The Marie Johnston label is their negociant brand. For those not familiar with the term negociant, it can be most easily explained as a person, or group, who sources wines from a carefully selected group of growers and then cellars and blends these wines. This was once the most common way in which wines came to market in Europe and this strategy is still very important in France, particularly in the Burgundy region.

We were very pleased with the selections by O’Bergin and Johnston finding all of the wines to be honest, flavorsome, and deftly styled. Among the trio of Marie Johnston wines, we were really taken with the Central Coast Chardonnay. This is a refreshing wine in every sense. It is clearly refreshing on the palate but in an era where bigger is so often mistaken for better, it is equally magnificent to encounter a wine that prizes balance, complexity, and food compatibility over heft. Further, all of the Marie Johnston wines are presented with screw-cap closures that ensure that the wine will be fresh and clean. SAY YES TO SCREW CAPS!