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Arkenstone
In Tolkien’s story, the Arkenstone is the great white gem at the heart of the mountain, discovered by dwarves who had to break the rock to find it. The rocky land Ron and Susan Krausz bought on the western shoulder of Howell Mountain in 1988 was not originally intended as a vineyard but as a home. A decade later, they broke through a considerable amount of volcanic rock to reveal a vineyard. Twenty harvests later, it is among the most compelling boutique estates on the mountain.
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Latest Wine Reviews – September 2026
This September, the Northern Hemisphere is picking earlier than anyone alive has seen — and picking less. In an ordinary year, this could be a red flag. This year, the story is about how the fruit stopped following the calendar. California Napa’s first sparkling lots went to press on 31 July, while Sonoma kicked off what may be the earliest harvest in its recorded history. A freakishly warm March pushed budbreak forward by weeks, then a cold, wet, windy bloom punished fruit set. The result……...