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Specialty Cellars
The Wine
Little Boat’s 2022 Dry Creek Valley Cabernet Sauvignon comes from hillside and benchland vineyards in the northern part of the valley, where gravelly loam and rocky clay‑loam soils dominate.
These well‑drained soils force the roots of the vine to grow deep in search of water and nutriens, resulting in lower vigor and small, thick‑skinned berries that give the wine its dark‑fruit concentration, firm structure, and savory spice.
The warm, even 2022 season delivered ripe tannins and balanced acidity, allowing the wine to show classic Dry Creek Cab character - blackberry, cassis, black cherry, graphite, cocoa, bay leaf, and warm spice, all carried on a long, structured finish shaped by restrained French oak.
Pairings: grilled ribeye, lamb chops, short ribs, and herb‑rubbed pork or tri-tip. Cheese‑wise, reach for our Comte, semi-firm Alpine cheese, Gruyere, Aged Gouda, or Tomme de Savoie.
The Winery
Little Boat is the personal project of winemaker José “Pepe” Galante and proprietor Mark Tarlov, created to highlight small, carefully farmed vineyard parcels across Sonoma.
Tarlov’s background in film and storytelling informs the brand’s ethos: wines meant to be expressive, transparent, and tied to place rather than to formula. Galante brings deep experience with site‑specific winemaking, focusing on gentle handling, native fermentations, and restrained oak.
The team works closely with growers who farm some of RRV’s most respected Chardonnay sites, many of them family‑run vineyards passed down through generations. Little Boat’s identity is rooted in collaboration between growers, winemaker, and proprietor aligned around crafting wines that feel handcrafted, precise, and unmistakably Russian River Valley.
The brand was built for the on‑premise fine‑dining world, especially chef‑driven tasting‑menu restaurants in New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. Tarlov’s earlier projects (Evening Land, Chapter 24, Maison L’Envoyé) were heavily adopted by Michelin‑starred programs, and Little Boat follows the same distribution model: tiny allocations, sommelier‑focused placements, and wines crafted for pairing flexibility. Sommeliers often cite Little Boat’s restrained alcohol, clean fruit, and subtle oak as reasons it fits tasting‑menu service.
