The 2019 Pinot Noir Jennifer’s is juicy and alluring! It has a medium ruby-purple color and floral-laced strawberry, red cherries and raspberries on the nose complemented by integrated new oak spices. The medium-bodied palate is grainy and fresh, with intense, deep red fruits and a very long, ethereal finish. It has potential to develop in bottle over the next decade, although it's difficult to resist those alluring, perfumed fruits. It matured 15 months in 34% new French oak, and 307 cases were made.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Hailey's Block comes from a specific block in the Arrendell Vineyard in the Green Valley district of the Russian River Valley, with 25-year-old vines planted in silty soils. It has a medium ruby-purple color and a plethora of crushed raspberries, blueberries, cranberries and strawberries, plus touches of pepper, lilac and savory herbs. The medium-bodied palate explodes with hedonistic berry fruits, gliding across the palate with a silky texture and bursts of fresh acidity that call you in again and again for another sip on the long finish. It was matured for 15 months in 33% new French oak, and 211 cases were made.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Docker Hill was matured for 15 months in 24% new French oak. It has a medium ruby color and loads of fragrant aromas: strawberries and raspberries, white pepper, saline and licorice, with tones of black tea leaves, bitters and garrigue. The energetic, medium-bodied palate is intense, layered and floral, with silty tannins and bursts of fresh acidity that highlight its floral perfume and lingering spicy layers.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard comes from vines planted in 1975, which have been part of the Hartford Court program since 1994. It spent 15 months in 43% new French oak and is a touch reductive to begin, opening to dark berries and kirsch with tones of mushroom, iodine and tar. The medium-bodied palate is firm and broody, with intense, earthy fruits, loads of grainy tannins, seamless acidity and a long, mineral-driven finish. It's the most youthfully coiled Pinot in the lineup of Hartford's 2019s, so give it plenty of time to unwind in bottle or a long decant.

The 2019 Chardonnay Three Jacks Vineyard, from vines planted in 1995, was barrel fermented and matured in 31% new French oak for 14 months. It's one of the best iterations I've tasted, combining expansive flavor and texture with precise, laser-like acidity. It offers delicate, pure scents of apricot, dried tarragon, white pepper and citrus blossoms with a stony undercurrent. The medium-bodied palate has dynamic energy from its oily texture and shimmery acidity, and it finishes with tense, mineral-driven flavors. It has much more to give as it unfurls in bottle and will be long lived in the cellar.

The 2019 Chardonnay Stone Côte was barrel fermented and matured for 14 months in 35% new French oak. It's an incredibly intense, expressive iteration with continually unfurling aromas of candied lemon, crushed stone, dried herbs, orange blossom and beeswax. The medium-bodied palate is silky yet concentrated, with loads of mineral-laced fruits, seamless acidity and a very long, layered finish.

The 2019 Chardonnay Radian Vineyard was barrel fermented and matured in 22% new French oak for 14 months. Youthfully shy on the nose to begin, it opens slowly to spring blossoms, quince and white peaches. Medium-bodied and silky, it slowly unfurls its rich, ripe citrus fruits and floral layers, with seamless freshness and a touch of texture that draws out the long finish. It deserves another 2-3 years in bottle to unwind.

The 2019 Chardonnay Far Coast Vineyard comes from vines planted on a mountain ridge north of Fort Ross on the Sonoma coast. It was barrel fermented and matured for 14 months in 39% new French oak. It is bursting with aromas of white peaches, tangerine, ginger and honeycomb, with exotic spicy undertones. The medium-bodied palate is satiny, expansive and intense, with tangy acidity that pulls out highlights of candied citrus and an array of spicy accents. It has a very long, textural finish and loads of personality!

The 2018 Syrah SeaLift Vineyard is a glorious first rendition of a Sonoma Coast Syrah from Copain, matured in 16% new oak and inspired by the wines of Pax and Arnot Roberts, says winemaker Ryan Zepaltas. It has a deep ruby-purple color and alluring scents of crushed blueberries, red cherries, milk chocolate, mint leaves and thyme. Full-bodied, fresh and layered, the palate offers intense fruits with pretty floral and botanical nuances, and its powerful but refined structure points to a long life ahead in the cellar as it continues to unfold over the next decade.

When I was at Yangarra, we tasted the component parts of the 2020 Ovitelli Blanc straight from egg. For those of us who have been to the estate, I am certain you will join me in saying that there is much to love and admire, from the organically/biodynamically farmed and certified vineyards (and winery) to the understanding of the inherent benefits of the McLaren Vale region and its suitability to Rhone varieties, all the way through to the eggs, the amphorae and the other good-looking ceramic vessels in the winery. This is a place of specificity and purpose, responsible for wines of poise and impact. So, to the wine. Composed of 50% Grenache Blanc, 25% Roussanne, 12% Clairette, 9% Piquepoul and 4% Bourboulenc, all components contribute to the whole. You’ll find white spice, flowers, chalk, white tea, apricot kernel, green apple skins, a faint whiff of honeydew melon and nashi pear. The acidity is threaded throughout it all in such a way that it pulses with life, but the main event is still the phenolics, which is a pretty cool balance to strike. In terms of white wine, this is the future of McLaren Vale.

As an Australian, it is hard to read “Roux Beaute” and not think “you beaut.” Thankfully, the internal rhyming suggestion is apt. The 2020 Roux Beaute Roussanne is concentrated and broad, with layers of phenolics in the mouth—bitter almond, green apple skin, white flowers, caper berries, cheesecloth, brine and feijoa, even custard apple, perhaps. It's good. It's really good. It shows that textural breadth and depth can still be lively and bright. This is an exciting wine and very well handled. You beaut.

The 2020 Dry Riesling comes from vines planted in 1997-1998 at around 1,000 feet in elevation on a southeast-facing block, where fruit is farmed to avoid botrytis. Harvested at 21.3 brix, it was kept on its lees in 600-liter Austrian and German barrels and stainless steel until bottling. It offers expressive aromas of lime candy, white peach, dried chamomile, beeswax and petrichor. The light-bodied palate is focused and mineral-driven, with pleasantly candied fruits and a touch of phenolic texture drawing out the finish. Well-balanced, it captures sunny California fruit with lots of freshness and focus.

The 2006 Le Desir, a blend of 49% Cabernet Franc, 41% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Malbec, is offering a fine balance of concentrated fruit and mature savoriness. It has a deep garnet color and singular aromas of Morello cherries, mint chocolate, coffee grounds, aniseed and black truffles. The palate is still muscular, with gently chewy tannins, fresh acidity, intense fruits and complex savory layers on the finish. It will continue to evolve in bottle over the next decade.

The 2006 La Joie is made up of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. Deep garnet, it opens with a flourish of savory spices: mushroom, green olive, decaying leaves and tea tree oil mingle with tones of iron and old leather. The palate is holding onto a core of dried cherry fruit, juicy acidity and grainy, softening tannins, finishing long and layered. It's a touch more mature than the La Muse at this stage, although it will continue to offer pleasure over the next 5-8 years.

Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2019 Pinot Noir Sea Lift is pure and expressive on the nose, with scents of blueberries, bergamot, violets and tea leaves, plus tinges of fragrant earth and Angostura bitters. The medium-bodied palate explodes with intense, floral-laced fruits. It offers addicting bursts of refreshing acidity, a silky frame and an array of dark spices defining the long finish. Lovely! It was bottled after 10 months in 38% new French oak, and 256 cases were made.

The 2017 Merlot Keyes Vineyard, aged 19 months in 25% new French oak, has a medium to deep ruby color and slowly blossoming aromas of crushed black cherries and blueberries, sage, violet, cured meats, thyme and coffee beans. The full-bodied palate has a fine, grainy tannic frame, detailed, perfumed fruits and a long, elegant finish. So classy!

The 2019 Pinot Noir Stormin' was matured for 16 months in 48% new French oak. It has a medium ruby color and lush scents of black cherries, blueberries, bergamot and turned earth. The palate is silky and fresh with youthfully coiled fruits and a long, spicy finish. It could use another 2-3 years in bottle to unwind.

The 2018 Pinot Noir Nine Barrel, aged 14 months in 40% new French oak, has a medium ruby-purple color and alluring scents of cranberry sauce, blood orange, blueberries and cinnamon. The medium-bodied palate boasts concentrated berry fruits, grainy tannins, bright acidity and a long, spicy finish.

The 2018 Chardonnay Nine Barrels, matured 14 months in 50% new oak, has pretty scents of apple pie, roasted almonds, brioche, jasmine and top notes of Meyer lemon. The satiny, medium-bodied palate offers a dichotomy of of concentrated, creamy fruits and bright acidity, and it finishes long and flavorful.

The 2019 Zinfandel Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard comes from more than 100-year-old vines and was aged for 10 months in 33% new French oak. It has a deep ruby-purple color and is bursting with spicy aromas of red cherries, peaches, eucalyptus, white pepper and fennel. The medium-bodied palate is grainy and fresh, with a flourish of spicy and herbal accents defining the long finish.

From head-trained vines more than 100 years old, the 2019 Zinfandel Dina's Vineyard was aged in 40% new French oak for 10 months and has a hedonistic expression. Deep ruby-purple, it's scented of black and red cherries, lavender and cast iron with an undercurrent of earthy accents. Full-bodied, rich and spicy, it floods the mouth with concentrated yet nuanced fruit. It has a supporting frame of grainy tannins and bright bursts of acidity that drive the licorice-laced finish.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Warrior Princess comes from the Zena Crown Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills. Matured in 31% new French oak for 15 months, it has a medium ruby color and soaring aromas of cranberries, raspberries and rhubarb, mushrooms, tobacco and bitters. The palate is delicate and silky, bursting with fragrant flavors, supported by a soft, grainy texture and boasting a long, ethereal finish. It has a compelling dynamic of saline top notes and broody undertones and will be long lived in the cellar as its layered flavors unwind.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Velvet Sisters comes from Pommard and Dijon vines at the northern end of the Anderson Valley, planted in dusty Goldridge soil. Matured for 14 months in 28% new French oak, it has a medium ruby-purple color and delicate, fragrant scents of raspberry, strawberry, saline, cola and bergamot. The medium-bodied palate is silky and juicy, with mineral-driven fruits and a long, ethereal finish.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Muldune Trail comes from vines planted at an elevation of 1,600 feet in the Anderson Valley. Matured in 38% new French oak for 15 months, it has a medium ruby color and slowly opening aromas of raspberries, rhubarb, burnt orange, tobacco leaves, dried roses and fir. Medium-bodied and powerful with a youthful sheen of spicy oak, the palate has a silky texture, shimmery acidity and a very long, mineral-driven finish. It's hedonistic yet youthfully tense, with the potential to unfold in bottle over the next decade.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Marin County, matured 15 months in 35% new French oak, has a medium ruby-purple color and soaring aromas of rhubarb, blueberry, pipe tobacco, iodine, mushrooms, fir and lavender. The medium-bodied palate is silky and fragrant with bursts of juicy acidity and layer after layer of perfumed fruit on the extended finish.