Aromas of minerals, star anise and cherry pits start off tightly wound and benefit from a bit of air. This is a wine of excellent posture, with a slate-like spine carrying brambleberries, mixed cherries and tilled earth. Minerals and pressed violets in the long, tense finish. Drink or hold.

A wave of effusive fruit rolls from the glass, and aromas of cinnamon- and anise-spiced cherries and wild blueberry compote follow through to a velvety palate. Brandied cherries, warm figs, chocolate ganache and mocha fan out in the broad yet structured finish. Drink or hold.

Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2023 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard needs a lot of shaking to wake up lifted notes of cranberry sauce and raspberry coulis, plus nuances of iris bulb and black pepper with a touch of lavender oil. The medium to full-bodied palate is soft and juicy with plenty of freshness and a long red berry-laced finish.

Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2023 Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard floats out of the glass with a gorgeous perfume of lilacs, star anise, and forest floor, leading to a core of fresh raspberries and Bing cherries, with a hint of Sichuan pepper. Full-bodied, the palate is vibrant and energetic with wonderful tension and fine-grained tannins defining the fragrant red berry flavors, finishing on a lingering ferrous note.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard is pale to medium ruby-purple colored. Notes of wild blueberries, black cherries, and boysenberries spill from the glass, giving way to hints of lilacs, underbrush, and mossy tree bark. The full-bodied palate delivers seamless freshness and plump, juicy black fruit layers with loads of savory accents and a fine-grained texture, finishing earthy.

This is saturated with cassis, plum reduction and boysenberry pâte de fruit notes, all framed by robustly singed apple wood and carried by an energetic spine of bramble and tar. Shows an extreme side—how could a wine not in this vintage—but the definition and drive set this apart. As good as it gets in ’22. Best from 2026 through 2038. —J.M.

This sports heady flavors of boysenberry and blackberry preserves that pump through with authority thanks to a lively licorice snap note and flickers of iris, ink and apple wood along the edges. Offers a level of density, definition and completion that sets this apart from the pack in this vintage, with only a slight balsam wood edge adding an ever-so-subtle impingement to the finish. Drink now through [year not specified]. —J.M.

Pale straw-gold color, the NV - 1 Seascape Vineyard Blanc de Blancs races out with notes of
preserved lemons and grapefruit oil, leading to a core of Marcona almonds, croissant, and fresh
ginger. The palate is lively and energetic with loads of citrus and chalk sparks and very fine bubbles,
finishing long and savory. This is so beautifully poised—gorgeous! It is a blend of 58.9% of the 2015
vintage, 23.8% of 2014, and the rest is vintages going back to 2008—a "cuvee perpetuelle" style.
The dosage is 0.9 g/l of residual sugar. 140 cases were made.

The 2022 Malbec is another terrific 2022 in the lineup from Carpenter. Inky colored, it delivers a rocking array of blue fruits, sappy herbs, sage, and resinous notes, with an interesting rhubarb character that adds rather than detracts. Medium to full-bodied, this shows impressive purity and elegance on the palate, with perfectly integrated acidity and a balanced, ripe, juicy profile. The wine spent 22 months in French oak (26% new) and should drink nicely for a decade or more. There were just 161 cases produced.

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon from Mt. Brave offers up a complex bouquet of red and black currants, tobacco, sandalwood, and savory herbs. The palate is medium to full-bodied, with beautiful fruit and a round, velvety texture yet building tannins. There's solid mid-palate depth and concentration. This Cabernet-dominated blend (94% Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot) was aged for 23 months in 81% new French oak and will keep for 15 years if well stored.

The 2022 La Jota Merlot Howell Mountain is a deep ruby-purple effort that incorporates 14% Petit Verdot and was aged 22 months in 60% new French oak. It delivers beautiful notes of red and black plums, dark cherries, leather, and graphite, along with subtle baking spice nuances. Medium to fullbodied, rich, and concentrated, it stays remarkably straight and focused on the palate, with a beautiful texture and outstanding balance. This impressive Merlot from Chris Carpenter will benefit from a year or two of bottle age and keep for 10-15 years.

The 2022 La Jota Chardonnay W.S. Keyes Vineyard is a terrific expression of the variety from Howell
Mountain. It offers a precise, mineral-driven profile with stone fruits, hints of melon, white flowers,
and honeydew nuances. Medium-bodied and layered on the palate, it shows a remarkable sense of
purity and precision, nicely integrated oak (12% new), and a balanced, layered, elegant profile that
will drink nicely over the coming 7-8 years.

The 2022 La Jota Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is a mountain powerhouse, offering up a complex bouquet of red cassis, purple fruits, graphite, lead pencil shavings, and violets, with underlying notes of iron and forest floor. Based on 91.5% Cabernet Sauvignon with small amounts of Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Merlot, and Petit Verdot, and aged 22 months in 77% new French oak, this full-bodied, concentrated effort has a focused, structured profile on the palate with plenty of ripe tannins that will benefit from short-term cellaring. This classic Howell Mountain Cabernet should evolve gracefully for 15-20 years

The debut vintage of the 2022 Syrah from Napa Valley–based winemakers Chris Carpenter and Gianna Ghilarducci is sourced from one block of Les Collines Vineyard, giving the wine a cool climate character of sinewy, leathery texture and enduring gaminess, with plenty of class and complexity. The dark, brambly berry fruit stays bright within a full bodied core of structure and underlying acidity unfettered by oak; the wine was aged 15 months in only neutral French oak. Drink now through 2037.

A structured wine with beautiful bright cherry and blueberry fruit, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Walla Walla Valley is lovely and memorable in medium bodied grip and weight, with youthful grip on the palate. Savory earthiness persists in the form of cedar, tobacco leaf, and sage. This wine should age another 12–15 years.

The 2023 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley is also from the Russian River Valley. It’s a bright ruby color and boasts a seductive perfume with notes of fresh leather, ripe cherries, sweet spices, and forest earth. The palate is medium-framed and has a focused and bright feel, with refreshing, mouthwatering acidity, ripe tannins, and a gently tapering, spiced finish. Drink 2026-2040.

Shifting momentarily to Oregon, the 2023 Chardonnay Warrior Princess Block is from the Eola-Amity Hills within the Willamette Valley. This was a very different vintage in this region compared to Sonoma and can be broadly categorized as a warm to hot vintage compared to the more cool-vintage character of the 2023s from Sonoma. A bright yellow/green-toned hue, the nose of this wine is ripe but has great focus, with notes of lime cordial, white pepper, wet stones, and green apples. The palate is medium-bodied, with an elegant, floating feel, an even texture, and a clean, tapering finish. A lovely wine, it’s fantastic now and should age gracefully over the next 6-8 years. I am a huge fan of Oregon Chardonnay, and for my taste, I would stash this away and drink it on a regular basis.

The medium golden yellow 2023 Chardonnay from Three Jacks Vineyard is sourced from alluvial soils in a parcel long supplied by the Dutton family. On the nose, it opens with pronounced mineral aromas of crushed stone, pithy lime, white peach, and melon. The palate is full and rounded, with a deeper, layered texture and a refreshing backbone of ripe, well-integrated acidity. Drink 2025-2032.

The 2023 Chardonnay Stone Cote Vineyard is fresh with a lifted perfume of flinty wet rock, fresh peach, preserved citrus, and hints of grapefruit. The palate is ripe but has an elegant feel, with refreshing acidity and a silky, rounded texture. It’s a very pretty wine all around, with an approachable feel, and should drink well over the coming 6-7 years.

Coming from the Green Valley of the Russian River, the 2023 Pinot Noir Hailey's Block is a transparent ruby red color and is pretty and floral on the nose with notes of wild strawberries, tarragon, fresh roses, and sweet herbal perfume. Medium-bodied, it’s elegant and refined on the palate, with a floating feel, fine tannins, even acidity, and a clean, fruity f inish. It’s very charming now but should also age well over the coming 12-15 years.

A youthful magenta/ruby color, the 2023 Zinfandel Winberrie Knolls Vineyard is fruity on the nose with pure notes of raspberry cordial, dark berries, floral perfume, and dark stones. The palate is zesty and fresh, with vibrant, refreshing acidity, fine, coiled tannins, and a clean finish with hints of strawberries. It’s very pretty and is going to drink well over the coming 8-10 years.

A darker magenta/ruby color, the 2023 Zinfandel Highwire Vineyard has more depth, with notes of espresso, black cherry liqueur, graphite, cracked pepper, and polished leather. The palate is tangy and ripe with full-bodied richness and an underlying coating texture, with ripe tannins and a plush feel on the finish. There’s more depth and complexity to this wine, and I would be interested in revisiting it in a few years as it sheds its more primary fruit and develops more interesting spice and mineral tones. Drink 2026-2038.

The 2023 Zinfandel Hartford Vineyard is a youthful magenta color and is ripe and fruity on the nose with notes of mocha, baking spice, black raspberries, candied flowers, preserved berries, and dried earth. It’s juicy and fruity on the palate, with an approachable feel, a silky, fruity texture, and a medium to full-bodied frame, with more red fruit lifting the wine nicely. Drink 2025-2032.

A deeper ruby/magenta color, there’s more Petite Sirah in the field blend for the 2023 Zinfandel Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard, which has darker, more intense notes of cigar box, blackberries, cherry preserve, dark spices, lavender, and mossy forest earth. The palate is full-bodied, with ripe tannins, even acidity, and a broader feel on the finish. It has a deeper tannin structure and a bit more richness of earth and grip on the finish, with a slightly more a rustic feel to its structure, but it’s well-balanced and can handle richer marbled steak and braised meat.

A similar magenta/ruby hue, the 2023 Zinfandel Dina's Vineyard is ripe with floral and herbal sapidity, revealing notes of pressed flowers, mocha, crushed sage, and blueberries. The palate is compact and mouthwatering, with zesty, snappy acidity that gives it a brighter feel, and it’s full-bodied, with ripe tannins and a long, savory finish with hints of orange oil. Drink 2026-2040.