The 2022 Chardonnay La Crete is understated in the glass, with a nuanced blend of sweet herbs, stone dust and crushed apples. A pretty inner sweetness opens on the nose, followed by opulently ripe orchard fruit as a wave of brisk acidity maintains fantastic balance. It tapers off long and structured, leaving a lemony concentration and crunchy mineral tones that add lovely form.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Emery opens with dried roses and chalk dust, giving way to wild strawberries as it slowly blossoms in the glass. Lifted and nearly ethereal in style, it offers crisp red and blue fruits guided by tantalizing acidity. Fine-grained tannins stain the palate, tapering off long with chewy concentration and a sour licorice twang.

The 2022 Pinot Noir La Crete is darkly alluring, smoldering up with nuances of sage, cedar dust and dried roses that complement black cherries. Energy and elegance are on display, with a polished wave of ripe red and blue fruits driven by fresh acidity as violet inner florals build toward the close. A spicy tinge and coating of grippy tannin remain as the palate salivates and a spicy sensation slowly fades.

The 2022 Pinot Noir The Sum opens with a dark and savory blend of ashen
stones, grilled herbs and dried black cherries, lifted by menthol. Lovely
elegance is on display as supple wild berry fruits are complicated by crisp
mineral tones and a twang of sour citrus toward the close. The 2022 shuts
down hard through the nish, youthfully structured yet long and complex,
leaving a pleasantly bitter tinge to linger. Have patience with this sleeping
giant.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Slope entices with a bouquet of dried roses and violets
that complement crushed blackberries and cherries, while nuances of clove add
further complexity. Silky and smooth, the palate oers polished red berry fruits
oset by earth tones and a twang of sour citrus. Sweet tannins and a tinge of
autumnal spice linger as the 2022 nishes with impressive length, leaving a hint
of tart blackberry that pinches at the cheeks.

The 2022 Chardonnay Desiderium wafts up with a rich blend of almond
custard and vanillin spice that complements yellow apples. It glides across the
palate, displaying nearly oily textures contrasted by tart orchard fruits and a
twang of sour citrus. Saline and savory through the nish, it leaves the mouth
watering for more as a hint of sour ginger fades.

The Deep End is where redwoods meet the Pacific Ocean, a land filled with tiny pebbles from a long-ago sea bed. Fruit from these vineyards displays flavors of deep berry, savory baking spice, sea salt and layers of bright citrus skin with mouthwatering acidity. Decant or cellar until 2032. Pair with roasted whole chicken.

This is a wonderful expression of an older vineyard with exceptional clonal selections. The fruit is accentuated with savory red berries, perfumed pluot, citrus blossom, earth and mushrooms. Decant or cellar until 2032.

At the Deep End, the redwoods meet the Pacific Ocean. Its steep terraces are nutrient-poor but produce vibrant and energetic fruit. In this wine, aromas of baked Bing cherry, dark raspberry and dried plums are surrounded by ginger, cardamom spice and bright acidity, followed by the taste of the sea and minerals. Decant or cellar until 2032.

At the Deep End, the redwoods meet the Pacific Ocean. From vines touched by fog and sunshine, this wine suggests bright red berries with dried herbs, minerals and tons of complexity. Decant or cellar until 2032

This wine sees no skin contact, so the juice is clear. But the aromatics and flavors delight and confuse the palate—is it red or white wine? The apple and pear fruit is lush yet crisp with aromas of red berries and coriander. Your mouth says, “Yes, more, please.” Pair with seafood, poultry or a day in the sun.

Brooding, dark fruits, black cherry and sweet cassis blend with tobacco and spice in this wine. Savory notes emerge with further sipping. Powdery-fine, palate-coating tannins and a juicy, long finish pleasingly evolve with each taste. Decant and enjoy with a meal. —E.C.B.

Layers of oak spices coat the palate with a mix of juicy, black fruits, leather and wet tobacco. Fine-grained tannins grip the mouth and join with balanced acidity for a lengthy finish. This is a satisfying and compelling Cabernet Sauvignon. —E.C.B.

Sourced from blocks at the front of the Cardinale property on the east side of Highway 29,
in the same bale clay loam soils as To Kalon across the street. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
aged 20 months in 58% new French oak. The wine has a wonderfully bright and lifted pure
fruit character, just as the previous vintage, with more darker berry fruit and blue fruit
aromatics mingling with impressive floral notes of rose [petals and wild herbs. full-bodied
with deep velvety textured concentration on the palate, with superfine tannins that are very
well knit-together and the finish is lengthy with notes of olive pit and more dried potpourri
character. Really shows the vintage variation and if you collect these, you'll love the dark
fruit and savory element of the 2021 and revel in the perfumed and expressive herbals
nuances of this richly layered 2022.

This is a powerful, earthy wine from the steep, south-facing portion of the estate. Volcanic minerality on the nose, along with savory juniper. Flavors of black fruit with an opulent mouthfeel and sturdy tannins. Drinkable now, but better in a couple years.

A dramatic rendition of Chenin Blanc, this is impressively rich with excellent depth of flavor, featuring opulent fruit notes recalling ripe figs and apricots and an undertone of wild honey. Yet the wine avoids coming off as excessively ripe or sweet thanks to vibrant acidity and a notable streak of minerality in the finish. 

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.