High Sands is Yangarra’s Holy Grenache Grail, capturing the essence of their prized old vines. From their McLaren Vale Blewett Springs estate, this biodynamic High Sands block is perched at the top of the ridge, with gnarly old bush vines from 1946 rooted in deep silica sand soils. This was destemmed with 50% whole berry, native fermented, and kept in older French oak for 11 months, prior to bottling without fining. This certainly achieves the trinity of intensity, lightness of being, and structure, with a quiet confidence and nonchalant restraint that lets the finessed purity of this wine shine. Fragrant plum, wild blueberry, sweet wild strawberry, gum tree, and a wash of mineral salts flood the palate, shockingly fresh and finessed for its 14.5%. Tannins are long and lissom, sticky just enough to pin in the fruit to a lingering finish. Though there is a gently ripe sweetness here inherent in grenache, there is a savoury saltiness that rises to match, in the end creating a memorable harmony. Drinking beautifully now, this will certainly continue to hold in your cellar over the next few years.

Another Santa Lucia Highlands release, the 2019 Pinot Noir Sierra Mar Vineyard has a more mineral-laced, earthy style while still bringing killer amounts of fruit. Black raspberries, dried herbs, flowers, and some spicy notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied, ripe, opulent beauty that has supple tannins and a great finish. It's impressive as well.

One of the standouts here, the 2019 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard has a gorgeous core of ripe raspberry and cherry fruit, notes of sappy herbs and flowers, medium-bodied richness, and a round, supple, seamless texture. It brings lots of ripeness, but it’s balanced and just a sexy, seamless, pure Pinot Noir loaded with charm.

The appellation Pinot Noir from Brewer-Clifton is always a winner, as well as one heck of a value. The 2020 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills reveals a medium ruby hue to go with a gorgeous perfume of red and blue fruits, peppery herbs, underbrush, and a touch of iron. With notable richness, medium body, ripe tannins, and integrated acidity, it has a terrific mix of Old World complexity and structure with plenty of California fruit. It will drink brilliantly for a decade.

The 2020 Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard is bright and wonderfully saline, with plenty of mineral and savory accents. Citrus peel, mint, white pepper, chalk and dried flowers open nicely with a bit of time. There's terrific energy and plenty of cut. Most of this fruit is sourced from the own-rooted vines first planted in 1971.

The Diatom 2021 Chardonnay (Santa Barbara County) is another home run from Greg Brewer. Stunning in its depth and overall intensity, the 2021 is bright and mineral, with plenty of citrus and floral character, but also a good amount of textural depth to keep things in balance. Time in the glass brings out the wine's layers and overall pedigree. As always, the style here favors cold fermentation, no malolactic fermentation and very short aging in steel prior to bottling. In 2021, all of the fruit is from Los Alamos. Best of all, the 2021 is a fabulous value.

The 2020 Pinot Noir Hapgood is all class. Silky tannins wrap around a core of sweet red berry fruit, sage, crushed flowers and mint. Light on its feet and wonderfully refined, the 2020 is seriously impressive and absolutely gorgeous.

The 2019 Chardonnay Dropstone is flinty with reduction and has a dark mineral feel, a delicate bit of orchard fruit, and chamomile. The palate is tension-driven, with a stony mouthfeel. It has great mineral depth and concentration, with notes of citrus pith and green almond. drink 2024-2034.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Dropstone is rich with black cherry candy, fruit, cedar, toasted incense, and licorice. The palate is fresh with black raspberry, turned earth, and violets. Offering gorgeous structure without weight, this is a fantastic wine to hold until 2025 and drink through 2035.

A compelling wine, broad-shouldered yet detailed, offering expressive blueberry and guava flavors, which take on bitter chocolate and forest floor accents as this builds toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2030.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Land's Edge Vineyards is a blend of the Far Coast and the Seascape vineyards, which are both within four miles of the Pacific Ocean The wine is resinous with cherry lozenge, dried shitake, and dusty earth. The full-bodied palate is savory with gastronomic appeal, revealing fruit and structure. Drink 2024-2038.

From a site that sits at 2000 feet of elevation, on the top of the ridge, the 2019 Pinot Noir Muldune Trail is a darker mineral tone in contrast to the Velvet Sisters. The palate is full and generous, with gushy ripe cherry fruit that persists through the finish along with fine-grained tannins. This is ready to go now or over the next ten years or more.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Fog Dance Vineyard is fragrant of sweet herbs and clove, sweet smoke, and cherry candy. Juicy fruit floods through the mid-palate, with orange zest and strawberry preserve. Approachable and delicious now, drink 2022-2036.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Sevens Bench is full of red cherry aromatics as well as forested earth and pine. The structure is medium-bodied, with modest acidity and fine-grained tannins. A small amount of whole cluster is implemented here, which contributes a savory tone. Drink 2023-2036.

Taking its name from the nightly fog that rolls into the vineyard, the 2019 Chardonnay Fog Dance Vineyard was aged for 13 months in French oak, of which 27% was new. Savory with white button mushroom and light tropical fruit including pineapple, the palate is fleshy, with mango skin and white grapefruit. It is approachable now and through 2032.

Aged for 11 months in 35% new French oak and predominantly from the Laguna Ridge neighborhood of the Russian River Valley, the 2020 Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyards is lifted, with flinty reduction and a touch darker mineral tone. The palate has richness, savor, and more structure along with a note of pithy citrus and more concentration and tension. Drink 2024-2034.

A little closer to the coast, the 2020 Pinot Noir Maggy Hawk has a more detailed focus on its aromatics, with dried red flowers, raspberry, and reserved baking spice. The palate is compact and structured, with crunchy pomegranate, beet root, and dried roses. Allow a couple years in bottle to see how this one unfolds, and it should reward those who can wait to see where this goes. Drink 2024-2032.

Vivid, with açaí, boysenberry and blackberry puree steaming through, buttressed by a prominent cast iron note that lends a racy, driven feel from start to finish. A wine of fresh power. Best from 2023 through 2036.

A genuine "far out" Sonoma Coast pinot, grown a short hop from the Pacific on prized Goldridge sandy-loam soils, this blend of Dijon clones is a real beauty. It's surely fully ripe at 14.6% alcohol declared, but deftly steers clear of the surreptitious sweetness that plagues many California pinots, as well as the obtrusive oak, here aged all in wood of which 1/3 is new, but supremely well-integrated into the ensemble. I love the silky, pillowy texture and the juicy acids - it's a sheer pleasure to drink, inviting additional sips with its sapid, saliva-inducing qualities. Length and depth are excellent. Probably the finest pinot I've yet tried from La Crema, a reliable name in Sonoma County and beyond.

At a time when so many California pinots are pivoting to sweetness it is a real joy to find one that so naturally and effortlessly expresses California's ambiant, sunny charm. This sports a fine, fragrant, generous and pure nose of pinot red cherry/raspberry fruit, florals and very finely tuned oak (nine months French). It is medium bodied, glossy and almost satiny smooth with polished tannin, precision acidity and a touch of heat. The fruit stays focused and true and runs to excellent length. The only issue here will be how quickly the bottle will be drained.

The 2020 Hickinbotham Grenache was sourced from estate-owned bush vines (planted in 1962 at 225 meters in elevation) and was fermented and matured entirely in concrete egg shaped amphorae called "cocciopesto." Darker and denser than the Ovitelli, this shows a splay of blood, shaved deli meat, pink peppercorn and satsuma plum. It is heavier and more tannic too, delivering more intensity and gravitas, if that's what you're into. Another impressive release, it lingers long and fine.

Stellar Sauvignon Blanc
Best of California

Very dark and winey in profile, with steeped plum,blackberry and boysenberry fruit flavors laced withlicorice snap, bramble and apple wood. A tarry noteunderscores the finish, while the fruit drips. A big winebalanced by inner purity. Best from 2024 through 2038.

The SeaLift Vineyard is located in Annapolis, four miles from the Pacific Ocean, a rugged and windswept place, classic for Sonoma Coast when it comes to growing pinot noir. La Crema is lucky to work with this fruit and from a wonderful varietal vintage the aging is pretty much complete for a testament wine of trenchant beauty, ability and promise. The fruit sweetness is at peak and elastic, the sea air and fog thickened acids so nurturing to outturn a wine really complete in its layering, energy and balance. Showing perfectly right now with three to four years ahead for extended effect. Probability runs high for a unique set of secondary coastal character to prolong and transmogrify the beneficial consequence. Drink 2022-2026.

Swanky oak adds top-note aromas of cedar and spice to the redcurrants and blueberries on offer here, as well as some dark-stone notes. The palate has such convincing structure with powerful fruit-tannin drive carrying deep, saturated blueberry and plum flavors long. The wood will bed down in time. Try from 2025.