As classically styled as 2021 & most expressive of the chardonnay trio in riper 2022, courtesy staggered harvest of 5 Western Cape sites. Ferment completed/10 months in 38% new barrique add toasty hazelnut to stonefruit, ripe pear & lemongrass, bright acid ensures fresh balance. Not as intense as previous but as enthralling & ageworthy.

Ripe red fruit, leather, pine bark and dried herbs on the nose. A silky palate with juicy acidity and seamless tannins. Very fresh and mouth-filling, with abundant cherry and raspberry flavors. A pleasing bitter floral component in the finish. Medium-bodied. Drink or hold.

Aromas of cranberry, pomegranate, and roses swirl on the nose of this wine. These give way to earthier flavors of sage, roasted shiitake, and black tea mingling with Bing cherries on the palate before a long, energetic, and floral finish.

A pretty, aromatic, light- to medium-bodied wine with aromas of bright red fruit, dried flowers, cranberries, orange zest and delicate spices. A juicy core of acidity carries pure raspberry and strawberry flavors with a subtle earthiness at the end. Very inviting. Drink or hold.

A perfumed mix of flowers and slate with some tropical fruit character and bright red berries. The palate is succulent and mouthwatering, showing flavors of cherries and red plums. This medium- to full-bodied wine has good bones and will age well. Drink or hold.

In this instance the time on the lees was six years; the blend is 53% Pinot Noir, 41% Chardonnay and 6% Pinot Meunier. The extra time puts an emphasis on the yeasty aromas, adds texture to the mouthfeel, and leaves a biscuity note on the palate. All good. Here again I’m using the Josephine sparkling wine glass, and it’s a winner, bringing out more detail and creating an impression of elegance.

One of the more lively expressions of Chardonnay from Brewer-Clifton, the 2023 Chardonnay Hapgood opens with a beautifully detailed bouquet of citrus and floral notes with fennel and minty undertones. The palate is silken, rich and focused, deftly combining the contained decadence of the house with a mirror-like sheen and lifted energy. It concludes with a clean, linear and transparent finish, padded with a pleasant touch of textural richness.

The 2023 Chardonnay Machado offers up the most distinctly floral and exuberant bouquet of the Brewer-Clifton roster, striking a balance between a pretty, perfumed and herbal nose and a broad, lush backdrop of golden orchard fruits. Similarly, the palate balances a vertical, elastic energy with a horizontal staying power, retaining sleek energy through the soaring, chalky finish. With time in the glass, this mellows out a bit, but it remains one of the more alluring and multifaceted of the Brewer-Clifton Chardonnays.

Issuing from hillside plantings, the 2023 Pinot Noir Perilune is one of the more focused and tensile expressions of Pinot Noir in the roster. It opens with a slightly less high-toned bouquet than its counterparts, wafting from the glass with aromas of dried citrus, underbrush and turned earth, rendered in high fidelity. The palate is supple and suave, seamlessly oscillating between a deep textural power and a taut, focused vibrancy. The latter defines the finish, which lingers with a genteel, finessed intensity framed by fine-grained, structural tannins. This will benefit from a bit more time in bottle to soften, and it should drink very well through its 10th birthday.

The 2023 Syrah Perilune is quite impressive, opening with a strikingly peppery, savory bouquet set against a core of black and blue fruits, with floral tones emerging after time in the glass. As with much of the Brewer-Clifton lineup, it is simultaneously soft, silky, tense and vibrant, concluding with a taut, incredibly well-defined finish that lingers with chalky, refined tannins. Even with the crystal clarity on display here, a wild side lingers in the background, making for a compelling and cleansing expression of Sta. Rita Hill Syrah that should evolve beautifully.

Matured for 14 months in 40% new French oak, the 2022 Pinot Noir Kiana has alluring aromas of blueberry, rhubarb, tangerine peel, lilac, damp earth and mushrooms. The medium-bodied palate is elegantly styled with detailed, crunchy flavors and silky tannins. It’s balanced by mouthwatering acidity and has a long, fragrant finish. 418 cases were made.

Matured for 15 months in 50% new French oak, the 2022 Pinot Noir Triple Black Slopes is scented of blueberry, blackberry, black tea leaves, garrigue, damp earth and mushrooms. Medium-bodied, it floods the mouth with concentrated, floral red fruit flavors. It’s framed by muscular, grainy tannins and vibrant acidity and has a long finish. 439 cases were made.

The 2023 Pinot Noir Kiana is scented of blueberry, blood orange, black tea leaves, violet and damp earth. Medium-bodied, it floods the mouth with juicy, floral flavors, and its oak spice is effortlessly integrated. It’s framed by silky tannins and has a long, nuanced finish. 383 cases were made.

The NV Éclatant Brut is a composition of 48% Pinot Noir, 40% Chardonnay and 12% Pinot Meunier. Base wines were barrel-fermented, and this iteration is composed mainly of wine from the 2020 vintage (picked before the wildfires) plus 12% reserve wine. It spent four years en tirage and received 3.5 grams per liter dosage. Disgorged in June of 2025, it has layered aromas of red apples, toasted bread, iodine and saline. The palate is nuanced and mineral-driven with a luxurious, creamy texture. Bright acidity adds tension, and it has a long, elegant finish. Its seamless blend of orchard fruit and autolysis is more reminiscent of Champagne than some of the fruit-driven styles made in California. 137 cases were made.

Of Arceno’s two Gran Selezione, Strada al Sasso is the earthier and wilder in 2022, showing more of a Sangiovese accent. The nose layers animal musk and seaweed over orris root and amarena cherry, its aromatic intensity boosted by the sandstone-derived soils of this 420–450 m asl site. The palate keeps the same dark tone, led more by bitterness than acidity, a cacao bittersweetness giving it shape. Toward the back, tannins gather into a tight central strip, touched with a faint sweetness.

Succulent and generous, with lemon curd, ripe peach, marmalade and wildflower honey. Shows generous notes of tangerine, mango and orange blossoms, plus a hint of green tea, and juicy, mouthwatering acidity keeps the flavors fresh and in focus, especially on the long finish. Drink now through 2036.

Very chalky and dusty, showing golden raspberries and grapefruit on the nose as well as a burst of red raspberries and juicy cherries with pits on the palate. Brioche too. Rich and satisfying with a clean, dry finish. 88 months en tirage. Dosage 0 g/L. Disgorged 2024. Drink or hold.

Generous and salty, showing aromas of yellow apples, chalk and cream with a wonderfully dense texture and flavors of lemons, grapefruit, a little iodine and brioche. The crisp, dry finish has long minerality and a bit of richness. 88 months en tirage. Dosage 0.2 g/L. Disgorged August 2024. Drink or hold.

Lovely perfumed aromas of orange peel, black pepper and sandalwood. Medium-bodied, the mouthwatering palate has tense acidity and fine, elegant tannins with sweet spices and citrus zest in the finish. Drink or hold.

This plush, full-bodied wine shows ripe lemons, golden apples, yellow peaches and green mangoes with creme brulee and pleasant crushed-almond flavors. The finish carries baking spices and creaminess. Drink or hold.

Really juicy and pleasurable, showing chalky, dusty loam and grapefruit on the nose with tropical flavors and citrus on the palate. Medium-bodied with lime zest and minerals in the long finish. Drink or hold.

Aromas of chalk, bergamot, bright red fruit, hibiscus and subtle anise. Medium-bodied, the exuberant, juicy and succulent palate is very refreshing. Drink or hold.

A sweet nose of salted pineapple and green melon leads to nicely tart acidity with flavors of green apples and other plump orchard fruit. This luscious, flavorful, medium-bodied wine finishes clean and precise. Drink now.

A magenta/ruby color, the 2021 Chianti Classico Riserva kicks it up a notch on the nose,
with layered notes of Mediterranean herbs, sweet mixed berries, violets, and fresh leather.
The palate is very well-balanced, and I’m impressed with this wine for both its integration
and purity. It has refined tannins, wonderful purity of ripe fruit, and even acidity. It is a lovely
wine already but should age gracefully over the coming 12-15 years.

The dark ruby 2021 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Strada Al Sasso is lush with aromas of
black raspberry liqueur, fresh lavender, toasted cedar, and forest floor. The palate is plush
and expansive while retaining good freshness at this early stage, and the wine has a
rounded mouthfeel, with its more blue-fruited notes shining through the long finish. It’s
hard to resist now and should drink well over the coming 12-15 years.