From a south-facing site directly adjacent to Cascade, the 2023 Pinot Noir Upland was
fermented entirely in stainless steel and pours a youthful ruby/magenta hue. The first fruit
harvested each year, it offers wild raspberry coulis, black raspberry, brambly herbs, and
wet stone. Medium-bodied, it has a silky texture, even acidity, restrained richness (despite
being the most opulent Pinot from the site), and a graceful, floating finish. Drink 2026-2040.

The 2018 Blanc de Blancs is wonderfully pure on the palate, though the nose carries a
touch of creaminess that never follows through in the glass. Pouring a platinum/straw color,
it reveals ripe peach, meringue, poached apple, lemon curd, fresh flowers, and delicate
pastry notes. Full-bodied, it has exceptional clarity, bright acidity, a beautifully refined
mousse, and outstanding persistence. This is easily the best sparkling wine I've tasted from
Shane Moore so far. Drink 2026-2036

Pouring a bright but pale yellow hue, the 2024 Chardonnay Jory Hills is savory, with subtle
aromas of golden apples, mint, pilsner, and orange pith. Medium-bodied, it has a juicy,
refreshing palate highlighted by notes of fresh pineapple. It's bottled under screwcap, and I
like the palate considerably more than the nose. Drink over the near term.

The 2023 Cabernet Franc has 80% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot, and 5% Malbec in the blend. Deep garnet-purple in color, it shimmies out of the glass with vibrant notes of red cherries, red currant preserves, and fresh blueberries, followed by hints of roses, clove oil, and pencil lead. The medium-bodied palate is elegant and perfumed with a rich line and fine-grained texture framing the red and blue fruit layers, finishing long and minerally.

The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon has 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot in the blend. Deep garnet-purple in color, it pops from the glass with exuberant notes of warm cassis, blueberry preserves, and black raspberries, followed by nuances of mint tea, lavender, and pencil shavings. The medium-bodied palate delivers a fine-grained texture with a lively line to support the bright black and blue fruit flavors, finishing on a minty note. 

Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, the 2024 Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard shimmies out of the glass with vibrant notes of red currants, kirsch, and forest floor, followed by touches of wild thyme and orange peel. Full-bodied, the palate reveals a fine-grained texture and great tension framing the muscular red berry flavors, finishing long with a zesty kick.

Lavish aromas of black cherry cola and lavender show just a tinge of dank herb on the nose of this always stellar bottling. The pallet is rounded and juicy, offering blackberry pie and even lilac flavors, as well as that balancing kick of minty herb.

Broad and plush in feel, with a core of flattering and rather ripe boysenberry and black currant confiture that spills through slowly, laced liberally with singed cedar, espresso crema and ink notes. An echo of cold charcoal lingers as the fruit holds the finish. Offers more oomph than purity but is well-rendered. Best from 2028 through 2041.—J.M.

An intense and floral wine with fresh violets, lemon leaves, red cherries, pomegranates, wax and earth on the nose. The attack is firm, with a medium body, chalky but chewy tannins and flower flavors. Crisp and juicy in the finish, with a blood orange aftertaste. Drinkable now, but best from 2026.

This is showing a little more oak than is ideal, early days and all, but the fruit is excellent, so too the structure and indeed the length. Hold off for 12 months and this will be a ripper. Berries aplenty, woodsy spice notes, flashes of whole bunch complexity and a sinewy, smoky, cherry-berried finish. Tonic, cherries and smokes is the wine’s News In Brief, with twiggy structure accompanying.

What a delicious expression of cool-climate chardonnay this wine presents. For value and for quality you could ask for little more. It’s squeaky with flavour, of the peach and citrus and grapefruit kind, with pear, brine and roasted nut characters also present – but a long way from being dangerous. It sounds boring – it’s not – but cohesion and balance are the heroes here. It’s a wine of tension, flavour, complexity and spread, and of a bit extra too, but none of these assets is pushed too hard. Absolutely Yes on this one.

This is broad, rich and muscular but flows with freshness at an even-handed pace. The core of red currant and plum fruit is focused and backed by lively cedar, mesquite, savory and dried iris accents. A steady note of iron chimes through the well-structured finish, with the vintage’s succulent edge providing reserve energy. Best from 2028 through 2043. —J.M.

What a delicious expression of cool-climate chardonnay this wine presents. For value and for quality you could ask for little more. It’s squeaky with flavour, of the peach and citrus and grapefruit kind, with pear, brine and roasted nut characters also present – but a long way from being dangerous. It sounds boring – it’s not – but cohesion and balance are the heroes here. It’s a wine of tension, flavour, complexity and spread, and of a bit extra too, but none of these assets is pushed too hard. Absolutely Yes on this one.

A superspicy, modern Gallo Nero, showing vanilla, coconut, cassis and eucalyptus. Medium-bodied, firm and extracted, with crisp acidity and velvety tannins that are a bit sticky at the moment but will evolve. Polished graphite finish. Drinkable now but best from 2027.

The 2023 Chardonnay Dropstone opens with a bouquet of wildflowers and Jordan almonds, complemented by pretty white peach. It envelops the palate with masses of ripe apple and pear, elevated by juicy acidity as a crunch of minerality forms toward the close. It tapers off long and gently structured, leaving nuances of candied citrus and mint to fade.

The 2023 Pinot Noir Dropstone cascades from the glass with a spicy blend of crushed black cherries, rosemary, orange zest and clove. It is elegant in feel, with silken depths of ripe red and black fruits carried by waves of tantalizing acidity. Long and staining yet balanced, the 2023 leaves a tart citrus tinge and nuances of blackberry.

The 2023 Kiana Pinot Noir mixes confectionery spices with dried black cherries and nuances of mint to form a darkly inviting bouquet. Savory and sweet notes mingle on the palate, as tart wild berry fruits flow across a silken textural wave offset by salty mineral tones toward the close. It leaves the palate stained with primary concentration as fine-grained tannins flex upon the senses, alleviated by a sour citrus twang.

The 2023 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard opens with a display of crushed blueberries and blackberries complemented by nuances of sage and stone dust. It is round in feel, with vibrant acidity and a solid core of ripe red and blue fruits that envelop the senses, while a tinge of licorice builds toward the close. This finishes with staining length, tense and firm, yet only lightly structured, leaving a subtle citrus inflection.

The 2023 Pinot Noir Pas de Nom is darkly floral and understated in the glass, as plums, blackberries, autumnal spices and dried blood orange emerge. It is surprisingly lifted on the palate, with silken textures and a cascade of ripe wild berry fruits over a saturation of crunchy mineral tones. Violet inner florals linger over a staining of licorice as the 2023 finishes spicy and gently tannic.

This appellation blend offers much of the same energy and juiciness that makes this brand's single-vineyard bottlings sing. Bright aromas go strawberry, crushed rocks and eucalyptus leaf decorate the nose. The palate is full of cherry and rose flavors that are cut by a pine needle kick.

The 2025 Pinot Noir Dakél Viñedo Mar y Cerro from Portezuelo, Quirihue, Itata shows an engaging, fruit-driven nose with pronounced sensuality. Oak is slightly elevated at this early stage following recent bottling, tasted one month after release, bringing notes of vanilla and sour cherry. Broad and indulgent, it flows across the palate with a rich, enveloping feel that is still marked by its youth in bottle.

The 2022 Chardonnay Dakél, from Itata, is expressive and layered. With notes of acacia, soft apple, a touch of reduction and gentle herbs, it is broad and flavorful on the palate. Hints of ginger and ripe fruit enrich the texture. Slightly oily, long and intense, this is a Chardonnay inspired by Burgundy, crafted with a Californian touch and rooted in the Chilean coast.

There's a rich set of dark raspberry and black cherry aromas on the nose of this bottling that are quickly cut by light thyme and turned earth elements. The palate's berry and plum fruit flavors are hit with sharp spice and wild herb edges.

This appellation cuvée is a winner, beginning with aromas of black cherry, black raspberry, loamy soil, and minty pine on the nose. The palate is tense in texture, as sticky, even waxy, tannins frame flavors of ripe cherry and forest herb.

There’s a lovely freshness here, with floral and saline-edged aromas supported by delicate notes of honeysuckle, lemon confit and mandarin oranges. The palate shows great tension and purity, driven by a mineral line of acidity. Pristine and generous, without any of the fleshiness of warmer vintages. Drink or hold. Screw cap.