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.

Peach and lemon curd, spice and lime zest, subtle toasted nut thing happening. It’s rich and glossy, but tight in acidity, delivering a wine of quite some volume, that’s also nicely balanced. There’s a savoury and saline character too, a little flintiness, grapefruity acidity, and a long lightly buttery finish. Very good. I like it.

The 2020 Dry Riesling comes from vines planted in 1997-1998 at around 1,000 feet in elevation on a southeast-facing block, where fruit is farmed to avoid botrytis. Harvested at 21.3 brix, it was kept on its lees in 600-liter Austrian and German barrels and stainless steel until bottling. It offers expressive aromas of lime candy, white peach, dried chamomile, beeswax and petrichor. The light-bodied palate is focused and mineral-driven, with pleasantly candied fruits and a touch of phenolic texture drawing out the finish. Well-balanced, it captures sunny California fruit with lots of freshness and focus.

The 2006 Le Desir, a blend of 49% Cabernet Franc, 41% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Malbec, is offering a fine balance of concentrated fruit and mature savoriness. It has a deep garnet color and singular aromas of Morello cherries, mint chocolate, coffee grounds, aniseed and black truffles. The palate is still muscular, with gently chewy tannins, fresh acidity, intense fruits and complex savory layers on the finish. It will continue to evolve in bottle over the next decade.

The 2006 La Joie is made up of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot and 3% Malbec. Deep garnet, it opens with a flourish of savory spices: mushroom, green olive, decaying leaves and tea tree oil mingle with tones of iron and old leather. The palate is holding onto a core of dried cherry fruit, juicy acidity and grainy, softening tannins, finishing long and layered. It's a touch more mature than the La Muse at this stage, although it will continue to offer pleasure over the next 5-8 years.

Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2019 Pinot Noir Sea Lift is pure and expressive on the nose, with scents of blueberries, bergamot, violets and tea leaves, plus tinges of fragrant earth and Angostura bitters. The medium-bodied palate explodes with intense, floral-laced fruits. It offers addicting bursts of refreshing acidity, a silky frame and an array of dark spices defining the long finish. Lovely! It was bottled after 10 months in 38% new French oak, and 256 cases were made.

The 2017 Merlot Keyes Vineyard, aged 19 months in 25% new French oak, has a medium to deep ruby color and slowly blossoming aromas of crushed black cherries and blueberries, sage, violet, cured meats, thyme and coffee beans. The full-bodied palate has a fine, grainy tannic frame, detailed, perfumed fruits and a long, elegant finish. So classy!

The 2019 Pinot Noir Stormin' was matured for 16 months in 48% new French oak. It has a medium ruby color and lush scents of black cherries, blueberries, bergamot and turned earth. The palate is silky and fresh with youthfully coiled fruits and a long, spicy finish. It could use another 2-3 years in bottle to unwind.

The 2018 Pinot Noir Nine Barrel, aged 14 months in 40% new French oak, has a medium ruby-purple color and alluring scents of cranberry sauce, blood orange, blueberries and cinnamon. The medium-bodied palate boasts concentrated berry fruits, grainy tannins, bright acidity and a long, spicy finish.

The 2018 Chardonnay Nine Barrels, matured 14 months in 50% new oak, has pretty scents of apple pie, roasted almonds, brioche, jasmine and top notes of Meyer lemon. The satiny, medium-bodied palate offers a dichotomy of of concentrated, creamy fruits and bright acidity, and it finishes long and flavorful.

The 2019 Zinfandel Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard comes from more than 100-year-old vines and was aged for 10 months in 33% new French oak. It has a deep ruby-purple color and is bursting with spicy aromas of red cherries, peaches, eucalyptus, white pepper and fennel. The medium-bodied palate is grainy and fresh, with a flourish of spicy and herbal accents defining the long finish.

From head-trained vines more than 100 years old, the 2019 Zinfandel Dina's Vineyard was aged in 40% new French oak for 10 months and has a hedonistic expression. Deep ruby-purple, it's scented of black and red cherries, lavender and cast iron with an undercurrent of earthy accents. Full-bodied, rich and spicy, it floods the mouth with concentrated yet nuanced fruit. It has a supporting frame of grainy tannins and bright bursts of acidity that drive the licorice-laced finish.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Warrior Princess comes from the Zena Crown Vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills. Matured in 31% new French oak for 15 months, it has a medium ruby color and soaring aromas of cranberries, raspberries and rhubarb, mushrooms, tobacco and bitters. The palate is delicate and silky, bursting with fragrant flavors, supported by a soft, grainy texture and boasting a long, ethereal finish. It has a compelling dynamic of saline top notes and broody undertones and will be long lived in the cellar as its layered flavors unwind.