Bright purple fruit with lifted notes of bramble berries, violets and bergamot. The palate is full-bodied with chewy tannins, a lush mouthfeel, fine acidity and notes of dark plums, cocoa, sage and red peppercorns. A blend of multiple blocks made up of 98% Cabernet Sauvignon with smaill amounts of petit verdot, merlot and malbec. Drink or hold.

Vibrant nose with notes of blackcurrants, cassia bark and cloves. The palate is full-bodied with firm tannins and bright acidity, showing notes of blackberries, cedar and spices. Drink or hold.

A single-vineyard wine with aromas of blackberries, mocha and coffee. The palate is full-bodied with firm tannins and acidity and notes of blackcurrant compote, chocolate and dried herbs. Very powerful. Drink or hold.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Hapgood is a classic Brewer-Clifton wine. It offers gorgeous red cherry fruit and a decidedly spicy, exotic quality from the whole clusters. Sweet pipe tobacco, cedar, mint, cinnamon and dried flowers linger. This cold site on sandy soils is so distinctive, as are the wines it yields.

The 2022 Pinot Noir 3D opens with captivating aromatics. Crushed flowers, sweet red-toned fruit, rose petal, mint and blood orange all grace the bouquet. The purity of the fruit is compelling, while stem inclusion (always very high here) is barely evident.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Barbara’s Clone 667 shows an earthier profile of Pinot. Dried leaves, mint, cedar, tobacco and crushed red berry fruit open nicely in the glass. This is an especially savory Santa Maria Pinot with a lot of nuance, but the fruit is pushed more into the background.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Mesa Terrace is bright, high-toned and vibrant in the glass. Crushed flowers, mint, spice, dried herbs and clean mineral notes all run through this nervy, expressive Pinot. There’s terrific energy and verve here.

Lastly, the 2021 Pinot Noir Signature Collection Barbara's (Clone 667) offers a similar translucent ruby hue as well as classy notes of candied cherries, framboise, classy oak, spring flowers, and baking spices. If anything, the oak is slightly better integrated here, and it's medium-bodied, has a pure, elegant mouthfeel, finely polished tannins, and a great finish. If you're oak averse, you'll need to give this a year or two, but it’s a classy, impeccably balanced, elegant Pinot Noir with tons to love.

Bright, deep purple colour; aromas of dark plum and blackberry with a slightly smoked-meaty reductive overtone. The wine is rich and deeply fruit-sweet on the palate. Blackberry conserve. Luscious fruit and abundant soft, powdery tannins. (Blewitt Springs).

Tart and fresh aromas of red plum, strawberry and lightly toasted sage and marjoram draw the nose into this zesty, widely available bottling. The palate lands with pleasantly brisk pomegranate and cran-raspberry flavors, as lavender and rose-petal qualities add nuance. Editors’ Choice.

This one takes you back to childhood, as the bouquet echoes lemon taffy and Starburst candies—the perceived sweetness of those candies persists, as does a burnt caramel component that is a pleasing finish to a fun-to-drink wine.

Rich with lots of dark fruits and chocolate here, and grainy tannins. There's also a chalkiness to this wine, perhaps due to the good tannic structure, that gives it dimension and ageability.

Pineapple, bananas, coconuts and lemon cake are par for the course. So is soft, sweet lemon creme pie on the palate. Fantastic acid profile that tells the story of its vines and that of the Sonoma Coast.

Fresh wild strawberries on the nose and palate with a silken texture. Being the West Sonoma Coast AVA, the Sealift Vineyard has close proximity to the ocean, imparting a saline spray all over the grapes and, subsequently, into the wine.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Conifer impresses with its old-school bouquet, blending flowery underbrush and worn leather with spiced orange and dried black cherries. It sweeps across the palate with soft yet lifted textures, coming across as energetic and spry with citrus-tinged red berry fruits that slowly saturate. Cola and spice cake notes gradually fade as the 2021 finishes juicy and fresh yet incredibly long, with a framewrok of fine tannins. This is a total pleasure to taste.

Chamomile hints complement a blend of freshly sliced pears and yellow apples as the 2021 Chardonnay Dropstone slowly blossoms in the glass. This shows its minerality up front, salty and savory, with a sensation of liquid stone that mixes with ripe green apples. It finishes fresh and crunchy yet still potent. A candied lime tinge calls the taster back to the glass for more.

An enticing blend of cherry sauce, cola and clove introduces the 2021 Pinot Noir Emery. Soothingly round and supple, it washes across the palate with a cascade of ripe red berry fruits underscored by tactile minerals. A juicy, acidic core maintains fantastic energy throughout. This leaves a web of fine tannins and a crunchy sensation, finishing long and potent yet nicely framed as a tart blackberry concentration fades slowly.

The 2021 Chardonnay La Crete opens in the glass with a mix of dusty dried flowers, ground ginger and nectarine. This displays lovely depth and complexity, with soothingly round textures and masses of mineralinflected, ripe orchard fruits, all guided by brisk acidity. It leaves a citrusy concentration and edgy tannins to mingle under an air of sweet spice as the mouth waters for more.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Zena Crown is dark and brooding in the glass. Crushed stones and flowery underbrush give way to ginger, clove and dried black cherries. This is a juicy and playful effort, with ripe wild berry fruits and hints of candied citrus motivated by vibrant acidity. It firms up through the finish with a web of fine tannins, adding youthful poise. A bitter licorice tinge tugs at the cheeks, and hints of chalk dust slowly fade. Both accessible and refined, the 2021 Zena Crown is a pleasure to taste.

A transparent medium red color, the 2021 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard is spicy on the nose with notes of fresh, ripe cherries, pine needles, wildflowers, and porcini. From classic sedimentary soils, at moderate elevation, the wine is medium-bodied, juicy, and savory with sweet tannins and a good bit of length and purity that lasts on the fresh finish. It’s another charming wine that is going to drink well over the next 6-8 years.

The 2016 Blanc De Blancs comes from a great Chardonnay vintage in the Willamette Valley and pours a medium golden color. Expressive with notes of ripe peach, bread dough, tangerine, and frangipane, it was raised both in stainless steel and barrel, without going through malolactic fermentation. The palate is medium to full-bodied, and the wine is generous and ripe but fully dry, with a pithy structure, a peppery mousse, and a savory finish. A really solid and serious Blanc de Blancs, it’s drinking well now, but its structure should provide quality enjoyment over the coming 6-8 years.

Poppy but carrying a good deal of complexity, the 2022 Gamay Noir Flavorscape comes from 30-year-old own-rooted Gamay and has a fantastic nose, with aromas of wild raspberries, white pepper, fresh herbs, and pine. Medium-bodied, it has fine polished tannins, refreshing, ripe acidity, and a beautiful, tapered finish. I highly encourage readers to find this fun but very, very well-made wine. Drink 2024-2029.

A well-rounded, serious and textural gran selezione showing notes of dark cherries, cassis and baking spices. Full-bodied with sinewy tannins. Well driven and structured, with a juicy core of berries at the center and a textured finish with length. Drink or hold.

A well-balanced, velvety and harmonious riserva. Aromas of plums, spiced cherries and violets dominate on the nose, following through to a medium body with fine tannins. Subtle and juicy, with a vivid stream of berries at the center and a flavorful, lively finish. Drink or hold.

Dusty and cedary nose of dark berries, toasted spices and hints of dried herbs. Dry and a little tight on the palate, with raw, chewy tannins. Medium-bodied. I like the fruit concentration and succulent mid-palate, yet it needs a bit more time to integrate the tannins. Try after 2027.