Of course a wine made with fruit from the Zena Crown Vineyard would be named Warrior Princess. The wine’s blue- WINE ENTHUSIAST | 41 berry and plum aromas are spiced up by fresh and clean bursts of pine needles and cut grass. While the wine’s tannins are brawny, the elevated acidity is as sharp as Gabrielle’s spear. Enjoy now–2036.

This wine is supple and bright, with aromas of white peach, apple, citrus and acacia honey. The flavors are ripe Golden Delicious apple, nectarine and orange cream, with a dry long finish. Pair with grilled sea bass.

This wine is fresh and lively, with citrus, dried herbs, white flowers and mineral on the nose. On the palate are pink grapefruit, Makrut lime and quince, with a juicy dry finish. Pair with fish tacos and sunshine.

The 2022 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard is one of the bigger wines in the lineup, with darker strawberry and redcurrant fruit as well as sappy herbs, spice, and subtle orange blossom-like nuances. I love its overall balance, and it's medium-bodied, with a soft, silky mouthfeel and a great finish. It should continue drinking beautifully through 2032.

Impressive for its purity and fleshy black cherry flavors, with details of pomegranate, strawberry and fresh herb details of thyme, sage and rosemary on a crisp, juicy frame. Accents of cherry cola and red licorice, as well as polished tannins. leave a lasting impression on the finish. Drink now through 2035.

Expressive and charming, showing cherry, strawberry and rose flavors driven by the vibrant structure, which keeps everything focused.

The 2022 Roux Beaute Roussanne is a wine of component parts: 52% of the final wine spent 120 days on skins in ceramic egg prior to pressing; the other part of the wine was whole-bunch basket pressed into ceramic eggs and fermented sans skins. Blended, it then rested in egg for a further four months prior to bottling. The wine has notes of creamed honey on cold toast, enoki mushroom, white tea, cheesecloth, bitter almonds, beach sand, white pear and wet concrete, along with apple skins and scratched mandarin, incense ash and white pineapple. Much of the nature of Roussanne has been remolded via this wine's construction and has been shaped into a spectrum of white, beige and bone. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

Gawie du Bois' farm in Koelenhof is the source of this lightly wooded Chenin Blanc. Showing the concentration of a parcel planted in 1985, it has pear, lime and passion fruit flavours, subtle wood and a chiselled, tapering finish. Salty, pithy and complex. 2025-30

A significantly different beast that stands a good distance apart from its Giant Steps Yarra Valley Pinot Noir siblings. Sourced from the Nocton Vineyard in Tasmania's Coal River Valley, part of Giant Steps’ single-vineyard releases since 2017. There is richness and power from the mix of Pinot clones MV6, D5V12 and G8V3, which are treated differently – some whole bunches fermented in oak, others destemmed and cold-soaked in a mix of oak and steel fermenters. The resulting wine has a sensuous perfume with heavy black cherry and blueberry notes, while the palate is kept lean by stern acidity. It’s unyielding in its youth, with a tightly wound finish exaggerated by hard, gritty tannins that should relax after at least two more years.

A concentrated and brooding red, with deep blackberry and red currant flavors framed by toasty spice and mocha espresso notes as this builds tension toward broad-shouldered tannins. Needs time. Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec. Best from 2026 through 2033.

Richly styled yet muscular in structure, with deep flavors of blackberry and red currant highlighted by espresso, cedar and mineral notes as this builds tension toward tightly wound tannins. Needs time. Best from 2026 through 2032.

A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot, and 1% Merlot aged 18 months in 47% new French oak. Grapes were sourced from two estate vineyards, one in Oakville and one in Calistoga, with additional sources from valley floor to benchlands and mountain sites, making this a real snapshot of Napa in any given vintage. Case production in 2021 was a little over 11,000, which is about half the production in typical years. Moving forward, production will hover between 12,000 and 15,000 cases. Something longtime collectors of Freemark Abbey will want to note is that under Melton's supervision, the wines are being made in a more fruit-forward style with careful attention to toasting barrels at lower temperatures for longer periods of time to broaden the tannins in the mid-palate, while elevating the spectrum of fruit character and layering it with more baking spice notes, as opposed to saturated, rich, toasty oak. Indeed, this is quite evident in 2021, which boasts a very pretty bouquet that is more subtle than in years past and less smoky and toasty, more in the light graham cracker and baking spice arena with red currant fruit, tinged with vanilla and sandalwood. Medium-bodied on the palate, with red currant and black cherry fruit along with very fine, gentle tannins that have excellent presence and length. A really wonderfully textured Cabernet with a nice grip and elegance of fruit, never overbearing, thoroughly nuanced and laced with fragrant dried herb notes throughout. Starting with the 2021 vintage, winemaker Kristy Melton reduced the number of months the Napa tier of Cabernet Sauvignon ages in oak from 24-30 months down to 18-20 months. Additionally, beginning with the 2022 vintage, all the single vineyard wines will be unfined and unfiltered.

This wine is rich, with aromas of mulberry, blackberry, black licorice, toasty oak and dried flowers on the nose. The flavors on the palate are huckleberry coulis, blueberry, orange brûlée and baking spice, interwoven with bittersweet chocolate, dried chicory and a dry finish. Decant and enjoy with grilled proteins

Cranberry and raspberry aromas meet with baking spice and a touch of game on the nose of this bottling. The palate engages on multiple fronts, throwing charcuterie and pepper spice against the rich red fruit as herbs emerge on the finish. 

This wine is opulent, with aromas of dark berries, plum, cedar, violets, black licorice and toasted oak on the nose. The flavors on the palate are dark cherry, black currant confiture and star anise, intertwined with bramble raspberry, bittersweet chocolate, black tea, allspice and a dry, supple finish. Decant and pair with meaty fish or poultry.

This wine is lively, crisp with aromas of yellow apple, citrus, melon and honeysuckle on the nose. The flavors on the palate are Key lime cream and yellow apple, interwoven with mineral, citrus blossom and a dry, supple finish. Pair with grilled Gulf prawns in lemon butter sauce.

This is a bright and joyous version of old-vine Zin. Aromas of crystalline cherry, lemonade and purple flower dominate the nose. The palate balances blackberry, tangerine and zesty lemon flavors with grippy tannin and racy acidity

This graceful red is fragrant with rose petal, raspberry and orange peel accents that glide on the silky finish toward polished tannins. Drink now through 2031. 148 cases made. 

Wide and dense, the 2022 Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard is all about pure, perfectly delineated fruit. The ripeness level is spot-on – it’s clear that they nailed the pick date. Cola, black raspberry and baking spice give this weight and grounding, leading to a long, cinnamon-dusted finish laced with salty, irony minerality. Super-polished tannins give this some heft, but there’s ample freshness and immediacy to balance. I quite like this interpretation of Soberanes – not shy, but not overdone.

Precise and refined, this red shows brooding flavors of blueberry and pomegranate that take on dusky spice and black tea accents as this builds toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2032. 

Dark and almost briary, with vibrant black cherry flavors that take on forest floor, orange peel and black tea accents as this picks up speed and tension toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2032.

The 2020 Lassegue is a blend of 60% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple colored, it comes skipping out with notes of blueberry pie, baked plums, and spice cake, plus hints of fragrant soil and potpourri. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers chewy tannins and a refreshing line to support the black fruit layers, finishing long and spicy.

The 2021 Anakota Cabernet Sauvignon is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple colored, it springs from the glass with vivacious notes of red currant jelly, crushed blackberries, and black raspberries, followed by underlying hints of dried Provence herbs, lavender, and graphite. The medium to full-bodied palate is light on its feet and styled with compelling restraint, framed by fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with an herbal lift.

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.