A barrel sample (70% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Malbec) of the 2009 exhibits a deep ruby/plum/purple color in addition to aromas of black currants, sweet cherries, loamy soil, coffee and Christmas fruitcake. Medium-bodied, soft and fleshy, it may not reach the level of the 2008, 2007 or 2005, but will be a top notch effort.

The 2012 La Joie presents a much racier, silkier expression of fruit, with fewer of the savory notes found in the 2011, but more overt fruit. Raspberry jam, wild flowers, mint and sweet spices flow through to the finish. The 2011 is a dark, masculine wine, while the 2012 is more feminine, sensual and red-toned. It will be interesting to taste the two vintages side by side in a decade. My hunch is that the 2012 will prove to be slightly less complex than its older sibling, but time will tell.

The 2012 La Joie hits the palate with serious depth, power and structure. Dark plums, blackberry jam, graphite, grilled herbs and smoke literally jump from the glass. Deep, powerful and brooding, the 2012 is likely to require at least a few years to come together, but it is compelling, even at this early stage.

Verite's 2011 La Joie is a dark, brooding wine bursting with energy and intensity. Naturally, the 2011 is cool, inward and shut down as so many wines are in this vintage, but at the same time, it has tons of vibrancy. An exotic melange of blue/black fruits, graphite, pencil shavings, smoke and incense take shape in the glass. The 2011 La Joie is very much in line stylistically with other vintages, but it is just small-scaled, in keeping with the personality of the year. The blend is 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026.

Good deep ruby. Slightly reduced aromas and flavors of blackberry, cassis, licorice, rocky minerality, leather and pepper; a bit less expressive today than La Muse. Big, broad, dense and dry but not yet filled in; comes across as a bit youthfully musclebound and tannic today but not heavy. Juicy more than fleshy; very much a wine from a cooler year (the alcohol here is a moderate 13.8%). This will be slow to evolve.

Full medium ruby. Crushed cassis, licorice, menthol, minerals and violet on the very dark nose. Very concentrated and juicy but a bit youthfully imploded, with fruity, peppery acidity giving energy and lift to the middle palate. The very long, rising finish features building tannins and lingering black fruits.

The numerous Chardonnay vineyards are planted at 800 to as high as 1,800 feet (in the case of the Gravel Bench, Upper Barn and Broken Road vineyards). All are 100% Chardonnays largely made from the Old Wente clone with a small percentage of the Hyde clone, and are fermented with indigenous yeasts. Almost all of them spend 10-11 months in various percentages of new French oak, ranging from a low of 44% (the Estate Chardonnay) to a high of 100% (the Gravel Bench Chardonnay. The differences between the various cuvées are very subtle as they are all relatively full-bodied, rich, and aromatic with natural textures. As the scores attest, they are far more alike than dissimilar. My favorites include the 2013 Chardonnay Gravel Bench, which reveals amazing texture and richness as well as a honeyed crème brûlée intensity and striking minerality. The same can be said for the 2013 Chardonnay Broken Road as well as the 2013 Chardonnay Upper Barn, a parcel made famous by Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer when they were producing Chardonnay from this site under their Marcassin label. All of these wines are great Chardonnays that combine the best of California ripeness with the minerality, structure and delineation of a French white Burgundy.

The 2013 Chardonnay Red Point possesses notes of caramelized grapefruit, orange and tangerines along with impressive minerality.

Whoa. While the last bottle I had of this exhibited some stewed characteristics, absolutely none of that here. Big juicy red fruit on the nose and the palate with that characteristic Siduri balance. Yes, this is on the bigger side of Pinot, even a decade out, but when it is balanced, it can be a beautiful wine. Outstanding.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages A barrel sample blended of 85% Petite Sirah and 15% Syrah, the very deep garnet-black colored 2017 Petite Sirah gives up a wonderfully earthy nose to begin, featuring notes of mossy bark, fungi and black soil over a core of warm redcurrants and plums with hints of mulberries and spice box. The palate is full, rich and very firm with chewy tannins and a lively backbone supporting the generous fruit, finishing long.

A barrel sample, the 2016 Hartford Court Chardonnay Stone Côte gives up gorgeous ripe peach, apple pie and pineapple notions with touches of ginger, lightly browned toast and chalk dust. Medium to full-bodied with a silken texture, it has a refreshing backbone cutting through the intense stone fruit and spicy flavors, finishing long and minerally.

The 2015 Chardonnay Jennifer’s comes from a windy, cold Sebastopol Hills neighborhood from primarily the old Wente clone. Loads of orange marmalade, white peach and pineapple jump from the glass of this light gold wine, which has great precision and acidity. It is a super-concentrated, fleshy wine with a long, layering finish.

The 2014 Chardonnay Fog Dance Vineyard is from a hillside vineyard in the very cool-climate Green Valley, not far from the little “hippie” town of Forestville. Aged in 38% new French oak, the wine offers a light gold color with a greenish hue, hints of tangerine oil, pineapple, white peach and citrus. This is rich, full-bodied and stunningly proportioned, and much like all the other Chardonnays, the oak is very subtle and nuanced. This is another tour de force in Chardonnay winemaking from winemaker Jeff Stewart.

The 2012 Chardonnay Stone Cote Vineyard (a block within the Durell Vineyard planted on gravelly riverbed soils) is 100% barrel-fermented and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Made from a combination of Old Wente clones and some of the newer Chardonnay clones, it exhibits a terrific wet rock/powdered stone-like minerality along with beautiful aromas of exotic fruits (mangoes and tangerines), great intensity, full body, terrific acidity, and 14.8% alcohol. This beautiful Burgundian-styled Chardonnay should be enjoyed over the next 7-8 years.

A barrel sample, the 2016 Hartford Zinfandel Hartford Vineyard is deep garnet-purple in color, offering blackberry pie, fruitcake and plum preserves notions with touches of licorice, Indian spices and garrigue. Full-bodied, rich and pleasantly chewy in the mouth, the remarkable freshness cuts through the densely packed berry preserves layers, finishing on a savory note.

A barrel sample, the 2016 Hartford Zinfandel Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard is deep garnet-purple in color and opens with black forest cake, tar and black soil notes over a core of crème de cassis and blueberry preserves, plus a touch of Sichuan pepper. Full-bodied, savory and chewy in the mouth, it has a lovely understated character with a good long, harmonious finish.

Lots of dark-berry and chocolate character with hints of smoky wood now. Full-bodied, juicy and flavorful. Soft and round tannins.

Pale gold, with a green hue. Potent scents of pit fruit nectar, seaweed, anise and smoky minerals, with sexy floral and mace notes adding complexity. Stains the palate with intense nectarine and pear flavors that are braced by a strong mineral quality. There's an intensity here that's really impressive. Refuses to let go on the finish, which strongly echoes the anise and floral notes.

USA, California: All Along the Central Coast – The 2017 Vintage in Paso Robles and Beyond The 2017 Pinot Noir Jackson Estate Seco Highlands, aged 10 months in 30% new French oak, has a pale to medium ruby color and opens with some reductive notes of struck match/gunflint. With air, it offers olive, woodsmoke, bacon fat, roasted cranberries, dried citrus peel, tree bark and amaro aromas. Medium-bodied and silky, it's intense and expressive in the mouth, with a firm frame of grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and bitters laced. This needs more time in bottle or a good decant.

La Jota's 2022 Cabernet Franc Howell Mountain offers up pretty violet, leafy and herbal
shadings set against a mulberry-tinged background of fruit. A blend of 90% Cabernet Franc
and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 22 months in 72% new French oak, it's full-bodied and
velvety-textured, yet firms up on the tannic finish, so while it's approachable now, it should
also age well.

I’d sit down and hook into this in a heartbeat. It’s a chardonnay with drinkability written all over it. Stonefruit, tonic water, lemon sherbet, musk and smoky bacon notes come drenched in nashi pear and cream. It’s dry, lively, well-fruited and flavoursome, but the finish has that slightly briny, slightly grapefruit-y edge that makes you want more. Yes please to this one.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Ridgecrest Vineyard is coy in the glass, as coaxing slowly reveals balsamic black cherries, rosemary and spiced citrus. It feels round, with cool-toned acidity and crisp wild berry fruit that gradually saturate the palate while an air of lavender swirls throughout. The finish is structured and long, leaving a coating of gripping tannins offset by a bump of residual acidity as a hint of licorice fades.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Telluric wafts up with a vivid blend of crushed cherries and wild strawberries complemented by nuances of white pepper and cracked chalk. Racy and spry, it offers tart wild berry fruit elevated by tantalizing acidity while a tinge of sour citrus adds lively tension toward the close. The 2022 finishes with chewy concentration and a saturation of edgy tannins. It leaves the mouth watering for more through the long and gently tannic finish.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Triple Black Slopes mixes licorice, lavender and dried black cherries. Silken in form, it offers juicy acidity and a cascade of wild berry fruits complicated by chalk mineral tones. Echoes of wild herbs and inner florals arch across the palate. The finish is complex, with a pleasantly bitter twang and nuances of white pepper.

Light crimson. Fresh pure red cherry, strawberry aromas with hints of bush garrigue. Supple and fleshy in texture with unfold in pure red cherry, strawberry, chinotto flavours, fine loose-knit chalky textures, attractive mid palate richness and fresh mineral acidity. Much weightier than the colour suggests. Crunchy and juicy at the finish. From 1962-planted vines. Drink now – 2028