All about tar, this grenache opens to the lanolin and green, woody-herb scents of rosemary-laced lamb. Voluptuous in its oaken depths, inviting in its fragrance of strawberry leaf, the wine offers persistent and fresh flavors while the tannins seem to stick against the walls of the mouth, then slowly fade away. From bush vines planted in deep sands in 1946, this grows at the highest block at Yangarra, up to 680 feet above the Gulf St. Vincent. Peter Fraser allows the grapes to ferment spontaneously, half of them as whole berries, then matures the free-run juice on its lees in used French oak and ceramic eggs.

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. 

Medium ruby, the 2019 Pinot Noir Conifer opens very meaty and savory, taking time to reveal aniseed, tobacco and a core of dark cherries. Soft and refreshing, the medium-bodied palate features restrained, earth-laced fruit and a long, spicy finish.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley, blended with 2% Merlot, was aged 24 months in 40% new French oak. It has a deep ruby color and aromas of cassis with accents of graphite, sage,tobacco leaves and thyme. The full-bodied texture is grainy and fresh with a seamless feel and balanced ripeness, finishing long and detailed. 3,265 cases were made

The 2019 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley has a medium ruby color and scents of cranberries and orange peel with accents of potpourri,dried tobacco, shiitake mushroom and earth. The medium-bodied palate has an alluring, dusty texture, energetic bursts of acidity highlighting citrus and tea leaf character, and it closes with a very long finish. This vintage, most of the fruit was sourced from Willakenzie's estate vineyards in Yamhill-Carlton, with just 30% coming from the Dundee Hills.

The 2019 Chardonnay Willamette Valley is scented of goldenapples, hay and beeswax with wafts of chamomile and hazelnuts.The medium-bodied palate is satiny in texture and expansive,offering gently honeyed fruits and a burst of freshness that carriesthe finish. It offers the pairing of intensity and weightlessness that seems to characterize many of the 2019 Chardonnays in WillametteValley.

A perfumed nose of wild berries, dark cherries, plums, undergrowth, graphite and some dark chocolate. Full-bodied with fine tannins. The palate is creamy with texture and balance. Flavorful finish with excellent length. Best after 2025.

Yangarra's Roussanne is as rich and opulent as its gold hue suggests. It's less about honeydew melon and lemon fruit and more about saline, ginger and cream, all ensconced in a sleek texture and buoyed by citrusy acidity. There's concentration, poise, character and class. Highly food friendly. Drink now—2030.

Well concentrated in flavor and firm in texture, this vivid, meaty, cherry-infused wine holds its fruit flavors in moderate tannins. The nervy feel balances ripe raspberries and red cherries that build on the palate. Best from 2025.

A warm-vintage blend of 60% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Valadorna is exceptionally soft and velvety, in a most pleasurable way. Merlot is the star of the wine, and although there are doubts concerning its performance in a changing climate, this wine delivers the goods. You get it all: volume, depth and complexity. You also get a noticeable 15% alcohol content. Production is 12,350 bottles.

This is a terrific value. The 2019 Il Fauno di Arcanum shows an inky dark color with thick concentration and lots of luscious dark fruit. This blend of 43% Merlot, 32% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot is modern and very well crafted. It would pair nicely across from steak or tender lamb chops. An ample 113,100 bottles were released.

The 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva shows velvety richness and good textural support. This comes thanks to the warmer microclimate and thicker soils, sometimes with a lot of clay, that distinguish the Castelnuovo Berardenga region of Chianti Classico. The finish is dry and long, but there is plenty of sweet earth, dark fruit, plum and balanced cherry in the mix. This is a 54,500-bottle release.

The 2019 Chianti Classico Riserva (90% Sangiovese and the rest Merlot) takes on more spiced layers of smoke, cedar, menthol, and blackberry. It is full-bodied, with snappy acidity and fine tannins, and is noted with redcurrant, orange zest, tea leaf, and clove. Hold another year or two and drink 2025-2035.

Made from a single vineyard planted in 1999, this 2020 King's Wood presents a rich fruit core with subtle touches. Dark cherry and blueberry aromas are lifted by clove and fennel seed with ample volume and weight, with oak hardly in play. Mouth-filling levels of flavor follow, but with delicious delicacy illustrated by violet and old spice complexity. A solid base of tannins will see this wine drink well over the medium term.

The 2019 High Sands delivers a powerful expression as it oozes with ethereal red licorice, baked earth and tobacco leaf aromas, with strong and attractive earthy undertones. Dry with a velveteen texture, it delivers waves of flavor punctuated by bright acidity before finishing with supple tannins.

Thanks to its classic style, the 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon Trueman, with a touch of Malbec, will appeal to Cabernet tragics. It opens with bright, expressive aromas of well ripened blackcurrants, graphite and crushed leaves. These flavors are closely aligned with a liberal serving of mocha oak. The palate is defined by its mix of acidity and sinewy tannins, which underpin stylish blackberry and cedary flavors through a long, seamless finish. Beautiful now but also has the integrity to enjoy over the medium term.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Cougar Ridge offers a compelling mix of opulence and hillside structure. Super-ripe red cherry/plum fruit, rose petal, mint, sweet spice and blood orange all meld together. This is an especially overt, racy style, and yet there is plenty of supporting structure here.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Van der Kamp Vineyard is one of the most distinctive wines in this range. Then again, Van der Kamp is an incredibly singular site. Bright floral and mineral accents complement a core of sweet red berry fruit in a beautifully layered, vibrant Pinot that impresses with its balance and persistence. Give the 2019 a few years to come together.

The 2019 Chardonnay (Alexander Valley) is one of the hidden gems in this range, as it so often is. Rich and tropical, but also light on its feet, the 2019 is a total knockout. All the elements are so nicely balanced. There's terrific complexity and plenty of character. The purity of the flavors is compelling. A hint of new oak frames the finish nicely.

The 2018 Merlot Jackson Park Vineyard offers notable freshness and energy, which works so well in complementing the natural plushness of Merlot. Black cherry, gravel, spice, menthol and licorice lend nuance throughout. This is such a classy wine.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Afleet is a very pretty, gracious Pinot. Crushed red berry fruit, mint, sage and rose petal meld with whole cluster overtones that lead through to the bright, saline finish. I especially like the vibrancy here. This, too, needs quite a bit of air to show at its finest.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Stormin' shows plenty of dark cherry, plum fruit along with the body typically associated with the 777 clone that is at the core of this blend. Ample and creamy, with striking depth, the Stormin' has a lot to offer. Give it a year or two to soften.

The 2020 White Pinot Noir is an unusual, creamy wine. Orchard fruit, dried flowers, mint and chamomile all grace this delicate, incredibly distinctive wine. In 2020, some of the edges are a bit evident, but I suspect most of that has to do with the conditions of the growing season.

The 2019 Chardonnay Jennifer's is a wild, exotic wine that combines heady, tropical inflections with strong phenolic character such that it could be easily confused with a red wine. Apricot, chamomile, spice and tangerine oil give this Chardonnay tons of personality. Intensely cool, coastal air extends the growing season, yielding a wine of notable distinction.

The 2019 Chardonnay Sevens Bench offers lovely textural richness and nuance. Apricot, peach, lemon confit and white flowers meld together in a Chardonnay that deftly balances textural richness and energy. Sweet floral top notes lift the finish nicely. There's certainly plenty to like here.