The estate’s first of two Gran Selezione is born in La Porta vineyard, planted in 1998 with nine different clones of Sangiovese. Poor stony soil is naturally low yielding, giving small, concentrated clusters and berries. True to its signature, the 2022 pours deep, dense ruby. It is just as intense in aroma, dispersing coffee, potting soil, mushroom and black currants. Vigorous and full yet ultimately balanced, the palate boasts a juicy core of toothsome blackberries, and its firm, stony tannins are well polished. Stylised and easy to understand without sacrificing complexity or a certain sense of place, it even evokes a wild dustiness.

The 2022 Merlot from Mt. Brave is a gorgeous Mount Veeder release that's 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 22 months in 74% new French oak. Juicy red and black berries, leafy herbs, resinous notes, leather, baking spice, and hints of chocolate all emerge from the glass. Rich and medium to full-bodied, it offers a round, lush mouthfeel with ample mid-palate depth, impressive purity, and finesse. This beautifully made Merlot will drink well for 15+ years.

The 2022 La Jota Merlot W.S. Keyes Vineyard is a brilliant Howell Mountain release that showcases
the power of mountain fruit paired with a notable sense of elegance and finesse. A blend of 80%
Merlot and 20% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 22 months in 77% new French oak, this full-bodied wine
delivers a gorgeous array of red plums, dark cherries, dark chocolate, scorched earth, and baking
spices. It's concentrated and rich on the palate, yet maintains a beautifully balanced, focused, and
elegant mouthfeel. There are plenty of tannins here, but they're matched by the wine's
concentration, richness, and texture. This impressive effort from winemaker Chris Carpenter will
benefit from 3-5 years of bottle age and drink beautifully over the following 15 years

Some California Sauvignons fall short by trying to be all things to all people, but this one deftly balances a grassy, citrus-driven style with riper melon flavors. Medium-bodied but still quite fresh without turning overly tart, it is equally well suited to stand-alone sipping or enjoyment at the table with relatively light foods.

The 2023 Chardonnay Sevens Bench Vineyard is a bright golden yellow hue and is another lifted wine on the nose. It has more sunniness in the glass, with hints of corn kernel, smoky wet stones, pineapple rind, honeycomb, and tangerine. Medium to full-bodied with a more elegant, weightless feel on the palate, it floats delicately on the finish with notes of sweet citrus and hints of vanilla. Drink 2025-2032.

Another appellation wine, the 2023 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is a bright golden yellow color and offers notes of poached yellow apples, toasted spice, almond, chamomile, and lemon curd. The palate is full-bodied and elegant, as is characteristic of this vintage, and has an even and floating feel on the finish. It’s ripe and has a more pithy texture, but it’s well-detailed and more immediate. Well-suited for restaurants, it should drink well now or over the coming 5-6 years.

Another Oregon wine from the Eola-Amity Hills in the Willamette Valley, the 2023 Pinot Noir Warrior Princess is a bright ruby hue with a light watery rim. The nose opens to focused and mineral-inflected aromas of wet stones, petrichor, wild raspberries, fresh spices, and floral perfume. The palate is taut and focused, with finely coiled tannins, mouthwatering acidity, and a clean, tapering finish. Drink 2025-2033.

A bright ruby/magenta color, the 2023 Zinfandel Jolene's Vineyard is fresh with notes of wild berries, hints of blue and red fruits, and vanilla spice. The palate is more medium-bodied, with bright acidity and a refreshing feel. Drink 2025-2033.

The 2023 Pinot Noir Seascape Vineyard from the West Sonoma Coast pours a vivid red hue and is focused and bright on the nose with notes of cinnamon, bright cranberries, compact redcurrants, fresh herbs, and briny saline. Medium-bodied, it has great tension and a bright spine of acidity that is so refreshing in this vintage. A very pretty wine, it has a lot to offer now or over the coming 10-12 years.

From the Russian River Valley, the 2023 Pinot Noir Parsons Vineyard comes from the first vineyard picked and pours a jeweled ruby color. The nose delivers notes of cherry cordial, fresh, sappy forest herbs, fresh pine, and pressed flowers. It fills the palate with a more saturating feel, with a rounded midpalate, broader, ripe tannins, and a clean, fruity finish. It’s juicy and inviting but has some rich structure as well with a more forested feel. Drink 2025-2037.

The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc Helena Bench Vineyard comes from Knights Valley and displays a slightly deeper yellow/straw hue. It has a bit more of a sunny feel on the nose, with notes of fresh peach, melon, grapefruit, and beeswax. The palate has a more rounded and silky texture but remains medium-bodied, with hints of wet river rock on the finish. It’s a supple Sauvignon but very fresh and pretty. Drink 2025-2032.

The 2023 Chardonnay Kelli Ann Vineyard comes from a site in the Russian River Valley with gravelly soils and vines averaging 30 to 40 years old. The nose lifts with more flinty reduction, which I find adds a spice that I love to the wine. Offering notes of pure green apples, fresh flowers, citrus blossoms, and lime cordial, it should drink well over the next 810 years.

From the town of Annapolis in the West Sonoma Coast region, the 2022 Pinot Noir Sealift is a saturated red hue and is deep on the nose with notes of raspberry liqueur, deep, sappy herbs, dark stones, and hints of pepper spice. It fills the palate but also retains freshness, and it has a long, savory feel on the midpalate and finish that speaks to its coastal origins. Drink 2025-2032.

The 2022 Chardonnay Nine Barrel is from the top barrels of the vintage. A bright yellow color, this wine is meant to showcase a more hedonistic, opulent style, offering vast notes of grilled pineapple, apricot, smoky earth, custard, frangipane, and marmalade. The palate is full and decadent, with a full-bodied feel, a lush, ripe texture of golden fruits, and a ripe f inish. Drink 2025-2032.

Blackberry, blueberry, iodine and salty things, black olive, some lavender and dried herb. It’s medium-bodied, kind of dry and full of black olive and beef stock, the tannin is of excellent quality, ferrous and tightly knit, density of fruit is something, with some dried raspberry sweetness, offering a finish of excellent length. I like the structure and oomph of the wine, though it’s perhaps too saline for something that I’d go for more than a glass of. Just me maybe. Still, good win

The 2022 Chardonnay Bear Point is a straw/yellow hue and packs in more intensity on the nose, revealing notes of smoky wet stones, ripe peach, lemon oils, and salted pineapple. It’s fruity and ripe on the palate, with a full-bodied feel, and it has a kiss of sweet fruit through the finish. It has good definition and never feels cloying. Drink 2025-2035.

Mineral- and saline-edged aromas of flint, sliced lemon, grapefruit and lime zest. The palate is mid-weighted with bright acidity and a high-tension mouthfeel that finishes with underlying notes of yoghurt, orchard fruit and hazelnuts. A nicely balanced and focused chardonnay. Drink or hold.

Aromas of sliced lemons, orchard fruits and flint. The palate is mid-weighted with a creamy texture and focused acidity. There's a lovely density of fruit and freshness here, with plenty of immediate drinking pleasure. Drink or hold.

Aromas of dark cherries, blackberry bush, cassia bark, blood oranges and raspberries. The palate is medium-bodied with a rounded mouthfeel and well-integrated tannins. Polished and focused, with a savory undertone. Drink or hold.

Bright and lifted aromas of raspberries, dark cherries, violets and citrus peel. The palate is medium-bodied with firmly framed tannins and balanced acidity. There's a nice energy here with a savory undertone. Drink or hold.

Bright and focused aromas of dried strawberries, confit cherry, violets and toffee apple. The palate is medium-bodied with bright acidity and fine-grained tannins that lead into a rounded and creamy mouthfeel. Nicely balanced with plenty of fruit. Drink or hold.

Aromas of confit lemon, shortbread biscuit, fresh pineapple and salted nuts. The palate is medium-bodied with bright acidity and a rounded, creamy texture, supported by bright acidity. Lovely balance and purity. Drink or hold.

The loamy soil and ripe black-berry aromas trigger happy summertime gardening memories. There also this interesting savory note floating about that reminds me of a cross between hoisin sauce and black pepper. The blackberry flavor is tart, and this time it is matched with earthy oregano and black tea. The tannins are firm, but not chewy.

This is very good Pinot Noir by any standard, though the quoted price of $85 (pulled from the website for the 2023 rendition rather than this 2022) may be pushing its luck by a bit. With that noted, it displays very good proportionality, with naturally sweet fruit notes (dark cherry first in line, as usual) set off very well by freshening acidity and fine-grained tannins, both of which come off as natural extensions of the fruit component rather than distinct elements that are “sticking out” in sensory terms. The wood employed during elevage is also very well integrated, making this a very successful wine. I doubt that anyone would fail to enjoy it thoroughly, even if they were the one picking up the check in a restaurant or being rung up at a retail cash register.

An impressive version, offering tangy tangerine, mango, citrus and melon flavors that are plump and expressive, with notes of orange sherbet, peach preserves and ginger, plus a touch of crème anglaise that adds to the feeling of richness. Vanilla and toast accents round out the profile. Drink now through 2033. 200 cases made.