This is a jubilant style of Pinot Noir, loaded with cherries and strawberries as mace and oak spice uplift the fruit. The fresh red fruit explodes on the palate, where cinnamon and sumac wrap into vanilla- pastry flavors, with lingering oak on the finish.

Creamy texture akin to salted butter leads the way to a mineral-driven midpalate of stone, citrus and peach in this delightfully complex and balanced wine. Hints of baking spice and dried herb provide additional character and intrigue.

Reductive red fruit, cedar and oak combine around an intensely grippy and powerful midpalate in this appellation wine. Nuanced elements of cherry, currant and cassis whisper within the layers of tobacco, tomato leaf and fine structure.

This shows attractively ripe cherries with floral tones, as well as forest wood, leaves and hints of fresh tobacco. The palate offers good depth and fresh, redder-toned cherry flavors, amid some spicy and earthy threads through the finish. Drink or hold.

Lovely light pink with an elegant nose of red flower, rhubarb, a tad savory. Another homerun on the palate, great fruit, acidity, the whole nine here. Outstanding.

100% Pinot Noir. Another wine that seems to have improved over the last 12 months (92 Pts. in 2020). Classic medium pink with a lovely nose of ripe peach and rose petals. Fruity on the palate with a savory note, plenty of tartness, a another lovely wine. Outstanding.

COMMENTARY: The 2018 Penner-Ash Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir is bright, aromatic, and lasting. TASTING NOTES: This wine shows up with bright and fragrant blue fruits and stays lovely on the palate with lasting and attractive boysenberry flavors.

COMMENTARY: The Gran Moraine Brut Rosé is fresh, lovely, and persistent. TASTING NOTES: This wine sails onto the palate with red fruit flavors that lasts long and crisp in the finish. Pair it with grilled salmon.

I bought three bottles of this wine from Wine.com way back in 2011 and while this is the first I remember tasting, there is but one bottle left in the cellar. #GriftHappens Well, certainly golden in the glass, but no signs of oxidation on the nose, just tons of honeyed, even candied lemon curd, laden with heavy doses of vanilla and oak. Yeah, this is a big’un, certainly in the style of those late 90s California Chards. The big difference? While all of that lemon chiffon pie, oak, butter, and vanilla are certainly there on the palate, there is also an acidity that breaks through and lets the others know who is really in charge. Certainly not my style of Chard, but there is no doubt that this is extremely well-made and a fabulous wine. Outstanding.

Inky in colour and the feel of the wine remains extremely young, suggesting you need a little more patience. Saffron and earthy smoked turmeric spices layer the fruit, adding depth and complexity. This has richness and power but also lift, with gourmet notes of liquorice and chocolate giving appellation signature.

A little less evolution in the aromatics here than the 2011, emphasis instead on toasty grilled oak and turmeric spice, set amid dark berry fruits. A lot is hidden right now, the texture is charming and fleshy, but these are big tannins and it has plenty to give over the next decade.

A good value, the 2019 Chardonnay Bar-M gives up a juicy, vibrant nose of tart pineapple, citrus, and honeyed flowers. These carry to a rich, medium to full-bodied Chardonnay with a killer texture, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. Pairing wonderfully fresh, complex aromatics with plenty of oomph and richness on the palate, this beautiful Chardonnay is ideal for drinking over the coming 4-5 years (although it will keep even longer).

It would not take long to count the number of still white Pinot Noirs that I have tried (the sparkling ones, naturally, would take a whole lot longer), but this is the second I have tried in as many weeks. Slightly golden straw in the glass with lovely aromas of peach, pear, white acacia, and ginger spice. The palate is deliciously balanced between the subtle fruit and racy acidity. Although the information about this wine is rather scant, I did discover that it spent nine months in neutral oak, which has no doubt softened that tartness just a touch. Lovely wine. Outstanding.

The 2019 White Pinot Noir is a tiny cuvée of just six barrels off a single block on the property. It is Pinot Noir vinified off the skins (like Blanc de Noir in Champagne). Textured and nuanced the White Pinot Noir is aged in neutral oak. Dried orchard fruit, spice and dried flowers are some of the many notes that grace this quirky yet absolutely delicious white.

The 2018 Pinot Noir Unforgettable is built on texture and creaminess. It offers a bit more mid-palate structure than some of the other wines in the range. The mix of mostly Pommard and Wadensvil clones works so well here. Silky and open-knit, the 2018 can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring.

The 2018 Pinot Noir Abel is a pliant, supple wine with lovely mid-palate presence. Succulent red berry fruit, spice, orange peel and mint are all laced together. The 2018 offers a striking balance of energy and depth. There is something incredibly exotic about the 2018 that is quite appealing. The Abel was aged 16 months in barrel.

The 2018 Red Blend Prequel, a Syrah-based blend from vineyards in Sonoma, is a total knockout that makes such a strong statement as to the potential of Sonoma County. Dark, bold and savory, the Prequel offers a fabulous mix of fruit intensity and savoriness.

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Vales Edge is bright, punchy and full of character. This mid-weight Cabernet from a site on the Alexander Valley/Chalk Hill border is effusive and so inviting. Sweet red cherry, spice, mint, sage, blood orange and lavender give the 2017 striking purity and character. Drink it over the next decade.

Grapefruit, lime and lemon flavors are intense and juicy on a sleek frame, with a thread of saline, candied citrus peel and matcha green tea. Impressive for its laserlike focus and mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2022.

This offers a vibrant, mouthwatering mix of lime peel, peach and pineapple flavors on a sleek and juicy frame, with hints of spearmint, matcha green tea and fresh ginger that linger on the long, lingering finish. Drink now through 2022.

Ruby red in colour. Rich fruits comprising cherry and pomegranate lead nuances of dry forest floor and wild mushroom. Plush and silky. Cabernet Franc spice box along with lemon peel and bitter chocolate notes on the very persistent finish.

Intense ruby red in colour. Red fruits, rose aromatics, mocha, spice. Super expressive. Finesse with energy. Plenty of verve.

Bright ruby red in colour. Red berry, raspberry, rose petal aromas, liquorice.Polished. A wine of impact.

Medium ruby core, bright ruby into the rim. Raspberries, violets and dried thyme aromas. Medium-bodied but sits light and lithe. Red fruits, dry herbs and sandstone flavours are layered throughout. Sandy tannins are distinct but not without reason. There's an underlying power here that speaks of serious intent in the vineyard and winery. It lingers for days.

This special limited release Santa Maria Valley chardonnay was established in 1981. The vineyard sits 350-450 feet above sea level, not far from the California Coast in a rare east-west mountain range that opens to almost daily cooling marine air from the Pacific Ocean. The result is a long, cool growing season that produces intense flavours (think New Zealand) with naturally high acidity. The nose is awash in tropical notes of guava, lime, mango, and vanilla. The palate is equally rich but with some mineral undertones from the ancient seabed that sits under the vineyard. The wine is getting drier and more complex every year, upping its quality quotient. Think lobster or any butter-based fish or creamy pasta. It's 40+ years, clone 4 chardonnay grown on its own roots, and barrel aged 7 months in French oak (39 percent new).