The highly regarded WillaKenzie Estate, now under Jackson Family Wines' watch, takes its name from the sedimentary soil on which the vines are planted, and the long left aftermath of Oregon’s two major rivers Willamette and the McKenzie. The estate boasts 11 clones, reportedly the most in Oregon. 2016 is a mix of estate fruit from the Willakenzie Estate and Jory Hills Estate. The aromas and flavours are classic Willamette Valley, namely more Old World than New in the earthy, barnyard department with plenty of silky, savoury, black tea with a riff of black raspberry, rhubarb and cinnamon. Seamless in the finish with enough weight to impress without overloading its unique pinot noir character. Impressive.

A terrific value that doesn’t skimp on quality. Classic cherry, and berry notes with a hint of cedar and bit of oak make a great package.

Jackson Family Wines’ mountain portfolio a subline collection from a sublime placeEqually concentrated are the 2017 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon and the firm but succulent 2017 La Jota Merlot, a wine that finally gives credit to an often-maligned grape variety.

Jackson Family Wines’ mountain portfolio a subline collection from a sublime placeEqually concentrated are the 2017 Mt. Brave Cabernet Sauvignon and the firm but succulent 2017 La Jota Merlot, a wine that finally gives credit to an often-maligned grape variety.

Jackson Family Wines’ mountain portfolio a subline collection from a sublime placeThe 2017 Mt. Brave Cabernet Franc is a wine with incredible concentration and fresh blueberry and plum notes with hints of lilacs and herbs de Provence on the nose. It isn’t your daddy’s cabernet franc with this structure.

Jackson Family Wines’ mountain portfolio a subline collection from a sublime placeThe absolute killer wine of the bunch is the 2018 Mt. Brave Mt. Veeder Malbec, perhaps the best domestic malbec we’ve tasted yet. Rich, boysenberry flavors, soft tannins and a luxurious mouthfeel with exotic spices, intense aromas and an inky color. Delicious yet powerful.

Weighted to red fruit, this pinot has notes of cranberry, pomegranate and cherry, with sage in the mix. Firm tannins. Bright acid and nice length. Tasty.

Elegant, refined, silky.For 30 years, the Jackson family has sustainably farmed and tended this Santa Maria estate. Barbara Banke and Jess Jackson's daughters, Katie Jackson and Julia Jackson, grew up among the estate's vines. Drawn to the grit and beauty of winemaking, Katie and Julia continue the family business.Cambria is shaped by these three women: Barbara Banke's keen knowledge of the industry and business sense, Katie's passion for sustainability and the land, and Julia's creative backbone and dedication to empowering communities.The vineyard was named for Julia Jackson in 1986, and this 2017 Pinot Noir is comprised of clones: 4, 2A, 23, 115 and 667 grow on the estate's ancient soils of fossilized seashells, shale, limestone and sand.It was aged 15 months in French oak (25% new) before bottling.An elegant red, it has a nose of red cherry and cranberry, carrot tops and savoury spice, dried roses, saddle leather and tealeaf. Sweet, tangy and juicy red fruits dominate the palate. Refined and silky overall; flavours of leather and orange peel trail across the finish. Pair with wild mushroom tartletts, beet salads, butternut squash ravioli or salmon.

Finesse, fresh, creamy.For 30 years, the Jackson family has sustainably farmed and tended this Santa Maria estate. Barbara Banke and Jess Jackson's daughters, Katie Jackson and Julia Jackson, grew up among the estate's vines. Drawn to the grit and beauty of winemaking, Katie and Julia continue the family business.Cambria is shaped by these three women: Barbara Banke's keen knowledge of the industry and business sense, Katie's passion for sustainability and the land, and Julia's creative backbone and dedication to empowering communities.The vineyard was named for Katie Jackson in 1986, and this 2018 Chard is comprised of clones: 4 (46 years old) and Wente 76 and 96, which grow on the estate's ancient soils of fossilized seashells, shale, limestone and sand.It was 75% barrel fermented, 75% went through malolactic fermentation and was aged sur lie in French oak for 8 months (20% new) before bottling.Yellow plums, Meyer lemon, toasted spice, acacia, honey and vanilla aromas lead to a fresh but creamy palate. Toasted hazelnut and spice flavours are layered with yellow fruit and lemon to mimic the nose. Concentration, depth and finesse. Pair with roasted artichokes with capers and mint, creamy soups and pastas, corn chowder and smoked cheese.

This pale straw-colored Sauvignon Blanc opens with a very fragrant yellow grapefruit, green pepper and green olive bouquet with hints of guava and wet stone. On the palate, this wine is light plus bodied and slightly acidic. The flavor profile is a gentle mineral infused light grapefruit with notes lime, white peach and saline. We also detected some hints of green bell pepper and nectarine pit towards the very end. The finish is dry and its flavor drift away nicely. We would pair this delicate Sauvignon Blanc with a honey-fried walleye or seafood scampi.

NEW, tangy, juicy.New to BC, this rose gold pink has a sweet peachy nose alongside sour cherries, cranberry, strawberry, vanilla and orange blossoms. It's juicy and off-dry with citrus and berry flavours to echo the nose. The texture here is silky and it's an attractive and quaffable wine overall.

Appearance: Translucent ruby.Nose: Savory tomato leaf. Black pepper. raspberry.Palate:Medium-plus acid, Heavy mouthfeel. Ripe raspberries. Open fruit. This wine is forthcoming structurally.

Wines for the Easter MealRemember the film Sideways? That was shot around Santa Barbara in California; the home of soft and silky, coastal Pinot Noirs. Perfumed, elegant and easy to love.

Rosella’s vineyard is one of the most well-known farms in the Santa Lucia Highlands. Owners Gary and Rosella Franscioni planted the 50-acre vineyard, which rests along the slopes of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range, back in 1996, and produce fruit that is highly sought after.One of the wineries lucky enough to source fruit from this iconic site is Siduri, whose 2018 Siduri Santa Lucia Highlands Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir is simply delicious.It features pretty aromas of red plum and spring strawberry scents on the nose. The flavors of dark raspberry, bright cherry, wild strawberry and wet stone are well-balanced and nicely textured. The supple finish is simply delicious, with a touch of cinnamon for added charm.

Bordeaux 2018 Revisited: Saint-EmilionLassègue (St Emilion; 62% Merlot; 35% Cabernet Franc; 3% Cabernet Sauvignon; aged for 12 months in 60% new oak). A property that has been a steep upward trajectory for a while now. The 2019 may just be better still, but this is already deeply impressive. Plush, plump, rich and very ripe but fresh, bright and energetic too. Silky very dark chocolate notes and freshly ground Arabica coffee beans accompany the intense blue and purple berry and stone fruit, with a suggestion of marjoram and oregano and, with more aeration, cedar and pencil shavings.Glossy, cool and elegant on the attack but there is a considerable tannic presence hence – it is just that the tannins are so ultra-fine grained that it takes a little while to pick them up. As that already suggests, the structure is very impressive and this is very slow to unfurl and express itself across the palate. A vin de garde and of the highest quality with great balance and poise and with sufficient density of fruit to fully enrobe the considerable structure. The oak is a little more prominent at this early stage than you might imagine from the numbers. But give this even a year or two in bottle (and it deserves longer) and it will be seamlessly integrated.

Profound, outstanding, harmonious.Falling under the umbrella of Jackson Family Wines, this outstanding Chardonnay comes from Stonestreet's best estate vineyard sites (between 400-1800ft) on the North Coast of Sonoma in the AVA of Alexander Valley. Resting alongside the Mayacamas Mountains, the estate, which was established in the late 80s, specializes in Cabernet and Chardonnay.100% barrel fermented with native yeasts, this 2016 vintage continued through maloloactic ferment in barrel with monthly lees stirring and was aged 10 months in French oak, 63% new.Fleshy aromas of hazelnuts and browned butter, grilled lemons, honeysuckle, orange zest, yellow apples, vanilla and spice lead to a creamy, concentrated and stylish palate. Nutty and golden with a slick texture and harmonious character, it's a fresh but profound wine.

Julia’s Vineyard, named for a daughter of founders, Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke, is dedicated to Pinot Noir. It is a delicious wine with juicy black cherry, blackberry fruit laced with vanilla and notes of dried thyme, velvety smooth in the mouth. It is medium bodied and animated with vibrant acidity. It finishes with sleek, ripe tannins. It is the perfect partner with a roasted pork tenderloin, duck, quail or grilled salmon. The 2018 vintage was the second at Cambria for winemaker Jill Russell. She considered it a magnificent vintage with “canopies luscious and full; the vines were thriving and happy. We had zero weather events to push our picking decisions and we were able to let the grapes hang longer for more complexity while still retaining acidity.”

Santa Maria Valley was the first AVA, American Viticultural Area, in Santa Barbara County, California. The valley is considered unusual in California because it is a transverse valley, oriented west to east rather than north to south. That orientation allows the cold air from the Pacific Ocean to flow into the valley, creating the kind of cool temperatures that allow Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes to shine. A perfect example is seen in the aromas of fresh pear, Granny Smith apple, citrus and vanilla, and in the mouth flavors of pear, white peach and pink grapefruit with a dusty mineral note, zesty acidity and a long finish. It will be a delicious partner for crab cakes, grilled shrimp or a light pasta salad. Cambria Estate was created by Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke in 1986 when they purchased a major portion of the Tepusquet Vineyard. Katherine for whom the vineyard is named is their daughter. Today she and her sister, Julia, are proprietors of the winery.

This deep purple colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Stonestreet opens with a black cherry and gentle oak bouquet with hints of stewed plum. On the palate, this wine is medium plus bodied, well-balanced and super smooth. The flavor profile is gentle blend of black currant and black raspberry, fine minerals and oak. We also detected hints of vanilla and loam mixed in. The finish is dry and its fine-grained tannins stick around for quite some time. The Panel would decant this Cab and pair it with Steve’s short ribs, chicken mole, or a flourless chocolate cake.

10 Interesting Wine-Related Discoveries For March 2021This Merlot-led blend is sourced primarily from the Valadorna and Capraia blocks, which produce the estate’s most complex and mineral-based expressions of this variety. The blocks are located within the cooler part of the estate, naturally-irrigated by the stream that undulates through it, and feature sandy brown soils and lower yields than typical. These blocks are often the last Merlot blocks to ripen on the estate. In warm years like 2015, Merlot shows its soft, savory and slightly-racy character.The wine itself exhibits high-toned aromas of ripe black cherries, vanilla bean and cedar alike. With bright acidity, it expands quickly on the palate. Plush tannins carry through the center with a fine, tingling finish. The palate shows flavors of tart cherry pie, dried red berries and black licorice, with a long finish of white pepper, dusty roses and stony minerality.

Hawkeye Mountain is K-J's signature mountain property in the Alexander Valley AVA. It is planted from 900 to 2400 feet above sea level on shallow, rocky, and gravelly loam. The vineyard pitches mostly west and sometimes south on steep hillsides. For the most part, limited release Hawkeye Ridge red sits above the fog line earning the ‘island in the sky’ moniker. Early mornings can be cool, building acidity and lengthening the growing season, but the afternoons above the fog line are warm. It’s a mountain wine, so double decanting is highly recommended if you're going to drink it at such a young age. It’s the second time I have tasted this wine this year, and it remains big and bold but with a surprising amount of restraint. The palate is packed full of black fruit spiked with licorice, tobacco, and a quiet undercurrent of oak. The finish is long, savoury, and persistent with mineral tones and rich, fine-grained tannins. This is the real deal and an excellent starting point to talk about Sonoma County cabernet's ability to reach eights normally attributed to only Napa Valley. Bravo Randy Ullom.

Deep, darkling purple/red colour, with a bouquet of wood-smoke and undergrowth. The wine is full-bodied and somewhat subdued in its fruit expression while the tannins are very abundant and quite firm, leaving a determined grip at the finish. Latent cherry and plum. A big, generous, solidly built shiraz that will reward cellaring.

The 2018 Château Lassegue emerges from the home estate of Pierre Seillan, who's also behind the incredibly quality of Verite in Sonoma County. It's a beautifully seductive, seamless 2018 with a wonderful core of red and blue fruits, notes of leafy herbs and tobacco, nicely integrated tannins, a great mid-palate, and a rounded, mouth-filling texture. Beautifully done, enjoy this irresistible Saint-Emilion over the coming two decades.

A very elegant pinot, with dark aromas, silky texture, stunning flavors.

A big ripe cab from one of the leaders in the field, at a great price.