One of the better pure Malbecs I've had from Napa, Mt. Brave's 2021 Malbec Mt. Veeder takes the variety's tutti-frutti mixed berry and cherry fruit and adds notions of dried herbs and something that winemaker Chris Carpenter calls rhubarb. It's full-bodied and supple, shows a slight hollow in the mid-palate but expands nicely on the finish, adding notions of a more savory character.

The 2021 Chardonnay Estate Cuvée is deep and layered on the nose; white peach and quince paste are accented by toasted hazelnut, manuka honey, cream and elderflower aromas. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and expansive with opulent, honeyed fruit, a foil of focused acidity and a very long, nuanced finish. 270 cases produced.

The 2019 Chardonnay Willamette Valley has an alluring perfume of white peaches, citrus blossoms, orange peel and undertones of roasted almonds and beeswax. The light-bodied palate has a satiny texture, expansive flavors balanced by vibrant acidity and a long, shimmery finish.

The 2019 Chardonnay Yamhill-Carlton was matured in 10% new oak for 19 months and an additional six months in stainless steel. It has very pretty scents of poached pears, citrus blossoms, cashews and clover honey. The medium-bodied palate is satiny with expansive honey-and-citrus character, mouthwatering acidity and a long, mineral-driven finish.

The 2021 Chardonnay Yamhill-Carlton has deep scents of honey, hazelnut, toasted meringue and yellow apples. The medium-bodied palate features layers of ripe fruit made more complex by spice and mineral layers. It has a satiny texture, vibrant acidity and a long, gently creamy finish. 982 cases were made.

The 2019 Éclatant is the first sparkling wine from Willakenzie Estate. It's composed of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier, received three years' tirage and modest dosage. It's scented of apples, toast, almonds and honey. The light-bodied palate combines linear acidity with a particularly creamy mousse, and it has a long finish with crisp, well-defined flavors. 300 cases were made.

The 2021 Chardonnay Willamette Valley has savory scents of honey, nuts, toasted meringue and spice accenting a core of peach and quince paste. The light-bodied palate offers understated fruit and a soft, satiny texture, and its focused acidity gives the finish an ethereal feel. It's very easy to drink without sacrificing nuance. 900 cases were made.

2013 was fairly warm and dry, and growers expected an early harvest. But a powerful storm in September brought 10 inches of rain. Luckily, the season ended with more warm, dry weather in October. Despite the year's challenges, the 2013 Chardonnay Yamhill-Carlton is maturing gracefully. The nose is defined by struck flint, porcini powder and charcuterie, while the palate is surprisingly youthful. Still offering energetic, citrusy fruit, it gains depth and savoriness

The 2016 Blanc de Blancs spent about six-and-a-half years en tirage, received three grams of dosage and was disgorged in August of 2023 (half of this cuvée will be disgorged in 2028). Aromas of crushed apples and quince are layered with wafts of acacia, chalk, brioche and hazelnut. The light-bodied palate balances luxuriously creamy mousse with focused acidity, and it has a long, nuanced finish. 191 cases were made.

The 2017 Chardonnay Pas de Nom opens with touches of matchstick and candle smoke before revealing orchard fruit and hazelnut aromas. The medium-bodied palate offers expansive, savory fruit, fresh acidity and a long finish. It has plenty of life ahead.

The 2022 Chardonnay Willamette Valley has ringing scents of lemon, yellow apples, citrus blossoms, beeswax and almonds. The light-bodied palate balances a gently creamy texture with vibrant acidity, and it has a long, pure finish. 614 cases were made.

The 2015 Blanc de Blancs was disgorged in February of 2022 after about six years en tirage. Yellow apples, fresh bread and iodine waft from the glass. The light-bodied palate is dry and refreshing with pure apple fruit, luxuriously creamy mousse and a long finish. 150 cases were made.

Offers a burst of succulent red and black cherry fruit, along with singed vanilla, black tea and hibiscus notes that fill in through the polished finish. Drink now through 2030. 423 cases made.

A stylish version, with lightly mulled tea, red and black cherry, and iris notes that glide atop a silky structure. A warm sous-bois accent echoes through the finish. Drink now through 2029. 274 cases made.

From volcanic soils at 2400 feet elevation, above the fog layer, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher's Vineyard sports a youthful purple/black color and is aromatic with notes of black licorice, sweet tobacco, blackberry preserve, and forest floor. Fullbodied, it expands through the palate, with ripe, sweet tannins and a long, balanced, even finish. This powerful wine has a lot of elegance and never feels heavy. It’s a fantastic expression of Cabernet Sauvignon from Sonoma. Drink 2025-2045.

Last (but certainly not least) in the wide range of Pinot Noirs from Hartford Court, the 2022 Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard is from a site planted in 1975 with the heritage Martini clone, in one of the coolest and lowest yielding sites of the Russian River Valley. The oldest vines they have, the grapes in this vineyard struggle to ripen and are often harvested by Hartford Court well into October. The 2022 was aged for 14 months in 34% new French oak barrels and pours a youthful ruby red hue. On opening, it’s layered with aromas of cherry liqueur, cola spice, leather, toasted cedar, and incense. It reveals a good deal of complexity and has a weightless feel with a velvety texture, sweet tannins, and a clean, long finish with lasting notes of tea leaf. This highly impressive offering is going to show its best over the next 15 years.

The 2021 Chardonnay Upper Barn is a bright silver/yellow hue and is complex on the nose, with notes of white pepper, orange peel, peach, and baking spice. Leaning toward fullbodied, it has more intensity on the palate, with a rich, balanced structure, and it expands through the finish, showing a lot of complexity and a decadent feel without feeling heavy or weightless. It’s persistent with Meyer lemon on the finish. Drink 2025-2037.

From a steep southeast-oriented vineyard with a steep 30% grade, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall is a saturated purple with magenta highlights and offers more mineral notes of graphite, blackcurrants, dried lavender, and wild herbs. It has a compact, full-bodied structure with chiseled tannins, as well as nicely balanced acidity and long finish. It will be worth it to cellar it another year or more. Drink 2025-2045.

From a deep gravelly site and pouring a black/red hue, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Monolith offers a deeper and darker, concentrated profile with aromas of tarry earth, black plum, espresso, and cigar box. Full-bodied and plush, with a more velvety tannins, it has a very polished and approachable feel now, and while it’s brooding on the nose, it’s quite enjoyable and long on the palate. This lovely wine is going to drink well over the next 20 years.

Black/purple-colored, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Stature comes from Pocket Peak in the Alden Park and Kellogg Vineyards. It opens to reveal a deeply layered profile with aromas of pencil lead, gravelly earth, pine sap, blackcurrant, and cigar box. It fills the palate with a plush, full-bodied structure that expands, with balanced notes of oak accents framing the wine nicely through its long finish. It keeps lovely freshness throughout, with a broad-shouldered feel, and it should age gracefully over the next 20 years if stored in cool cellars.

Pouring a medium red/ruby color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Seascape Vineyard is expressive and juicy in the glass with notes of mixed berries, raspberries, sweet spices, candied roses, fresh forest earth, and cardamom. On the palate, it reveals a good deal of refinement, with fine tannins and a long, elegant, graceful feel through the finish. Weightless and refined, it will drink well 2024-2040.

Pouring a medium ruby/red color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Jennifer's gives up ripe and
concentrated aromas of kirsch, toasty incense, crushed flowers, and dark stones. It’s
medium to full-bodied and weightless but has a broader shouldered feel, with plush, ripe
tannins, good freshness, an even texture, and a long, mouthwatering finish. It displays a
lot of polish and is going to be an age-worthy wine to enjoy over the next 15 years.

Dark red magenta in color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Far Coast Vineyard belongs to the recently added West Sonoma Coast AVA and was aged for 14 months in 32% new French oak barrels. In the glass, it’s ripe with notes of black raspberries, crushed pine needles, licorice, and toasted cedar. Medium-bodied, it has sweet tannin and a good deal of fresh, ripe fruit, with a juicy feel throughout its long-lasting finish. It’s quite charming out of the gate, but it also has a very well-balanced structure and a more interesting level of refined complexity. Drink it over the next 10-15 years.

The 2021 Chardonnay Broken Road is a youthful yellow/green hue and is lifted in the glass with aromas of saline crushed stones, citrus blossoms, baking spice, and fresh pear. Medium to full-bodied, it has the most tension throughout the palate, with a bright feel and ripe acidity. It never feels austere, and it has a long finish. A lovely wine, it’s going to have a lot of longevity over the coming 10 years. It might be my personal favorite of the whites.

Displaying a youthful yellow/silver color, the 2021 Chardonnay Gravel Bench comes from a more shaded vineyard, where it has a shorter exposure to the afternoon sun. Aged for 10 months in 36% new French oak, in the glass it boasts notes of toasted spiced, lemon balm, melon, and green pear. On the palate, it offers more intensity in this medium to full-bodied Chardonnay, with a lovely chalky texture and a good deal of richness. It’s going to improve if given the chance and will drink well over the coming 8-10 years. Drink 2025-2035.