Checking in as 100% Pinot Noir from Julia's Vineyard and aged 18 months in 100% new
French oak, the 2022 Pinot Noir Signature Collection Julia's Vineyard has a medium ruby hue
as well as complex, nuanced aromatics of savory red and black fruits, dried flowers, and
baking spices. These carry to a medium-bodied palate with soft, resolved tannins, good
acidity, and outstanding length. It has a certain accessibility right now, yet I wouldn't be
surprised to see this evolve nicely on its balance either. There's certainly no harm in
drinking bottles now or any time over the coming 8-10 years. Drink 2026-2036.

I loved the 2022 Pinot Noir Signature Collection Barbara’s, which is all clone 667 that spent
18 months in 100% new French oak. Spicy, meaty aromatics of black cherries, brambly
herbs, truffly earth, and spice define the nose, and it's medium to full-bodied on the palate,
with a round, supple, mouthfilling texture, ripe tannins, and a great finish. It's a textured,
beautifully balanced 2022 that's drinking great today. Drink bottles over the coming 7-8
years. Drink 2026-2034.

Checking in as 100% barrel-fermented Chardonnay and aged 16 months in neutral French
oak, the 2022 Chardonnay Signature Collection Katherine's Vineyard gives up ripe aromatics
of stone fruits, orange blossom, spice, and hints of brioche on the nose. On the palate, it's
medium-bodied, with a rounded mouthfeel, terrific overall balance, and a great finish. As
with everything here, it's impeccably made, and I'd be thrilled to drink a bottle any time over
the coming 4-5 years or so. Drink 2026-2031.

Taut with tension and full of expression, this red is tightly focused with dense flavors of currant and blackberry. Underpinned by garrigue, savory pepper and grilled anise tones that build toward full-bodied tannins. Best from 2027 through 2037. 248 cases made.

The 2025 Chardonnay is yet another compelling edition of this wine, with generous curves,
enticing florality and prickly acidity. Gorgeous aromas of jasmine, orange blossom and
white peach press from the glass, soaking into the palate with staining density and a
delectable lick of salinity on the finish. This is more of a standalone singular wine than it is
a “Chardonnay,” but that happens to be a huge success. In 2025, the Diatom Chardonnay
comes across like an aromatic white, but with Chardonnay’s texture and structure. At this
scale of production, how can you go wrong?

The 2024 Chardonnay Katherine’s Vineyard has moved to half fermentation and aging in
stainless steel, which yields a huge qualitative leap. Bright and floral, it delivers great
vivacity and purity of flavors, with so much less of the spicy sweetness from a heavier hand
with oak that has been the norm here in the past. Fresh apricot, white peach, orange peel
and chamomile stain the palate. Clean, crisp and creamy, the 2024 is a ridiculous value for
a wine at this massive production scale. Wow. -

The 2024 Chardonnay (Sta. Rita Hills) is a very successful appellation-level wine. It delivers
the house style of purity, roundness and energy with classic Sta. Rita Hills salinity and
ripeness in solid balance. Golden pear, lemon peel, hazelnut and a kiss of gentle spice
tones all join together in total lockstep. This would be an automatic order if I came across
this on a wine list.

The 2024 Pinot Noir Perilune is a very delicate wine off this site, speaking softly with
understated layers of tart cherry, new leather, tobacco and cracked pepper. Though on the
soft-spoken side, it’s a very texturally attractive wine. All finesse, with really lovely
harmony and poise.

There’s a flinty kick to the nose of this bottling, which pairs earth and apple slice aromas. The palate sizzles with refreshing acidity and then drops into a rockier edge, again showing stone and orchard fruit flavors.

This longtime Pinot Noir bottling got a little more expensive recently, but still represents tremendous value. Crisp and clean aromas of raspberry pastry and crumpled purple flowers lead from the nose into a bright, tense palate loaded with pomegranate and rose petal flavors.

Modeled on txakolina-style wines of Basque country, this wine was many years in the making, and it’s quite an exciting debut. Slightly effervescent on the pour, the bottling begins with a zesty nose of chopped citrus peel and light apple on the engaging nose. The palate’s fun fizz carries fresh flavors of apple peel as a laser-sharp acidity drives into the finish.

You may find yourself making biscuits from scratch after you take in these aromas of honey butter, peach, pear, and a trace of wet slate. The hunger pangs will continue on the palate, with flavors of lemon curd and toasted almonds holding court. The Chardonnay’s acidity is lively, its mouthfeel juicy and silky smooth.

Aromas of tart cherry, cola spices, black tea, and flowers waft from the glass on the nose of this wine. The palate is generously textured with plush tannin and juicy acidity that highlight flavors of cranberry, raspberry compote, salty black plum, cocoa powder, rose petal, and fresh herbs before a long, soft finish.

Elegant yet deeply structured, with tiers of raspberry, blueberry, earthy mineral and juniper berry tones that build graceful tension on the finish. Drink now through 2035.

The 2023 Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton pours a youthful saturated red color and is showing
exceptionally well today, offering an expressive floral perfume, raspberry cordial, anise,
mossy earth, and wildflowers. Medium to full-bodied, it has a supple, silky texture, polished
tannins, dark stony minerality, and a wonderfully approachable personality. Drink 2026-
2036.

A platinum yellow color, the 2023 Chardonnay Yamhill-Carlton is beautifully detailed, with
almond, lemon balm, verbena, citrus oil, toast, white flowers, and white peach. Fullbodied, it has bright salinity, refreshing acidity, and excellent length, with a polished yet
taut, vertical feel that carries through the finish. Drink 2026-2036.

A jeweled ruby/magenta hue, the 2023 Pinot Noir Shea Vineyard offers polished notes of
black raspberry compote, crushed flowers, cedar, and fresh mossy earth. Medium-bodied,
it has ripe fruit, fine tannins, balanced acidity, and elegant length. Drink 2026-2036.

Power meets polish in this Merlot, which opens with generous flavors of black cherry and red currant and then builds tension and structure with accents of sweet tobacco and spices. Drink now through 2035.

A keenly structured style, with a firm core wrapped in rich black cherry, licorice and espresso flavors as this builds tension and tannins on the finish. Drink now through 2035.

Full-bodied and well-sculpted, this red offers a dense core of tannins and bright acidity framed by deep tones of blackberry, bitter chocolate and cedar that gather tension toward the broad-shouldered finish. Best from 2027 through 2035.

Tightly wound at the moment, with a dense infrastructure of tannins and lively acidity framed by currant, blackberry, bitter chocolate and stony mineral flavors. Hands off for now. Best from 2027 through 2036. 779 cases made.

The Silene Chardonnay is based on fruit from Capensis’ Fijnbosch Vineyard, but also uses components from four other sites in Stellenbosch. Fermented in 30% new wood, it’s a comparatively good value bottling with gunflint and baking spice aromas, lime, tangerine and passion fruit flavours and an undertow of racy acidity

Last year I got stuck into the Yangarra grenache wines. This year it’s the shiraz. Has to be said that all the fuss is over grenache now, of which I am guilty as charged, but that Yangarra often also makes great shiraz. I love this wine and it also caused me to pause. I’ll be interested to hear what my colleagues think. It’s a meaty, bloody, black cherry-and-blackberry driven wine with earth, sweet spice, game and leather characters littered throughout. It has excellent power and also excellent tannin, the finish firm and commanding. Length is very good/excellent too. I was about to rave about this wine, courtesy of its general seductiveness, but then wondered if it was just a bit too dry and firm on the finish. My score therefore is the ultimate bet each way. Campbell Mattinson. Posted on 04 August 2026.

Medium yellow colour; a toasty bouquet of chopped herbs and cooked vegetables, with pineapple and mango overtones, displaying some development. It's full in the mouth, with rounded, ample flavour and nicely judged phenolics which add a little extra texture. Everything's in balance. Sweet fruit at the core; clean, dry and refreshing to finish.

This year the Ovitelli Blanc is a certified biodynamic and organic blend of 31% grenache gris, 28% grenache blanc, 22% clairette and 19% roussanne.

Medium yellow colour; a toasty bouquet of chopped herbs and cooked vegetables, with pineapple and mango overtones, displaying some development. It’s full in the mouth, with rounded, ample flavour and nicely judged phenolics which add a little extra texture. Everything’s in balance. Sweet fruit at the core; clean, dry and refreshing to finish. (Screwcap)