Silver metal in 2024 Royal Queensland Wine Awards

This wine is complex, with aromas of baked fruit, orange blossom, papaya and dried allspice on the nose. Flavors on the palate are baked Golden Delicious apple, peach, orange zest and dried apricot interlaced with mineral, caramel, cardamon and a dry, juicy finish. Pair with grilled pork chop, roasted peach and arugula.

This wine is bright, with aromas of black strawberry, boysenberry, citrus, mulled spices and toasted vanilla on the nose. The flavors on the palate are dark cherry, sweet maple, blood orange, crushed dried herbs and grapefruit rind. It finishes with dry, juicy tannins. Pair with mushroom risotto.

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.

A frankly fruit-driven version, with fan-friendly boysenberry and mulberry fruit pumping through. Offering racy acidity for balance, this red is backed by a gloss of anise and roasted apple wood toast on the finish. Drink now through 2030. 200 cases made.—J.M.

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.

A vibrant version, offering a mix of Honeysuckle apple, pear and pineapple flavors, with notes of candied ginger, lemon zest and orange blossoms on a sleek, mouthwatering frame. Notes of fleur de sel and lime leaf linger.

The 2021 Chardonnay Estate is a bright straw yellow hue and was aged for 10 months in 30% new French oak. It’s expressive on opening, with notes of honeysuckle, melon, fresh pear, and candied citrus. Medium to full-bodied, it’s juicy on the palate, with a lovely, elegant feel and a kiss of sweet fruit through the finish. It’s going to show its best over the next 5-6 years.

Inky black/purple-hued, the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is expressive, leaping from the glass with its packed aromas of wood spices, toasted cedar, preserved blackberries, and resinous tobacco. Full-bodied, it reveals a sanguine, iron-rich mineral profile that’s forward on the palate, with mouthwatering tension, ripe tannins, and good balance on the finish. It’s a very appealing wine that’s starting to drink well now. Drink 2024-2034.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Dutton-Perry Ranch is a medium ruby red color and has an expressive and floral perfume of candied roses, ripe strawberries, herbes de Provence, and pomegranate. Medium-bodied and elegant all the way through, its pretty, juicy perfume lasts throughout, and it has fine tannins and a weightless feel. Drink over the next 6-7 years

A bright straw/green hue, the 2022 Chardonnay Bennett Valley comes from the two blocks in front of the winery and was raised without oak. It offers aromas of fresh white flowers, linen, lemon zest, lime blossom, and green apple. Medium-bodied, it has a rounded, weightless feel and a delicate floral finish. It is a very pretty, approachable wine that’s going to do well over the coming 6-7 years.

The 2022 White Pinot Noir was raised in neutral oak for 10 months. It’s a bright straw silver color and is expressive with savory notes of orange peel, chamomile, yellow apple, and melon. Medium-bodied and silky textured, with an approachable floral feel on the finish, it’s a very pretty white to enjoy over the next 5-6 years.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Edmeades Vineyard was raised for 10 months on large 500-liter French oak puncheons and is based on 40% Swan and 60% Calera clones with some whole clusters. A new wine for the estate, it’s a youthful ruby color and is bright in the glass with notes of bright red cherries, fresh roses, orange peel, and lifted spice. Mediumbodied, it has an elegant, weightless feel, with fine tannins and a clean finish. It’s a very attractive wine to enjoy over the next 5-7 years

A deeper bright yellow/golden hue, the 2021 Chardonnay KelliAnn Vineyard comes from vines planted in 1989. It offers a good deal of concentration in its notes of toasty spice, lemon curd, brioche, and baked apple. Rounded and full-bodied, it keeps light on its feet, with elegant, clean lift on the palate and a delicate touch of beeswax. Drink 2024-2034.

Pouring a bright medium yellow color, the 2022 Chardonnay Saralees Vineyard was also entirely barrel fermented and was aged for 9 months in 35% new French oak. In the glass, it takes on a touch of flinty wet stone on the nose, with notes of golden apple, preserved lemon, fresh flowers, and saline. Full-bodied, it has an elegantly rounded feel, with notes of almond coating the palate. It has a lovely, decadent feel, very pretty and silky, without ever feeling weighted, and reveals a very nice, rounded finish. It shows the sunny elegance of the vintage and is going to have a wide drinking window over the next 5-6 years.

A straw/silver color, the 2022 Chardonnay Three Vistas reveals ripe, waxy aromas of golden apples, white flowers, honeyed lemon, and almond. Aged for 10 months in 29% new French oak, it comes from both the Fulton Estate Vineyards and the Piner Vineyards. Full-bodied, it has a lovely kiss of melony fruit floating through the palate and an elegant floral feel on the finish, with oak spice floating on the back palate. Drink it over the next 5-6 years.

Bright yellow/straw-hued, the 2022 Chardonnay Sable Mountain Vineyard is entirely barrel fermented and sees 23% new French oak. It’s a touch savory, with notes of chamomile, lime, and salted pineapple, and the Wente clone adds richness on the palate. It has a full-bodied structure, and it fills the palate with a coating feel, a creamy texture, sweet melony fruit, and a long, elegant, sweet oak finish. Drink it over the next 6-8 years.

A ripe golden yellow hue, the 2022 Chardonnay Cloud Landing is 100% barrel fermented and was aged for 10 months in 32% new French oak. Aromatic of fresh pineapple, fresh flowers, golden citrus, and a kiss of baking spice, it’s full-bodied on the palate and keeps lovely freshness in this sunny vintage, with a juicy feel and a lovely, pithy, textured finish. It’s showing well today and will drink well over the next 5-6 years.

A deeper red hue, the 2022 Pinot Noir Three Vistas comes from the Russian River Valley and offers more roasted, ripe aromas of baked cherries, sweet spices, cola, and mossy earth. Classic and medium-bodied, with a ripe, juicy feel, ripe tannins, and a lot of charm, it’s going to show its best over the next 5-7 years.

A youthful ripe ruby red, the 2022 Pinot Noir Anderson Valley is partly from the Skycrest Vineyard at about 1800 feet elevation and is blended fruit from the Edmeades Vineyard, which is much closer to the ocean and adds freshness to the blend. The wine was aged for 10 months in 25% new French oak barrels. It leaps from the glass with notes of raspberry coulis, candied violets, sweet herbs, and baking spice. Medium-bodied, it retains good freshness and lift through the finish, with fine tannins and good tension, while keeping a ripe profile. Drink over the next 5-7 years.

The 2022 Zinfandel Russian River Valley is magenta with a hint of purple. It has a more resinous feel, with notes of compote blackberries, menthol, wood spice, forest floor, and candied purple flowers. Medium to full-bodied, it brings more tension to its fresh, even acidity which propels it through the finish. It’s going to age well over the next 6-8 years.

Coming from across the neighborhoods of the Russian River Valley, the 2022 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is ripe with aromas of toasted spice, orange rind, preserved lemon, honeysuckle, and baked apples. Full-bodied, with a ripe, classic feel, it has a nice, rounded mouthfeel and offers a lovely sense of place. Drink 2024-2030.