Quite tart and sour on the nose. Some fruit, but a bit hidden. Weighty on the palate, on the verge of heavy. Thick rich fruit, pretty good balance, certainly on the big end of Pinot Noir. Not my style, but I really like it. Excellent.

A bit on the dark side when it comes to Pinot Noir but still translucent. Dark earth on the nose with dark berry fruit. Dark on the palate as well with bright acid and earth. Nice. Excellent.

This stainless-steel, no malolactic fermentation wine sourced from Chalk Hill Vineyard showcases the floral earthiness of the variety. Woody cedar and dried herb, with just a hint of bell pepper, accent dense red currant and
balanced acidity.

Garnet to dark garnet color in the glass, clear looking throughout. Nose of cranberries, raspberries and cherries. Flavors of cranberries, strawberries and raspberries. Medium to tart acidity, medium to firm tannin, full bodied. Drink over the short term.

La Crema’s Willamette Valley Pinot is sourced from 8 vineyards across four sub-appellations of the Willamette Valley which results in a very complex and representative premium Oregon Pinot. The inviting bouquet draws you in with dark cherry, plum, baking spices, cured meat, and a hint of mineral/earthiness. Medium-full bodied, this Pinot shows great freshness, with dark cherry and raspberry tarts on the long finish. Enjoy now and over the next 5 years with classic roasted rack of lamb, bœuf bourguignon, or pan-fried venison with blackberry sauce.

Gran Moraine Brut Rose Yamhill-Carlton Willamette Valley, 92 McD, shows spring florals, hawthorn and green apple nose. Orange citrus and slaty minerality without the petrol hints one would find in German Riesling complete the package.

Charming aromas of sliced lemon peel, chopped hazelnuts and crushed thyme. Medium-bodied with silky texture. Fresh and open on the palate with crisp acidity and subtle tannin structure. Sustainable. Drink now.

La Crema's 2019 Willamette Valley pinot is an expectedly polished and sleek, seamless wine from this professional organization. High quality wood is well-enmeshed into the ensemble, while sweet red cherry fruit and cola, pomegranate syrup and raspberry purée flavours lead in the classic west coast style. Length and depth are excellent. Drink or hold 2-5 years.

13.5% alcohol. Three day cold soak, 40% whole bunch, 10% new oak, seven different clones. Sweetly aromatic cherry fruit nose with some ginger and cinnamon notes. The palate is sweetly fruited, textured and quite generous with smooth, ripe berry and cherry fruit. Supple and expressive, in a smooth style with some ripeness. Fine grained tannin.

Grown biodynamically and matured in used oak. Tastes quite neutral at first but it reveals notes of nuts, ginger, honeysuckle and mineral as it opens and warms in the glass. Crisp finish but the palate is slippery and textural. Sweetish aftertaste. Delicious.

Light yellow hue with a spicy, stone fruit bouquet, apricot and fig flavours predominating. There is richness and roundness, with a substantial phenolic grip and a faint trace of bitterness, which is perfectly acceptable. A full-bodied, ample white wine with generous flavour and some viscosity. It would make an excellent food wine. (Fermented in ceramic eggs. Two-thirds fermented on skins with extended skin contact; one-third fermented without skins)

Full-bodied and firm, with good intensity to the blueberry and blackberry flavors at the core, with dried herbs, black pepper, loam and savory green olive and tobacco details. Drink now through 2030.

Shows wonderful density, with toasted herbs, tobacco and notes of laurel bay leaf, sage and rosemary that complement a core of dark berry and cassis flavors on a velvety frame. Reveals notes of black Assam tea that linger on the finish. Drink now through 2033.

Neither oak spices nor tannins dominate this medium-bodied wine, allowing the grape variety’s complex, savory characters of black currants and bay leaves to shine through, backed by a supple texture and light, integrated tannins.

This is the first vintage of this white Rhone blend. Chamomile, beeswax, apricots, lemons and white grapefruits. Round and textured, with some phenolic tension. Full-bodied yet fresh and sleek. Hint of gingery spice at the end. 50% grenache blanc, 25% roussanne, 12% clairette, 9% piquepoul, 4% bourboulenc. 59% skin contact in amphora between 90 and 126 days. Drink now. Screw cap.

In its bold, grapey youth, this wine needs decanting to show detail in the black fruit. Immediately fresh and clean, it turns fragrant with air, long and rich. A standard-bearer for the Yarra Valley.

This premium Napa Chardonnay is sourced from the Ahmann and Huichica Vineyards in Carneros, the Keyes Vineyard in Howell Mountain, and the Rancho Sarco Vineyard on the north east edge of Napa. The nose shows tropical fruits, russet apple, caramel, delicate sweet spices and wet stone. Medium-full bodied with a creamy and refreshing texture, look for ripe stone fruit and orchard fruit on the long finish.

This is reserved in style but has a nice well of loganberry and mulberry fruit, with subtle apple wood, loam and licorice root notes. A flash of sweet bay leaf flickers in the background, too. Polished feel overall. Drink now through 2032.

The 2018 Capensis is matured in 45% new oak that comes from three cooperages, though I found the wood component supremely well disguised. It has a pretty bouquet that demands a little coaxing, eventually offering dried yellow flowers and touches of dried mint. Quite understated compared to its peers. The palate is well balanced with a lovely, slightly waxy texture counterbalanced by a fine bead of acidity. Nicely focused, nothing extravagant on the finish yet everything feels neatly embroidered together with fine persistence.

Blended with 9% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot, this wine offers firm structure and strong tannins. With more than two years in French oak, it unfurls into waves of earthy dried herb, cedar and peppercorn,
with a chalky texture of crushed rock.

This charming, light-colored and well-balanced wine offers the balance of a Pinot Noir with light tannins and good acidity as well as some of the tangy, mouthwatering qualities of Sangiovese. Enjoy this rarity (in California) for its focus, lively texture and subtle cranberry and black-tea flavors.

Rounded aromas of apricot, peach, salted butter and citrus pith emerge on the nose of this three-barrel bottling. A light sandalwood flavor shows on the sip along with lemon peel, wet earth and more savory sea-salt elements.

Shimmering ruby. Fragrant raspberry and cherry aromas show excellent clarity and are accompanied by potpourri and baking spice nuances. A smoky mineral flourish builds in the glass and carries onto the palate, which features appealingly sweet red and blue fruit and floral pastille flavors and smooth, seamless texture. Deftly balances richness and liveliness and finishes long and floral, with harmonious tannins and a subtle echo of candied flowers. These vines were planted in 1946 on a cool, sandy site.

Bright straw-yellow. Nervy and precise on the nose, displaying fresh Meyer lemon and green apple aromas that pick up a subtle floral note as the wine opens up. Taut and gently chewy on the palate, showing fine clarity and a refreshingly bitter snap to the mineral- and floral-accented citrus and orchard fruit flavors. Finishes with firm cut, repeating citrus character and strong, mineral-driven tenacity.

Deep red. Vibrant raspberry and rose aromas, along with hints of dusty minerals and baking spices. Juicy, seamless and focused on the palate, offering appealingly sweet red fruit and floral pastille flavors that deepen steadily as the wine opens up. Fine-grained tannins frame the lively, spice-laced finish, which shows strong, red-fruit-driven tenacity.