Dark garnet color in the glass. Brooding aromas of blackberry jam, ripest cherry, dark red rose petal, earthy flora and vanilla. Blackfruited in a mid-weight-plus style with a good compliment of spice. Very gutsy with plenty of sap but everything in focus and balance. More giving when tasted several hours later from a previously opened bottle. Decant if you must drink now.

Sourced from the proprietary plot of 70+yo bush vines, all unirrigated, hand picked, mechanically sorted and fermented as 50% whole berries. Long. Matured briefly in an assemblage of puncheons, barriques and eggs. A light ruby. The nose, transmitting a crunchy energy from the first impression. Raspberry, sour cherry, orange zest, cranberry and pumice. Alive! Long and detailed with the sort of tannins that suck the saliva and force the 2nd and 3rd glass.

A savory style, with vibrant acidity to the fresh-cut green apple and ruby grapefruit flavors that are layered with dried tarragon acidity. Shows minerally richness on the lithe finish.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Reserve is beautifully done. Deep, pliant and super-expressive, the 2018 has so much character. Iron, cedar, tobacco, menthol and licorice are some of the many notes that shape this inviting Sonoma Cabernet.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon (Alexander Valley) is another very pretty wine in this range. Bright red toned fruit, cedar, iron, sweet pipe tobacco and mint add a striking aromatic upper register to this mid-weight, highly nuanced wine. Firm tannins and the energy of this site at 2,200 feet in elevation extend the finish effortlessly.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Stature is done in a full-throttle, oaky style that offers plenty of immediacy, if not much subtlety. Blackberry jam, chocolate, licorice and generous new oak are front and center. The sweet, unctuous style is a bit much, in my view. The Stature is a blend from sites in Knights Valley and Alexander Valley, but much of that pedigree is buried under all the oak.

The 2019 Chardonnay Camelot Highlands is a classy Santa Maria Chardonnay. Tropical fruit, mint, chamomile, baked pear tart and marzipan lend nuance to this airy, understated Chardonnay. All the elements are so well balanced.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Grand Reserve is a blend from Sky Crest and Edmeades, both in Anderson Valley. Crushed flowers, bright red cherry fruit, freshly cut flowers and blood orange all grace this silky, nicely balanced Pinot from Kendall-Jackson. More than anything else, the Grand Reserve Pinot is a superb value.

The 2019 Chardonnay Seco Highlands is such an attractive and complete wine. Tropical, deep and yet also super-refined, the 2019 is simply impeccable. Silky, creamy contours wrap around a core of apricot, tangerine oil, mint and baked apple tart. In 2019, the Seco Highlands Chardonnay is a bit lighter than it often is, but all the elements are nicely balanced just the same.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Seco Highlands is laced with bright, red-toned fruit, mint, spice and crushed flowers, all wrapped together by soft, silky tannins. This gracious, inviting Pinot will drink well right out of the gate.

The 2019 Chardonnay Fulton Ranch is creamy and layered in the glass. Baked apple tart, apricot, chamomile and lightly spiced notes all meld together in a Chardonnay that impresses with its balance and class.

The 2019 Chardonnay Stature is a blend from vineyards in Los Alamos and Santa Maria. Rich and tropical in expression, the Stature is super-expressive right out of the gate. Tangerine oil, passion fruit and apricot add a very pretty, exotic flair.

The 2018 Pinot Noir MacLean's Block is sourced from a parcel between Occidental and Green Valley. Silky and aromatic, with a touch of whole cluster savoriness, the MacLean's is undeniably attractive. Dark blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and menthol inflections build effortlessly over time. This is very nicely done.

The 2019 Chardonnay Four Hearts is another terrific wine in this range. Creamy and layered in the glass, the 2019 is exquisite. Old vines confer a good deal of character and nuance. White flowers, lemon confit, pineapple and pastry build into the creamy, inviting close.

The 2019 Zinfandel (Russian River Valley) captures all of the natural exuberance the appellation is known for. White pepper, mint and chalk lift a core of sweet red cherry fruit. Bright acids work so well in giving the wine energy and a real feeling of vibrancy. The 2019 is beautifully done.

Dried lemon peel, friend jasmine, tart dairy and sencha-tea aromas are subtle but heady on the nose of this appellation blend. There’s immense grip to the palate, where grapefruit-rind, yogurt and lingering citrus-zest flavors align.

The Brewer Clifton style is in your face pinot with full on intense fruit. The nose is a dusty mix of teal leaf and pomegranate mixed with brown spices and earthy, gamey, forest floor, fig, and raspberries, with a dusting of cocoa. The fruit is aged in neutral barrels, and whole stems are an essential part of the structure of this wine. I’m thinking rich duck or pork dishes as the perfect foil to the intense flavours of this wine. The Brewer-Clifton pinot is an assembly of three Sta. Rita Hills AVA sites: 3D (Swan, Pommard and 667 clones), Machado, and Hapgood (Merry Edwards clone).

This pale pink colored Rose from Oregon opens with a very inviting maraschino cherry and ginger ale bouquet with hints of watermelon and orange peel twist. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with medium acidity that is nicely integrated. The palate presence is fresh and clean. The flavor profile is a gentle mineral influenced strawberry and lime blend with notes of saline and red raspberry. I also detected hints of yellow grapefruit in the aftertaste. The finish is dry and refreshing. Given its low level of alcohol at 12.5%, this is an easy quaffer at the beach or pool. With food, I would enjoy it with ice chilled shrimp - hold the cocktail sauce.

The 2018 Pinot Noir Parsons' Vineyard is broad and ample in feel. Then again, we are in the Santa Rosa Plain, where the wines have a natural richness from the high clay content in the soils. Dark blue/purplish fruit flavors fill out the layers nicely. This is an especially structured Pinot that offers fine complexity while avoiding some of the exuberance that is often associated with the Russian River.

Siduri's 2019 Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) is a very pretty, appellation-level wine. Crushed red/purplish berry fruit, spice, blood orange and mint are all laced throughout this silky, super-expressive Pinot. All the elements come together so well. Bright floral notes and vibrant acids perk up the finish. This is a fairly restrained style for the Russian River.

The 2017 Encantadora, a Merlot based red, is an understated and attractive wine. Black cherry, dried herbs, leather, chocolate, tobacco and a whole range of soil tones run through a savory, expressive Merlot that has much to offer. Rose petal, mint and anise liven up the finish nicely.

The 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Helena Bench Vineyard is a powerful, tightly wound wine that is going to need quite a bit of time to come around. Lime peel, white flowers, mint and chalk add pretty top notes, but the 2019 is a tight, reticent wine that will benefit from a bit of time in bottle.

Burnished flavors of dried cherry and berry are well-knit, showing concentrated notes of underbrush and cedar spice. Vibrant acidity fills the broad-brushed finish. Drink now through 2024.

Well-knit, with fine-grained cherry and berry pastry flavors that feature hints of cocoa powder. The polished tannins power the refined, minerally finish, which is loaded with underbrush accents. Drink now through 2025.

There's an almost saline accent to the bright red fruit and berry flavors that are backed by fresh acidity. Shows blood orange hints midpalate, with focused minerality on the crisp finish. Drink now through 2026.