On the nose, wild aromas of green tea, honey, ripe mango and Lilikoi. The palate is clean, refreshing and electrifying with flavors of pear, nectarine and guava.

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon, with 9% Merlot in the blend, came from eight different appellations this year. Deep garnet-purple in color, it comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notes of warm cassis, fresh blueberries, and Bing cherries plus suggestions of lilacs, wild sage, allspice, and dark chocolate. The full-bodied palate has an impressive frame of wonderfully-ripe, fine-grained tannins and lovely tension supporting the generous black and red berry layers, finishing long with a fragrant lift.

The single-varietal 2021 Cabernet Franc is deep garnet-purple in color. It springs from the glass with notes of Morello cherries, redcurrant jelly, and black raspberries leading to underlying notes of dried mint, rose oil, and pencil shavings. The medium to full-bodied palate is energetic, with great tension and ripe grainy tannins supporting the vibrant fruit, finishing long and minerally.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the single-varietal 2021 Mount Veeder Cabernet Sauvignon needs a lot of shaking and swirling to coax out notes of tar, black pepper, and black truffle before breaking through to a core of blackcurrant pastilles, baked plums, and boysenberry preserves plus a hint of hoisin. The full-bodied palate delivers impressive tension, with a rock-solid frame of ripe grainy tannins and powerful black fruits, finishing long and spicy.

The 2021 W S Keyes Merlot comes from the 1986 plantings up at Keyes and is composed of 78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple in color, it explodes from the glass with a mushroom cloud of fruitcake, plum preserves, and baked blackberries plus suggestions of Indian spices, forest floor, and sandalwood with a touch of mint tea. The full-bodied palate bursts with bold black fruit and exotic spice layers supported by velvety tannins and just enough freshness, finishing with epic length and fragrance.

The 2021 W S Keyes Chardonnay was all barrel fermented and spent 24 months on lees. It shimmies out of the glass with notes of lime blossom, fresh ginger, and Bosc pears followed by an undercurrent of white peaches and yuzu plus a hint of struck flint. The medium-bodied palate is racy and minerally, with vibrant citrus and pear-inspired flavors and a satiny texture, finishing long and chalky. Wow!

The 2022 Upper Barn Chardonnay bursts with bold notions of lemon-laced creme caramel, ripe pineapple, and juicy pears plus suggestions of candied ginger, wet pebbles, and wild sage. The full-bodied palate is rich and satiny, with amazing tension and loads of spicy sparks lifting the tropical and orchard fruit flavors to a very long finish on this fabulous wine. Part of the vineyard is planted to 1982 Old Wente clone vines on AXR rootstock. 411 cases were made.

The single-varietal 2019 Christopher's Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple in color. After a swirl or two, notes of crushed blackberries and black cherries strut from the glass, with nuances of violets, graphite, and licorice in the undercurrent. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly wound with a shimmery kind of energy, featuring super-ripe, fine-grained tannins and beautiful freshness, finishing long and minerally. This is impressive! 536 cases were made.

The 2022 Seascape Vineyard Chardonnay needs a fair bit of swirling to unlock notes of lemon tart, guava, and key lime pie leading to hints of brine, fresh ginger, and yuzu zest. The medium to full-bodied palate is electric, featuring intense citrus and mineral layers with a silky texture, finishing with epic length. This should age amazingly! This wine was barrel fermented and aged in French oak. Native strains were used for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and the wine is unfined and unfiltered. Seascape Vineyard is located on a 1,000-foot-high panoramic ridgetop west of the town of Occidental, overlooking Bodega Bay and the Pacific Ocean. It was planted to the Spring Mountain Chardonnay clonal selection in the mid-1980s.

The single-varietal 2021 Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon, all from the estate-owned Keyes Vineyard, is deep garnet-purple in color. Quite closed to start, it requires a fair bit of swirling to bring out notes of blackcurrant jelly, plum preserves, and cedar chest giving way to hints of crushed rocks, charcoal, black olives, and anise. The full-bodied palate delivers concentrated black fruit layers with earthy accents and a firm, grainy texture, finishing with a refreshing lift and impressive length.

The single-varietal 2021 Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is all estate grown, coming from two different vineyards. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts with bold notes of baked plums, creme de cassis, and blackberry pie followed by nuances of menthol, cedar chest, and Chinese five spice with a hint of iron ore. The full-bodied palate is chock full of bright, black berry and earthy layers, supported by grainy tannins and plenty of freshness, finishing long and savory.

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon has 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 4% Merlot, and 2.5% Petit Verdot in the blend. Deep garnet-purple in color, it needs a lot of shaking to wake up scents of blackcurrant preserves, plum pudding, and mulberries giving way to a fragrant undercurrent of licorice, charcoal, violets, and menthol. The big, rich, full-bodied palate is completely packed with black fruit layers supported by very firm yet ripe grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long with a spicy kick.

The 2021 Red Wine is a blend of 54% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Cabernet Franc, 13% Petit Verdot, and 7% Malbec. Deep garnet-purple in color, it rolls out with notes of juicy black and red plums, fresh blueberries, and cedar chest leading to hints of violets, aniseed, and underbrush. The full-bodied palate is big, rounded, and plush, with expressive black and blue fruit layers and a long pepper-laced finish.

The 2021 Sycamore Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, with 4% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot in the blend, is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a fair bit of swirling to bring out notes of redcurrant jelly, juicy blackberries, and blackcurrant jelly followed by hints of wild sage, crushed rocks, and mossy tree bark. The full-bodied palate is built like a brick house, with firm, ripe, grainy tannins and wonderful tension supporting the muscular black fruit preserves layers, finishing long and minerally. 1,500 cases were made.

The 2019 Upper Barn Chardonnay features youthful notes of lemongrass, preserved kumquats, lime cordial, and grapefruit oil plus hints of wet slate and coriander seed. The medium to full-bodied palate is packed with citrus and mineral layers supported by a satiny texture and racy backbone, finishing long and zesty. This is impressive! Part 97of the vineyard is planted to 1982 Old Wente clone vines on AXR rootstock.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the single-varietal 2014 Christopher's Cabernet Sauvignon bursts with bold, ready-to-go notes of creme de cassis, blueberry pie, and Morello cherries followed by hints of candied violets, tobacco leaf, and fallen leaves with a touch of red loam. The medium to full-bodied palate is rich and velvety, with bags of juicy black fruit and loads of earthy sparks, finishing long and layered.

The single-varietal 2019 Bear Point Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple in color. It sashays out with notes of kirsch, fresh blackberries, and mulberries plus suggestions of graphite, lavender, and black olives. The medium to full-bodied palate has a rock solid structure of firm, grainy tannins and fantastic tension to support the generous yet bright black and red berry layers, finishing with great length. Yum! 504 cases were made.

The 2022 Warrior Princess Chardonnay jumps from the glass with notes of juicy pears and honeydew melon giving way to an evocative undercurrent of struck flint, grapefruit oil, and allspice. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers jaw-dropping tension juxtaposed with a creamy texture, finishing with an impressively persistent and refreshing steeliness. This is gorgeous! This wine was barrel fermented and aged in French oak. Native strains were used for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and the wine is unfined and unfiltered. It is sourced from a block within the Zena Crown vineyard in the Eola-Amity Hills, planted to Dijon clone 95.

The 2022 Jennifer's Chardonnay pops from the glass with vibrant notes of fresh pineapple, honeydew melon, and lemongrass with suggestions of wet pebbles and fresh ginger plus a waft of lime blossom. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers amazing tension, with super-intense tropical and citrus fruit flavors, finishing long and zesty. This wine was barrel fermented and aged in French oak. Native strains were used for alcoholic and malolactic fermentation and the wine is unfined and unfiltered. Jennifer’s Chardonnay is sourced from a dramatic, steep-sloped vineyard in the windy and very cool Sebastopol Hills neighborhood of the Russian River Valley AVA. The block was planted to Old Wente selection Chardonnay in 2005.

The 2022 Highwire Zinfandel Old Vines is medium to deep garnet-purple in color. It comes barreling out of the glass with notes of baked cherries, black truffle, juicy blueberries, and spice cake with hints of oolong tea and mossy tree bark. The full-bodied palate is lively and fine-grained, with earth-laced black and red berry layers, finishing long and earthy. The vines are more than 100 years old, with half of the plot head-trained and half trained on a high wire.

Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Dinas Old Vine Zinfandel flies from the glass with notes of charcoal, wet rocks, and black truffle leading to a core of baked blueberries and stewed plums plus wafts of sandalwood and tree bark. The full-bodied palate has a seriously racy backbone of acidity and velvety tannins supporting the generous earth-laced blue fruit layers, finishing with epic length. This comes mostly from head-trained vines planted over 100 years ago.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the single-varietal 2021 Merlot skips out of the glass with bright, cheery notes of black raspberries, juicy plums, and kirsch followed by suggestions of pencil lead, wild thyme, and damp soil. The medium to full-bodied palate delivers impressive freshness, with ripe, rounded tannins and bags of red and black fruit flavors, finishing with a provocative lift.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the single-varietal 2021 Malbec is quite broody and closed to begin, offering glimpses at black cherries, tar, wild sage, and black truffle before opening out to a core of preserved plums, rhubarb, and tapenade plus a waft of lavender oil. The full-bodied palate is rich and powerful, delivering firm, ripe, velvety tannins with wonderful freshness, finishing long and earthy. This is impressive!