Aromas of dried cherry, spiced raspberry compote and licorice waft from the glass of this Pinot. The palate some darker cherry, cola spice and cedar flavors in a medium-bodied frame with some chewy tannin at the close.
This wine is rich, with aromas of dark berries, savory spice, dried potpourri and vanilla on the nose. The flavors on the palate are black currant coulis, black plum and baking spices, morphing into fennel, citrus zest, green olive, earth and a dry finish.
Savory and floral, the 2022 Pinot Noir (Santa Lucia Highlands) is every bit as composed as it is year after year, especially considering the stress of the growing season. Black raspberry, black sage and exotic spice tones introduce this neatly proportioned Pinot, finishing with a waft of dusty rose petals. There’s so much to like. It’s always exciting to pick up this much character in an appellation-level wine.
A smoky, flinty note adds complexity to the smooth, lush flavors of grilled lemon and peach, with spicy accents of clove and nutmeg, plus a touch of toasted brioche. A salted butter detail lingers. Drink now. 454 cases made.
The 2022 Pinot Noir Perilune is a tense, nervous wine. White pepper, slate, crushed rocks, orange peel, mint and dried flowers abound. The 2022 is an attractive wine, but the limits of this challenging season are evident, especially for these young vines planted in 2017.
The 2023 Viognier Tepusquet Vineyard is a very pretty wine endowed with lovely freshness and nuance. Tangerine peel, white flowers, apricot and mint are nicely lifted. Bright acids perk up the finish.
The 2023 Viognier Tepusquet Vineyard is a very pretty wine endowed with lovely freshness and nuance. Tangerine peel, white flowers, apricot and mint are nicely lifted. Bright acids perk up the finish.
A pretty shade of bright pink in the glass, this bottling offers potent aromas of strawberry, cherry and orange peel on the nose. There’s a bit of power to the palate, with juicy cherry flavors that would pair well with roasted chicken, grilled salmon and summer salads.
This vineyard sits at 400m in elevation, located only a few miles from the ocean. Due to its auspicious locale, it's mineral-driven all the time, with a hint of lemon curd thrown in for good measure. Has some textural weightness, though, that makes it interesting.
The 2021 Chardonnay Yamhill-Carlton opens with a delicate blend of white flowers, vanilla beans, wet stone and young peaches. This mixes saline minerals with ripe orchard fruits and sweet spice over a stream of brisk acidity. It finishes potent and with medium length, yet maintains fantastic energy as hints of almond paste and citrus remain.
The 2021 Pinot Noir Estate Cuvée opens with a rich blend of crushed black cherries, grilled herbs, mocha and pine. It’s juicy and fruit-focused, with soft textures and depths of ripe wild berry and licorice tones that swirl throughout. This takes on a spicy tinge through the finish, leaving a hint of sour citrus and edgy tannins that frame the experience without slowing its momentum. The Estate Cuvée is refined in 49% new French oak for fifteen months.
The 2021 Chardonnay Estate Cuvée whisps up from the glass with an understated blend of fresh apples and pears accentuated by mint and lime zest. This is racy and spry with a tinge of saline minerality up front to contrast its ripe orchard fruits. It finishes with medium length and has a pleasantly tactile tinge, leaving sour citrus and kiwi to taper off slowly.
The 2021 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley is spicy with a bouquet of crushed woodland berries and flowery underbrush complicated by shaved cedar. It’s soothingly round and energetic, with cool-toned acidity and fresh red and blue fruits that swirl throughout. It leaves a subtle tinge of licorice and blackberry, only gently tannic, along with a hint of citrus that adds lovely depth. This is a perfect introduction to the Penner-Ash style.
A vivid burst of crushed yellow apples and peaches, minty herbs, vanilla beans and sweet spice form an enticing bouquet as the 2022 Chardonnay Willamette Valley comes to life in the glass. This is fruit-focused and rich, with round and supple textures and a core of ripe orchard fruits. Juicy acidity keeps the mouth watering through the finish as candied lime notes linger on and on.
A bright silver straw hue, the nose of the 2022 Chardonnay Willamette Valley is very lifted with a vibrant energy on opening, offering notes of fresh green apples, lime leaf, linen, delicate sweet spices, and fresh white flowers. Medium-bodied, it has a kiss of sweet pear-noted fruit and a clean, easygoing feel. It’s very, very charming and drinking well now. I like this for the freshness, but it should hold on nicely over the coming 5-6 years.
A solid, balanced and intense Chianti Classico with aromas of sweet cherries, raspberries and sweet spices. It’s full-bodied with fine tannins. Solid core of red berries at the center, with a refined texture and an intense development in the finish. Drink or hold.
This wine is lively, with aromas of cranberry-raspberry, orange blossom and dried herbs on the nose. The flavors on the palate are raspberry-pomegranate, orange marmalade and nutmeg sliding into toasty oak and juicy, dry finish. Pair with lamb sliders. —T.P.
The 2019 Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton is scented of blueberries and blackberries accented by touches of forest floor, tar and Angostura bitters. The light-bodied palate is silky and bright with floral flavors and a long, ethereal finish.
Stylistically, the 2017 Syrah falls midway between ripe, extracted examples from warmer locations and spicy, herbal iterations from cooler, more coastal locations. It has pretty scents of black cherries, mint chocolate, coffee beans, olive and chargrilled meats. The medium-bodied palate features detailed, perfumed flavors. It offers rounded tannins, fresh acidity and a fragrant finish.
From vines planted in 1972, the 2018 Riesling Hyland Vineyard Old Vines is scented of white peaches, lime peel, slate and petrol. The light-bodied palate is racy and linear, its electricity tempered by generous fruit flavors and about 10 grams per liter residual sugar, and it has a long, shimmery finish.
The 2021 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley unwinds slowly in the glass to reveal black cherries, violet, Earl Grey tea leaves and turned earth. The medium-bodied palate features powerful, concentrated, dark fruit. It has a chalky frame, bright acidity and a long, spicy finish. This is dangerously easy to drink! 10,352 cases produced.
The 2021 Riesling Hyland Vineyard Old Vines is scented of green pineapple and lime peel plus accents of freshly baked bread, beeswax and petrol. The light-bodied palate is loaded with green tropical fruit. Its 10 grams per liter of residual sugar balances its steely acidity, and it has a very long finish. 233 cases produced.
Lively aromas of honeydew, honeysuckle and peach blossom are invitingly floral on the nose of this bottling. The palate is clean, crisp and direct, offering flavors of apple slices in citrus spray, all jazzed by an electric acidity.
Toasted meringue, orange peel and subtle oak aromas introduce the nose on this bottling. The palate shows more oak than the nose, with flavors of toasted coconut flake, vanilla and more meringue.
This is a flashy style, its ripeness revealed in some heat and butter, but overall it’s finely integrated within an oak frame. There’s gingery spice, mineral notes from the lees, as well as a green chamomile character that keeps it refreshing in the end. —J.G. (269 cases)