Expressive, firm and juicy, with vibrant preserved lemon, green apple and pear flavors at the core, accented by notes of lemongrass and lemon verbena, with a hint of crunchy sea salt. Drink now. 240 cases made.
The volcanic soils of Knights Valley are home to this cabernet, sitting on the southwest facing slopes of Mount St. Helena. The colour of this wine is notably dark opaque purple. The attack is a structured hit of blackcurrant and black cherries dusted in a savoury Sonoma mix of dried herbs. The same notes spilled onto a fresh palate, adding some bitter chocolate and a stony minerality that helps keep the wine full flavoured from front to back. The tannins are California rich and dense, reinforcing the wine’s structure and its ability to age. It's all here and will all be revealed over the next seven to ten years and beyond. If you can’t wait, grilled beef will help break down the tannins and take on the spice.
Wonderfully seamless and complex, offering notes of apricot pastry, baked apple and fresh, juicy nectarine. A drizzle of honey mingles with fresh ginger and orange blossom details on the long, expressive finish. Drink now. 451 cases made.
The 2021 Kalmoesfontein Chenin Blanc, with 13.4% alcohol, is crafted from grapes grown on 50+-year-old dryland bush vines planted on decomposed granite. This wine blends leesy, nutty and waxy elements with citrus blossom and orange oil, creating a complex bouquet. Mediumbodied, it features a spicy mouthfeel and a cereal grain finish with phenolic bitterness, making it incredibly food friendly. A total of 5,200 bottles were produced.
Appealing for its handsome structure and precise flavors of rasberry and pomegranate, which take on forest floor and dusky spice accents as this moves toward medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2031. 387 cases made. -T.F.
Raspberry, strawberries, and plum with hints of dried spice and vanilla. Oaky cedar wood, earthy graphite with firm tannins. Balanced and rich, the palate is structed with minerality and fresh acidity.
The kiss of oak is apparent on this Chardonnay. Butterscotch and vanilla aromas mingle with baked apple on the nose. The palate shows decadent crème caramel flavor, but enough fresh pear and citrus acidity balances the barrel regimen.
The nose of this fresh and zesty Pinot shows tons of savory aromas of freshly cut cedar and cinnamon and a core of macerated black cherry. The palate is juicy and acid driven, with tangy cranberry and spiced hazelnut joining fruitier blackberry and pepper flavors. The finish is long, with a broad, velvety texture.
This wine is a pale-golden color, with just a tinge of green at the edges. The nose displays tropical citrus fruits with fresh pineapple aromas. There’s a liveliness to the palate of this wine that’s clearly more focused on fruit than oak.
The nose of this wine shows spicy black cherry aromas interlaced with leather, black pepper and sage. On the palate, flavors of cranberry compote and fresh loam join with a good amount of cocoa and toast. There’s some warmth on the finish and the sustained grip of drying tannin. Give this neutral-barrel-aged wine five to six years in the cellar to maximize its potential.
This golden-hued wine shows loads of buttered popcorn and butterscotch aromas, along with lemon curd and very ripe Golden Delicious apple. The palate is generously rounded, with apple and pear pie filling, fresh cream and grilled brioche flavors on display. There’s enough acid here for balance, but this is definitely made for fans of the richer style of Chardonnay.
The nose of this wine is a balance between darker cherry and cranberry aromas, with black tea, cinnamon and sage emerging as the glass swirls. On the palate, fresh floral flavors come to the front along with brighter cranberry and savory mushroom. There’s some grippy tannins here, with balancing acidity. A few years in the cellar might round things out nicely.
This 100% barrel-fermented wine displays aromas of spiced lemon curd, with a concentrated core of Bosc pear and salted caramel on the palate. It’s a creamier version of Chardonnay for lovers of a rich and warming style.
Steeped blood orange, fresh damson plum and bitter cherry coulis notes knit together nicely, with flashes of singed savory and sandalwood on the silky finish. Drink now through 2027. 650 cases made.
Opens with toasted hazelnut and vanilla bean notes that lead to a core of creamy pear and citrus flavors, which lengthen nicely around toasted spices and subtle mineral twinges. Drink now through 2030. 128 cases made.
A blend of fruit from Carneros (60%) and Coombsville (40%) and barrel fermented in 43% new French oak, the 2022 Chardonnay features subtle buttered toast notes, paired with pear, melon and pineapple fruit. Medium to full-bodied, with partial malolactic fermentation, this plump, round wine is pretty standard Napa stuff but done really well. Fruity and fresh yet not overly simple, boasting ample concentration and length, it's a pleasure to drink.
The 2022 Jurassic Vineyard Old Vine Chenin Blanc slowly emerges from the glass with notes of Golden Delicious apples, fresh pears, and wet slate plus touches of beeswax and coriander seed. The dry, medium-bodied palate delivers a satiny texture and racy acidity, finishing with a lemony lift. 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. The Jurassic Vineyard, planted in 1982, is situated at an elevation of 1,000 feet. The name pays tribute to the fossil-rich soils that force the vines to look deep for nutrients and water.
Baked berry and plum aromas are spiced in sandalwood and mulling spice on the nose of this appellation cuvée from a rocky part of Monterey. The palate is dense with backed plum, loamy soil and bay leaf flavors.
This is a generous and approachable style of Pinot Noir sure to appease a large crowd, starting with aromas of strawberry, black cherry and vanilla ice cream. The palate is joyous in those same juicy fruits but balanced by decent tannins and a chipped slate minerality.
The enticing 2022 Syrah Tarraford Vineyard, from the lower Yarra, delivers a nice mix of sweet boysenberry and mulberry aromas, tapped with layers of white pepper, fennel seed and licorice root. Ample flavor follows on the supple side, with al-dente tannins and a strong spicy undertow. Nicely weighted overall and with decent length, there is some sophistication here that will develop over the next five years.
The finely balanced 2022 Pinot Noir Sexton Vineyard offers up plump aromas of dark cherry, cherry cola and woody spice, with touches of earth and tobacco. Nicely weighted earthy tones are already well integrated and deliver satiny textures on a voluptous finish. This is delicious to drink now and will hold.
From one of the lower Giant Steps vineyards comes the fleshy 2022 Chardonnay, offering up open knit aromas of nectarine and peach skin well matched to toasty oak. Creamy textured with gentle structural grip, a sherbet freshness gives impact and an attractive energy before fading just a touch on the finish.
The 2020 Harry's Monster is an unusual blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. It offers up a muscular core of gravel, dried herb, boysenberry and spicy aromas that are strong and a little closed. Rivers of chiseled tannins follow, revealing powerful and unyielding blackberry and olive, with a firm herbal edge and touches of wintergreen. It's young and a little awkward right now but may come around.
Plump, friendly black cherry and mulberry puree notes give this red a succulent edge, while light anise, red tea and iris accents fill in prettily on the sleek finish. Drink now through 2027. 750 cases made.
Dry-farmed in the coastal hills of Marin, this gentle pinot noir offers crunchy cranberry and orange flavors, their brisk minty coolness spiked by some heat. Assuage the wine’s touch of bitter tannins with grass-fed beef. (100 cases)