Palest greenish gold in color, this wine smells of green apple, cut grass, and passionfruit. In the mouth, bright green apple and passionfruit flavors have a nice crispness to them and a faint chalky texture as excellent acidity keeps the salivary glands flowing. Tasty. Fermented in stainless steel. Closed with a screwcap.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands is pale to medium ruby-purple in color. Delicate scents of raspberry leaves, cranberries, and rhubarb slowly emerge from the glass, with nuances of forest floor and crushed rocks. The medium to full-bodied palate is tightly knit and savory, with a compelling crushiness to the fruit and graininess to the tannins, finishing with an herbal lift.

This bottling, formerly from a historic site in Santa Barbara County but now 75% from Monterey County, brings a lot to the table for a favorable price. Aromas of citrus sorbet and wet stone lead from the nose into a palate offering brisk apple, more citrus and high acidity.

This over-achiever of a Chard is straight-up medium-bodied, with no overt oak but very subtle suggestions of toast and spice. The balance of acidity and fruity sweetness is just right, with freshness and substance riding perfectly in tandem. There’s nothing too flashy in this—to its credit.

The 2020 Chardonnay Bear Point Vineyard, matured for 10 months in 38% new oak, is somewhat reticent on the nose with hints of yellow peach, matchstick and almonds. The medium-bodied palate has an upfront core of dense, peachy fruit, soft acidity and slowly expanding leesy accents that define the finish. It's less defined than in other vintages and will drink best over the next 3-5 years. 347 cases were made.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Emery slowly evolves in the glass with sweet herbs and wild strawberries complicated by cedary spice. Racy and sleek, a stream of brisk acidity propels its tart wild berry fruits. Pleasantly chewy, potent and lightly tannic, this finishes with a thrust of crushed black cherries and mentholated herbs.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Gran Moraine Vineyard is dark and brooding, with hints of exotic spice and dried black cherries wafting up from the glass. It flows across the palate with pure silk textures and polished red and blue fruits that swirl over a stream of juicy acidity. This leaves a licorice tinge and hints of lavender to linger through the long and gently tannic finish.

The woodland-inspired 2021 Pinot Noir Warrior Princess Block opens with an intense burst of peppery rose and dried strawberries. This is a pure and lifted effort with juicy red berries and sweet inner florals swirling above a core of brisk acidity. It tapers off gently tannic and long, leaving a licorice tinge and hints of clove.

The nose on this bottling is pleasantly rich with whipped cream, apple blossom and pineapple aromas. The palate picks up a tense lemon peel edge to counteract the baked apple, macadamia nut and toasted pastry flavors.

Rounded aromas of roasted red cherry and peppery herbs invite the nose into this bottling. The palate is tense and complex, combining cracked pepper, toasted herb and pomegranate flavors.

Very ripe, dried fruit and
smoked beef aromas lead to rich blackberry jam flavors in this full-bodied, big and rounded wine. Its
powerful mouthfeel and broad tannins give a heavy, warm presence to the palate. —J.G.

Rich but dry, this robust take on Zinfandel wraps good tannins around ample blackberry and raspberry flavors, while light smoke and black-pepper accents dance around the edges. Pair with a grilled ribeye or roasted bone-in pork chop. —J.G.

This extroverted, soft-textured wine glows with sunny apple and mango aromas, followed by tempting buttery, oakspice elements in the generous fruit flavors. —J.G.

Tempting cinnamon, rhubarb and pastry aromas waft from the glass before mulled cherries, sweet plums and cloves saturate the generous texture of this full-bodied, low-tannin wine. Its acidity is relaxed for easy sipping. —J.G.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard is laced with crushed flowers, sweet red-toned fruit, cedar, pipe tobacco, mint and rose petals. This is a pretty nervy, taut expression of Rosella's, but it works.

The nose is briar, resin and hard Christmas candy. The palate entry is firmly structured plum with vibrant mineral and herb in the core. It finishes with a substantial texture that coats the mouth. Drink 2024-2030.

The nose is vivid licorice and sticky cherry with lingering cool conifer. The palate entry is supple red berries leading to a lively core of well-integrated herb and spice finishing with graphite and plum. Very solid wine. Drink 2023-2028.

The nose is sharply-defined cherry and spice box along with notes of green garden herbs. The palate entry is focused on toast and spice with underlying tobacco and a tight core of red berries and cherry leading to a dry stony finish. Drink 2023 – 2028.

The nose is gravel and dried herb with notes of toffee. The palate entry is lean and dry red berries with a core of focused, polished plum and spice leading to a finish of firm, mouth-coating acidity. Drink 2023 – 2027.

The nose is concentrated dried plum and blueberry with whiffs of blossom. The palate entry is polished licorice and black fruit leading to a core with gobs of sweet, herb-laced plum that coate the mouth through the finish. Drink 2023 – 2027.

The nose is brilliant candied red fruit with a well-integrated cool forest floor. The palate entry is supple brown spice leading to a core of hand plum finishing with line acidity. Drink 2023 - 2028.

The nose is fresh and lean lemon, pineapple with chalk and grass. The palate entry offers candied pineapple and baked yellow citrus with a lingering jasmine spice in the core finishing with juicy peach. Drink 2023 – 2026.

The nose is bright yellow citrus, chalk and honey-flecked verbena. The palate entry is gravel, grains, with a focused core of citrus and crushed nuts. It finishes with silky light toast and nectarine acidity. Drink 2023-2026.

Undeniably drinkable and fresh, the North Coast Zinfandel from Kendall-Jackson may serve as a bellwether of the style of wine the grape can produce with a depth of dark fruits that is lifted by undeniable freshness. Aromas of mountain scrub, wild violet, pine bough and stone give way to ripe...

Fairly light in color with a somewhat dirty nose (stem inclusion?) of light cherry and maybe even some funk. Light on the palate as well, but pretty well balanced and a lengthy finish. Not as boisterous as others but very nice.. Excellent. 91 Points.