This is a textbook highquality Pinot Noir. Though a bit shy on the nose, the vivacious wine comes to life on the palate, driven by generous acidity and encompassed by well-integrated, chalky-textured tannins. Find layered flavors of red currant, cranberry, pomegranate, cacao, basil, tarragon, nutmeg, vanilla, licorice and toasted wood. It’s complex, yet maintains a casual attitude. Pair it with you favorite weekday or datenight meal. —S.B.

Give this guy a bit of time to open up—he’s shy. About 20 minutes to read the room should suffice, and then he’ll be talking all about the fresh red cherry, red currant, tarragon and basil mashed onto the redwood forest floor. He’ll stand tall on integrated tannins, refreshed by modest acidity. A balanced, medium level of alcohol means he’ll be great sipping all night long. —S.B.

A gentle texture and soft, ripe flavors of pear and peach nectar give this full-bodied wine an approachable, smooth style. The hints of lemon zest and crisp apple balance it out well. —J.G.

Expressive vanilla and butter aromas lead to butter, fig, coconut and honeydew melon flavors in this soft-textured, lush wine from the estate property of La Crema. —J.G

This beautifully fresh expression of Pinot Noir is just what you’d expect from Mendocino’s Anderson Valley. Find vivacious notes of tart red cherry, wild strawberry, just-ripe pomegranate, basil and toasted wood. Everything is knit together by firm tannins, driven by a solid dose of acidity and incorporates a balanced alcohol to give weight and lift to the midpalate. —S.B.

The 2019 Chardonnay Silene has a slightly richer bouquet and is a little more intense than 2020, with hints of walnut, hazelnut, fennel and light tropical fruit. The palate is well-balanced, slightly more generous and textural than the '20. There's fine depth, quite bright with citrus peel and orange rind towards the finish, just a nice saline tincture lingering on the aftertaste. Very fine.

A bigger Pinot Noir, the Rosella's shows savoury herbs and crushes stone minerality backed by a baked cherry component. Blue and black fruits predominate on the palate, as well as ripe and rich fig, chocolate, and blackberry compote. Finishing with desert sage and white pepper accents.

A ripe, jammy and broad-shouldered Pinot Noir from what is a cool, windy site in the Sta Rita Hills. Ripe, dried fruits mark the aromatic profile accented by mountain scrub. The palate shows strawberry fruit leather, tobacco, and black plums and finishes with black pepper spiciness.

A nose of ripe red fruits and dark chocolate, this blend of four vineyards in the Sta Rita Hills has produced a compelling and ripe wine. The palate flashes silky blackberries and figs braced by cinnamon and Christmas spice. Red cherries, chewy tannins and a spicy pepper finish carry this wine home.

Described by the winemaker as a ‘three-legged stool’, this wine features fruit from Sebastapool Hills, Green Valley and the Santa Rosa Plains—lots of cola aromas, ripe berries and fleshy cherry. The palate is reflective with notes of cola, smoky spice, and red and black fruits combined in a chewy, ripe Pinot Noir.

From a higher altitude site in the rugged Anderson Valley not far from the Pacific Coast comes a Pinot that still carries plenty of ripe fruit—brawny fruit aromatics of candied cherry and dusty raspberry fruits, along with cinnamon spice. The palate is a core of ripe black fruit, with ample ripe tannin: plums, blackberries, cloves, and some baking chocolate to finish.

“Plush yet snappy, with pear, tropical fruit and spice flavors that finish on a succulent accent.”

The deep yellow 2021 Chardonnay Willamette Valley is ripe with aromas of wet stone, fresh pineapple, and lemon rind. Lush, rounded, and full-bodied, with a creamy texture and hints of almond nuttiness and honeycomb on the palate, it’s in a good spot now and should hold up well over the next 4-5 years.

With 80% of the wine coming from the 2019 vintage (48% Pinot Noir, 48% Chardonnay, and a splash of Pinot Meunier), the NV Brut Rosé is a medium salmon hue and reveals aromas of ripe peach, wild strawberry, and sunbaked hay. Dry and medium-bodied, with a nice balance of ripe fruit and fresh acidity, a creamy mouthfeel, and a lively yet fine mousse. It’s drinking well now and will drink well over the next 5-7 years. Disgorged in April 2023, with 5 grams per liter dosage.

A ripe and dark fruited style that pours a deep but transparent red, the 2021 Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton is sunny and ripe with notes of baked black cherry, red plum, potting soil, and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, it’s ripe through the palate, with meaty cherry fruit, although it cleans off the palate nicely, and it has a bit of toasty incense on the finish. Drink it over the next few years.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Kiana feels more cohesive in its aromatics, with spicy notes of black raspberry preserve, anise, mocha, and candied violets. Full-bodied with more structure, ripe tannins, and notes of cocoa and turned soil on the finish, despite its ripeness, it’s holding onto more freshness and structure and will drink well over the next several years.

The 2021 Pinot Noir 459 is aromatic and nicely lifted, as all wines are this year. Blood orange, crushed red berry fruit, mint and spice are all nicely laced together. This lithe, delicate Pinot Noir sure is a charmer. The purity of the flavors is quite attractive, but I would have liked to see a bit more depth.

A beautiful shade of pink in the glass, this bottling shows wet stone, pink rose petal and strawberry on the juicy nose. The palate offers plenty of strawberry cream flavors balanced by a persistent acidity. —M.K.

This is
a bold style of Pinot Noir, starting with aromas of
violet, lilac, black cherry and fennel pollen on the
nose. The palate is ripe and rich, with baked cherry
aromas layered in dried flower and hard-spice elements. —M.K.

Spiced cherries, mulberries, iron, and rose petal
notes all emerge from the 2021 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita
Hills, another pure, medium-bodied, elegant,
classy wine from this team. It has more notable
structure and acidity compared to the softer,
broader Santa Barbara County release. Both are
terrific.

Black raspberries, toasted spice, dried flowers, and
some savory herb notes all emerge from the 2021
Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands, a terrific,
medium-bodied, supple, yet nicely concentrated
Pinot Noir. It's delicious now but will evolve for 7-
8 years. This comes from a mix of the Sierra Mar,
Garys’, Rosella’s, and Kitewinder vineyards, was
90% destemmed, and spent 10 months in 25%
new French oak.

Lots of ripe red and black fruits, bouquet garni, bay leaf, pepper, and cedary notes emerge from the 2021 Syrah Tepusquet Vineyard, a remarkably pure, elegant, medium-bodied Syrah with a distinct, cool-climate style that has tons to love. Made from 100% destemmed Syrah aged 16 months in 20% new French oak, it's a terrific value well worth your time and money

Made by Greg Brewer and a smoking value, the 2022 Diatom has vibrant citrus and tart pineapple-like notes as well as a medium-bodied, seamless, silky style on the palate. It's a joy to drink already yet has complexity, layers, and depth, and is a beautiful Chardonnay. The 2022 comes 85% from the Mission Hills Vineyard and 15% from Bar-M (Los Alamos), both in Santa Barbara County, and it was fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks, with malolactic fermentation blocked.

Snappy and generous, with raspberry and blueberry flavors accented with clove and other dusky spices as this builds tension toward the vibrant finish. Drink now through 2030. 17,500 cases made.

This has black and red cherry preserves pumping through, flanked by singed vanilla and bramble hints and a late flash of anise. For fans of the flattering, toasty style. Drink now through 2026. 446 cases made.