The 2022 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley mixes wild strawberries with savory herbs and nuances of white pepper. Soothingly round and cool-toned, it offers perfumed red and blue fruits swirling throughout. The finish tapers off with medium length, a licorice twang and chewy persistence.
Raspberry, strawberry, violet and lavender aromas are well balanced on the lush nose of this appellation cuvée. Purple fruit and flower flavors are cut by decent tension and refreshing acidity on the palate
A fresh set of aromas that includes newly baled hay and quinine water garnished with a lemon wedge will grab your attention before allowing you to move on to tart and puckering lemon, lime and white grapefruit flavors. The wine’s acidity borders on jolting, which only adds to its sense of absolute tartness and twang. Let this wine cut through a bowl of cheese puffs.
The 2022 Matanzas Creek ‘Bennett Valley’ Chardonnay offers nutmeg drenched pie crust and shades of peaches on the nose. This comes off juicy and round with good freshness considering the heat of the vintage. Drink 2025-2031
This 2022 Sonoma County Cabernet Sauvignon delivers good mouthfeel and flavor density, with concentrated dark currants and black cherry flavors that mingle well with dried herbs on the palate. Really well-done, enjoy now and over the next few years. Drink 2025-2031
The 2022 La Crema ‘Fog Veil’ Pinot Noir offers lifted red florals that mingle well with cranberry and strawberry notes on the nose. The palate is soft and juicy with loads of texture and minerality. Drink 2025-2031
The really good 2022 La Crema ‘Saralee’s Vineyard’ Chardonnay offers peaches and apricot on the nose alongside pastry crust notes. This is soft and delicious with a smooth mouthfeel on the palate. Drink 2025-2031
From the North Coast AVA, the 2022 ‘Taylor Peak Vineyard’ delivers cran-cola on the nose with freshly tilled soils and wild blackberry. This is soft, elegant, and marvelously salty – ideal for current enjoyment. Drink 2025–2031.
Moving to the appellation wines from Siduri, the 2023 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley is a youthful ruby color. It’s bright and spicy on the nose, with ripe red cherries, bright stemmy spices, forest herbs, and a fresh rosy perfume. Medium-bodied, it’s elegant and ripe, with a savory spice feel on the palate and a clean, structured finish. It’s a refreshing vintage of this wine to drink now or over the coming 5-6 years.
The 2021 Petite Sirah Field Stone is an inkier purple color. Coming from old vines, it benefits from air on opening and boasts a ripe feel with notes of tarry earth, dark compact black fruit, peppery spice, and pressed floral notes shining through. It’s full-bodied and has a broader-shouldered feel, with more richness and chewy texture, but it has the acidity to keep it well-balanced. Drink 2025-2032.
The 2022 Merlot Alexander Valley pours a dark inky red color and is ripe on the nose but a bit shy to open initially, gradually unraveling to notes of graphite, black plum, olive, and forest earth. The palate is structured and rich and has a heartier feel, with more rich tannins coming through the midpalate and finish, and it has a freshness of acidity that keeps it from feeling dense. Drink 2025-2032.
The 2023 Chardonnay Alexander Valley was fermented in French oak for 10 months, with 15% new. The nose brings forward balanced intensity and is lifted in the glass with aromas of honeyed citrus, lemon curd, vanilla, poached pear, and fresh, delicate notes of honeysuckle. Floating on the palate with a medium-bodied feel and a lovely, rounded texture, it has a suggestion of being full but stays light on its feet. It’s a gorgeous wine to drink over the coming 5-6 years. I love the freshness it brings now, though it should continue to drink well.
A jeweled ruby color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Fog Veil opens to notes of ripe black cherries, forest f loor, ripe floral perfume, a dark woodsy spice. The palate is silky and round, with ripe, medium to full-bodied richness and a plush, even, ripe feel through the finish. Drink 20252030.
A bright medium yellow hue, the 2022 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is highly expressive and opulent on the nose, with decadent aromas of custard, ripe peach, vanilla, and citrus marmalade. Aged entirely in French oak with about 35% new, the palate is full and supple with a fruity feel, and it has good underlying freshness that keeps things from feeling overly heavy, even in this warm vintage. Drink 2025-2030.
This wine is bright, with aromas of citrus, green papaya, pineapple, dried herbs and honeycomb on the nose. The flavors on the palate are quince, white nectarine and pomelo zest interwoven with dried bay laurel, Himalayan salt and dry, supple finish. Pair with procioutto-wrapped Charantais melon.
Aromas of roasted cherry and raspberry dominate the nose of this wine. The palate displays rich flavors of dark cocoa, plum and earth that linger across a long finish. Enjoy with roasted pork and mushrooms.
The 2022 Siduri Pinot Noir from Santa Barbara County reflects a coastal sensibility with a lifted, savory edge. Matured for 10 months in 25% new French oak, it shows subtle aromas of raspberry leaf, red cherry, and sea breeze. On the palate, wild strawberry and tart plum meet earthy nuances of dried brush and chalky terrain. Light on its feet but nicely shaped, the wine threads freshness and spice in equal measure. An easygoing yet refined Pinot that captures the cool tones of Santa Barbara in a quietly compelling way. About 15,000 cases produced
The 2022 Siduri Pinot Noir from the Russian River Valley draws from multiple vineyard sources across the AVA, capturing the region’s signature plushness with admirable lift. Aged for 10 months in 30% new French oak, it leads with aromas of pomegranate, bergamot, and a touch of forest underbrush. On the palate, juicy red cherry and rhubarb are laced with crushed sandstone and hints of damp earth. The wine walks a fine line between richness and vibrancy, offering clarity despite the warm vintage. Subtle savory accents and refined acidity bring a finishing edge to its rounded frame. 3000 cases produced.
The 2022 Siduri Chardonnay from the Willamette Valley is a bright and engaging expression of the varietal clarity. Aged for 10 months in 20% new French oak, it shows a lean, polished frame with a light lemon hue at the core and a delicate, watery meniscus .On the nose and palate, it layers golden apple, preserved lemon, and white nectarine, bringing a restrained orchard-fruit vibrancy. Subtle threads of dried thyme and chamomile introduce a savory edge, while a fine saline undertow lends it coastal freshness. The oak influence is present but not overpowering, giving just enough texture and creaminess without masking its lift or precision. 276 cases made.
White peach and chamomile flowers are inviting on the nose of this structured and elegant white. Coming from vineyards located 12 miles from the Pacific Ocean in the Itata Valley, the wine's creamy palate is rich in tangerine and orange flavors. Hints of honey and wood spice accompanied the fruit. - JR
Another really light wine in the glass. Subtle on the nose with some fruit coming through eventually, mostly peach. Lovely, yet subtle on the palate, too, with good balance, but still on the shy side, for sure. Quite Provençal in both appearance and style.
Aromas of roasted pear, crème brûlée, spiced apple and white flowers jump from the glass on the nose of this round and giving Chardonnay. The palate displays soft, lacy texture and flavors of pear tart, marzipan and caramel.
Notable aromas of orange blossom and cinnamon mingle with fresh Anjou pear on the nose of this wine. The palate carries weight and spice from the barrel aging and flavors of nectarine and a ribbon of lemony acid and minerality that runs the length of the finish.