The 2019 ‘Estate Vineyard’ Pinot Noir is a medium-bodied Pinot Noir that is already nicely evolved. Ripe teaberry and red raspberry flavors mingle with minerals and flinty undertones with shades of tangerine rind on the palate.

Done in a fresher style, the 2019 ‘Willamette Valley’ Pinot Noir shows off a polished texture with layers of marionberry and black cherry that mingle with tilled soils and shades of peat moss on the palate. Enjoy this medium-bodied effort over the next seven years.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard is an attractive, easygoing wine that will drink well with minimal cellaring. Silky tannins and sweet, perfumed aromatics give the 2019 much of its sheer appeal. Bright red/purplish berry fruit and spice accents linger on the soft, understated finish.

The 2019 Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills) is bright, tense and full of energy. Crushed red berry fruit, mint, spice and rose petal all grace the 2019. Brewer-Clifton's appellation Pinot is all charm. There is a wonderful feeling of transparency here, not to mention plenty of appeal.

Zesty and well-spiced, this is filled with vibrant acidity to the raspberry and red cherry flavors that feature hints of paprika, while the juicy finish lingers with accents of forest floor. Drink now through 2025.

Crisp and minerally, with a savory snap to the fresh-cut green apple and Key lime flavors that are packed with rich acidity. Sea salt nuances line the finish. Drink now through 2025.

Delicate and pretty, with appealing cherry, black tea and spice flavors that glide on a sleek finish. Drink now through 2029.

This is a varietally pleasing and well-made wine, bright and full bodied, with bursts of violet, lavender and herbes de Provence dotting a core of dense black cherry and currant. Structured in mountain-grown tannin, it holds a grip throughout, finishing in a note of coffee bean.

From a site along the far Sonoma Coast, this wine is high-pitched in acidity, with lemony stone fruit, sea spray and crisp, fresh tones of blood orange and lime. Medium bodied, it holds its weight well, showing the lightness of its Goldridge-soil roots.

There’s a rich nose to this bottling, starting with aromas of pecan, hazelnut and baked apple. The palate conveys a viscous texture in line with that nutty nose, but then a Meyer lemon flavor provides acidity as a peach tone slides into the finish.

This very pale straw-colored Chardonnay from Oregon opens with a toasted coconut and almond butter bouquet with hints of lemon zest, lychee, and pine wood shavings. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with medium acidity. It is balanced, clean and has rounded edges. The flavor profile is pineapple and lemon blend with notes of vanilla, oak, and coconut. We also detected hints of almond, key lime pie and ginger ale. It is pretty complex. The finish is dry, and its acidity and flavors linger nicely. The Panel would pair this Chard with seared diver scallops, coconut grilled shrimp or shrimp or linguini in a lemon and garlic cream sauce.

Pinot noir from Tarraford and Sexton Vineyard so no slouch in the materials department here.It’s a tart and lighter shade of rose, peachy and a little creamy, raspberry licked and ostensibly dry, though you’d say citrusy too. An ease to drinking this, unashamedly in a good zone of savoury and dry and fruity. No fireworks. Well made. Nicely done.

Whiffs of plain yoghurt, decaying flower, dried apple, wet stone, cheesy notes, salt marsh aromas too. An exotic array to bouquet. Palate is quite taut, quite gingery in spice flavours, sizzled butter-corn notes in there, slightly mulchy character, cabbage leaf and the like, a bit of gummy-citrus oil too. It’s an OK drink.

A marginal vineyard in a marginal year. Sparkling wine chardonnay clones. All went through malolactic fermentation here. “The cool years will always challenge these sites”, offers Steve Flamsteed.Has some ripe stone fruit, chicken soup characters, slightly buttery, a touch of truffle and mushroom in there too. Good texture, plush and round, concentrated, a core of very saline, delicious, minerally acidity through the core, finishes salty saline but with puppy fat and gummy texture around that sizzle and tang. Missing some composure, but the minerally, saline feel is great.

A little price rise for the 2020. Sourced from 70+ year old plantings. Raspberry, cherry, spice, rock salt and subtle smokiness. It’s juicy and saline, a little pomegranate and orange zest, dry and slightly furry tannin, and a lively slightly sour finish of solid length. A bit chewy and compact in feel, but a good wine.

Showing some Californian influence from its American owners, this two-site Stellenbosch Chardonnay has flavours of toffee fudge, sweet vanilla spices and beeswax, supported by good creamy texture and a racy, refreshing finish. Better balanced than the 2018.

Upon harvest, the grapes for the 2019 Roux Beaute Roussanne were divided into two parts: half were destemmed, crushed and fermented on the skins (total time on skins was 193 days); the other half were pressed for a conventional white-wine fermentation without skins. Both halves were fermented and aged in 675-liter ceramic eggs. The final blend is 60% conventional and 40% skin-macerated, yielding a deep, brassy-hued wine with scents of honey, quince, fresh cider and baked apples. Medium to full-bodied, it's richly textural yet fresh, tightly structured and lively, a bit of a quixotic wine, intriguing and cerebral yet not entirely hedonistic.

Straight down the barrel of generous and hearty shiraz with dark berries and plums, framed in cedary oak and spice. The palate is boldly mouth-filling, saturated with ripe blackberry and dark-plum flavors. Drink now. Screw cap.

2019 Pinot Noir, Gran Moraine Vineyard The nose is supple cranberry and plum perfume underpinned by graphite, conifer and saline. The palate entry is cool, fresh and focused with a core of briar and camphor finishing with brown spices. Drink 2021 - 2027.

2019 Pinot Noir, Sierra Mar Vineyard The nose is fresh-sawn cedar, licorice, graphite and rust. The palate entry is lean red cherry and raspberry with a tangy, mouth-coating mid-palate texture finishing with vibrant, dry herb and tobacco. Drink 2021 - 2026.

Coming from 100% old vine Chenin brought up in barrel, the 2019 Chenin Blanc Jurassic Vineyard reveals a light gold hue to go with classic Chenin ripe citrus and orchard fruits as well as notes of dried herbs and chalky, salty minerality. It's nicely textured, medium-bodied, and balanced, with a clean, dry finish.

The 2019 Syrah Santa Barbara County always shows a cooler climate style, and that's very apparent in the cooler 2019 vintage. Juicy mulberry and blackberry fruits as well as pepper, wildflowers, and foresty, pine-like nuances define the bouquet, and it's medium-bodied, with a pure, elegant texture, silky tannins, and a great finish. It shows more violet and floral notes with time in the glass and benefits from air, so don't be afraid to open bottles ahead of time.

The 2018 Pinot Noir Signature Collection Julia's Vineyard, from the same vineyard, is similar ruby/plum-hued and offers a darker, richer, slightly more inward style in its redcurrant and black cherry fruits as well as forest floor, pine, and sappy herb-like aromas and flavors. It's more structured and has medium-bodied richness, ripe tannins, and a great finish.

It is always a pleasure to drink an older Napa Cabernet. This one is drinking beautifully today. Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is nice with cassis, spice, some tobacco, cherries and slight chocolate. Full bodied. On the palate, this is a bit past prime but offering up a lot. Some fresh fruit (cassis and cherries) along with tobacco and slight funk. Nice finish. Good complexity. This should be consumed sooner than later but all bottles will be unique. It drank great on its own and worked with some soft cheeses.

There is no denying 2017 was a super hot year in Italy. Still, for some reason, the Super Tuscans led by Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Merlot managed to make the best of the sunshine, as evidenced by this terrific bottle of Il Fauno. Fresh, dense, and power-packed, this is a delight to drink even now, although I suggest it is a wine that deserves a decade in the cellar. And at this price, that makes it a superstar for the cellar. Spicy licorice spills out of the glass along with powerful black fruit, thankfully held in restraint by the touch of French-born winemaker Pierre Seillan. The textures are equally expressive — stock up.