From a relatively warm site, this wine is rich and tropical, with a lovely texture. Sourced from multiple vineyards along the Laguna Ridge and from older plantings, it has high-toned aspects of tangerine and stone with a warmth of Gravenstein apple and pear. The medium structure supports integrated oak and body.

Finally came the white. The 2015 Gran Moraine Yamhill-Carlton chardonnay is benchmark Oregon chardonnay in my book and the twinkle in the Gran Moraine eye. Priced in the mid $40s, it’s not cheap, but routinely out performs many of the State’s more expensive chardonnays. This vintage is a stellar one. The nose gives off sweet oak, dried mango, honeysuckle, vanilla custard and a smidge of Earl Grey tea. It’s a plush medium weight on the palate with a bit of a glycerin sensation that I just love. The barrel influence is restrained but present in the structure and flavors as well as the nose, it’s managed just right for this profile. There’s oak vanillin, Meyer lemon, sweet cream, Thai basil, persimmon and dried apricot. 93 points, value A.

Edmeades has been setting the standards for California Zinfandel for decades. Winemaker Ben Salazar must have had the stars aligned for a fermentation of the most wonderful kind when he put this wine in the barrel. Huge and hulking with finesse like a runway model’s walk inside a body builder’s physique, the 2012 Edmeades Zinfandel delivers a package that is more than the sum of its parts. Concentrated fruit flavors have mellowed since release, presenting a much more approachable wine that drinks with ease rewarding the consumer with brambly dark berry, chocolate cherry cordial painting a wide swath across the palate. The soft dusty tannins of the Edmeades Zinfandel echo in the background as the mouth-cleansing acidity sets you up for the next sip. Worth seeking out even if it takes a little work. Excellent.

2017 CHARDONNAY, SANTOS ROAD The nose is a tart lemon and chalk with green apple and wet stone. The palate is bone dry with underlying peach, pear and mineral.

2017 CHARDONNAY, HILLIARD BRUCE The nose is a juicy tropical fruit with honey, peach and chalk. The palate is crisp peach with notes of honey and golden currant. Lovely texture.

2017 ROSÉ The nose is graphite and stemmy tomato on entry with an overall lean freshness. All whole cluster pressed. The palate is bright strawberry and cherry with well-defined acidity.

2015 SYRAH The nose is aromatic cedar with tarry black plum and blueberry. The palate entry is a supple raspberry with notes of violet and cherry in the core. The acidity is well-integrated.

2015 VIOGNIER The nose is a rich, creamy vanilla and white blossoms. The palate entry is a bright lime, grapefruit and floral. Very well put together.

2015 CHARDONNAY, CLONE 4 The nose is a toasted lemon with underlying peach and pineapple. The palate entry continues the tropical element of pineapple, with chalk and toasted grain on the finish.

2015 CHARDONNAY, KATHERINE’S The nose is an expressive, barrel-influenced toast, lemon and pear. The palate is crisp, honeyed stone fruit topped with vanilla crème brulee.

Medium ruby color. Enticing aromas of raspberries, blackberry and strawberry jam, this is a darker, saucier aromatic display with notes of sweet cola, rhubarb, rose petals and barbecue sauce. Medium-bodied on the palate with velvety tannins and medium acidity. Pretty black cherries, raspberries and summer plums, backed up by menthol, earth, roasted chestnut. Elements of rhubarb, white pepper and mushroom add complexity. Fruit but deep, accessible but can age.

2015 PINOT NOIR, LA ENCANTADA VINEYARD the nose is an edgy herbal tapenade with forest floor, garrigue and plum. The palate entry is polished cherry, black plum, tobacco leaf and a silky, luxurious core of powdered red berries finishing with notes of mint.

Bright ruby color. Gorgeous nose of chilled strawberries, raspberry jam and black cherries, along with cola, rhubarb, white pepper and roses. Plush but fresh, dusty but bright, fruity but it’s tangy and lively. Tart black cherries, raspberry jam, fresh strawberries, the fruit mixes nicely with flavors of roses, rhubarb, sarsaparilla, cola and mushroom. Fresh and vibrant but can improve for at least a few years.

Bright ruby color. Juicy and tangy fruits on the nose (raspberries, strawberries, cherries), beautiful and fresh with rhubarb, rose petals and tomato leaf. Medium-bodied and really fresh on the palate with dusty tannins and crisp acidity, lots of tart cherry and ripe strawberry fruit. Complex notes of rhubarb, pepper, tobacco and tomato leaf, some fresh green herbs and judiciously-sprinkled cedar. Lovely, fresh, delish.

Moderate golden yellow color in the glass. The nose offers aromas of buttered popcorn, honey, pineapple core and lemon rind. Creamy in the mouth with well-ripened fruit flavors of yellow apple, pineapple, mango and pear. A bold, rich wine with nicely integrated acidity and a deft touch of oak. Well crafted in this fruit and oak driven style.

Moderately dark golden yellow color in the glass. Aromas of citrus peel, yellow grapefruit and ripe apple lead to a discretely rich styled wine with ripe flavors of pineapple, lemon and yellow peach underlain with complimentary oak. A good cut of acidity maintains a refreshing vibrancy.

2016 PINOT NOIR, 3D The nose is a pure black cherry accented with notes of raspberry and spice. The palate is well-focused and bright on entry with a saturated core of black fruits and a firm acid profile on the finish.

Precise and powerful, with focused minerality and intense flavors of crunchy green apple, Key lime and nectarine. Hints of ripe mango show on the finish.

2016 CHARDONNAY, HAPGOOD The color is golden amber followed by a massive nose of expressive caramel, coconut and resinous lemon. The palate is a dry, toasted fruit on entry with the core offering lean, crisp and focused white tree fruits.

BREWER CLIFTON 2016 CHARDONNAY The nose is an intense, concentrated lemon, pear and supple apple. The palate is a rich, creamy dryness with notes of lemon zest in the core, finishing with solid acidity.

This light gold colored Chardonnay from Chile is a spectacular value. It opens with pineapple and pear like bouquet with a hint of oak. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, smooth and nicely coats your mouth. The flavor profile is a lemon verbena, pear and gentle oak blend with hints of pineapple, almonds, and toasted coconut. The finish is dry and its flavors linger and drift away nicely. This is a very complex Chardonnay for its price point. It way over-delivers. I would pair it with lobster with drawn butter this summer.

The 2013 Zena Crown Vineyard Pinot noir ∑ from Eola-Amity Hills in Willamette Valley, Oregon is huge and lithe at the same time; quite the conundrum for this taster’s palate. Winemakers Tony Rynders and Shane Moore both have a deft hand with creating wines with unique, but subtle character, and this wine exemplifies those skills. Clocking in at only 12.9% alcohol, the depth of flavor is impressive. Over ripe dark red fruit and floral aromas lead the parade as you first start to swirl the wine. Flavors of raspberry and a hint of super sweet strawberry lift the first nuances of flavor like a symphony movement reaching a crescendo. The non-tannic finish is memorably spicy expressing considerable length a sheer delight to taste.

Of the three tasted together, the 2015 WillaKenzie Estate Aliette is the most delicate. It’s quite perfumed with a bouquet of Spring flowers and rose potpourri, cherry, strawberry, juniper, clove, and allspice on this high-toned nose. The palate is modest in weight, but round and smooth. Tannin is well integrated, while the acid is pleasantly juicy and slightly tart. The range of red fruit is impressive: strawberry, cranberry, huckleberry and raspberry, plus a not-so-minor role for plum. Tar, pepper and mulled spices feature on the back end. Pretty, but uninspiring at the moment, I suspect it will reach a higher elevation with three to five years of aging. 92 points, value A-.

The 2015 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon offers a terrific representation of the property. Gravel, smoke, licorice, tobacco, black cherry and plum infuse this striking, wonderfully savory Cabernet Sauvignon. All the elements simply fall into place.

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Monolith is powerful, deep and concentrated. There is no shortage of intensity in the 2015, but the chunky, big tannins do convey and impression of wildness and rusticity. Aside from living up to its name, the 2015 is also very young. It will be interesting to see what a bit more bottle age adds.