Easy-to-like aromas of strawberry and wet stone converge on the nose of this bottling. The palate combines subtle flavors of watermelon, cotton candy and bubblegum, with ample acidity and a chalky texture.

Perfumed with sweet red and blue fruit, the 2020 Chianti Classico is Sangiovese with the addition of 15% Merlot. Forward with primary fruit, pressed flowers, and wet stone, it Is round and supple on the palate, with a silky-smooth texture, notes of black cherry and mocha, and crunchy red plum on the finish. This versatile and clean style of red can be shared across the table with a variety of dishes. Drink 2023-2028

Fresh and balanced, this medium-bodied white has a toasty overtone to a pretty mix of nectarine and apricot fruit. Reveals hints of heather, ground ginger and salted butter on the finish. Drink now. 550 cases made, 400 cases imported.

The warmth and richness of this Pinot Noir are apparent in the glass, but it’s not over-the-top. The mix of clonal material — 50 per cent Clone 4, 16 per cent Clone 667, 15 per cent Clone 23, 15 per cent Clone 2A and four percent Clone 115 — brings much complexity to the wine. The mix of red and dark fruit, namely dried cranberries and black cherry, is filled with plenty of savoury notes and brown spice in the finish. It’s always charming and silky smooth, and we like to chill the bottle before serving this wine to add a final touch of liveliness to the glass. Drink or hold through 2028.

Displays a nice savory base, with cinnamon bark and herb notes up front, joined by rich flavors of cherry and Santa Rosa plum around fine, minerally tannins. Drink now. 175 cases made, 175 cases imported.

Opens with apple blossom and mineral notes, which are underscored by a crème fraîche cast to the melon and Asian pear core. The finish is driven by vibrant mineral acidity. Drink now. 200 cases made, 200 cases imported.

Sweet dark cherry, plum, spice, licorice, mocha and lavender all come together in the 2019 Pinot Noir Ewald Vineyard. Supple and forward, with no hard edges, the Ewald is an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so

The 2020 Chardonnay Four Hearts is a blend taken from several old vine sites in the Russian River Valley. It offers terrific depth for the year married to vibrant energy. Spice, mint, candied ginger, crushed rocks and citrus confit build nicely in this nervy yet mid-weight Chardonnay.

The 2019 Pinot Noir (Zena Crown Vineyard) Warrior Princess Block, from a site in EolaAmity Hills, is an attractive wine done in a lither, gracious style that offers plenty of near and medium-term appeal. Crushed flowers, spice, blood orange and sweet red berry fruit all grace this understated, classy Pinot.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Docker Hill is one of the most reticent wines in this range from Hartford. Bright, taut and classically austere, the Docker Hill is in no mood to show its cards today. Crushed rocks, mint , rose petal and white pepper lend brilliance. I am not sure this will ever fully soften, as the tannins are pretty incisive.

The 2019 Pinot Noir (Marin County) is savory, earthy and full of character. Dried cherry, leather, blood orange tobacco, game, cedar and herbs give the Marin County Pinot its distinctively wild personality. There's lovely depth in the 2019, not to mention a good deal of character too.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Seven's Bench is a soft, fruity wine with tons of upfront appeal.
Sweet red cherry/plum, spice, cola, new leather and cedar are front and center. Medium in body and supple, the Seven's Bench will drink well with minimal cellaring. There's lovely fruit expression here, all in a mid-weight style that is quite appealing.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Abel is attractive, but also a touch fleeting. Sweet floral accents, spice, mint, worn-in leather and dried cherry fruit all open in a stylish, ethereal Pinot that will drink well right out of the gate.

The 2020 Picpoul Blanc Copain Estate is a very pretty white. Light tropical accents and notable creaminess are more a reflection of vintage than variety, but all the
elements are nicely balanced.

This is a great cool-climate Chardonnay. Stone fruit and white pepper hints waft into the senses. It’s fruit-forward and creamy, with a refreshing palate that’s kept in check with good acidity.

There is a reason Cab from Mt. Veeder is nationally recognized. And that reason is in this bottle. Very deep and dark fruit is slightly uplifted by excellent natural mountain fruit acidity. The structure is firm, and the core is sound. It begs for a steak pairing.

Age has brought about the first signs of maturity in this Alexander Valley cabernet sauvignon that sits on the throne of the company’s Estates Collection. There can be little doubt that 2017, in spite of a drought season was able to develop concentrated fruit so that this ferment would do well in elévage and emerge as a highly accomplished vintage wine. Which it is, with smart if just slightly furry acidity and the sharpness of trenchant tannins. Which incidentally will take another few years to fully settle and integrate into this highly professional wine. Drink 2023-2026. Tasted January 2023.

This is a very flavourful cabernet that is lighter on its feet than many in California, but still carries good structure. Will appeal to many tastes, which I sense is the drawing board design. Aromas are spot on somewhere between blackcurrant jam and black cherry. It is juicy and sweet-edged with with very good flavour concentration; then considerable sandy tannic grit. There is some immediate drinking appeal but it also has the stuffing to age. Best 2024 to 2028.

Lip-smacking, with fresh acidity and lemon sherbet, lemongrass, Honeycrisp apple and lime zest flavors. Reveals a distinctive thread of minerality on the finish, ending with precision. Drink now. 530 cases made.

Smooth, attractive melon and white peach fruit; quite elegant, the oak inputs well-controlled and balanced.

A super-rich, ripe and concentrated array of prune, plum, dark chocolate and leather with considerable structure reflecting the high alcohol.

Only 80 cases were made. Deep garnet-coloured, the 2007 High Sands Grenache gives notes of warm raspberries, kirsch, and baking spices with hints of preserved mandarin peel, anise and smoked bacon. Full bodied and opulently fruited in the mouth, it has a good firm level of chewy tannins and enlivening acid, finishing loing and very spicy. Drinking now, it should remain good to 2016+.

Medium to deep, bright red/purple colour, very good for its age. New leather aromas plus pepper and spice, and the palate is just medium-bodied and a touch lean, with a clean and tightly focused cherry-spice middle palate. The tannins are fine and sandy throughout. Appealing balance and length. It's young for its age and seems to be maturing slowly. A good grenache in an elegant style, but perhaps not everyone's idea of grenache, and the price is a stretch.

Very deep, youthful purple/red colour. The bouquet is vanillan, toasty and chocolaty, with overt coconut and vanilla (American?) oak touches. The palate is solid and grippy, with density and rusticity, with what seem like oak tannins rather dominant. There's also a metallic mineral note. It's not a finesse wine, but a grunt and guts wine. A big, brawny, solid, quite tannic wine which demands time and patience. It will reward cellaring. (1946-planted bush-vine vines, in deep sand. 160 cases made)

Deep yellow, bright colour; the bouquet is restrained but spicy with traces of apricot and faint traces of spice. The palate is likewise, fairly full-bodied, broad, a tad clumsy, with obvious tannins which add a certain texture, happily without attendant bitterness. The aftertaste resonates on and on. It's quite a big wine. It needs food: I'd suggest roast chicken. (Fermented in two 675-litre ceramic eggs. 60% of blend had 160-day extended skin contact; 40% was whole-bunch pressed)