Light and acid-driven, this wine is subtle in style, with layers of wet stone, lemon zest and forest. It shows varietal integrity and lasting notes of black tea and baking spice.

A dull ruby red with a thin watery rim. Medium bodied on the palate with some bracing acidity and very little tannins.
Leads with fresh strawberry compote and mulling spices—clove and cinnamon in particular—followed on by vanilla, some funky herbaceous/mossy notes, and a vibrant citrus quality on the finish. Youthful, to be sure, but already drinking beautifully and likely will for several more years. This is a delicious Yarra Valley Pinot coming in at a perfectly decent price.

Murphy-Goode Cabernet Sauvignon is a terrific pop ‘n pour wine that’s sure to please! Delicious blackberry, plum, graphite and herbs on the nose and palate makes this value-priced Cabernet a great choice to enjoy year-round with BBQ fare in the summer and braised dishes in fall and winter. Enjoy now and over the next few years.

I needed to decant this Northern California Pinot Noir to shake loose all the aromas from the glass. Once it comes to life, it’s more about the fruit than the florals—lush cherry/pomegranate/cranberry and a dusting of herbs. In the glass there’s a fleshy, medium-bodied concentration of dark red berry fruit with finely grained tannins. A solid, crowd-pleasing pinot.

Rich and expressive with hints of almond, sour-sob, scented flowers and butter. The palate is beautifully sweet-fruited, with generous white peach and lemon zest. The wine has appealing texture and soft edges.

Medium to full yellow colour. Dairy-like aromas of toasty oak and apparent malolactic from its note of 'milk powder'. Very savoury style - it's hard to detect the primary fruit. Oak and other artefacts are the main game here. Plenty of weight. The finish is soft, dry, balanced and pleasing. A very smart wine with understated complexity and fine balance.

This a dandy, well priced cabernet that provides authenticity in a price band where that is often compromised by too much sweetness. This captures forward, ripe blackcurrant jam with fresh herbs/cedar bough and wood spice. It is medium-full bodied, a touch sinewy but still full of California warmth, smooth texture and generosity. Well balanced and very drinkable now, or over the next three years.

Bright red cherry colored. Similarly bright and cherry-driven on the palate, with raspberries and tangy red cherries and cranberries, along with rhubarb, white pepper, some sage – nice herbal, spicy vibes. Smooth tannins and fresh acidity on the palate, a tart and juicy appeal with flavors of cranberry relish and juicy black cherries. Spicy, floral, fun, I get elements of earth, sage, leather and pepper, some rhubarb and dried rose petals. Really fun Willamette juice that drinks well, offers complexity, crowd-friendly appeal and bang for the buck.

Bright ruby color. The raspberry and juicy strawberry aromas of delightful, backed up with anise, black pepper, clay and tilled soil, some rose potpourri. Dusty tannins frame the palate nicely, medium acidity keeps it vibrant, and I get flavors of red plums, wild raspberries and saucy cherries. Notes of spiced black tea, white pepper, violets, clay. Fun and fresh, but sports solid complexity and depth.

Pretty, with a high-pitched cherry and damson plum fruit profile laced with sanguine and red tea notes, which linger on the understated finish. Drink now through 2027.

A fresh and racy-styled Pinot, with a savory spine amid raspberry and red currant coulis flavors. Presents pretty red tea and floral accents on the finish. Drink now through 2026.

A rich, forward style, offering a velvety wave of crushed plum and boysenberry preserves, with melted licorice and sweet toast gilding the finish. Shows more weight than purity but will have fans. Drink now through 2026.

The 2018 Fijnbosch comes from fruit on their own Fijnbosch estate in the Groot Drakenstein mountains in the Banghoek Valley. It is an amalgam of blocks designed to represent the property, originally contributing to the main Capensis blend before being parsed out to create this cuvée. It has a precise bouquet with citrus fruit, white peach and light floral scents; this is nicely focused, but like the regular Capensis, remains quite understated for its class. The palate is medium-bodied with more roundness and depth than the Capensis, certainly more power and concentration, though perhaps the Capensis has a touch more tension on the finish.

The 2020 Silene is a cuvée that used to be sold off in bulk that comes mainly from younger vines supplemented by out-sourced fruit from the Stellenbosch hillsides. It essentially undergoes the same maturation as the Capensis, whole bunch pressed at around 2.6 bars and raised in foudres, small French oak and cement. It has an attractive lime leaf and citrus peel-scented bouquet that unfolds in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a phenolic, texturally-satisfying opening. Fine weight and acidity with a light sour lemon note on the finish. Enjoy this over the next five to seven years.

Murphy-Goode California Merlot is a rich and velvety smooth crowd-pleaser you’ll want to try this fall and enjoy all year round. Chalked full of ripe dark berries, cherry, plum, vanilla and sweet spices, this easy-going California red is ready to enjoy now with wood-fired pizza, BBQ fare, or even spicy cuisine. Enjoy 2022-2024.

Supple and fresh; juicy and bright. Light red cherry and plum fruit with good acidity. Shows freshness and poise, and a tapering finish, with a hint of pepper and cedar.

La Crema's pinot gris is a ripe, fullish, fleshy and fruity white wine, with white pepper flavour and well-measured lees influence, and long, warm, pleasantly bitter finish. There's considerable depth and concentration on offer in the category, also very good length. Clearly well-made wine from carefully tended vines.

A generous red, fruit-forward yet well-structured, offering cherry and red currant flavors accented by toasty oak and espresso. Drink now through 2028.

All varietal from a vineyard in the Santa Ynez Valley, the 2020 Chenin Blanc Jurassic Vineyard reveals a medium gold hue to go with interesting notes of buttered orchard fruits, white flowers, spice box, and some subtle nutty, toasty nuances that emerge with time in the glass. It brings some richness and depth on the palate and is medium-bodied, has a round, supple mouthfeel, terrific balance, and a great finish. It's a variety you don't often see from the Central Coast, but this is terrific and well worth seeking out.

The 2020 Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard is terrific and shockingly good given the quantities produced. Burgundian-like aromas of stone fruits, chalky minerality, honeyed flowers, and brioche all define the nose, and it's medium-bodied, with a supple, rounded texture, integrated acidity, and a great finish.

The 2020 Pinot Noir (Sta. Rita Hills) is bright and punchy, with effusive aromatics, vibrant red fruit and fine balance. Drink this supple, vibrant Pinot over the next few years, while red flavors remain vibrant.

The 2020 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard is a powerful, driving wine. Black cherry, licorice, gravel, dried herbs and earthy undertones add to an impression of virile intensity. Savory and earthy flavors dominate, while fruit is pushed to the background in this decidedly powerhouse Pinot from Siduri. I would open this well in advance, as aeration works wonders here.

The 2020 Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard is bright, punchy and full of character. Crushed red berry fruit, blood orange, spice, mint, star anise and dried herbs give the 2020 lovely exotic flair. This mid-weight, nervy Pinot from Cambria is all class.

Sinewy and tightly focused, with black cherry, smoked meat and cracked pepper flavors that finish with a tannic bite. Best from 2023 through 2030.

Fermented and aged in both stainless steel and neutral oak, this is a fine, friendly and approachable white, that’s tropical and fleshy with underlying richness. Pineapple, mango and hints of fennel and dill give it a contrast of fruit and herb.