So beautifully developed now at age nine, it's rich in marzipan, lemon creme, lemon zest and lime peel. Bright with citrus acidity, tangy, dry and appetizing in texture. What an elegant, balanced and complex wine. Drink or hold.
A very tensile, fresh and mineral-laden wine that's tangy in acidity and has an almost crunchy, lively texture. Made from a singular section of the 3-D vineyard planted with Wente and Mt. Eden clone grapevines. Lemon pith, limestone, crisp green apples. So intense and taut, it is sure to age and improve. Drinkable now but best from 2029.
Lively, fresh and energized at age nine, this wine has plenty of life ahead of it. So vivid in cranberries, rooibus tea, rhubarb and dried cherries on a frame of firm acidity. Elegant and silky. Drink now or hold.
So peppery, savory, smoky and meaty in aroma, showing the wild side of the grape variety. Sour cherries, black pepper, singed herbs, wood char, graphite and iron flavors. Medium-bodied, racy with acidity and nicely chewy in tannins. Drink or hold.
A suave, composed and subtle wine with great mellow fruit, spices and woodsy, savory accents. Medium-bodied, moderately tannic, aged in neutral barrels that Greg Brewer calls "exhausted." Hardly soft, though, it is alive with fresh acidity and lifted by fine-grained tannins. Drink or hold.
A lush and ripe-tasting but also bright and balanced wine that's mouthwatering to sip. It offers sour cherry and red cherry aromas followed by good baked cherries, red currants and dried cranberries on the palate. Moderate tannins and tangy acidity give it life and energy through a lingering finish. Sustainable. Drink now or hold.
Bright, polished and layered, this is a harmonious wine that blends apples, lemon zest, light baking spices and vanilla bean. Medium-bodied with a rich mid-palate, vibrant acidity and a sense of chalky minerality. Drink or hold.
An unoaked chardonnay that's full-bodied but balanced and amazingly rich in ripe fruit. Flavors of lemons, green apples, pineapple. mangoes, minerals and chalk. Harvested late in the year, fermented in steel tanks, then bottled and sold early while it's fresh and racy in texture. Despite not aging in barrels, it offers good butter and spices considering how crisp and tangy it is. Drink now.
Achieves excellent balance between a tangy feel and generous flavors. Quite toasty, flinty and nervy in aromas before a ripe, buttery palate delivers good richness and length. Minerals and sea salt on the nose, then bright pineapple, baked apple, butter and lemon zest on the palate. Drink now or hold.
A sturdy, straightforward wine with good, ripe black fruits and meaty, spicy accents on a generous texture. Light tannins and a rather full body give a relaxed mouth-feel. Drink now.
Fresh, clean and balanced, this is fruit-driven and refreshing. Medium body and good, citrus acidity back up crisp green-apple and Bosc-pear flavors, while showing slightly oaky, buttery influence. Drink now.
Ten months in French oak gives this Chardonnay a characteristic honey and nectarine dimension, along with a bit of pear and apricot. Pleasant acidity on the finish.
Offers forward notes of raspberry and black cherry preserves, with touches of warmed licorice and rose hip, but the edges are just a touch blurry, and the underlying structure shows a hint of grain. Drink now through 2026. 352 cases made.
A stunning version, showing wonderful precision. Offers wild strawberry, raspberry and maraschino cherry flavors that are sleek and polished, plus wild fennel, toasted green tea, rose petal and cardamom details. There's a hint of forest floor on the long finish, with dense, velvety tannins. Drink now through 2037.
Aromatic and expressive, offering bright notes of cherry preserves, cranberry and fresh raspberry coulis up front on a silky, weightless frame. Yet this red's power comes from its expansive details, with elements of lavender, apple blossoms, clove-spiked orange, oolong tea and toasted cumin lingering on the long finish. Drink now through 2036.
Impressive for its purity and fleshy black cherry flavors, with details of pomegranate, strawberry and fresh herb details of thyme, sage and rosemary on a crisp, juicy frame. Accents of cherry cola and red licorice, as well as polished tannins. leave a lasting impression on the finish. Drink now through 2035.
Composed of fruit from carefully selected, sustainably farmed vineyard blocks across Alexander Mountain, Alexander Valley, Dry Creek Valley, and Bennet Valley, La Crema’s cab exhibits a velvety mouthfeel and ripe berry flavors. It is approachable, in both sipping and price point, yet bold enough to stand up to the Thanksgiving spread and discerning guests. Notes of blackberry, cocoa, and a supporting touch of oak bring out the savory flavors in roasted vegetables and an array of meats like pork and lamb, making it a versatile choice for the table.
A blend of equal parts of Merlot, Petit Sirah, and Syrah. It spent 20 months in oak, gaining a rich garnet color and flavors of blueberry, chocolate, blackberry, and a firm toasty oak structure. Perfect with rich meats like prime rib or leg of lamb.
Capable and obviously very clean and fresh Chenin. Far from the most characterful at this
stage but it's a very youthful (very pristine) wine. Bright-fruited but too expensive. Maybe
it will bloom?
The aim of winemaker Graham Weerts of Capensis, the Jackson Family Wines South
African Chardonnay project, is not to produce a copy of a northern Rhône wine but
something very evidently true to the site. Very pure, fresh and fruity. Hardly perceptible
tannins and lovely pure fruit. Perhaps not a very long-distance player but very charming –
a wine that improved overnight.
Nice balance between richness and crystalline character, with that grapefruit element running through it. Really sophisticated wine with a beginning, middle and end. I'm not at all sur it’s a bargain(!) but it's a very good drink.
Light nose but really very fresh and crisp on the palate with delicate fruit and more than a hint of the grapefruit character of the informing vineyard. The best-value Capensis wine? Though maybe not for the cellar.