The 2023 Pinot Noir Docker Hill Vineyard opens to a great floral nose of spicy redcurrant, wild strawberry, and forest. From a vineyard near cool-climate Comptche, the medium-bodied frame supports firm, long tannins and a wealth of savory black tea, rose petal, and cardamom. Just a lovely, impressively made wine, this should continue to drink well over the next 10-12 years.

This is an immensely pleasing Pinot Noir. Voluptuous aromas of plump plum, lush strawberry, and generous cherry open into warmer baking spices on the nose. The palate is fresh and juicy with cherry, pepper, and citrus peel flavors.

Elegantly floral aromas of hibiscus, rose petal, and lavender meet with black plum on the nose of this bottling. Snappy plum and pomegranate flavors pop on the palate, as black peppercorn and marjoram notes provide complexity.

The 2021 Syrah Outer Limits is a potent, heady wine that soaks into the palate with conviction. Brambly black fruit, mocha, ash, new leather, white pepper and pine resin speak with authority, leaving the palate reeling with incredibly juicy acidity. Two years of aging in oak, though on the long side, worked out so well in framing the natural concentration of the drought vintage. The balance here is spot on.

The 2023 Pinot Noir Hailey's Block is gorgeous. Pressed rose petal, graphite, white pepper and crushed rocks add complexity to the base layer of ripe dark cherry fruit, demonstrating surprising complexity for a wine harvested from younger plantings. The 2023 spreads across the palate with breadth and focus, with every hair in its right place. Well-coiffed, neatly defined and precise, the Hailey's Block is all class.

The 2023 Chardonnay Seascape Vineyard is the finest of the Chardonnays in the Hartford stable this year. Notably driven and fresh, the 2023 pits generous mid-palate weight and roundness against salivating, saline-tinged acids. Tense and almost unruly, the 2023 is wound so tightly that it feels as if it wants to explode from the glass. Lemon pith, salty sea air, oyster shell and seaside herbs blossom in the glass, tightening up through a grippy, laser-focused finish. A few years of bottle age will be quite beneficial.

Expressive and open-knit, the 2023 Pinot Noir Far Coast Vineyard is dark, brooding and so velvety. Pomegranate, dark chocolate, incense, bay leaf, crushed rocks and graphite sizzle with intensity. It’s a pure, muscular wine that speaks with understated authority. The 2023 is a bit compact and clearly in need of cellaring, but your patience will be rewarded.

The 2023 Zinfandel Hartford Vineyard comes from old, head-trained vines in Proprietor Don Hartford’s backyard. You can really feel the power and gravitas of the site. The 2023 delivers the powerful concentration, mid-palate density and enticing complexity that only old vines can. Honest and authentic, the Hartford Zin just resonates. White pepper, dark berry, cracked black pepper and lavender linger so long. It's a fabulous wine in every way.

From head-trained vines planted over 120 years ago comes the 2023 Zinfandel Dina's Vineyard, another proper standout in a Hartford range packed with excellent Zinfandels. Plush, creamy and crystal-clear in its fruit purity, the 2023 delivers weightless concentration and total finesse. A brief stay of ten months in 40% new French oak lent just enough body, but the 2023 absolutely shimmers on palate. Pipe tobacco, blackberry, black pepper and orange peel explode through the mid-palate and finish. What a classical beauty.

AH: Light, unassuming nose, but
the palate packs a punch! Green
apple flavour, but not tart or
lean. Terrific focus and precision.
RJ: Clean, linear. Great balance
of minerality, stone fruit and
fresh bright citrus zest. Layers
of fresh, bright, tantalising fruit.
BP: Ripe citrus with green hints.
Zippy palate with gentle weight
and pure fruit. Lifted floral notes
and a long, clean, steely finish.
Slight austerity that works here.

Based on 91% Merlot and 9% Petit Verdot and aged in 73% new oak, the 2023 Merlot sports a deep ruby/purple and offers juicy black and blue fruits, graphite, crushed stone, and a sappy violet-like character. It's dense and medium to full-bodied on the palate, with juicy acidity and fine tannins that show the pure, structured, age-worthy style of the vintage. There are 779 cases produced, and it will drink beautifully over the next two decades. Drink 2025-2045.

Based on 100% Chardonnay and aged in 12% new oak, the 2023 Chardonnay W.S. Keyes Vineyard offers a gorgeously pure nose of ripe citrus, lemongrass, honeyed white flowers, and salty minerality. It's medium-bodied on the palate, with a pure, focused, graceful mouthfeel, bright acidity, and a clean finish. There are roughly 442 cases produced and this beauty is going to have 10-15 years of longevity. Drink 2025-2040.

Dark ruby. Opens with aromas of elderberry, tobacco and soil, progressing to dark fruited, tea-like palate. Broad and mouth filing with dense flavors, dry tannins, and rich extract on a lingering finish. A beautiful wine. 100% Sangiovese aged 12 months in second use French oak.

L’inattendue (“unexpected”) expresses a single grape, single terroir, and single vintage. In 2018 the grape is Chardonnay, and the terroir is Chouilly in the Côte des Blancs. The vineyard parcel selected gives high acidity even in a hot year; in 2023 the parcel selected was the same as that for 2018. The 2018 L’inattendue opens with floral and toasty/earthy aromatics and follows with a fresh, focused, mineral-like palate with ripe lemon and stone fruit notes. A gorgeous, energetic Champagne. Aged a minimum of 4 years.

First made in 1889, this cuvée is from equal amounts of the 6 founding Grands Crus of the house; the Hemera Cuvée thus reflects the vintage. It’s not made every year, and 2013 is a surprising choice given the cold wet growing season and the humid, very late harvest. But, as winemaker Alice Tétienne says, challenging conditions can produce character, and the 2013 Hemera exudes character. The bouquet reveals citrus zest, almonds, and fresh bread crust. The medium weight palate has a refined elegance, chalky minerality, briochelike notes and juicy acidity. A blend of Chardonnay from Avize, Chouilly Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Pinot Noir Winemaker Bérangère FierfortCaqué at Bollinger (credit JButlerMW) from Mailly, Verzeney and Verzy given at least 10 years of aging.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Helena Montana Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon rolls out with evocative scents of blueberry pie, crème de cassis, and candied violets, leading to hints of dusty soil, Indian spices, and chalk. The full-bodied palate is velvety and juicy with a lively backbone and loads of flavors and spicy nuances, finishing with great length.

The 2022 Helena Dakota Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple in color. After a little shaking, notes of black currant jelly and baked blackberries erupt from the glass, followed by nuances of iron ore, garrigue, and dried roses. The full-bodied palate is packed with powerful black fruit layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and fragrant.

Great concentration here, with nice intensity. Robust red cherry and berry fruits with a touch of strawberry, and well integrated savoury characters. It’s a complete wine, with concentration and harmony, lots of fruit, and some structure. There’s flesh that covers all the bones in a really nice way.

Nice precision and delicacy here. Floral and bright with nice grip, but nothing heavy at all. Cherries, raspberries, some wild strawberry, as well as a touch of tomato, with nice flow across the palate. Very fine and bright, showing a bit of structure. Such prettiness.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Slope was matured for 17 months in 69% new French oak. It has slowly unfurling scents of rhubarb, blueberry, conifer, mushroom and garrigue. Full-bodied, it floods the mouth with dark, floral flavors. It’s framed by velvety tannins and vibrant acidity and has a long, iron-laced finish. 697 cases were made.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Block 14 was matured for 17 months in 50% new French oak. It floods the senses with waves of pomegranate, cranberry, conifer, truffle and lilac, revealing additional nuances as it opens in the glass. The full-bodied palate is tremendously concentrated with dark, iron-laced flavors. It has a luxurious, silky texture, vibrant acidity and a very long, floral finish. It will be long lived in the cellar. 315 cases were made.

Matured for 10 months in 24% new French oak, the 2022 Pinot Noir Pas de Nom has expressive aromas of raspberry, wild cherry, Earl Grey tea leaves, rose petal, forest floor and mushrooms. The full-bodied palate is powerful yet elegant, balancing concentrated, nuanced flavors with vibrant acidity. It’s framed by fine, chalky tannins and has a long, elegant finish. It should be long lived in the cellar. 272 cases were made.

The 2022 Dropstone Chardonnay was matured for 16 months in 20% new French oak puncheons, plus an additional four months in stainless steel. It has alluring aromas of yellow peach, matchstick, toast and holiday spices and becomes more expressive as it airs in the glass. The full-bodied palate explodes with nuanced flavors, segueing from fruit to spice and flint. Its satiny texture and concentrated flavors are balanced by vibrant, focused acidity, and it has a very long finish. It should be long lived in the cellar. 183 cases were made.

Matured for nine months in 65% new French oak, the 2022 Pinot Noir Upland is bursting with scents of rhubarb, blueberry, mossy bark, aniseed and lavender. The full-bodied palate is highly concentrated, though its mineral-driven flavors are youthfully coiled at this stage. It’s structured by velvety tannins and mouthwatering acidity and has a very long, nuanced finish. It will benefit from 3-5 years in the cellar. 218 cases were made.

From Banhoek home-farm, 2021 shows most intensity, minerality & focus of the chardonnays in fine vintage. Tight structure & arresting freshness beg time or decanting to reveal deep core of zesty mandarin & dried apricot. Most new oak, 50%, 11 months, yet quietly supportive rather than overt. Seriously styled & deserving of lengthy cellaring.