Textural and rich but surprisingly bright, with tangy acidity shot through a palate full of pineapple and tangerine fruit, tinged with a hint of vanilla oak on the long finish. Drinking Window 2025 – 2035

Drinking remarkably well, disproving the notion that these wines can’t age. There’s a salty twang that adds briskness to a palate of mandarins, spice and grilled pineapple, and a honeyed richness that adds gravitas to the long, tangy finish. Drinking really well now but seems capable of hanging around for a while yet. Drinking Window 2024 – 2030.

A punchy, focused wine that combines primary notes of pineapple and orange zest with opulent tertiary notes of sandalwood and a suggestion of orange blossom on the long finish, driven by vibrant acidity. Drinking Window 2024 – 2030.

Darker and denser than the other three Pinots in this line-up – damsons and dark cherries, with brighter notes of orange zest that lift the aromatics. Plush tannins, generous and weighty palate. Drinking Window 2025 – 2035.

There’s a fine balance of primary red berry and cherry fruit and more developed notes of salty red miso and autumn leaves on the nose and palate. Tannins are fine but still quite present and maybe a bit firm on the long finish. Drinking Window 2024 – 2028.

Concentrated raspberry and rosehip fruit with herbal undertones and plenty of savoury character and evidence of some earthy development. There’s enough focus to allow this wine to continue to develop for a few more years yet. Drinking Window 2024 – 2030.

The 2023 Ovitelli Blanc leads with dried flowers and crushed seashells, brine, nashi pear, fennel seed and elderflower. In the mouth, the wine is lean and detailed, with shades of cool metal, wet stone and dried lavender. As usual, the sway of bitter almond, lanolin, white pepper and saltbush feathers the edges of perception. This is a detailed wine that gives little hints as to the fatter profile of some of the varieties, but it does not at any point give in and expand. This is tightly trussed from beginning to end, with the flavor given no choice but to extend out way into the long finish. It's a superb wine, but I'd be inclined to suggest you decant it, to allow it to gain some amplitude prior to drinking. The higher pH and lower total acidity contribute to the inherent softness of the wine and drive home the extent of the phenolic impact. 13% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

The 2023 King's Wood Shiraz doesn't have the mid-palate fruit intensity or thunderous depth of the 2022 Ironheart tasted alongside—I attribute this to both vintage variation and wine style; however, I really appreciate the levity of this wine, as the length of flavor has not been sacrificed. This is bloody and floral, with exotic spices and fine tannins in the mix. It's a magnificent wine that persists long after it is gone. Fermentation included 20% whole bunches, then the wine matured in 25-hectoliter French and Austrian oak foudres for a total of 16 months. It remained in bottle 10 months prior to its release. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

The 2022 Ironheart Shiraz leads with sumac and soaked raspberries, creamy dark berries, exotic spice and tapenade. The oak makes an impact on the nose: it contributes an oatmeal character, reminiscent of malt biscuits and scraped vanilla bean. Nothing on this earth is getting in the way of or obscuring that saturated fruit concentration, however. Fine, silty tannins like volcanic sand shape the flow of flavor across the palate, and all elements feel eminently black and shadowy. It's tannic, which reflects the vintage, structural and inky. It's a powerhouse. It matured in a combination of French and Austrian oak for 19 months—for 12 months, the fruit remains on lees in puncheon (35% new), and the remaining seven months are spent as a blended whole in a two-year-old 25-hectoliter foudre. 14% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

The 2023 Hickinbotham Grenache is light in the glass and leads with cherry and peppercorns, fennel and milk chocolate. The bush vines in this vineyard were planted in 1962; the fruit was destemmed, crushed and pressed, before tipping into cocciopesto stone amphorae. The fruit ferments in situ and remains on the skins for approximately six months, then it's matured for a total of 10 months. On the palate, the impact of the amphorae is profound: the fruit feels austere and mineral, with the more delicate floral/rose notes and red berry characters shining through like shafts of sunshine. This is fresh and very tight and will benefit immensely from a gentle decant prior to drinking. While the Clarendon area usually contributes darker fruit characters and more densely packed tannins, this regional effect has been counterbalanced by the fermentation/maturation vessels. A lovely wine, this the first vintage released with ACO certification. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

The 2023 Roux Beaute Roussanne comprises 100% Roussanne, half of which is destemmed, pressed and sent to Clayver ceramic egg for fermentation, the other portion is kept on skins for up to seven months prior to pressing and blending in ceramic for a further four months prior to bottling. The final wine is kept in bottle for 12 months prior to release. So here, the wine leads with pressed flowers and lanolin, warm wax and brine. It offers wafts of pineapple husk and white pepper, anise and linen. In the mouth, it has a distinct dry spice note, like saffron/turmeric, alongside all the white characters. It's an endlessly intriguing wine, one that is both shaped and driven by phenolics. I like it a lot and would like to see the wine when it is older... I feel it will carry the years well. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

The 2023 Ovitelli Grenache is a marvel. The wine leads with orange peel and sarsaparilla, fennel, licorice and crushed shell. In the mouth, the tannins are sandy and very fine yet pervasive. They coat the mouth like a good Etna Rosso and give the fruit something to work with. This is bloody and gritty yet gossamer fine ... chalky doesn't quite cover it. I find this very exciting; the length really nails home the power and prowess of the region through the lens of this variety. The grapes are 100% destemmed, crushed and tipped into Clayver ceramic eggs with gentle hand plunging. The fruit remained on the skins post ferment for seven months, and no pressings were used in the wine. This matured in ceramic egg for a total of eleven months (no oak) and remained in bottle for a year prior to release. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

The 2023 High Sands Grenache is a magnificent wine. It routinely is, and nothing dulls the excitement of looking at the new vintage each year. While the Ovitelli and Clarendon Grenaches see no oak—they are exclusively in ceramic egg and amphorae—this High Sands does see a small percentage of older thick-stave Austrian puncheons, the effect of which is profound on the wine. It opens up the weave of the tannins and somehow exposes the length of flavor. The texture on the palate is gritty and sandy and yet fine, while the flavors of raspberry, watermelon, pink peppercorn, cold tea, anise and rose petals ooze from every juncture. I like this so much. It's one of the very greatest Grenaches in Australia, and it's looking so restrained in this cool/wet vintage. Interestingly, the decision was made to release this vintage prior to the more tannic 2022, for those wondering where that review is—something for us all to look forward to. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

Medium ruby color; strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, dark cherry, plum, cranberry, tea, vanilla, spices forest floor on the nose and palate.

Dry; integrated, silky tannins; balancing acidity. Medium body; long finish; aromatic complexity. Grapes harvested from Sable Mountain and other prime Anderson Valley sites noted for low-yielding vines and quality fruit. Harvested fruit was cold soaked for 3-5 days to enhance color, followed by fermentation in open-top stainless steel tanks with manual punch-downs three times a day. Fermented wines spent nine months in French oak, 20% new, which preserved natural fruit and relegated oak to a mild supporting role. 13.5% ABV

The 2024 Copain Wines Sonoma County Daybreak White Blend is a vibrant and aromatic wine that showcases the diversity of Sonoma County’s terroir. This blend, featuring Malvasia Bianca among 9 total varietals, bursts with exotic notes of green tea, honey, ripe mango, and Lilikoi on the nose, while the palate delivers a refreshing mix of pear, nectarine, and guava. Its clean, electrifying profile makes it a versatile standalone sipper or a perfect pairing with Mom’s favorite.

The Freemark Abbey 2023 Napa Valley Chardonnay is a rich and sophisticated wine that captures the essence of Napa Valley’s renowned terroir. This Chardonnay opens with an inviting nose of apple cobbler, crème brûlée, ripe pineapple, orange marmalade, and fresh peach, leading to a supple and balanced palate with flavors of stone fruit, candied lemon zest, baking spices, ambrosia, and vanilla. Its vibrant yet creamy texture and long, lingering finish make it a versatile companion to Mom’s favorite creamy pastas, or a delightful sipper on its own.

The Matanzas Creek 2023 Sonoma County Rosé of Malbec is a delightful wine that bursts with bright, playful flavors, making it an ultimate Mother’s Day gift. This nouveau-style rosé offers aromas of Turkish rose, pink grapefruit, watermelon rind, and raspberry sorbet, with a vivacious acidity that dances on the palate, revealing hints of mandarin zest. Its light pink hue with copper undertones gives elegance, perfect for celebrating Mom alongside springtime brunches or a relaxing afternoon in the garden.

This white Pinot from California’s Anderson Valley seems ripe and full-bodied at first, with a kind of a creamsicle note on the nose. Yet it’s much brighter on the palate than that would suggest, with green melon flavors and crunchy acidity — a testament to Maggy Hawk winemaker Sarah Wuethrich’s significant talent.