The 2019 Pinot Noir Maggy Hawk offers up scents of dried cherry, cedar, tobacco, dried flowers, anise and orange peel. The flavor profile is distinctly Nebbiolo leaning, but with sweet Pinot tannins, naturally. All the elements are nicely balanced in this ethereal, understated Pinot.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Edmeades is laced with sweet dried cherry, mint, cinnamon, spice, blood orange and anise. Medium in body and gracious, the Edmeades offers plenty of up-front appeal in an easygoing style. Best of all, the 2019 can be enjoyed with minimal cellaring.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Côte Bannie is gracious, aromatic and nicely lifted. Crushed red berry fruit, mint, blood orange and sweet spice give this airy, perfumed Pinot tons of nuance. The 2019 will drink well right out of the gate.

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.

The 2020 Pinot Noir (Anderson Valley) is a very pretty appellation-level Pinot. A burst of dark red fruit, spice, tobacco, menthol and mocha hits the palate. This is a pretty overt Pinot for Siduri these days, but all the elements are nicely balanced for a year that faced significant challenges from heat and drought conditions.

The 2020 Sauvignon Blanc (Sonoma County) is bright and aromatic, but also has a good bit of texture that comes from the stirring of the lees. All the elements are so nicely balanced. Best of all, the 2020 should be a terrific value. It certainly has a ton of Bennett Valley character. Vibrant, grassy notes linger on the finish.

The 2020 Chardonnay (Russian River) is a terrific wine in this very challenging vintage. Bright and nervy, but with good depth, the Russian River Chardonnay offers lovely depth, without the awkward contours that are so typical of the year. Orchard fruit, white flowers and crushed rocks lend attractive energy throughout.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Velvet Sisters is a very pretty, understated wine. I would not push my luck on aging, but then again I doubt too any bottles will be around when longevity becomes an issue. Crushed red berry fruit, spice, cedar, mint and dried flowers give this mid-weight, classy Pinot lovely aromatic presence and fine balance.

The 2020 Trousseau Copain Estate offers up pretty varietal character, with hints of sweet dried cherry, licorice, rose petal, mint, cinnamon and orange peel. The fruit is just a bit dried out, but otherwise the 2020 is nicely done, especially for the year.

This is simple stuff with a modicum of varietal character. Soft and a bit herbaceous, it leads with some candied black cherry, followed by black licorice, and mocha vanilla. A mid-week red and my choice match would be grilled hamburgers or flank steak. Ready to drink. The mix is 95% cabernet sauvignon, 2% syrah, 1% merlot, 1% petit verdot, and 1% cabernet franc.

Blackberries, foresty earth on the nose. Cherries, plum, currants and earth on the smooth palate, with a lingering finish. Good plus.

Round and rich like dark chocolate, but also not wanting for either vibrancy or the Mount’s signature structure. Damned fine job here.

Consistently one of the most powerful, complex and long-lived merlots made anywhere. Exceptional.

This lower-alcohol version of America’s best-selling Chardonnay has much of its older sibling’s appeal, just a lighter feel. Mixing pink grapefruit and peach with vanilla and toast, it’s a classic Chardonnay in taste, if not as full as the real thing when it comes to the texture.

Last year, we debunked the myths surrounding why you may hate chardonnay. In summation, you likely hadn’t had the right one. If you’re going to try one this year, let it be Gran Moraine. Located on the western edge of the Yamhill-Carlton subregion of Oregon, the winery explores the difference between sub parcels within the region. Nerdy? Perhaps, but it gives them an exacting knowledge of how to make a dang good chardonnay. Apricot and eucalyptus on the nose lead into notes of lemon pith, Maldon salt and brioche — bright, heady and cool. There’s a touch of new oak, but it’s beautifully integrated, adding just a hint of roundness to the palate without restricting the levity of the wine.

Deep-ish red-purple colour, bright and glowing; the bouquet is reserved but is spicy, earthy and red-fruited with hints of Turkish delight, and the wine comes into its own in the mouth, where it's full-bodied and powerfully structured, with excellent concentration, drive and persistence. There is density and richness, fleshy extract, masses of tannin and a big finish. A grenache of real gravitas

Medium-depth purple-red colour with a reserved but fragrant bouquet of red fruits and floral overtones, a note of blackberry pastille, a subtle lacing of fresh herbs, and a sheen of firming tannins coating the palate from start to finish. Long and promising: a very smart grenache

Medium-depth colour with a reserved nose, a mite restrained at this stage, with aromas of plum pits and skins, background spices, the same in the mouth, where it has good depth of intense and compact flavour but seems a tad latent. This is puzzling: it almost certainly needs more time, but it's hard to see the value at this moment. An elegant style of grenache for sure, and less exuberant than some earlier vintages