Comprised of 50% Merlot, 25% Zinfandel, and 25% Petite Sirah, this is such a smart blend with such good fruit that it already seems like a complete and indisputably satisfying wine even in its youth. Firmed up by just enough tannic grip and subtle oak to lend seriousness and complexity, this is still all about straightforward deliciousness.
A blend of Syrah, Carignane, and Grenache, the wine opens with red berry fruit and warming spice, accented by elegant cedarwood aromatics. Medium-bodied, it shows chalky tannins that build with measured intensity, carrying through a fruit-driven finish dusted with herbs and paprika spice. A touch of florality from the Syrah adds lift, while the Carignane contributes bright acidity and structural tension.
This project comes from John Lancaster, longtime Wine Director at the James Beard Award–winning Boulevard Restaurant. The wine leans decidedly savory, built around a pleasing core of crushed sea salt and fruit-forward notes of apricot, white peach, and lychee. A subtle hint of watermelon rind carries seamlessly from the bouquet through the finish, adding freshness and lift.
Here’s a juicy and immediately delicious Pinot that also offers excellent complexity. It leads with aromas recalling tomato leaves and baking spices, followed by red fruit flavor notes akin to strawberries and ripe red cherries. Light and fresh in the first impression it leaves, this shows additional substance in the form of a long, symmetrical finish.
As succulent as it is crisp, with beeswax, linen, pear tart, honeydew, and lemon verbena. Distinctively complex with a hint of flint and a finish that takes you to coconut and tangerine zest.
This Winemaker’s Cuvée from Soléna draws primarily from the Danielle Laurent Vineyard, along with select neighboring sites across the Willamette Valley. It’s a beautifully concentrated Pinot Noir, delivering juicy dark berry intensity with impressive clarity of fruit—moving seamlessly from cherry to strawberry, with blood orange layered in between. Smoky clove nuances add complexity, while firm apple-skin tannins frame the palate and resolve through waves of brown baking spice and mouthwatering acidity. Focused, expressive, and deeply satisfying.
Earning themselves the most significant environmental leadership certifications – Organic, Biodynamic, Regenerative Organic, B Corp, and IWCA Gold, Spottswoode is into their fourth decade of standing above the norm. With yields down 30 percent for this vintage – as well as the two before due to drought, Winemaker/Vineyard Manager Aron Weinkauf created a blue-blooded, still youthful estate Cab that is as intriguing as a mystery novel. Its character unfolds with bold, dark plum and blackberries. The plot twists deepen with vanilla spice, terroir, and toasted almond-kissed oak. The tension – along with supple tannins – keeps one engaged, with gripping sequences as each sip unfolds chapter by captivating chapter.
A concentrated and ripe Bordeaux-style blend from the winery’s Rutherford and Dollarhide estate vineyards. Aged 19 months in French oak, it coats the mouth with Turkish coffee, fennel and several dimensions of earthy, savory tones. Sweet soil, tobacco, and graphite lead to sturdy tannins that ensure its lengthy finish.