Considered in relation to its modest price, this Chardonnay brings a lot to the table. The fruit component offers both a fresh aspect from flavors and acidity akin to Granny Smith apples but also a softer side recalling ripe pears. Additional oak-based complexities are interlaced with the fruit, with a soft-spoken toasty note and a lightly buttery accent. Very successful.
Showing a ripe and texturally rounded style, this Sauvignon Blanc, made with organic grapes, is nearly medium-bodied with a profile leaning away from the citrus side of the spectrum and toward the melon and tropical side. The aromas are restrained but true to that profile for the variety, and the fruit shows some freshness with just enough acidity to provide definition or “cut” to the ripe flavors.
From the northern part of Sonoma Coast, this white demonstrates the art of crystal clarity, with peach blossom and candied pineapple. The purity of flavors instills a pleasurable array of apricot, vanilla custard, sweet basil, and lime chiffon. It finishes by sealing the palate with crushed stone, and our assessment that it is one remarkable wine.
Aromas: Lemon blossom, buttered popcorn, almond paste
A flinty start, with barrel toast and lime zest texturizing the palate. Acidity is almost bracing, adding dimension and verve.
Roasted coffee and sweet earth are behind the depth or flavor and mouthfeel for this Pinot Noir from one of California’s coolest grape-growing regions. It displays freshness, with underlying savory tones of cigar leaf, black cherry, black pepper, and a defined minerality.
Aromas of wild strawberry and sweet earth are followed by notes of black cherries bathed in cinnamon and cardamom. A wispy mouthfeel indicates its delicate nature, charming the palate with a fine salinity and balanced acidity. Finishes with flavors of cocoa and walnut draped in ripe red berries.
Aromas: Lanolin, watermelon, strawberries
Tangerine and strawberry are joyful notes, enveloped in crushed stone. Refreshing and clean, with floral tones that overlap a fruit-filled profile.
Lemon cookie, nectarine, and just-squeezed lime fill the mouth. A veil of salty stone intercepts, along with a lively acidity, cleanses the palate. White peach blossoms add tonality to the citrusy finish.