Wine Reviews

Fruit from organically farmed, family-owned vineyards across Napa Valley is the foundation for this elegant red. With a surge of iron minerality, notes of tart red cherry, Rooibos tea, and toasted cedar, Lyndenhurst comes off as an earth mother, generous in its breadth and depth of flavor. Its St. Estephe – style – besides being Cabernet Sauvignon based – uses the other four Bordeaux grapes, aged 20 months in mostly French oak. The tannins are present and demonstrate the wine’s youthful stance, but its structure and character is undeniable.

With some weight on the palate, this exciting white is accented with elderflower, jasmine, and gardenia. Tangerine takes a straight path forward, with a rich crescendo finish of peach pie.

Aged 18 months in 225 and 160-liter French barrels on its lees with monthly bâttonage and another two years in bottle. From its old-world acidity to its earthy, chalky tannins, this red merits attention through its modest beauty. Mediterranean herbs, cherry skins, and a streaming of violets and iron continue to flow, layer upon layer. Milk chocolate and sweet oak on the finish are seamless. Fruit gets opaque as it opens, and we found it has a Cahors-like style.

The positioning of elderflower and peach blossom with the wine’s inherent minerality, is stunning. This is a more full-bodied style, allowing its unctuous character to emerge. Ripe and resplendent with stone fruit and floral luminosity, this vintage shows its complex and dimensional nature thanks to the region’s unique soils and favorable climate.

The land is the Counselor, and winemaker Nick Goldschmidt is “the man who listens to the land.” The wine opens with the freshest cherry aromas, leading to a juicy wash of fresh blueberries – and more cherries. Plush and round with nuances of rose petals, red tea leaves, and cinnamon. A gentle Cab, food-friendly with just about anything on the plate.

Dark plum, chocolate-covered figs, and soy sauce develop quickly for an intense start. Chewy tannins match with the wine’s suede mouthfeel, adding complexity for a well-priced wine in its category.

Creme fraiche and apple flesh dominate in this Chardonnay with abundant charm. There is a rich citrus tang paired with a lingering round finish. Pleasant and balanced, the buttery mouthfeel captures an essence of apple fritters ensconced with marshmallows.

This red is dominated with dark cherry, dusted with cocoa powder and conjures a cigar box. Pleasing baking spices of clove and cinnamon with vanilla are set with an undercurrent of peppery tannins and a lingering finish.