This is a relatively late release, and that works to the advantage of the wine, which has nicely integrated oak accents and very well-balanced acidity thanks to additional time in bottle. Substantial but still fresh, this features notes recalling ripe peaches and apples with a defined edge set by citrus-like acidity. Rich enough for roast chicken but fresh enough for ceviche, which is no small accomplishment.
Bright with acidity but still showing impressive depth of flavor, with ripe notes of red berries and black cherries, subtle oak spice, and an impressively persistent finish. Neither light nor heavy, this is an embodiment of California’s superb 2021 vintage.
A remarkable value with the poise and presence of wines twice the price. Composed of 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, it rings clear and pure on a nose marked by toast, Asian pear, yellow apple, honeysuckle, and hazelnut; on the palate, lilting, lip-smacking acidity and a creamy tang usher in more orchard fruit enhanced by hints of white fig and apricot.
The poppy on the label of this suave blend of 55% Chardonnay and 45% Pinot Noir (about 80% of which underwent malolactic) is a tribute to the superblooms that occur throughout California in springtime—but it also hints at the dry wine’s floral subtleties. There’s a faint touch of lilac on a nose brimming with fresh-baked sourdough, cherry, and blood orange, while rose graces the finish, preceded by splashes of wild strawberry, lemon rind, and Gala apple.
Aptly named, this is indeed silken in its textural “feel” as soon as it touches one’s tongue, yet it goes on to show lots of ripeness, physical density, flavor impact, and alcoholic wallop. It never turns rough, but its power and abundant mixed berry fruit make this a food wine rather than a sipper, and it will pair very well with spicy, smoky meat dishes or hard, intense cheeses.
Pale blush-yellow in the glass, this Charmat-method English bubbly made with Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier, and Chardonnay by Silverhand Estate in Kent charms from the get-go. Woodsy florals spring up on the nose with peach, apple, and a bit of wild strawberry, following suit on the palate, where a certain creaminess is balanced by juicy acidity and a drop of grapefruit oil on the finish.
) Made from the key Champagne grapes in the traditional method, this English sparkler puts the “class” in “classic.” Redolent of fresh-baked bread and dried apple dotted with salted peanut and lime—both fruit and blossom—it’s at once frothy and sleek on the palate, whose luminous notes of lime, green apple, and white peach are ever-so-lightly frosted with mint.
A well-defined, oaky, beautifully balanced Chardonnay. Cinnamon-vanilla and nutmeg play in tune. This is a bright, sunshine-filled white that fields rich notes of pineapple upside-down cake and a gleam of yellow flowers.