Wine Reviews

A hint of scorched coffee accentuates ripe cherries on the nose of the 2023 Pinot Noir Estate, a silky-textured, medium-bodied effort. A blend of numerous clones, aged 10 months in 30% new French oak, it’s bright and balanced, gently oaky, with those coffee notes echoing on the finish.

From a site on Howell Mountain, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Dancing Bear Ranch has a deep purple hue as well as beautiful notes of blackberry, darker plum, and currant fruits intermixed with spicy wood, chocolate, and savory flowers. It’s balanced, medium to full-bodied, has a round, layered mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and a great finish.

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Benchland Select is a pure, balanced, classic wine from this terrific estate offering ripe red and black fruits, spicy wood, and graphite, with savory floral nuances. It’s medium-bodied, fresh, focused, and lively on the palate, with sound structure and balance.

Deep purple-hued, the 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Suscol Springs Vineyard offers a terrific perfume of ripe black fruits, graphite, scorched earth, and flowery incense, with a hint of orange blossom. It’s medium-bodied, concentrated, and balanced, with ripe, polished tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and outstanding length.

Poached pear, lemon, honeyed white flowers, and hints of cream corn all shine in the 2023 Chardonnay Reserve, a medium-bodied, balanced Chardonnay that has a fresh, focused mouthfeel and a great finish. It’s beautifully done and brings classic California fruit with class.