This is only the second vintage produced of this wine. Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2015 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Warrior Princess opens with warm red currants, black cherries and violets notes with touches of black soil, stewed tea, garrigue and dried herbs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate offers up a very firm structure of wonderfully ripe, grainy tannins, with a refreshing backbone supporting the intense earthy/savory flavors, finishing long.

Medium to deep ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Muldune Trail features expressive mulberries, stewed red plums and dusty earth notes with touches of garrigue, fresh hay, oolong tea and cloves. Medium-bodied with an appealing chewy grip to the texture, the palate gives compelling savory layers with a long, lively finish.

Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2015 Hartford Court Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard has compelling chocolate-covered cherries, raspberry pie and warm mulberries nose with touches of potpourri, Ceylon tea and tobacco leaf. Medium to full-bodied, very finely structured and very fresh, it gives intense black berry and savory layers, finishing on a lingering earthy note.

The 2017s From Sonoma From a site south of Sebastopol planted all to old Wente clones of Chardonnay, the 2016 Chardonnay Jennifer's spent 16 months in 23% new French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. It’s deeper colored and has a rich, honeyed bouquet of stone fruits, crushed Meyer lemons, orange rind, and crushed rocks. Rich, powerful, and structured on the palate, I expect this singular, exotic white to age nicely.

Tastes like a box of rocks drizzled with citrus oil. Poached pear, orange rind, stony white peach notes, and striking minerality are reminiscent of a Chevalier-Montrachet from the likes of Michel Niellon. With lovely body, acidity, and purity, it should be drunk over the next 4-5 years.

The 2016 Zinfandel Dina's Vineyard is deep, unctuous and full of flavor, yet also has quite a bit of the freshness that is so typical of Russian River Zinfandels, especially in this vintage. The Dina's has a bit more tannin and structure than the other wines in the range, which makes it reticent. Dollops of Alicante add character and personality to this super-expressive Zinfandel from Hartford.

Jolene’s Vineyard comes from head trained vines planted over 100 years ago. It is aged for 12 months in French oak, 55% new and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Medium to deep garnet in color, the 2015 Zinfandel Jolene’s Vineyard presents black cherry, baked blueberries and blackberry preserves notes with hints of incense, sautéed herbs and dusty earth. Rich, full-bodied and packed with layers of berry coulis and savory flavors, it has a gorgeous velvety texture and great length.

Bright saturated ruby. Extremely dark aromas of crushed blueberry, violet, bitter chocolate, licorice and camphor. Peppery and precise but not green, with outstanding dark fruit and violet intensity accentuated by an electric impression of energy. This seriously tannic Le Desir will need at least eight years of cellaring before it approaches its plane of peak drinkability.

Deep ruby-red. Terrific lift to the aromas of cassis, licorice, mint, minerals and bitter chocolate, accented by herbs and rose petal. The middle palate offers outstanding depth for 2011, as well as terrific definition and energy to the dark berry, nutmeg and cassis leaf flavors. Finishes classically dry, with subtle building length. Seillan told me he uses the malbec for spice, not to add color or volume. A huge success for the vintage.

Good deep red-ruby. Complex aromas of cherry, plum, musky brown spices, licorice and menthol lifted by a floral topnote. Quite dry and youthfully imploded initially, then opened to show a creamy sweetness and growing pliancy to its red fruit and mineral flavors. This has firmed up since I saw it in barrel a year ago, while La Joie has become more harmonious. The most tannic of this outstanding trio of 2007s today, with the structure for a long and positive evolution in bottle.

Bright ruby-red. Black fruits, licorice and cedar on the nose. Broad and round but backward, with a distinctly medicinal reserve to the flavors of black fruits, menthol and smoke. The middle palate is currently dominated by the wine's spine and yet the very long finish is lush and sweet. The least obviously minerally of these three 2006s today, but offers great potential.

(65% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot, 10% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot) Bright ruby-red. Black and blue fruits complicated by licorice, minerals and fresh herbs on the nose. Rich, broad, lush and full, even if it conveys less easy sweetness and personality today than the Muse (but then this is Seillan's Pauillac-style blend). Best today on the sensational back half, which features a major coating of suave tannins and an extremely long, aromatic finish that reverberates with subtle floral tones. Interestingly, this cabernet-based wine has a higher pH than the merlot-based Muse: 3.78 vs. 3.64.

Good bright ruby-red. Very ripe aromas of cassis, black cherry, graphite, iron, tobacco, menthol and spice cake. Lush and broad on entry, then sweeter and lusher in the middle palate than the Muse, with a captivating chocolatey quality and outstanding volume. As rich and full as this is, there's no sense of excess weight. Finishes long, dense and palate-saturating with major dusty tannins. This Pauillac is sweeter and deeper than Seillan's Pomerol, a comment on the comparative quality of cabernet sauvignon and merlot in California's North Coast.

Very pale yellow. Captivating nose combines exotic apricot, white plum, crushed rock, brown spices and a lavender high note. Intense and tactile on entry, then tightly coiled and penetrating in the middle, a step up over the foregoing wines in its impression of acid spine. Very powerful, youthfully aggressive, palate-staining wine that will need time in bottle to open and expand. Less thick and sweet at the same stage than the 2008, but at the same time more glycerol than the 2009 Gravel Bench. A great example of a California chardonnay, by which I mean that I would not mistake it for Burgundy in a blind tasting.

Medium ruby-hued, the 2024 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard has a beautiful nose of
sweet red berries, framboise, flowers, and spice. Vinified with 10% whole clusters and aged
10 months in 30% new French oak, it's medium-bodied on the palate, with fine, polished
tannins, nicely integrated acidity, and a finish that keeps you coming back to the glass. I love
everything about this beauty and would happily drink bottles any time over the coming
decade. Drink 2026-2036.

Sweet berry fruits, loads of spice, and hints of sage and wild herbs all emerge from the 2025
Pinot Noir, which is made by Greg Brewer and always a smoking value as well as a brilliant
wine. All destemmed and aged four months in neutral oak and stainless steel, it's medium to
full-bodied on the palate, with a pure, layered mouthfeel, soft tannins, and a great finish. It's
pure Pinot Noir goodness, and I'd drink bottles over the coming 8-10 years. Drink 2026-
2036.

Looking at the base appellation release, the 2024 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is medium rubyhued and has a complex nose of mulled strawberries, leafy herbs, wildflowers, and hints of
framboise. I love its overall fruit profile, and it's medium-bodied, with a round, layered
mouthfeel, ripe tannins, and terrific acidity. Vinified with 50-100% whole clusters (they love
stems here but are not dogmatic) and aged nine months in 100% neutral oak, it's beautiful
today and will be beautiful in 10-15 years. Drink 2026-2041.

An uber-classic Sta. Rita Hills Syrah, the 2024 Syrah Perilune was fermented with 50-100%
whole clusters and aged 15 months in 100% neutral oak. Cracked pepper, sage, cedar, and
assorted red and black fruits all define the nose, and it's medium-bodied on the palate,
focused and concentrated, with a firm mouthfeel, integrated tannins and acidity, and a

Always a brilliant wine as well as an incredible value, the 2024 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills is a
focused, chiseled Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay raised nine months in 100% neutral oak.
Crushed citrus, orange blossom, salty mineral, and white flowers all define the nose, and it's
medium-bodied on the palate, with bright yet integrated acidity, beautiful overall balance,
and a great finish. This will keep for 15-20 years if you're so inclined. Drink 2026-2046.

A polished and potent Zin, with its rich blackberry flavors showing deeper tones of bittersweet chocolate, sandalwood and white pepper that build tension and tannins on the finish. Drink now through 2037. 140 cases made.

Boldly structured yet retaining a sense of refinement, this Zin is brimming with deep blackberry and cherry flavors framed by licorice, dark chocolate and cracked pepper. Finishes with full-bodied yet polished tannins. Drink now through 2036. 1,754 cases made.

The 2023 Chardonnay Katherine’s Vineyard Signature is deep, rich and resonant.
Fermented in stainless steel, then aged in 20% new French oak for 16 months, it’s a wine
with everything delivered in precise, even-tempered balance. Mineral inflections run
through from start to finish, with rich golden apple, lemon oil, chamomile and slate
accents that lend real layering. This is crystal clear, punchy and so pretty.

The 2024 Syrah Perilune opens with expressive aromas of game, fresh blueberry, cured
olive and violet, all delivered with peppery complexity and suaveness. Most notable for the
finesse of the tannin, the 2024 is just so polished for a wine with 100% whole clusters. It’s
flat-out delicious.

The 2024 Chardonnay Machado offers a striking presence and a very leesy profile. Fresh
mint, raw almond, white flowers and crushed chalk saturate the palate, gaining even more
depth with time in the glass. It’s a rich, creamy wine and ample freshness. Classic
California Chardonnay.

The 2024 Pinot Noir 459 is another supremely polished wine in this range. Lifted aromas of
red licorice, fresh strawberry, lavender and bright red cherry sizzle in the glass, motivated
by bright, saline-inflected acids and hemmed in by ultra-fine tannins. All class. -