Yangarra's viognier is an excellent advertisement for the variety. Only 173 dozen made. Matured in old oak. It's not hedonistic but it is rich and generous. It's all blossomy stone fruits and honeysuckle, spice and melon. It fills the mouth with flavour but then turns spicy and grainy through the finish; almost chalky. Excellent carry of flavour. A certain Granny Smith crispness. Straw-gold colour. Refreshing and flavoursome. This is worth an excursion over to the viognier side.

Bright colour: convincingly avoids oily extraction on the one extreme and bland anonymity on the other; there are nuances of apricot/apricot kernel and a squeeze of citrus on the fresh palate. It won't be a struggle to find a food match.

Yangarra’s first attempt at a proper Chateanuef Blanc style and incorporating varieties that they’ve brought in (hello Grenache Blanc). Round of applause for Yangarra’s effort as a start. The blend is Grenache Blanc, Clairette, Roussanne, Picpoul, Bourbolenc. Of that lot, the Roussane is picked separately on 6th March, the rest all picked on 18th March and co fermented in ceramic eggs, with no acid or sulphur additions (save for so2 at bottling). Spends a few months on lees in eggs and bottled July 2018. I’m only just geting to it now and it could do with more time to build. This is a gently textural, appley style with a phenolic tang, preserved lemon and grapefruit with a long finish. It’s just a bit neutral for big points now, but all the signs are there for a hero white wine of the future. Best drinking: It could well do with some more bottle ageing. I’d love to see this style with some skin contact and more time on lees. SO much potential. Would I buy it? I’d drink a few glasses easy.

Finely textured and rich-tasting, with hints of dried mint to the ripe dark plum and dried raspberry flavors. Creamy, spicy finish.

Sleek and racy with bright, earthy flavors of crisp cherry and spice; long and juicy.

A crisp display of cherry and raspberry fruit and a core of tangy acidity; nervy, Burgundian and balanced with fresh flavors and good depth; long and zesty.

8 California Chardonnays at 90+ Points Rich-tasting, with fine-grained flavors of apple tart, pear and quince paste backed by fresh acidity. The minerally finish is long and features plush, buttery accents.

Moderately light golden yellow color in the glass. Nicely perfumed with aromas of lemon, spiced apple, nut oil, buttery brioche as well as notes of salinity and steeliness. Slightly viscous on the palate, with flavors of apple, lemon zest, custard and buttered toast. Nicely balanced, with an uplifting backbone of citrus-infused acidity, finishing with a bit of length. Still fine the following day when tasted from a previously opened and re-corked bottle.

2018 Pacific Northwest Rose Report Winemaker Erik Kramer has crafted this great new Pinot Noir Rose. Pretty lighter red fruit aromatics fill the glass. The plush texture really shines here. Red currant jelly, red cherry and pomegranate with a kiss of citrus rind complete this fantastic new wine.

This aromatic barrel selection employs multiple clones, from a winery which lays claim to farming more Pinot Noir clones than any in Oregon. Black cherry, cola and spice combine, leading into pinpoint tannins with a pleasing sweetness from the barrel aging.

A blend of clones grown on the WillaKenzie estate and is intended to be approachable early. This wine is named after Bernard Lacroute’s sister. · Moderate reddish purple color in the glass. Aromas of cherry, exotic spices, crumb cake and earthy flora. Cherry-driven in a feminine style that is vibrantly flavored with crisp acidity, and a lip-smacking finish with some persistent cherry goodness.

This has a big burst of spicy, toasty oak right up front. That's often a sign of a young wine, and this is one with the fruit and depth to handle the extra toast. Cola, black cherry and a touch of clean earth come through, with a suggestion of tanned leather. It's got inviting complexity, coupled with forward, fruity flavor.

Firm, sleek and focused, layering currant, blueberry and cream flavors with hints of pepper and cedar. Finishes with point and length.

This is juicy, almost jammy, with forward flavors of strawberry candy that fill the mouth and hang tight. There's a light hint of pepper around a lingering, clean finish. It's full, forward and fruit-powered.

Focused, expressive and juicy, with cherry, raspberry and toasty, spicy flavors, coming together harmoniously against refined tannins and lingering effortlessly.

Austere and stately aromas of warm spice, rich mineral earth and black cherry fruit of incredible depth. In the mouth this is harmonious and complex, delivering rich mixed berry and ripe cherry fruit, a constant pull of refreshing acidity and delicate yet firm tannins, the entire experience is settled on a bed of fertile earthiness. Approachable yet refined.

USA, Oregon: 2016 Vintage – Part Two The 2005 Pinot Noir Pierre Leon is medium garnet in color and scented of dried red fruits—rhubarb, strawberry and red cherries—with notes of raspberry jam, pipe tobacco, wood smoke and pretty floral perfume—the savory/tertiary aromas are just beginning to show through. Medium-bodied, it offers sweet red fruits in the mouth framed by wonderfully grainy tannins and juicy acidity carrying the finish. This is drinking beautifully right now!

Medium ruby. Red and blackcurrant bitter chocolate and tobacco aromas lifted by floral and mineral nuances. Dense, juicy and bright, with lovely definition and intensity of flavor. Not at all a thick style of Merlot but has a terrific verve and structure. Finishes with terrific tannin/acid spine and excellent persistence.

Composed of 86% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, all from Sonoma, this totally mature, soft, round, fruity red offers up hints of underbrush, fruitcake, black currants, sweet kirsch and licorice. By no means the most complete or concentrated La Muse, it is the fastest to hit full maturity. Drink it over the next 5-7 years.

While this succulent young wine may show some of the green elements that impinge on other wines of this vintage, here they add to the complexity, emphasizing the animale aspects of the fruit flavor. The smooth, chocolatey tannins balance sour cherry & new oak, all put forward with the kind of generosity that's at the core of merlot's appeal.

The 2011 La Muse (2,100 cases) is a Pomerol-styled wine made from 89% Merlot, 7% Malbec and 4% Cabernet Franc. It exhibits a dense ruby color along with attractive aromas of Christmas fruitcake, sweet baking spices, red and blackcurrants and licorice. Medium to full-bodied and complete, it tails off slightly in the finish, but this outstanding 2011 should offer pleasure over the next 10-15 years.

Shows great structure and intensity, with appealing notes of leather and cedar akin to a Bordeaux. Aromas of black cherry and bay leaf lead to firm flavors of plum, dried herb and mineral that finish with firm tannins.

The Surprise of 2015 in Napa and Other California Wine Reviewed This is a dusty red with soft and polished tannins. Shows some light wood undertones. Velvety and chewy finish. Needs drinking.

86% Merlot; 8% Cabernet Franc; 4% Cabernet Sauvignon; 2% Malbec. There is no question that this is a very exciting bottle of wine, but its charms are rather more obvious and less deceptive than its companion above, and while it is a very good Merlot, it is also the most expensive California Merlot we have evaluated. Price is never a consideration in our ratings, but it does come into play when we buy wine, and this one, despite its deep and rich fruit, is expensive. OBI$150.00

The Surprise of 2015 in Napa and Other California Wine Reviewed This is holding on beautifully for a very difficult and wet vintage. Fresh and clean with currants, lime and hints of cedar and meat. Medium body, firm and velvety tannins, and a savory finish. Drink now.