The 2021 Chardonnay Willamette Valley is nuanced in the glass, mixing crushed yellow apples with chamomile and hints of vanilla custard. This is round and softly textured with pretty orchard fruits and inner florals that soothe the palate. It finishes crisp and fresh, yet a bit short.

It is basically about the sweetness and how to tame it in the wine, without it going beyond the character of the grape itself. The wine here has an admittedly sweet, slightly jammy nose of plum, cherry, boysenberry and vanilla. But it is not heavy in smell and makes you want to taste the wine, which is soft and has enough acidity to balance the sweetness. The components of licorice, dark berries, chocolate and pepper show that this zinfandel is true to its origins and never goes overboard. An easy-drinking Californian that hits the spot when the spirit of Christmas comes to the table.

This is a beautifully constructed Chardonnay that interweaves delicate oak notes of clove, cinnamon and nutmeg among the bright, fresh aromas and flavors of lemon, lime, cream, green and yellow apple, and poached pear. —S.B.

Youthful, vibrant, ripe red fruit aromas, dried herbs and a hint of spice with lifted toast. Round and creamy with a warm, citrussy concentration layered with ripe, juicy dark fruits and balancing freshness.

93% Merlot, 7% Petit Verdot. There’s no questioning the presence of oak here. It’s hand in hand with the bright fruit on the nose in tension with a deep earthy and brackish, musky note of scuffed up autumn leaves and damp soil. Gentle on the approach, this wine will have its fans in those that appreciate the plushness Merlot can deliver; light footed and gliding over the palate in soft focus. The acid provides a bright note, and puts a shine on the fruit. It finishes a little more abbreviated than anticipated, with the oak trailing in the fruit’s wake.

Vivid and expressive Pinot, aromas of red fruit, earthy and leafy notes, sage hebs with smoke, cherry and pepper. Good concentration, refinde tannins and pleasant freshness. Drink 2023-2030.

Shy but with promising aromas of ripe dark fruits, pure and precise. On the palate it is forward, dense and silky with excellent concentration of fruit, rounded tannins and balancing freshness with a drying finish.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard is supple, fruity and easy to like. Sweet dark plum, chocolate, new leather, licorice and a kiss of French oak are pushed forward in this silky, open-knit Pinot. The 2021 is quiet and understated but also nicely balanced.

The nose is supple raspberry and strawberry with graphite, a polished background of vanilla bean and pie spices. The palate entry is lean with a drier presentation of cherry and pomegranate in the midpalate. A 20 minute decant will open the wine up. Drink 2023-2028.

The nose is rich pineapple and sticky candied lemon peel. The palate entry is fresh, ripe peach and mango leading to a core of supple orange blossom and focused acidity. Drink 2022-2025.

Aromatically expressive with scents of red and black cherries accented with spicy undertones and a note recalling tomato plant leaves that often results from some whole cluster fermentation. Stylishly light in color and weight, this still offers plenty of flavor, though thankfully without any excess oak, nor any sweetness that doesn’t seem to emanate from the fruit

The 2020 Chardonnay Silene comes mainly from the young vines in Fijnbosch (32% of the blend) mature in French oak for ten months (30% new). It has an attractive, classically styled nose with scents of dried honey, praline and hints of grilled hazelnut. Fine delineation. A little fume in style. The medium-bodied palate has a light tropical-tinged entry with touches of pineapple and passionfruit, leaning slightly towards California. Fine weight, with just a hint of orange rind towards the finish; for the price, this represents great value for money.

Shy but with promising aromas of ripe dark fruits, pure and precise. On the palate it is forward, dense and silky with excellent concentration of fruit, rounded tannins and balancing freshness with a drying finish.

The Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay from the 2021 vintage is undeniably complex and delicious. Elegant notes of lemon creme are braced by a nutmeg spice and vanilla note that is complementary and far from overpowering. The palate offers plenty of fresh acidity, honey, lemongrass, bee pollen, and citrus, all combined for a tremendous value and Chardonnay that will shock many in a blind tasting.

From Santa Barbara County comes a mineral-driven Pinot Noir with less fruit and more stone components. The aromatics of smoke, wet cement and crushed chalk are reflective of the wine. Green tea leaves and white pepper frame the stony mineral character on the palate. A real exercise in terroir.

Ripe red and black berry fruits show the aromas of this Anderson Valley bottling with lots of Edmeades Vineyard fruit. This area was the birthplace of Siduri when Adam Lee conceptualised it. The palate is marked by ripe fruit and spice; the black tea character shows along with a Christmas spice carrying to the ripe finish.

From a 1ha vineyard on the west side of Santa Rosa, California, in the Russian River Valley, this Pinot is a riper, classically California-styled wine. Sweet cherry aromas leap forth with a kiss of savoury herbs and mint. The palate is ripe, with smoky cherry notes, ample oak influence and, in turn, almost jammy. Ripe, robust and with heat on the finish.

The 2020 Chardonnay Upper Barn Vineyard was matured for 10 months in 40% new oak. It feels reticent and coiled at this stage, with delicate notes of burnt lemon peel, iodine, apricot and flint. The light-bodied palate has delicate, zesty flavors and some leesiness on the finish. Drink it over the next few years. 804 cases were made.

From 30-year-old vines on the Willakenzie Estate, the 2021 Gamay Noir Flavorscape pours a medium ruby hue and needs a little air on opening before revealing ripe mixed red and blue berries, red flowers, and a hint of cracked pepper. Bright and medium-bodied, it offers a silky mineral texture, with a clean finish, and is fresh with poppy fruit throughout. It’s refreshing and perfect for youthful drinking with a light chill.

Hints of lime and shortbread, aromas of blanc de blancs Champagne on the nose.
Dried mango, fresh fig and lemon peel on the palate. Concentrated, creamy yennot heavy. Drink 2023-2029 Alc 12.7%

The 2021 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley pours a dark but transparent hue and is ripe and forward with blackberry fruit, turned earth, and purple flowers. Medium-bodied, with ripe fruit and a modest finish, it lifts cleanly off the palate with a bit of earthy texture on the finish. Drink 2023-2028.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Estate Cuvee pours a deep ruby-purple hue and offers aromas of ripe red and black berries, dusty earth, and pine. Generous and rounded in its fruit, it’s medium to full-bodied, with a supple texture, sweet tannins, and notes of mocha on the finish. It is a nice lens into the estate's ripe style to enjoy over the next few years.

The dark ruby 2021 Pinot Noir Aliette takes on toasty and ripe aromas of wet asphalt, toasted baking spices, black cherry pie, and purple flowers. Full-bodied and loaded with ripe, sweet black and blue fruit, as well as ripe tannins, it has modest acidity but nice lift on the finish, although a touch of sweet fruit edges just shy of cloying. Drink it over the next 5-6 years.

Pouring a ripe yellow hue, the ripe and juicy 2021 Chardonnay Willamette Valley is forward with aromas of honeysuckle, ripe pear, and lemon custard. Full-bodied and generous, with a creamy texture and notes of vanilla oak spices lasting on the finish, it’s a seductive style to drink over the next few years.

Seared pineapple and lemon peel aromas draw the
nose into this bottling. The palate is tight at first
and then opens toward popcorn, buttered peach and
sea-salt flavors. —M.K.