Reviews

Performer John Legend's 2021 Red Wine is a blend of 63% Merlot and 37% Petite Sirah, aged 19 months in 24% new French oak. Knowing the assemblage, it's easy to taste cherries and dried herbs from the Merlot and blueberries and licorice from the Petite Sirah. A medium to full-bodied effort, it's round and supple, with just enough dusty tannins on the lingering finish to justify pairing with grilled beef or lamb.

Like the Red Wine, John Legend's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon spent 19 months in French oak (but 36% new, in this wine). The Cabernet Sauvignon was sourced from Rutherford, Calistoga and St. Helena, with a small portion of Petit Verdot coming from Oak Knoll. Warm scents of cinnamon streusel accent baked black cherries on the nose, punctuated by just a hint of cassis, while the medium to full-bodied palate shows ample concentration, fine-grained, silky tannins and a vibrant, intense finish. While this could be discounted by snobs as a celebrity wine, it's actually pretty darn good.

A toasty aromatic profile emerges on the nose of the 2022 Pinot Noir van der Kamp, which pours a ruby color and offers notes of toast, cedar, ripe cherries, and dried earth. Medium-bodied and ripe, with plush tannins, a good, silky texture, and a long, ripe finish, it shows the more sunny side of the vintage and is going to drink its best over the next few years.

From the Sebastopol Hills, the youthful ruby/magenta-colored 2022 Pinot Noir Pennacchio Vineyard is spicy and aromatic with fresh spices, bright raspberries, tea leaf, and orange peel. Medium-bodied and juicy, it’s approachable and ripe, with an easygoing nature and a kiss of sweet fruit. Drink over the next few years.

Also from the Sebastopol Hills, the 2022 Pinot Noir Maboroshi Vineyard is a deep magenta color and has a ripe, darker fruit profile in its notes of black cherry candies, violets, sweet earth, and mossy forest herbs. Medium to full-bodied, it has more structure on the palate, as well as ripe tannins and a darker note of turned earth on the finish. Drink 2025-2032. - Audrey Frick

The 2022 Pinot Noir Green Valley of Russian River Valley displays a brighter red/ruby hue in the glass and is lifted with aromas of cinnamon, green herbs, and spiced cranberries. It has a tangy lift on the palate, with fine tannins and a bit of stemmy spice on the finish. It is going to show its best over the next 4-5 years. I like the freshness and linear feel, but the herbal note is a touch pronounced. - Audrey Frick

The 2022 Chardonnay Natalia's Selection leaps from the glass with loads of floral perfume in its notes of honeysuckle, toasted baking spice, baked apple, and some tropical fruit shining through. Rounded and full-bodied, it retains good freshness and takes on a light almond note on the finish. This is a seductive Chardonnay to drink over the next couple of years.

The 2022 Chardonnay Jovita's Selection pours a youthful ripe yellow hue and is spicy on the nose, with delicate smoke, ripe citrus, and poached pear notes. Full-bodied, with modest acidity, it offers a nutty profile on the palate, with a supple texture and notes of hazelnut. It’s a ripe style with good balance to enjoy over the next few years.

Pouring a magenta/purple hue, the 2022 Zinfandel Antal's Selection offers up loads of ripe fruit that retains good purity, with notes of canned peaches, mixed berries, purple flowers, and vanilla. Ripe and juicy up front, it turns more savory on the mid-palate, with ripe tannins and notes of tea leaf on the finish. It’s a very charming Zin with a lot to offer and would be fantastic with BBQ. Drink 2024-2029.

A dark red/ruby color, the 2022 Pinot Noir Private Reserve offers up a spicy and fruity bouquet, with aromas of wild raspberries, cola, and sweet earth. Approachable and medium-bodied, it’s juicy up front, with fine tannins, a supple feel, and a gracefully tapered finish. It retains its sunny feel, and it’s not heavy. Drink 2024-2029.