The 2020 fire-riddled vintage in much of Northern California has thankfully given way to a stunning vintage of 2021! After suffering drought, fire, and extreme temperature swings, Cali has been gifted a vintage that while low on yields, in some locals, is high on quality.

Tasting through much of Herzog Wine Cellars (it is really difficult at times to get wine), Covenant Wine, and Hagafen Wine Cellars, along with some Four Gates Wine as well, it is clear to see that 2021 is a true gift. The alcohol levels are all down, the acidity is brighter and the wines all show less oak and more balance. Herzog’s new winemaker, David Galzignato, has been championing different oak regiments but the vintage overall cannot be summed up with just the use of different oak. That can be said for all the wineries. The acidity shines and the fruit is balanced.

You can read more about the fabulous vintage here and here. Ok, on to the wine notes!

Wines in this post

The 2021 Herzog Napa wines were the best I have had in a long time. The Napa and the Rutherford wines were both lovely and I have never scored them this high. The 2021 Alexander Valley may well be the best one in a very long time, yes a bit better than 2014 and 2016.

Since I am posting about some 2021 California wines I thought I should also post the other wines I tasted at different wineries at the same time. Further, some of these wines were tasted at the wineries (like Hagafen and Covenant) and some were tasted at my home. The location is stated in the notes.

The wine notes follow below – the explanation of my “scores” can be found here and the explanation for QPR scores can be found here:

Hajdu Wines

2022 Hajdu Zinfandel, Ancient Vines, Califonia – Score: 90 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is ripe, with a bit of heat, nice fruit, strawberry, raspberry, good dirt, loam, and floral notes. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, layered, and a bit over the top, but controlled enough, with classic strawberry, cherry cola, smoke, black plum jam, rich tannin, mouth-filling, almost refreshing, with lovely acidity. The finish is long, ripe, layered, and jammy, nice! Drink until 2027. (tasted August 2023) (in Berkeley, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2022 Hajdu Grenache, Califonia – Score: 90 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is lovely, controlled, spicy, earthy, and smoky, with watermelon, root beer, and lovely red fruit. Nice! The mouth of this medium-plus bodied wine is ripe, layered, and not overly concentrated, with nice extraction, and good enough acidity, with lovely raspberry, cranberry, strawberry, ripe Kirsche cherry, mouth-draping tannin, and nice coffee. The finish is long, ripe, and controlled, with enough acidity, coffee, sweet tobacco, sweet spices, cinnamon, and cloves. Drink until 2027. (tasted August 2023) (in Berkeley, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2022 Hajdu Aglianico, Califonia – Score: 90 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is ripe, fruity, smoky, and spicy, with raspberry, Red Oolong tea, root beer, red floral notes, and smoke. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is ripe, with enough acidity, red floral notes, dark raspberry, intense tannin, strawberry, and raspberry jam, with plum, candied berry, and sweet spices. The finish is long, spicy, ripe, and floral, with sweet tobacco, and sweet spices. Drink until 2027. (tasted August 2023) (in Berkeley, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

Covenant Wines

2022 Covenant Chardonnay Lavan, Sonoma Mountain, Sonoma County – Score: 92.5 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this Chardonnay is lovely, showing melon, ripe peach, apricot, yellow apple, brioche, and bright fruit under a veil of smoke, oak, and sweet spices. Lovely! The mouth of this full-bodied wine is nice, with enough acidity, baked apple, smoke, brioche, elegance, smokey, and grippy, with a refreshing and captivating mouthfeel, rich, layered, and expressive, showing peach, melon, citrus, and sweet oak that lifts the wine and helps round out the lovely acidity, nice!! The wine is lush, balanced, elegant, round, yet acidic, tart, yet accessible, WOW! The finish is long, ripe, layered, and spicy, with sweet oak, more fruit, candied citrus, chamomille, and cinnamon/cloves. Nice!! Drink by 2027. (tasted August 2023) (in Berkeley, CA) (ABV = 13.9%)

2021 Covenant Solomon Cabernet Sauvignon, Lot 70, Napa Valley, CA – Score: 93 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is lovely, ripe, controlled, elegant, and new-world, with intense minerality, iron shavings, graphite, and black and red fruit, lovely! The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, layered, elegant, and balanced, with lovely acidity, minerality, blackberry, cassis, plum, earth, smoke, and dense, with layers of concentration, extraction, and rich smoke. Bravo!! The finish is long, dense, ripe, elegant, mineral-driven, and smoky, wow! With scraping minerality, sweet tobacco, dark chocolate, leather, and sweet spices/smoke. BRAVO!! Drink until 2033. (tasted August 2023) (in Berkeley, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2022 Covenant Solomon Blanc, Bennett Valley, Sonoma County, CA – Score: 92 (QPR: GREAT)
This is the 3rd year of this lovely wine, I think this one sits right between the 21 and 20 vintages, which means this is another WINNER. Bravo! The nose of this lovely wine is impressive with intense bright fruit, bright acid, tart lemon/lime, sweet orange blossom, lanolin, sweet bright pear, sweet Honeydew melon, and lovely oak influence. The mouth of this medium-plus bodied wine is intense, layered, and complex, with rich layers of tart orange, lemon/lime, melon, Asian pear, yellow apple, and piercing acidity, with an impressive expression, of fruit and oak, sweet oak, smoke, sweet mint, and sweet fruit. Bravo! Though I liked the wine at the start it felt a bit lacking with time. It may turn into what I hope, for now, a solid wine! The finish is long, tart, ripe, and fruity, with some oak influence, and hints of vanilla, but really the finish is a focus of acidity, melon, orange, and lemon, all wrapped up beautifully! Bravo!! Drink until 2030. (tasted September 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.4%)

2021 Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon, Black Label, Napa Valley, CA (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: GREAT)
WOW! This is the first Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon that is Mevushal! OK, there is a first for everything! Also, this is the first vintage of Covenant Cabernet Sauvignon using an amalgamated cork. Just wondering – I drove for this for so long, just wondering.
At the start, the wine shows riper than I was expecting and used to from Covenant Cab, but with time it calms. The nose of this wine is ripe, dense, and fruity, with ripe purple and black fruit, dense smoke, tar, anise, chili pepper, white pepper, iron shavings, and an extremely spice-driven nose. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is on the edge of balance or anarchy. On one side, is an elegant bold wine showing dense fruit, with fruit focus, herbal notes, tart/sharp chili pepper, blackberry, blueberry, smoke, roasted herbs, anise, and a dense yet elegant mouth-draping tannin. On the other side is a wine that thankfully calms and becomes what I expect. The finish is long, fruity, ripe, dense, herbal, smoky, spicy, and mineral-driven, with lovely iron, graphite, intense and elegant mouth-draping tannin, juicy boysenberry, blackberry, Asian spice, cloves, vanilla, chili pepper, and anise lingering long. Lovely! Drink until 2030. (tasted September 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.8%)

2022 Covenant Landsman Pinot Noir, Carneros, CA – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is lovely with bright fruit that is juicy, tart, and zesty, meaty notes, violet, nice bright red fruit, hints of blue fruit, a touch of sweet oak, and rich loam and earth. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is well-balanced, showing great acidity, not over-oaked, with nice sweet hints of oak, but more about rich cherry, black currants, richly refreshing, tart, juicy, strawberry, earthy, and smoky, with lovely sweet tannin, layers of red fruit, and an overall refreshing attack and fruit-focus. The finish is long, tart, fruity, sweet, and meaty, with earthy notes, loam, tart fruit, lovely ribbons of charcoal, beautiful acidity, well-balanced, great fruit focus, and an overall lovely wine. Bravo!! Drink by 2028. (tasted December 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.8%)

2021 Covenant Syrah, Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County, CA – Score: 93 (QPR: WINNER)
This is one of the most famous vineyards in Santa Barbara County, very difficult to get into and even tougher to keep. This is another proof of how good the 2021 vintage is, at 15.4% ABV this wine feels balanced, concentrated, and alive. The nose of this wine is ripe, dense, fruity, earthy, smoky, and rich, with loam, roasted beef, sweet spicy fruit, big red and black fruit, sweet spices, intense black pepper, and sweet herbs. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, concentrated, layered, and rich, but well-balanced, with ripe fruit, blackberry, boysenberry, sweet strawberry, sweet fruit, mouth-draping tannin, but balanced with lovely acidity, rich meaty notes, intense black pepper, sweet but balanced, bravo!! The finish is long, spicy, with intense black and white pepper, layered, complex, smoky, earthy, sweet, balanced, and refreshing, Bravo! Drink until 2030. (tasted December 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 15.4%)

Hagafen Wines

2022 Hagafen Sauvignon Blanc, 52% Napa Valley & 48% Mendocino County (M) – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER)
This wine is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc from two regions, 52% Napa Valley & 48% Mendocino County. This is the first screw top for Hagafen Cellars! The nose of this wine is bright and ripe with pomelo, guava, intense jasmine, and yellow flowers, with ripe passion fruit, mango, and brightness that jumps out of the glass. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ripe, well-balanced, and refreshing, with lovely acidity, nice weight, ripe pomelo, ripe guava, fresh passion fruit, fresh citrus, lemon/lime, and lovely tart orange, Nice! The finish is long, tart, and refreshing. Drink now. (tasted August 2023) (in Hagafen Cellars, Napa Valley, CA) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Hagafen Chardonnay, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 89 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is less ripe and less of an oak bomb than I have had from Hagafen, in the past, showing lovely bright fruit, nice sweet/toasty oak, lemon, green apple, and lovely bright pear. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is a letdown after the great nose with less acidity and brightness than I had hoped for, with nice apple, pear, lemon, sweet oak, nice tannin, and green notes lingering long. The finish and mid-palate are a bit short. Drink by 2025. (tasted August 2023) (in Hagafen Cellars, Napa Valley, CA) (ABV = 13.5%)

2020 Hagafen Chardonnay, Prix Reserve, Oak Knoll, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 91 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is ripe, oaky, and smoky, with green and yellow apples, sweet pear, brioche, yeast, and toasty notes. The mouth of this medium-plus bodied wine is ripe, and candied, with intense sweet oak, showing a butterscotch intensity of oak, yellow apple, pear, melon, and dried white plum, with intense acidity, bracing tannin, and a lovely overall mouthfeel. The finish is long, tart, spicy, and oaky, with sweet pomelo/lime, sweet oak, vanilla, toasty bread, butterscotch, and smoke lingering long! Drink by 2027. (tasted August 2023) (in Hagafen Cellars, Napa Valley, CA) (ABV = 13.4%)

2020 Hagafen Sauvignon Blanc, Prix Reserve, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 89 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is more muted than the lovely 2019 vintage, with notes of pear, gooseberry, sweet oak, and some citrus. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is oaky, with enough acidity, gooseberry, pear, guava, sweet smoke, ripe fruit, and roasted herbs. The finish is okay, showing too much oak, and not enough fruit, overall, a step back from the 2019 vintage. Drink now. (tasted August 2023) (in Hagafen Cellars, Napa Valley, CA) (ABV = 13.9%)

2022 Hagafen Don Ernesto Beret Rose, Coombsville, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 89 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is ripe, bright, and redolent, with blue and red fruit, strawberry, blueberry, smoke, floral notes, and great minerality. The mouth of this ripe, tart, smoky medium-bodied wine is fun, showing strawberry, blueberry, cherry, and lovely acidity, with a nice mouthfeel, weight, and fruitiness. My issue is with the bitterness, while the fruit is nice the bitterness is too focused at the end. The finish is long, tart, fruity, with slate, bright blue and red fruit, bitter notes that continue to bother me, orange, and nectarines. Drink up! (tasted August 2023) (in Hagafen Cellars, Napa Valley, CA) (ABV = 13.4%)

2019 Hagafen Pinot Noir, Prix Reserve, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 89 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is ripe, candied, and oaky, with rich smoke, cranberry, pomegranate, dark cherry, and sweet oak. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is ripe, and candied, with good acidity, a classic Napa Pinot, with sweet cherry, ripe cranberry, deeply fruity, dense sweet oak, and candied pomegranate, mouth-coating tannin, and vanilla. The finish is long, ripe, candied, and smoky, with sweet spices, roasted herbs, cloves, and cinnamon. Drink by 2025. (tasted August 2023) (in Hagafen Cellars, Napa Valley, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2019 Hagafen Merlot, Prix Reserve, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 90 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is ripe, candied with boysenberry, raspberry jam, strawberry, and some black plum, sweet oak, loam, iron shavings, and dirt. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, layered, concentrated, and jammy, with enough acidity, ripe blackberry, plum, boysenberry, and raspberry, with searing tannin, smoke, green notes, roasted herb, sweet oak, and sweet spices. The finish is long, spicy, herbal, ripe, vanilla, roasted herb, candied, and jammy. Drink by 2026. (tasted August 2023) (in Hagafen Cellars, Napa Valley, CA) (ABV = 14.3%)

2019 Hagafen Don Ernesto OH!, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 90 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is ripe, candied, smoky, herbal, and fruity, with root beer, watermelon, sweet herbs, black tea, and candied, and jammy red fruit. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is ripe, concentrated, and jammy with enough acidity, ripe black and red fruit, hints of boysenberry, plum, strawberry, and candied pomegranate, with sweet oak, and sweet spices. The finish is long, jammy, ripe, and herbal, with more root beer, blue and red jammy fruit, tart and ripe. Drink by 2026. (tasted August 2023) (in Hagafen Cellars, Napa Valley, CA) (ABV = 13%)

2021 Hagafen Syrah, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 89 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is ripe, candied, oaky, and milky, with milk chocolate, sweet blackberry, boysenberry, smoke, loam, tar, and rich dirt. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is nice enough, it has fruit, and enough acidity, with blackberry, plum, boysenberry, loads of sweet oak, rich tannin, smoke, loam, sweet vanilla, and earth. The finish is long, ripe, smoky, and dirty, with leather, milk chocolate, and sweet herbs. Drink by 2026. (tasted August 2023) (in Hagafen Cellars, Napa Valley, CA) (ABV = 12.9%)

2017 Hagafen Syrah, Prix Reserve, Coombsville, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 91 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is ripe, with smoky notes, sweet herbs, rich oak, tar, black and blue fruit, and roasted herbs. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, with great acidity, popping fruit, sweet and roasted herbs, sweet boysenberry, plum, sweet strawberry, loam, nice overall mouthfeel, a bit ripe for me, but nice. The finish is long, ripe, tart, balanced, and smoky, with tar, leather, ripe blue and red fruit, and sweet herbs, Nice! Drink by 2026. (tasted August 2023) (in Hagafen Cellars, Napa Valley, CA) (ABV = 14%)

2016 Hagafen Melange, Prix Reserve, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 91 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is ripe, candied, herbal, and smoky, with red and black fruit, tar, roasted herbs, loam, and sweet smoke. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, layered, concentrated, extracted, jammy, and herbal, with ripe blackberry, strawberry, boysenberry, pomegranate, jammy fruit, and sweet spices, cloves, and sweet cinnamon. The finish is long, ripe, candied, and smoky, with iron shaving, graphite, and jammy sweet red fruit. Drink by 2026. (tasted August 2023) (in Hagafen Cellars, Napa Valley, CA) (ABV = 14.9%)

2016 Hagafen Cabernet Sauvignon, Prix Reserve, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 92.5 (QPR: WINNER)
This was another hit – Hagafen had many of them during this visit. This was another well-balanced wine with good fruit and acidity. The nose of this wine was nice, showing bright red and black fruit, with green notes, roasted herbs, anise, saline, smoke, and tar. The mouth on this full-bodied wine was rich, layered, but well balanced, with great acidity, lovely fruit focus, blackberry, raspberry, dark cherry, and lovely green notes, menthol, nice earth, mouth-draping tannin, cacao, and smoke. The finish is long, dark, and balanced, with scraping minerality, smoky notes, anise, tar, loam, and rich dirt, really nice! Bravo! Drink until 2026. (tasted August 2023) (in Hagafen Cellars, Napa Valley, CA) (ABV = 15.2%)

2018 Hagafen Cabernet Franc, Prix Reserve, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 90 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is oak and fruit jam, with red fruit, sweet spices, black pepper, herbal notes, anise, and hints of roasted herbs. The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is ripe, layered, concentrated, and jammy, with great acidity, dark and jammy raspberry, pomegranate, green roasted herbs, intense sweet oak, mouth-draping tannin, tar, and rich loam. The finish is long, plush, jammy, herbal, and oaky, with sweet fruit, pomegranate, candied oak, more black pepper, and freshly baked plum pie. Drink by 2026. (tasted August 2023) (in Hagafen Cellars, Napa Valley, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2017 Hagafen Brut Prix, Late Disgorged, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 91 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is pretty with sweet and bright cherry, lovely brioche, baked apple pie, rich yeasty notes, and lovely smoke. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is layered, yeasty, and deeply tart and acidic, it feels a bit old, which is common for a late-disgorged, it is not tired, but it is a wine that old-champagne drinkers will love, with intense citrus, green apple, quince, tart pomelo, freshly baked apple pie, deeply refreshing, with a lovely small bubble mousse attack, nice!!! The finish is long, and refreshing, with baked apple crisp, tart, and on the point. Lovely! Drink soon! (tasted August 2023) (in Hagafen Cellars, Napa Valley, CA) (ABV = 13.4%)

2021 Hagafen Pinot Noir, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 90 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine starts with oak, cacao, coffee, hints of red fruit, loam, and green notes. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice, it shows good acidity, nice sour cherry, raspberry, more cocoa, oak, smoke, green notes, foliage, floral notes of rose and violet, and .roasted animal. A bit too simple and red. The finish is long, green, herbal, smoky, and coffee-driven, with roasted animal, and intense marzipan. Drink by 2027. (tasted November 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.9%)

2021 Hagafen Cabernet Franc, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is nice, clean, and ethereal, what I was hoping for from the Pinot Noir, professional, refreshing, smoky, green, red, and fruity, a Cali Cab Franc that shows nicely! The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is balanced, with great acidity, it does show sweet dill and sweet oak, but it is not overpowering, with nice cocoa, mouth-draping, and elegant tannin, the oak will calm with time, showing raspberry, plum, smoke, roasted herbs, foliage, and a plushness that belies its youth. The finish is long, dirty, earthy, ripe, tart, refreshing, and mouth-filling with more oak, ripe fruit, dense milk chocolate, and licorice lingering long. Nice! Drink until 2027. (tasted November 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14%)

2021 Hagafen Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is on point for a Napa Cab, showing anise, ripe red fruit, rich chocolate, oak, fresh and tart black fruit, all wrapped in fig and cocoa. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is rich, layered, concentrated, and not overly extracted, showing a nice expression of Napa Cabernet, with blackberry, cassis, and cocoa, balanced, tart yet ripe, expressive, elegant, with a plushness, that shows sweet oak, mouth-draping and elegant tannin, lovely acidity, and lovely anise. The finish is long, ripe, balanced, elegant, creamy, and plush, with smoke, sweet oak, chocolate-covered marzipan, and tannin that lingers long. Nice! Drink until 2027. (tasted November 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.2%)

2021 Hagafen Merlot, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is ripe and while it shows Merlot characteristics, the oak is overpowering, with cherry, plum, smoke, cinnamon, sweet oak, and vanilla. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is nice, it has good acidity, but it is too simple, and the oak overpowers, with bing cherry, ripe red plum, enough acidity, vanilla, and smoke. With time, the mouth improves, the oak recedes and overall it shows nicely, with the fruit in the front and the tannin improving as well. With time the oak recedes, the fruit, calms, and the body improves, the acidity pops more, and complexity does show, nice! The finish is long, and balanced, with good tannin, smoke, red fruit, and more oak. Drink by 2026. (tasted November 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.3%)

2021 Hagafen Family Vineyard Red Blend, Napa Valley (M) – Score: 91 (QPR: GOOD)
The nose of this wine is just overpowered by oak, the fruit is there to make this work, but the oak really sticks out, with black, blue, and red fruit, some anise, roasted animal, sweet spices, vanilla, cinnamon, and hints of floral notes in the background. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, layered, and concentrated, with good acidity, but the oak is overpowering, showing intense smoke, sweet oak, sweet dill, vanilla, cinnamon, blackberry, plum, raspberry, anise, and mouth-draping tannin. The finish is long, cocoa-driven, with milk-chocolate-covered marzipan, smoke, roasted animal, and fleeting rosehip. Drink until 2028. (tasted November 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.1%)

Shirah Wines

2021 Shirah Chardonnay, Santa Barbara, CA – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
I was in a normal-sized room when tasting this wine, and when I popped it, I said WINNER! Smoky, toasty, fruity, and bright – all you yearn in Chardonnay. I will be honest: I am in an ABC Phase outside of GOOD Chablis and the few good Burgundies out there now. This wine is not that. Bravo! The nose of this lovely wine has oak, sure, but it is not butterscotch, not oak-bombed, it is bright, fruity, with lovely baked apple, pear, smoke, toast, white peach, and rich salinity, with a hint of nectarines, lovely! The mouth of this medium-plus bodied wine is layered, rich, tart, and fun, with great acidity, nice control, lovely peach, green/yellow apple pie, light oak, light sweet tannin, sweet but tart fruit, with hints of nectarines, orange, and more smoke, lovely! The finish is long, tart, smoky, fruity, and balanced, with acidity, orange blossom, orange, cloves, and lingering sweet tannin, lovely! Drink by 2025. (tasted September 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.8%)

2022 Shirah Albarino, Santa Maria, CA – Score: 92 (QPR: WINNER)
WOW, Royal has decided to stop making Albarno, which I find to be a slap in the face to the kosher wine market. But good for Gabe and Shimon, good for them, step into the void and fill it with a rocking Albarino! Intense acidity, with precision, fruit focus, control, bravo!!! The nose of this wine is wild, this is not Spanish Albarinio, WHO CARES! This is fruity Albarino, this is a varietal, made in such a style, that California is allowed to show what it can add to the story! Throw in the Shirah brothers and you get a stunner! The nose of this wine is lovely, showing ripe peach, Orange, straw, cut grass, yellow floral notes, nectarines, and melon. In some ways, it smells more like fresh-cut grass than floral, but mixed with intense citrus, fun! The mouth of this medium-plus-bodied wine is lovely, layered, focused, and rich, showing intense acidity, saline, orange, Orangina drink, tart pink grapefruit, and cut grass, all the while refreshing and precise! Nice! The finish is long, tart, ripe, fresh, with nice tension, and refreshing, lovely! Not a long holder like the Chard still lovely! Nice!! Drink until 2025. (tasted September 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.6%)

2022 Shirah Marsanne, Santa Maria, CA – Score: 92.5 (QPR: WINNER)
This wine is the best of the three whites I tasted back, to back, to back from Shirah, but by a hair, still, funky, dirty, drier, less-fruity, nutty, and yummy! This one is for the oenophiles! The nose of this wine is fun, not a common varietal for us kosher wine drinkers, the focus here is the control, the lack of abusive oak, and smoke. Showing a lovely control, intense hay, straw, funk, white flowers, lavender, melon, pear, and green tea, is fun! The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is not as fruity as the Chardonnay or Albarino, still, fruit is present, as is lovely acidity. The wine makes you think, while also being refreshing, tart, and precise with great salinity, honeyed notes of pear, melon, honeysuckle, funk, almonds, hay, straw, quince, orange, and rich honey, and fun!!! The finish is long, tart, and precise, with great saline, almonds, minerality, hay, and fruit, a lovely package deal! Drink until 2025, maybe more! (tasted September 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.7%)

Herzog & Sonoma – Loeb Wines

2022 Herzog Pinion, Clarksburg (M) – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER)
This wine is a field blend of white grapes, there is Viognier, some Sauvignon Blanc, and Pinot Blanc, and after that, it is a hodgepodge. The nose of this wine shows some bitter notes, with lovely peach and orange blossom, peach, apricot, heather, and smoke. The mouth of this 14.5% ABV medium-plus bodied wine has some tropical fruit, melon, mango, peach, apricot, quince, orange, and nice citrus, with some nice weight and smoke. The finish is long, smoky, refreshing, and flinty, with bitter notes, roasted herbs, and tropical fruits lingering long. Nice! Drink now! (tasted September 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2022 Herzog Rose of Pinot Noir, Tasting Room Reserve, Clarksburg, CA (M) – Score: 90 (QPR: GREAT)
The nose of this wine is quite nice, showing bright and sweet strawberries, sweet oak, melon, peach, heather, and lavender, nice! The mouth of this medium-bodied rose is nice, tart, and refreshing, with a bit too much oak for me to love the wine, though the weight is nice, a great gateway rose, with more strawberry, melon, peach, citrus galore, and yes, sweet oak. The finish is long, tart, refreshing, and enjoyable. Drink now. (tasted September 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.5%)

2021 Herzog Pinot Noir, Lineage, Clarksburg, CA (M) – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER)
This is the second time I am having this wine and it is showing far better than the previous time. The nose of this wine shows control, smoke, roasted herbs, cranberry, dark cherry, coffee, waxy notes, and green notes. The mouth of this medium-bodied wine is quite balanced, and nice, with great acidity, green notes, roasted herbs, smoke, toast, cranberry, loam, dark cherry, and sweet oak, with enough tension and tannin to keep me interested. The finish is long, herbal, smoky, tart, and refreshing. Nice! Drink by 2025. (tasted September 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.5%)

2021 Sonoma-Loeb Pinot Noir, Sonoma, CA (M) – Score: 84 (QPR: POOR)
The nose of this wine is not for me, it is ripe, candied, uncontrolled, like a wild forest of life-saver candies, green brush growing up, and a muddy surrounding that takes the joy out of the view. With time the nose does calm as does the fruit in the mouth, but it is muted now with little to offer other than still candied fruit. The mouth of this wine was difficult to taste, it has acidity, but that is all it has going for it. It is unbalanced, not refreshing, not joyous, it is overripe, candied, and liqueur-like, with candied plum, candied raspberry, and muddied approach. Drink when/if you must. With time, the fruit in the mouth calms to show a very unidimensional wine, mostly showing ripe fruit, good acidity, and nothing much else. There is a bit of salinity and green notes. Drink by 2026. (tasted September 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.8%)

2017 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Special Reserve, Valhall Vineyard, Sonoma County, CA (M) – Score: 83 (QPR: EVEN)
The nose of this wine is ripe and oaky, and the oak monster is out and roaming the countryside, with notes of candied fruit, candied plum, overripe cassis, hints of dripping figs, pomegranate, and loads of smoke. Still, what dominates is the sweet oak monster. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is an overripe beast, the ripe cassis, dates, plum, and raspberry overpower the mouth, with too much oak, smoke, some nice loam, green notes, and minerality. With time the mouth calms down but the oak is still overpowering and all you sense is the sweet oak notes along with vanilla and leather. The dates have left the building but the fruit is still ripe and present. The finish is long, over the top, too ripe, and too much oak, with sweet smoking tobacco covered in milk chocolate and lather all over a coat of leather. This will work for some, the acidity is there, but the mouth is unbalanced and overpowering. Drink from 2026 until 2030. (tasted September 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 15%)

2021 Sonoma-Loeb Chardonnay, Sonoma, CA (M) – Score: 83 (QPR: POOR)
This wine is candied, ripe, mango, papaya, sweet oak, and vanilla galore, no it is not an oak bomb or a vanilla bomb, but it is just too much for me. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, with good acidity, but it cannot cut through the jungle of tropical fruit, mango, papaya, some citrus in there, and a heavy helping of medicinal oak, and sweet vanilla. Sorry, the bitter notes, the oak, and the vanilla take up the finish and the medicinal-flavored tropical fruit really throws me. Sorry, this is a candied mess. This is not refreshing for me. Drink until 2025. (tasted September 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2021 Sonoma-Loeb Cabernet Sauvignon, Sonoma, CA (M) – Score: 91 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is ripe, not as ripe as the Pinot or the Chardonnay, I say that from the flavor profile of the three wines, this one is the least pushed, least abused, and most balanced of them. The nose of this wine is ripe, with black and red fruit, nice oak, pencil shavings, tar, smoke, and good earth, nice enough. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is balanced with great acidity, nice smoke, rich mouthfeel, good mouth-draping but attacking tannin, blackberry, plum, raspberry, and nice cherry. The finish is long, draping, dense, not quite concentrated or extracted, with good control, tons of sweet oak, sweet vanilla, milk chocolate-covered tobacco leaves and some leather. Nice work! Drink by 2027 (tasted September 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 13.5%)

2021 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Chalk Hills, Special Edition, Sonoma County, CA (M) – Score: 93 (QPR: WINNER)
If it is hot in your area, PLEASE chill your red wines, these big reds need to be cooled down! Twenty to twenty-five min in the fridge will do the trick! The nose of this wine is a bit ripe at the opening, but that calms, from the start the wine is big, bold, black, earthy, dirty, and mineral-driven, with green notes, licorice, smoke, toast, hints of oak, tar, ripe black and blue fruit, and lovely loam, lovely! The mouth of this full-bodied wine is lovely, rich, ripe, layered, concentrated, and nicely extracted, with great acidity, lovely and almost elegant mouth-draping tannin (right now a bit too astringent), with intense tannin, blackberry, cassis, ripe boysenberry, dark currants, plum, loam, roasted herbs, sweet oak, vanilla, hickory, sweet dill, sweet spices, and lovely minerality, Nice! The finish is long, spicy, ripe, balanced, and bold, with lovely fruit, and some green notes, while it is not jammy and fat, it is a bit ripe, this should calm more, with more tar, sweet spices, cloves, cinnamon, allspice, and some great earth. The wine does calm down and becomes plush, ample, and enjoyable. Drink from 2025 until 2033. (tasted September 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2021 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Special Reserve, Alexander Valley, Alexander Valley, CA (M) – Score: 94 (QPR: WINNER)
This may well be one of the best Alexander Valley wines in the past 10 years, better than 2014, just impressive. The 2021 vintage has been a blessing for California. The nose of this wine is ripe, it is even riper after a few hours as well, showing notes of ripe and juicy boysenberry, squid ink, black fruit, anise, white pepper, cocoa liqueur, sweet oak, milk chocolate, smoke, and nice minerality. The mouth of this ripe but balanced full-bodied wine has nice acidity, blackberry, ripe and juicy boysenberry, plush, rich, concentrated, extracted, and elegant, all at the same time, with nice tension, sweet oak, milk chocolate, elegant and draping tannin, and a plushness that helps to balance the extraction, with salinity and lovely minerality. The finish is long, ripe, extracted, balanced, and earthy, with nice loam, and smoke but the finish shines with its ribbons of graphite, saline, and tense tannin that lingers long. Bravo!! Drink until 2034. (tasted December 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2021 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Special Reserve, Napa Valley, Napa Valley, CA (M) – Score: 93 (QPR: WINNER)
The 2021 vintage from California is helping wines I do not normally buy. This wine is balanced and ripe, but also tight and closed to start. The nose of this wine starts a bit closed as does the wine, it took a day to come around, showing lovely fruit, balance, black and blue fruit, nice floral notes, blue and yellow flowers, chocolate, anise, mineral, and loam, very nice! The mouth of this full-bodied wine took time to open fully, showing some tension, and verve, with black plum, blueberry, blueberry, freshness, roasted herbs, cocoa, sweet oak, all wrapped in draping and elegant tannin, and a plushness and elegance that I have never had in this wine. The finish is long, plush, elegant, and not extracted, with ribbons of graphite, floral notes, anise, smoke, and rich fruit. Bravo! Drink from 2025 until 2033. (tasted December 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)

2021 Herzog Cabernet Sauvignon, Special Edition, Rutherford, Rutherford, CA (M) – Score: 93 (QPR: WINNER)
The nose of this wine is ripe and while I had hoped it too would be balanced, sadly, it lacked that balance to start. To start it was flat and uninteresting. With time that changes and improves. The nose of this wine is ripe, with round notes of ripe fruit, chocolate, ripe black and red fruit, with some cooked notes of plum, anise, and pepper. With time the cooked and round notes do calm and show a bit more finesse. The mouth of this full-bodied wine is ripe, without enough acidity to handle this massive body, showing black plum, blackberry, raspberry, sweet cassis, cocoa liqueur, nice tannin, and some tension, but overall not as refreshing as I hoped. With time that changes to a beautiful balance, with lovely acidity and complexity, to balance the mouth and show the better features and its plushness, along with lovely sweet oak, elegance, and tart balanced fruit, impressive. The finish is long, ripe, candied, and lingering with more ripe fruit, tannin, and nice minerality on the finish. Drink until 2032. (tasted December 2023) (in San Jose, CA) (ABV = 14.5%)