Vivid strawberry and dried-flower aromas here with hints of sandalwood. Medium to full body with firm, creamy tannins and a tangy finish. Opulent. Tight and focused. Pumice and black and white-pepper notes. A pretty wine already, but give it a year or two to open and soften. Drink after 2021.

From the same site in Carneros, the 2018 Pinot Noir Grace Benoist Ranch offers a Burgundian nose of black cherry and currant fruits intermixed with notions of wood smoke, forest floor, spice, and spring flowers. Beautifully textured, elegant, and seamless on the palate, it has loads of character, and while already drinking nicely, it’s going to evolve for 7-8 years or more.

A well-made, larger production offering, this wine is richly layered in strawberry, raspberry and black tea, the oak slightly sweet and toasty. Smoky overtones provide a hint of game and earth, leading to a cohesive, resolved finish.