Hello and welcome to this week’s dig through the pile of wine samples that show up asking to be tasted. I’m pleased to bring you the latest installment of Vinography Unboxed, where I highlight some of the better bottles that have crossed my doorstep recently.

This past week included some new releases from Rhys Vineyards in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Their 2022 Mt. Pajaro Vineyard Chardonnay, as usual, is spectacular, and proof positive for anyone who enjoys the grape that some of the absolute best examples of it are coming from the Santa Cruz Mountains these days.

For a while, Rhys had a brand known as Aeris, which was a bi-continental project, making wines both on Mt. Etna in Sicily and off the estate’s Centennial Mountain Vineyard in the mountains high above Lake Sonoma. Recently, the Sicilian operation has been shuttered, and the Sonoma project rebranded as Centennial Mountain Vineyard. Under that new label, I received a couple of wines last week that seemed perhaps a step up in terms of winemaking.

The first was their reserve blend of grapes grown on the estate, primarily Nerello Mascalese, but also Nebbiolo, Barbera, and Primitivo from the 2021 vintage. It was supple and juicy, and aging beautifully in the bottle. The second wine was an interesting multi-vintage solera, beginning with the 2016 vintage. It wasn’t immediately clear to me how many vintages it contained, but with such a wine the difference between 6 and 9 isn’t that great. It was slightly brighter than the reserve, and equally tasty.

For many in California, the Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah! needs no introduction. This hilariously named project is the latest incarnation of the irrepressible Hardy Wallace, who rose to prominence as a winemaker through his previous partnership, a brand called Dirty & Rowdy (Wallace being the putative “dirty” in that equation). After the dissolution of that brand, Wallace struck out on his own (or rather, with his wife), and started what might be California’s most fun wine brand.

The energy that Wallace brings to everything he does seemingly ends up reflected in the wines, which are thrumming with life. They lean towards the natural end of the winemaking spectrum but are generally clean and without faults. This week, I’m recommending his latest rosé, an interesting white blend, and two red wines that have yet to be released. The first, his Merlot from the Santa Cruz Mountains is quite serious and age-worthy, while the “Indie Bookstore Medium Red II” is a light (chillable!) mix of carbonically macerated Zinfandel and Zinfandel rosé. Both are excellent, though the Merlot is perhaps a level up in complexity.

I’ve got notes on all of these wines below. Note that only a handful are currently available to purchase through online retailers. Check producer websites if you’re really after a bottle.

Tasting Notes

2022 Rhys Vineyards “Mt. Pajaro Vineyard” Chardonnay, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Pale gold in color, this wine smells of lemon zest and pink grapefruit pith. In the mouth, brilliantly saline flavors of lemon pith, grapefruit pith, and white flowers have a quivering electricity to them thanks to fantastic acidity. Crystalline and effortless on the palate, the wine lingers with a stony resinous note that is mouthwatering. Dazzles with incredible ease. A fabulous Chardonnay. 13.2% alcohol. Score: around 9.5. Cost: $89. click to buy.

2024 Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah! “Full King Crab IV – Brousseau Vineyard” White Blend, Chalone, Central Coast, California
Light yellow-gold in the glass, this wine smells of bee pollen, lemon zest, chamomile, and a hint of orange blossom. In the mouth, bright juicy flavors of chamomile, vanilla pastry cream, grapefruit pith, and Asian pear have a nice snap to them thanks to excellent acidity. There’s a faint yoghurty quality to the wine, that suggests minimized sulfur usage, but it is not objectionable. A blend of 55% Chenin Blanc, 15% Viognier, 10% Marsanne, 10% Roussanne, and 10% Chardonnay. 13.3% alcohol. 75 cases made. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $50.

2024 Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah! “Summer Salters Rosé IV” Red Blend, Amador County, Sierra Foothills, California
Pale ruby in the glass, this wine smells of watermelon, boysenberry, and strawberries. In the mouth, lean and bright flavors of watermelon, dried herbs, and dried citrus peel have a nice chalky grip to them and a faint salinity. Zippy thanks to excellent acidity, this is not a fruit salad of a rosé, but something much more serious. A blend of 45% Mourvèdre, 45% Primitivo, and 10% Barbera. 12% alcohol. 150 cases made. Score: around 9. Cost: $44. click to buy.

2023 Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah! “Indie Bookstore Medium Red II” Zinfandel, Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma, California
Medium garnet in the glass with hazy ruby highlights, this wine smells of dusty earth, red berries, and dried herbs. In the mouth that dusty quality continues, with faint powdery tannins coating the mouth while flavors of mixed red berries, road dust, dried herbs, and a hint of dried flowers are all made juicy with excellent acidity. 100% Zinfandel, this wine is a blend of 70% partially carbonic macerated red wine and 30% rosé. 13.2% alcohol. 75 cases made. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $42.

2023 Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah! “Mariana’s Vineyard” Cabernet Franc, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Medium garnet in the glass, this wine smells of freshly chopped green herbs, earth, cedar, and plum. In the mouth, plum and plum skin flavors are wonderfully juicy and bright and have a fabulous salinity, which combined with the bright acidity makes for a mouthwatering experience. Notes of cedar, sweet oak, and dried herbs add grace notes to the juicy fruit. Tannins, to the extent that they are perceptible, are fine and powdery. Young yet, and will blossom with another few years in the bottle, but very delicious at the moment. Contains 9% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Merlot. 13.8% alcohol. 50 cases made. To be released November 11th, 2025. Score: between 9 and 9.5. Cost: $125.

2023 Extradimensional Wine Co. Yeah! “Mariana’s Vineyard” Merlot, Santa Cruz Mountains, California
Medium to dark hazy garnet in the glass, this wine smells of black plum and black cherry, dusty earth, and a hint of baking spice. In the mouth, boisterously juicy flavors of black plum and cherry are wrapped in a fine but muscular sheath of tannins that flexes its muscles as the wine moves across the palate. Excellent acidity, with notes of dried orange peel, dried herbs, and some freshly chopped herbs as well. This is a serious Merlot with excellent aging potential. Contains 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc. 13.7% alcohol. 47 cases made. To be released Nov 11th, 2025. Score: around 9. Cost: $125.

2021 Centennial Mountain “Reserve” Red Blend, Sonoma County, California
Dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cherries, strawberries, and a touch of licorice root. In the mouth, juicy bright acidity makes flavors of strawberry and cherry mouthwatering on the palate as a cloud of powdery tannin fills the mouth and surrounds the core of fruit. Hints of dried herbs and dried flowers linger in the finish as the tannins stiffen and grip the palate. Excellent acidity marries to a nice stony quality. A blend of Nebbiolo, Nerello Mascalese, Carignan, Primitivo, and Barbera. 14.5% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $59.

MV Centennial Mountain “Solera I” Red Blend, Sonoma County, California
Dark ruby in the glass with garnet highlights, this wine smells of cherry, strawberry jam, chopped herbs, and citrus peel. In the mouth, bright orange peel and red berry flavors mix with dried herbs and licorice root as powdery tannins descend like a weighted fleece blanket on the palate. Excellent acidity and a nice earthy, stony quality. A blend of Nebbiolo, Nerello Mascalese, Carignan, Primitivo, and Barbera across multiple vintages beginning in 2016. 14.5% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $79.