Hello and welcome to my weekly dig through the pile of wine samples that show up on my doorstep 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 arrived recently.

This past week, I received a beautifully branded set of wines from Cadre Wines, a project based in the San Luis Obispo Coast from the Niven Family, longtime pioneering growers in the region. John Niven was one of the first to plant significant vineyards in the Edna Valley, and now his grandson (also John Niven) is building on that legacy with a wine brand that features some of the varieties that his grandfather pioneered, including Albariño and Grüner Veltliner. The wines are all made in stainless steel and designed to showcase their grape varieties in their purest forms. The wines are all good, though overall a bit polished. I found myself wanting a bit more edge from them—more acidity, some complexities from perhaps a native fermentation (I presume they are made with commercial yeasts)—just a little more risk-taking. But, for a line-priced set of wines at $30 apiece, they are pleasingly good values, and the packaging really is stunning.

Speaking of good values, I’ve got a few more wines to recommend this week from Scenic Valley Farms in Oregon’s Willamette Valley. Their lightly skin-macerated Pinot Gris is a delight, and their darker ramato-style version of the same grape is quite pretty. Of the two Pinot Noirs I’m recommending this week, I’m slightly more enamored of their entry-level Pinot Noir, which, while maybe less complex than their Silvershot Pinot, has a sort of exuberance that makes me smile.

The folks at Pali Wine Co. in Santa Barbara have made a real commitment to alternative grape varieties, as demonstrated this week by the Gamay Noir and Dornfelder that I tasted from them. You’d be forgiven for never having heard of Dornfelder. It’s relatively obscure even in its native Germany, where it was deliberately bred in the early 20th Century to produce a dark red wine in a country where lighter-colored reds were the rule. And boy did its creator succeed. The wine is like a deep, dark cave of pigment, but retains decent acidity so it doesn’t end up flabby. The Gamay, fermented with native yeasts and aged in neutral oak, is a nice blend of savory and berry characteristics.

Lastly, I was recently sent a couple single parcel wines from Stony Hill Vineyard, whose wines I haven’t tasted, really, since the estate became part of the Lawrence Estates wine empire. I’m happy to say that the new ownership seems to have preserved the restrained style of the wines, with lower alcohols and less overt expression of new oak. When you get single-parcel wines from within a large estate, it’s really nice to see a distinct character difference between the wines, and that is definitely the case here with the Côte Rouge and the Côtes des Píerres bottlings. The former has a brighter edge to it, while the latter has a darker, earthier quality. Both are exceptionally refined and elegant, and both are built for long-haul aging, despite being drinkable now. I highly recommend them.

Notes on all these wines below.

Tasting Notes

2024 Cadre Wines “Band of Stones” Grüner Veltliner, Edna Valley, San Luis Obispo Coast, Central Coast, California
Pale yellow-gold in the glass, this wine smells of pear and lemon pith with a hint of chopped herbs. In the mouth, pear, green apple, and pomelo pith are bright with zippy acidity that leaves a tingly sensation in the mouth. Ripe and polished, and honestly would be a little hard to peg as Grüner if tasted blind. Fermented and aged in stainless steel. Malolactic conversion inhibited. 13.4% alcohol. SIP certified sustainable. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $26. click to buy.

2024 Cadre Wines “Sea Queen” Albariño, Edna Valley, San Luis Obispo Coast, Central Coast, California
Pale yellow gold in the glass, this wine smells of green apple, lime zest, and a hint of margarita mix. In the mouth, zippy flavors of candied lime, green apple, and sweet celery have a faint salinity and brisk quality thanks to excellent acidity. Despite that briskness, there’s also a ripeness here that feels slightly opulent. Not exactly your steely Albariño of legend, but tasty enough. Fermented and aged in stainless steel. Malolactic conversion inhibited. 13.6% alcohol. SIP certified sustainable. Closed with a screwcap. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $27. click to buy.

2024 Cadre Wines “Stone Blossom” Sauvignon Blanc, Edna Valley, San Luis Obispo Coast, Central Coast, California
Pale gold in color, this wine smells of passionfruit and gooseberries. In the mouth, candied flavors of passionfruit, green apple, and a hint of cut grass are bright and tangy with excellent acidity. Polished and ripe. Fermented and aged in stainless steel. Malolactic conversion inhibited. 14.2% alcohol. SIP certified sustainable. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $29. click to buy.

2024 Cadre Wines “Beautiful Stranger” White Blend, Edna Valley, San Luis Obispo Coast, Central Coast, California
Palest greenish gold in the glass, this wine smells of passionfruit, lemon peel, and a hint of lime. In the mouth, bright flavors of lime zest and lime pith mix with green apple and a hint of passionfruit as excellent acidity keeps things fresh and lively on the palate. There’s a nice energy to this wine. A blend of 60% Grüner Veltliner, 30% Sauvignon Blanc, and 10% Albariño. 13.9% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $31. click to buy.

2023 Scenic Valley Farms Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Light peachy bronze in color, this wine smells of orange blossoms, apricot, orange peel, and a hint of dried mango. In the mouth, orange peel and dried mango mix with Ranier cherry and hints of dried herbs, as excellent acidity keeps things fresh and bouncy with a faint tannic grip. Skin macerated, then aged in Oregon oak. 13.4% alcohol. Certified Salmon Safe and LIVE certified sustainable. Score: around 9. Cost: $20. click to buy.

2024 Scenic Valley Farms Ramato of Pinot Gris, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Pale ruby in color, this wine smells of red apples, wet leaves, and mulberries. In the mouth, mulberry and strawberry flavors are shot through with hints of orange peel and bubble gum. Excellent acidity and fine tannins keep this more fun than frivolous. Very tasty. Fermented with ambient yeasts and aged in Oregon white oak barrels. 13.1% alcohol. Certified Salmon Safe and LIVE certified sustainable. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $30. click to buy.

2024 Scenic Valley Farms Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Light garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cherry and cranberry fruit mixed with dried herbs. In the mouth, bright cherry, sour cherry, and cranberry notes have a lovely citrusy zing thanks to fantastic acidity. Faint dried herb notes accompany the fine tannins. Juicy and very tasty. Perhaps not quite as complex as it could be, but very pleasurable. Aged in Oregon oak barrels. 12.8% alcohol. Score: around 9. Cost: $25. click to buy.

2024 Scenic Valley Farms “Silvershot” Pinot Noir, Willamette Valley, Oregon
Medium garnet in the glass with ruby highlights, this wine smells of cherries, cranberries, dried herbs, and a hint of barnyard. In the mouth, fine tannins coat the mouth and surround a core of cherry, dried herbs, and earth, with a faint note of salinity. There may be a hint of Brettanomyces here. For now, it is a grace note and adds complexity. Fermented with ambient yeasts. Aged in Oregon white oak. Bottled unfiltered. 12.7% alcohol. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $40.

2024 Pali Wine Co. “Pali Vineyard” Gamay Noir, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County, California
Medium garnet in the glass with purple highlights, this wine smells of blood orange and mulberries. In the mouth, blood orange, orange peel, dried herbs, and mulberries have a savory edge and a faint dusty tannic texture. Excellent acidity. It will be interesting to see how this ages. Fermented with ambient yeasts and aged in neutral oak for 5 months. 12.5% alcohol. 152 cases made. Score: between 8.5 and 9. Cost: $50.

2024 Pali Wine Co. “Pali Vineyard” Dornfelder, Sta. Rita Hills, Santa Barbara County, California
A teeth-staining, inky dark purple in the glass, this wine smells of blackberry, snuffed candle, and black cherry with a hint of macerated blueberries. In the mouth, that macerated blueberry character dominates, with notes of blackberry and prune, as light, fluffy tannins have a cotton-ball quality. Very good acidity. Fermented with ambient yeasts and aged for 9 months in 35% new French oak. 12.5% alcohol. 107 cases made. Score: around 8.5. Cost: $55.

2023 Stony Hill “Côte Rouge” Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley, California
Very dark garnet in color, this wine smells of black cherry, blackcurrant, and earth with a hint of green herbs. In the mouth, blackcurrant and cherry flavors mix with blackberry and a hint of plum skin brightness as excellent acidity puckers the cheeks. Fine, muscular tannins coat the mouth and stiffen slightly, but mostly remain supple supports to the core of earthy blackcurrant fruit. There’s a touch of citrus peel in the finish. Built for the long haul, this will age exceptionally well. Comes from a west-facing parcel at 1500 feet of elevation. Contains 5% Merlot. Aged for 22 months in a combination of new and used French and Austrian oak. Certified organic. 14% alcohol. 300 cases made. Score: around 9.5. Cost: $275. click to buy.

2023 Stony Hill “Côtes des Píerres” Cabernet Sauvignon, Spring Mountain District, Napa Valley, California
Very dark, nearly opaque garnet in the glass, this wine smells of flowers, black cherries, blackcurrant, and earth. In the mouth, juicy blackcurrant and black cherry flavors mix with a hint of blueberries and earth. Gorgeous supple tannins coat the mouth, and a little mocha note peeks through, hinting at the expensive oak that might have been used. Thankfully though, this is mostly just poised and beautifully textured fruit with great acidity and balance. A smooth operator with both power and grace. Comes from a set of ridgetop parcels with sedimentary and volcanic stones at 600 feet of elevation. Aged for 22 months in a mix of new and old French and Austrian oak. Contains 22% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. Certified organic. 14% alcohol. 300 cases made. Score: around 9.5. Cost: $185. click to buy.