Wines

96 Points! An intensely flinty, zesty, smoky and fragrant white. On the palate it’s salty, immensely concentrated and fresh, with heaps of crushed stone, flint and citrus rind flavors. Medium-bodied and electric, while packing a punch. Textured and creamy, too. A large proportion of the grapes comes from the Eola Amity Hills. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! Sliced cooked apples, mangoes and hints of bread dough come through nicely with a medium to full body and creamy texture. Dried-apple, pie and lemon undertones on the palate. Tangy and lively at the end. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The VGW is a flagship bottling from 00, their Willamette Valley blend that sources from some of the top sites in the appellation. Sourcing includes Seven Springs, Koosah, Royer, along with Johan and Shea, among others. The VGW gets the 00 treatment, hyperoxidised, and a very reductive approach in elevage, with 12 months in barrel and no battonage. It’s lithe, airy on the nose, fresh herbs, and sea air alongside lemon zest and thyme. The palate shows restraint and elegance, zippy lemon pith, green mangoes and sea salt through the finish. - Decanter Magazine

93 Points! The 2023 Chardonnay VGW is herbal upon first pour in an incredibly attractive way, mixing chlorophyll with fresh mint, then stone dust, flint and crushed Granny Smith. Round textures contrast with mineral depth as yellow apple blends with apricot and crunchy minerality adds form. Acidity is cooling in feel yet plays a supporting role in the background. The 2023 tapers off with impressive balance, slightly chewy yet cleansing and fresh. - Eric Guido, Vinous

94 Points! A gorgeous nose of hazelnuts, cherries, raspberries, button mushrooms, tea leaves and vanilla bean. It’s vibrant and fruit-forward, with zesty and racy acidity and tight-knit tannins. Tight, cool finish. From Yamhill-Carlton (including the Shea and Highland vineyards) and Chehalem Mountains. Try after 2026. - JamesSuckling.com

93 Points! The 2022 Pinot Noir VGR is youthfully flinty to begin, requiring plenty of air to reveal blackberry, rhubarb, cinnamon stick and woodsy undertones. The medium-bodied palate offers expansive, layered flavors. It’s balanced by juicy acidity and has a long, nuanced finish. It will benefit from 2-3 years in the cellar or some time in a decanter. - Erin Brooks, robertparker.com

97 Points! Transparent and minerally, showing dark-cherry and forest-floor aromas with some ink and blood undertones. Medium-bodied with beautiful integration and excellent length that goes on for minutes. Firm tannins. Vivid. From ungrafted vines planted in the 1970s. - JamesSuckling.com

94 Points! This wine is expressive and bright, a part of the 00's assemblage series, crafted from different sites in the Willamette Valley. Aromas of woodland berries and pine boughs offer a fresh contrast to the forest floor and red cherries. Ripe red strawberries, and mint leaf on the forepalate, finishing with layered darker fruits, rich forest floor and salty ocean minerality. - Decanter Magazine

94 Points! Pouring a deeper ruby red color, the 2023 Pinot Noir Pommard 1er Cru Clos des Epenots is a lovely wine with a ripe feel, featuring notes of black raspberries, fresh violets, and a darker, earthy, and floral bouquet. The palate is rounded and supple, with ripe tannins and a fruity character, although gentle earthy notes are also present. It’s a pretty style for this site to drink over the coming 15 or more years. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

93 Points! Pure seduction from the first tilt of the glass, the 2023 Pommard Clos des Epenots 1er Cru mixes crushed violet and lavender with dried black cherries, nuances of stone dust and allspice. It's surprisingly juicy, blending tart raspberry with autumnal spices and crunchy mineral tones, all offset by a core of tantalizing acidity. A youthfully nervous feel is balanced by lasting freshness as rosy inner florals linger through the long, classically dry finish. -Eric Guido, Vinous Media

94 Points! Moving to the Pinot Noirs, the base appellation 2018 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast was 60% destemmed and spent 11 months in 20% new French oak. This gorgeous Pinot Noir displays lots of red and black raspberry fruits, notes of forest floor, smoked earth, and a touch of graphite. With medium-bodied richness, a solid spine of acidity, building tannins, and straight-up beautiful balance, it's going to benefit from another year or two of bottle age and keep for a decade. It's beautifully done. - Jeb Dunnuck

91 Points! With 50% coming from 2020 vintage and the rest from the Solera begun in 2013, the NV Champagne Blanc De Blancs Solera Brut displays a bright yellow hue and is very well-detailed in its aromatics of lemon curd, brioche, and ripe pear. Medium-bodied and graceful, it delicately rounds out the palate with a supple texture and a delicate mousse, as well as fresh acidity. Easygoing but very attractive, it can be enjoyed over the next 6-7 years. Disgorged December 2022, with 3 grams per liter of dosage. - Audrey Frick, jebdunnuck.com

91 Points! The A. A. Badenhorst Family Wines 2025 Swartland Secateurs Chenin Blanc is sourced from 34 vineyards and blended progressively during harvest, with fruit picked between 11% and 14% potential alcohol. Fermentation unfolds naturally as fresh juice is added to active tanks over several weeks without temperature control. The wine matures in a mix of old casks, concrete and large barrels..."This wine feeds a lot of people," says Adi Badenhorst. The 2025 shows bright freshness, with honey and yellow flower layered over clean orchard fruit aromatics. - Monica Larner, robertparker.com

From the winery: Our second label wine, KEOLA is comprised of barrels and lots from the same vineyards that make up our top-tier Aaron cuvées. These barrels are declassified lots and extra barrels that simply don't find their way into our flagship wines, thus we blend them into KEOLA, our everyday drinking red that massively overdelivers for the price point. Juicy, vibrant and intensely aromatic, its a medium-bodied, absolutely delicious wine that goes with any place, any dish, and any time of day. Comprised mostly of Petite Sirah, Syrah, and Mourvèdre it's a rich and savory, with a blue/red fruit profile and notes of grilled meats and sage/underbrush. The palate is luscious and juicy, loaded with flavors of macerated cherries, cocoa powder, toasty oak, and licorice. Aged for 18 month is 100% French oak, 50% new, it's a wine that will certainly age in the cellar, but we recommend cracking it open now and enjoying it through the remainder of this year!

92 Points! A good value, the 2023 Keola Red offers juicy darker fruits, peppery herbs, and sappy, floral notes. Based on 45% Petite Sirah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Syrah aged 18 months in 25% new French oak, it's medium to full-bodied, ripe, round, and supple, with no hard edges. This is a pleasure-bent, impeccably made red to drink over the coming 5-6 years. ..As always, Aaron Jackson makes a ripe, powerful style of wine that brings ample fruit and texture while staying nicely balanced. - Jeb Dunnuck

Sourcing:

Petite Sirah - Dusi Vineyards (Templeton Gap District), St Peter of Alcantara (Willow Creek District next door to Pesenti Vineyard)
Syrah - Maison Mason (Willow Creek District next to notable vineyards like Terry Hoage, Paderewski). And Caelesta Vineyard (Templeton Gap)
Cabernet - Old Bailey Vineyard (Adelaida District, oldest vine Cab on the westside, own rooted in 1969 and right next door to HMR Vineyard and planted around the same time).

94 Points! The 2021 Petite Sirah checks in as 85% Petite Sirah and 15% Syrah, aged the normal 22 months in 60% new 300-liter barrels. It's a gorgeous expression of the variety with loads of jammy blue fruits, flowery incense, spice, and underbrush notes as well as a full-bodied, deep, richly textured, layered style on the palate. I’d be thrilled to drink a bottle any time over the coming decade. - Jeb Dunnuck

92 Points! The white 2019 Le Domaine is mostly Sauvignon Blanc, with 30% Verdejo, and comes from a warm year (not as warm as 2017) when Sauvignon Blanc achieved perfect ripeness. The wine has good ripeness, 13.5% alcohol, very good freshness, a subtle nose that is not that varietal (as it's often the case) and a soft palate with great balance and purity. It finishes with a faint bitter touch. The oak is neatly integrated. - Luis Gutierrez, robertparker.com

91 Points! The 2023 Kerner is delicately floral in the glass, with a whiff of sweet spice and candied lime forming its bouquet. This is built on energy with vibrant acidity and a combination of saline minerals and tart citrus, adding a zesty character throughout. The 2023 reverberates with tension through the long and cheek-puckering finale with hints of chamomile and lemon zest. - Eric Guido, Vinous Media

91 Points! This has a bright, citrusy, leafy profile with yellow plums and ferns. Tart on the palate with zesty acidity, light body and dairy flavors. The lemony finish is polished yet not long. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! Salty and spicy with white-pepper and flinty aromas, this is light-bodied yet very savory and crisp with a polished finish. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

91 Points! The smart buy in the Ackerman lineup is the suave, polished 2018 Memoir Red Wine. A blend of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% each Cabernet Franc and Merlot, and 6% each Malbec and Petit Verdot, it seamlessly marries cedary oak notes with cassis and dark chocolate flavors. Medium to full-bodied and less opulent and weighty than many of its Napa counterparts, it's still velvety-plush but also marked by ample freshness and length. - Joe Czerwinski, robertparker.com

92 Points! Intense cinnamon spice on the nose, together with vibrant aromas of cherry jelly and pressed flowers. Medium-bodied with a graceful attack, firm light tannins and crisp, brilliant and juicy acidity that packs a punch. Overall it’s crunchy in style. Licorice in the aftertaste. Drink now. - JamesSuckling.com

92 Points! A note of green apple mixes with mint leaf and wet stone hints. It impresses further with its mix of tension and elegance. Brisk acidity and tart orchard fruits contrast its creamy wave of fine bubbles. A saline tinge lingers on along with a Granny Smith resonance that keeps the senses salivating as this finishes with excellent length and freshness. This is a fantatsic value. - Eric Guido, Vinous