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Villa Creek 2015 Willow Creek Cuvee

Pours dark purple and at no point would I take this for grenache. The nose smolders with scents of dipping ink, cooked meats, dusty ripe fruit. Palate is dense, stewed fruit, chocolate, cranberry, graphite, soy(?). Strength pervades the sensory experience of Willow Creek Cuvee but it's always anchored by restraint and self containment. Finish is also layered and savory. Tannins are tightly knit and well integrated in the form of ghost notes following the syncopated expressions of cranberry and chocolate. Everything here is big but also well defined and one of the things I'm most impressed by is that the tannins forego the cloying grip of licorice that I've seen in various grenache. This shows a more ambition and balance with a creative quality that carries itself from start to finish. Like the 2015 Avenger, the Willow Creek Cuvee is in an absolutely lovely place right now with tannins and acidity complimenting each other so well.

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Ridge 2018 Estate Chardonnay

Nose is full, toasty. The shimmering high tones of lemon, orange fruit, apricot. Middle and savory notes of freshly baked bread with honey, salt. Finish is long, long, long and progresses and deftly moves through the palate. Around 10 seconds in there's a distinctive but airy flavor of salted butter that is never heavy or gratuitous. While this was completely enjoyable at any given time and temperature, I think part of the delight of the wine was how much it changed throughout being consumed, constantly providing pleasure.

Definitely worth buying.