A California version of a Pomerol, the 2003 La Muse is a blend of 84% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1% Malbec that tips the scales at 14.2% alcohol. It is just beginning to reveal such secondary nuances as cedarwood, Christmas fruitcake, red and black currants, licorice and tapenade. Full-bodied with an imposing structure, the wine's fruit, purity, denseness and richness suggest it can be approached, but it is capable of lasting another 25+ years.

Composed of 59% Cabernet Sauvignon and 41% Merlot (89% from Sonoma and 11% from Napa), the 1999 is a much younger wine than the 1998 and still has some upside potential. A deep ruby/purple color is followed by notes of graphite, unsmoked high class cigar tobacco, black currants and flowers. Round and generous with some tannins in the finish, it is close to full maturity and should drink well for another 15+ years.

The most brooding and massive wine in the Verité portfolio, creamy cassis, plum and graphite are followed by a large-scaled, dense and intensely concentrated, savoury wine which lives up to its reputation as Sonoma's answer to Pauillac. 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc and 5% Petit Verdot.

Bright ruby-red. Crushed blueberry, violet, licorice and dark chocolate on the explosive nose. Not quite as complex as La Muse but sweeter in the mid-palate, without any loss of definition or energy. Finishes with superb broad tannins and outstanding pulsating persistence.

Composed of 72% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2003 comes from four sources, the Alexander Mountain Estate, Knight's Valley and small quantities of fruit from Bennett Valley and Chalk Hill. Made in a deep, full-bodied, masculine style, it possesses tremendous intensity (as do all of these wines) as well as plenty of black fruit notes intermixed with forest floor, underbrush, truffle and a hint of burning embers reminiscent of a Graves from Bordeaux. Super fruit, ripe tannin and a long finish give this wine a youthful yet complex personality. It needs 5-6 years to reach full maturity where it should last for two decades.

A spicy, mint-infused aromatic framework for its lovely bouquet of black currant and berry fruits. It's an impressive, densely-fruited wine elevated by superb tannic structure and freshness. It should age beautifully over the next decade.

Italy, Tuscany: Chianti Classico (New Releases) This wine has recently been upgraded from Riserva to Gran Selezione status. The 2015 Chianti Classico Gran Selezione Strada al Sasso (100% Sangiovese) is shaped by the excellent growing conditions that characterize this classic vintage. This is a full-bodied expression of Sangiovese with contemporary aromas of black cherry, leather, cigar box, sweet tobacco and toasted espresso. This wine provides sweet tannins and lots of succulent fruit richness on the close.

Creme de cassis, black cherries, spices and charcoal. Very refined and structured with a delightful, zesty serving of acidity and a long, chewy finish. An honest, elegant wine that shows great clarity.

Dark, lush and dense with wild cherry, spice, and vanilla oak; juicy, deep and nicely structured; intense.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Monolith, from a parcel at 1,750 feet in altitude, is quite refined in this vintage. Medium in body, with tremendous aromatic and flavor intensity, the Monolith dazzles from the first taste. A range of floral and red-toned flavors are some of the signatures of a Cabernet that is both refined and polished.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher's Vineyard brings together all of the elements that make the Stonestreet Cabernets so distinctive. Dark fruit, savory herbs, spice, new French oak, menthol and pine build as this unctuous, full-bodied Cabernet shows off its considerable appeal and personality. The Christopher's is the most flamboyant of the wines in this range, but not necessarily the most complex. Part of that is attributable to the very high average quality across the board in this lineup.

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Bear Point Vineyard is wonderfully fresh and energetic. Mocha, lavender, mint and savory herbs give the wine striking aromatic intensity that complements the inky, blue-toned fruit. Understated, elegant and polished, the 2015 is simply on point.

Stonestreet's 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall Vineyard is dense, powerful and creamy, with more than enough depth to fill out its frame. Inky red and blue stone fruit, leather, lavender, licorice and smoke are some of the signatures. Above all else, though, the Rockfall stands out for its textural richness and resonance.

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall comes from another steep mountain site and vines planted in 2002. It spent 20 months in 60% new French oak. Black raspberries, crème de cassis, spice box, bay leaf, and dried flower notes all flow to a full-bodied, rounded, beautifully concentrated wine that has building tannin, nicely integrated acidity, and tons of minerality and dried earth character on the palate.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher's Vineyard is a little youthfully reticent, revealing suggestions of crushed black berries and blueberries with hints of dried herbs, menthol, baker's chocolate, black olives and scorched earth. Medium-bodied, very firm, very taut and with great tension, it is very tightly wound with all the elements for a truly exciting, long-lived wine.

The 2013 Legacy Proprietary Red is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and the rest Malbec and Petit Verdot was aged 26 months in 60% new French oak. Coming from high-elevation estate vineyards in Alexander Valley, especially the Jimtown Vineyard, the wine is beautiful, with fabulous concentration and purity, a dense purple color, a gorgeous blueberry and blackberry fruit nose, with licorice, camphor and graphite. The wine is full-bodied and opulent with wonderfully integrated, toasty new oak. Layered and rich, the wine can be drunk now or cellared for up to another 20-25 years. Kudos to South African winemaker Graham Weerts for his efforts with this offering.

The 2012 Proprietary Red Legacy, an 866-case blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Merlot and Cabernet Franc, may turn out to be the finest Legacy ever made. It exhibits terrific intensity along with beautiful notes of plums, blackberries, blueberries, licorice, tobacco leaf and damp earth. Full-bodied, softer, with more velvety tannins than the other Cabernets, it is a plush, drinkable red to consume over the next 15-20 years.

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Monolith is the smallest cuvée (198 cases) coming from a vineyard at a 1,750-foot elevation. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 70% new French oak is dense, full-bodied and opulent, with blueberry and blackberry fruit, wet rocks giving it a mineral-laced character, and a full-throttle finish with moderately sweet tannin. This is a 20-to 30-year wine.

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall Vineyard, which sees 57% new French oak for 20 months, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon with a deep, opaque purple color and notes of charcoal, créme de cassis, graphite and white chocolate. It is full-bodied, multilayered, very deep, impressive and long.

The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher's is the richest and inkiest of these Cabernet Sauvignons. Blackberry jam, cloves, espresso, gravel, graphite, violets and tar all burst across the palate in a voluptuous, intense wine loaded with class and pure intensity. This is a fabulous showing from Stonestreet.

This is an awesome Cabernet, that’s so packed with blackberries and cassis, it blows your mind. The richness is superbly balanced by fine acidity and sweet, complex tannins that rein everything into a focused structure. Feels velvety, refined and ageable. Hold until 2018 and drink it for an additional decade or beyond.

Full-bodied, rich and complex with classic aromas of blackberry, cassis and blackcurrant wrapped in a judicious weave of smoky oak. Great for the cellar. A wine that almost jumps out of the glass with its vibrant character. The mountain terroir of the vineyards shows through in the depth and complexity of this wine. Superb craftsmanship. Try it with rare filet mignon for an exquisite sensory experience. Cabernet Sauvignon food pairings: filet mignon.

The monster 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall is an extraordinarily dense, full-bodied, rich wine boasting notes of violets, blueberries, blackberries, cassis, cedar, graphite, and flowers. But patience is essential. These are far and away the most impressive group of Stonestreet Alexander Mountain estate wines that I have tasted.

The Cabernet Sauvignon really sticks out, with its cassis flavors and big, tough tannins. Meanwhile, new oak adds lush layers of smoke, woodspice and buttered toast. The result is a tough young wine that needs time, and possibly lots. Don't think of opening it before 2011, and it should develop for many more years. Potentially great.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Chardonnay Upper Barn Vineyard is a wonderfully complete wine that melds fruit intensity and structure. Apricot, tangerine, pineapple, mint and lightly buttered notes give the Upper Barn a slightly richer flavor profile to match its oily, textured feel. Floral notes appear later, adding lift to round out this superb Chardonnay from Stonestreet.