The 2020 High Sands Grenache speaks of raspberry
leaf tea, matcha dust, cut fennel, star anise, cherry
seed and blood plum skin. This is the more classically
styled Grenache of the Ovitelli and the High Sands, and
it is classy to its very core. As the two wines hail from
the same vineyard, albeit different blocks (and within
that, there are differences), the density and gravitas
that is afforded this wine has to, at some point, be
attributed to the foudre component. It balances the
febrile, delicate Grenache fruit and weights it. Now,
whether that is your "thing" or not is up for discussion,
but it is clear that there is a style difference between
the Ovitelli and the High Sands. This is unerringly
elegant and svelte, polished, expressive and effortless.
It sails through the mouth. It is sensational. The
tannins are absolutely the highlight, finely milled and
poudre-like in texture. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under
screw cap. The High Sands vineyard is a beautiful,
"open-to-the-sky" bush vine vineyard that was planted
in 1946. The Block 31 section, which is where the fruit
for this wine is sourced from, is 1.7 hectares and sits
on the cap of the gentle hill upon which the vines are
planted. This is where the deepest deposit of sandy
soil is. Handpicked and sorted on the fancy table in
the winery, 50% whole berries were fermented in open
fermenters, and it was on the skins for a minimum of
21 days. It had a wild ferment and no pressings in the
final wine. It matured on the lees in a combination of
large, old French foudres and ceramic eggs.

The 2016 La Muse, a composition of 93% Merlot, 5%Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec, is still very youthful at this stage. It has alluring scents of minerally Morellocherry, sage, desiccated rose petals and the first hints of maturity coming through as wafts of mushroom and cigars. The powerful, full-bodied palate is harmoniously balanced, with bright acidity, powdery tannins and a long, perfumed finish. It deserves several more years to develop in bottle.

The 2019 La Muse offers the purity and layering of the best 2019s from Sonoma County. The nose opens with generous aromas of mushroom, underbrush,licorice and garrigue complementing a core of Morello cherry. The medium to full-bodied palate is silky and plush with pixelated tannins. Its fruit is still somewhatcoiled, driven by graphite tones at this stage, although it offers plenty of refreshing acidity that gives a weightless, ethereal feel to the fragrant finish. It deserves several more years in bottle to unwind.

The 2020 Chardonnay Machado is slightly more tight and focused, with abundant minerality in its stone fruits, white flowers, honeyed melon, and orange zest-like aromas and flavors. It's beautifully textured on the palate, with medium to full body as well as bright yet integrated acidity. This stunning Chardonnay offers everything you could want from this variety and region. It's spectacular now but will benefit from a year in bottle and evolve for 10-15 years if well stored.

The 2020 Pinot Noir Hapgood is cut from the same cloth stylistically yet certainly has its own singular character. Blackberries, ripe mulberries, toasted spices, brambly herbs, and sappy flowers all define the bouquet, and it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, an incredibly pure, elegant, seamless texture, building tannins, and a great, great finish. As with the other single vineyard Pinot Noir, it’s perfectly balanced and just an incredibly compelling, complete, ultra-classic expression of this site.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Helena Montana Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon needs plenty of swirling to unlock notions of plum preserves, warm cassis, and stewed black cherries, plus suggestions of mossy tree bark, black olives, and fragrant earth. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-coating black fruits with a firm, finely grained texture and plenty of freshness to frame the generous fruit, finishing with brightness and a compelling lift. 793 cases were made.

The 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most finessed wines I have ever tasted here. That seems to be the direction Chris Carpenter is pursuing of late. So more than a vintage or place (Cardinale is a blend of hillside and valley floor sites) what comes through is the wine's finesse. Floral overtones lift a core of red cherry fruit, pomegranate and blood orange. I imagine the 2019 will enjoy a long life based on its spectacular balance.

A combination from two sites, the 2019 Diamond Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon is another elegant, yet concentrated, structured, and expansive Cabernet from Chris that shines on all accounts. Crème de cassis, black raspberries, graphite, scorched earth, and some floral notes all define the nose, and it's full-bodied on the palate, with terrific purity, building, ripe tannins, bright acidity, and an undeniable sense of minerality on the finish. This rich, concentrated, structured 2019 warrants 5-6 years of bottle age and will be incredibly long lived.

Composed of 82% Cabernet Franc, 12% Merlot and 6% Malbec, the 2018 Le Désir was aged for 16 months in 100% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it is a little closed to begin, soon unfurling to offer glimpses at notes of kirsch, raspberry preserves and mulberry scents, plus hints of cedar chest, crushed rocks, bay leaves, Sichuan pepper and lavender with a waft of sandalwood. The medium to full-bodied palate has tons of freshness to support the melange of preserved red and black fruits, textured by grainy tannins, finishing with a lingering peppery kick. It may require just a little more time to come around than the La Joie and La Muse, and then I suspect this beauty is going to reward the patient.

USA, California, Napa Valley: More New 2018 ReleasesMade from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain was aged in French oak for 22 months, 92% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is a little closed to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal earthy/rocky scents over a core of black currants, blackberries and mulberries with emerging hints of pencil lead and green peppercorns. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a rock-solid frame of firm, grainy tannins and bold freshness with loads of mineral suggestions intertwined with the black fruits, finishing long with some evocative floral notes coming through.

USA, California, Napa Valley: More New 2018 ReleasesMade from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain was aged for 22 months in French oak, 93% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose explodes with profound cassis, black plums and blackberries scents backed up by suggestions of espresso, black olives and bay leaves. The concentrated, full-bodied palate is jam-packed by expressive black fruit preserves and savory layers, supported by a firm backbone of grainy tannins and well-knit freshness, finishing on a lingering fragrant earth note.

USA, California, Napa Valley: More New 2018 ReleasesMade from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard spent 12 months in 100% new French oak. Deep garnet-purple in color, it bursts from the glass with bold scents of fresh blackberries, black currants and mulberries plus suggestions of cedar chest, pencil lead, iron ore and truffles, with emerging wafts of crushed rocks and charcoal. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers firm, grainy, exquisitely ripe tannins and seamless freshness supporting layer upon layer of black fruits, finishing on a long-lingering fragrant earth note.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Cardinale Cabernet Sauvignon is rich and sumptuous right out of the gate. Soaring aromatics and silky tannins add finesse to the dark mountain fruit. It's hard to remember a vintage with this much sheer appeal in the early going. As always, Cardinale is a blend of choice hillside blocks. In 2018, the core is built around Stags Leap, Atlas Peak and St. Helena. Winemaker Chris Carpenter has backed off some of the overtness of the past years, and that is a huge benefit in allowing the wine to be more natural, more relaxed. The 2018 spent 21 months in 80-90% new oak, and clearly has the stuffing to handle the oak. It is one of the most refined Cardinales I can remember tasting.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Red Wine is a total knock-out. Inky, dark and sumptuous, the 2018 is full character. All the elements come together in a Merlot/Cabernet Franc-based wine that dazzles from start to finish. A whole range of dark, savory overtones from the Cabernets grown on hillside vineyards adds layers of nuance to the pliant Merlot and Malbec fruit. Vineyard sites are Yverdon and Wuertel, both on Spring Mountain, Mt. Brave on Mount Veeder and Keyes on Howell Mountain. Winemaker Chris Carpenter certainly got the most out of what he chose to work with. The 2018 is just fabulous.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard comes from a vineyard that contains more river rock. It's very deep purple-black in color and reveals exuberant cassis, black cherries, plum preserves and wild blueberry scents with touches of cedar chest, tilled soil, truffles and pencil lead plus a waft of bay leaves. The palate has an incredible structure of very firm, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, framing the muscular, full-bodied fruit and finishing on a very long, lingering mineral note.

The 2013 Grenache High Sands has a medium/deep ruby-purple color and simply stunning nose of crushed raspberries, Bing cherries and potpourri with hints of lavender, star anise, vanilla, cinnamon stick and pepper. The concentrated, full-bodied palate juxtaposes remarkable freshness and a firm, finely grained backbone with voluptuous fruit spanning extraordinary depth. Heady, multilayered and yet with a solid backbone that suggests great ageing potential, Yangarra hits a whole other level with this vintage of High Sands! It's delicious now, but should greatly reward another 3-5 years of patience and drink a further 20+ years. Wow.

A gorgeous effort as well, the 2014 La Muse is a Merlot-dominated cuvee blended with 10% Cabernet Franc and 2% Malbec. This deep ruby/purple-colored beauty boasts a terrific perfume of black raspberries, cassis, graphite, chocolate, and a beautiful earthy minerality. This isn’t your over the top, opulent Merlot and shows incredible class and purity, as well as full-bodied richness, high, yet integrated tannin, impeccable balance and a great finish. It’s not anywhere close to primetime (which is rare for a 2014) and needs 4-5 years at a minimum. It’s going to be incredibly long-lived.

The 2014 La Joie exudes freshness, energy and intensity. Black cherry, plum, licorice, lavender espresso and expressive spiced notes are all beautifully delineated in the glass. Raspberry jam, wild flowers, mint and gently spiced notes are laced into the super-expressive, silky finish. A final kick of Cabernet Sauvignon intensity adds lift in the 2014 La Joie, Vérité's Cabernet Sauvignon-based blend.

The 2014 La Joie has a spicy black purple color and a big, sweet kiss of camphor, black truffle, pen ink, blackcurrants and unsmoked cigar tobacco, followed by layers of fruit and glycerin in an opulent, beautifully savory, pure and multidimensional wine. The final blend Seillan produced in 2014 was 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot. This is a compellingly great effort once again. It should be given 2-5 years of bottle age, then drunk over the following three decades.

The estate’s Cabernet Sauvignon dominated release is the 2014 La Joie. It’s an incredible wine based on 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc and the balance Petit Verdot. Reminding me of a top vintage of Ducru-Beaucaillou (the 2010?) with its classic Cabernet character, it offers thrilling notes of crème de cassis, exotic flowers, liquid rock-like minerality, and graphite and lead pencil nuances. Deep, concentrated, and backward, it has perfect balance, good acidity, and an undeniable Bordeaux-like weight and texture. Nowhere near primetime, it needs 5-7 years of cellaring and is going to keep for three decades.

The 2017s From Sonoma Another magical wine is the 2017 Chardonnay Gold Run, which comes from vines planted in 1982. This rich, white flower, crushed citrus, honeysuckle, and spice-driven Chardonnay is full-bodied, with tons of fruit, background oak, and a massive finish. It’s another rich, concentrated, yet always vibrant and pure Chardonnay that will keep for over a decade. Hats off to winemaker Lisa Valtenbergs for a bevy of truly brilliant Chardonnays.

USA, California, Northern California: Napa & Some Sonoma New Releases The 2016 Chardonnay Upper Barn Vineyard comes from the oldest vines on the estate, planted in 1982. Fermented in barrel and aged for 11 months in 47% new French oak, it is a little closed to begin, slowly unfurling to reveal pink grapefruit, white peaches and Granny Smith apples with nuances of honeysuckle, lemon tart and praline. Medium to full-bodied, it explodes in the mouth with citrus and savory layers, with a gorgeous silkiness and loads of ginger and mineral sparks coming through on the finish Wow!

North Coast Part 1: Napa Valley’s Incredible 2016s Lots of pine forest, savory herbs, California bay leaf, and both black and blue fruits emerge from the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain District. It’s another full-bodied, singular wine from Chris that’s perfectly balanced, with beautiful concentration and the purity and balance that’s the hallmark of this great vintage. Short-term cellaring will be the name of the game here and it will be long lived. Anticipated maturity: 2021-2046

From a vineyard owned since 1994, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder is another mountain wine that’s going to benefit from 4-5 years of bottle age. Staked with layers of blue fruits, crushed rock, graphite and lead pencil characteristics, this beauty is full-bodied, super concentrated, opulent, and texture. It’s another awesome wine from this estate that will have three decades of longevity.

More backward and tight, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain comes from a handful of vineyards around 1,900 feet in elevation. While they have been buying fruit from Spring Mountain since 2003, the first vintage for this cuvee was 2005. This deeply colored 2015 reveals loads of floral and violet nuances as well as brilliantly pure blue fruits, graphite, and crushed rock characteristics. With building minerality, full-bodied richness, and an elegant, seamless, silky style on the palate, it needs 4-5 years of bottle age and will keep for 2+ decades.