USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Very deep garnet colored, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyards opens with bold notions of crème de cassis, baked blackberries, boysenberries and dried mulberries with wafts of chocolate mint, underbrush, new leather and tobacco leaf. Full-bodied, rich and spicy, the palate features velvety tannins and plenty of freshness to carry the spices to a long finish. 500 cases were made.

This 100% varietal wine offers earthy sage, diesel, tar and dried herb tones around a core of tart black fruit. Additional accents of gunpowder and toasted oak creep in on the midpalate. The structure is impressive and well-integrated.

Gorgeous, layered fruit flavors come with a seamless, silky texture in this full-bodied but absolutely sleek and polished wine from one of Anderson Valley’s oldest vineyards.Fresh strawberries, red cherries, black cherries and a hint of rhubarb give it a great core, to which light tannins and a pleasing sense of concentration add the finishing touches.

From a cool, coastal site, this is a wild, tangy and savory wine, with highlights of black tea, forest and stem. Crisp red fruit and citrus adorn the tannic midpalate. It shows great complexity and intensity as it finishes in lashes of baking spice.

Single parcel, named for fynbos surround, at 640 m one of highest in Stellenbosch. Lofty quality too, 2016 complex & detailed, dried orange peel & spice woven into rich texture with lees & harmonious oak, 50% new. All fused, brought into focus by fine acidity. Enjoy now, can confidently be cellared ±5 years. 2015 (5 stars, 95 pts) was debut vintage.

The 2018 ‘Emery’ is sourced from a ridgeline site near the crest of the WillaKenzie Estate. Salty tones mark the nose alongside bright red currants, tobacco and suggestions of wild mushroom. The palate is dense and plush with brilliant finesse and a beautiful core of ripe red fruits. Slowly moving into secondary characteristics, this outstanding salty and savory Pinot Noir is only starting to hit its stride.

Delectable, purity, expressive.This delectable Pinot Noir comes from Hartford Court estate vineyards adjacent to the Pacific coastline along the Sonoma coastal mountains; the winery is just one of the outstanding wineries owned by Jackson Family Wines.It's a ripe one at 14.9% alc. but it holds its own; classic notes of forest floor and raspberry, cherries and star anise are layered with cardamom, vanilla, cocoa, pipe tobacco and coconut. It has a sweet bouncy character and lovely fruit purity; in this bottle there is more fruit than earth. Expressive and elegant overall, it has a long sweet cola finish with a bit of heat.

Delicate aromas of warm citrus and thyme with underlying mineral character. Medium-bodied. Very nuanced on the palate with the mineral character continuing to color the white-tea and herbaceous flavors. Wonderfully elegant. A real delight. Drink now.

Dark, dense and mysterious, the 2018 Pinot Noir Barbara's Clone 667 is superb. Succulent dark cherry, plum, chocolate, spice and licorice build in an ample, full-bodied Pinot that is all charm. I would give the tannins a few years to soften. The 2018 is beautifully done. There is real substance and gravitas here.

The 2019 Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard is fabulous. Rich and ample, the Katherine's offers striking dimension to play off its mid-weight structure. Lemon confit, tangerine oil, spice and tropical accents all meld together effortlessly. The Katherine's is a blend of various parcels and clones across the estate. This classic Santa Maria Chardonnay hits all the right notes.

The 2019 Chardonnay Hapgood offers an attractive mélange of apricot, dried almonds, chamomile and tropical fruit. In this tasting, the Hapgood stands out for its creamy, textured personality allied to clean mineral notes. All the elements are so well balanced.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Hapgood is a dense, ample wine endowed with tons of brooding power. This cool site yields a Pinot of real distinction. I would give the 2019 2-3 years to soften, as it is pretty imposing today. Dark cherry/plum fruit, spice and leather open in the glass, but the Hapgood is first and foremost a Pinot of weight and resonance.

The 2019 Pinot Noir 3D is bold and savory, yet it retains the transparency that is such a signature at Brewer-Clifton. Pommard and Swan clone Pinot on sandy soils, done with 100% whole clusters, yield an effusive, aromatic Pinot that is all about lift and perfume. This is such a gorgeous and distinctive wine.

This deeply structured red is distinctive for its brooding black raspberry, dark baking spice and crushed stone accents that build tension toward medium-grained tannins. Best from 2023 through 2031.

Tight as a knot at first, this red takes its time unfurling but it’s worth waiting for, with intense dark plum, sandalwood and crushed rock tones that flesh out and expand toward firm yet polished tannins. Best from 2023 through 2031.

Stunning--a rich nose of coffee liqueur, cassis and chocolate, pencil shavings and lavender lead to a palate with equal depth and generosity. It has a supple weight and concentrated flavours of inky black and purple fruit and spice. Delightfully fresh even with some maturity; it is harmonious and fleshy, the tannins sweet and polished.Outstanding.

Fermented entirely with whole bunches which has given this a spicy and gently reductive edge to the nose with bright red cherries and strawberries and a lick of amaro-like herbs. The palate has a very soft and slightly peppery stream of red cherry and fresh crunchy texture.

Sourced from the Coal River Valley, this has all the ripe and concentrated red and dark cherry fruits as well as modern spicy oak, some sappy notes, too. Rich fleshy depth to the cherry fruit on the palate is matched with freshness and nicely groomed tannin.

The 2020 Applejack Vineyard Pinot Noir is the most sappy and brambly of the 2020 single vineyard pinots. It has plenty of fragrance with deep-set spice beneath herbs and florals as well as fresh strawberry, raspberry and red cherry fruits. A little flint, too. The palate has a taut, elegant and fine feel with tart red fruits delivered amid bright acidity, a real stamp of the season. Holds tight on the finish for now. Try from 2023.

The 2020 Giant Steps Sexton Vineyard Pinot Noir sits more in the blueberry fruit zone with less of the redder fruits seen in the other single vineyard pinots. It has brambly aromas as well as an earthy edge, the oak is very much in the background. This vineyard always delivers quality skin tannins and they are well-placed here adding some good depth and smoothly ripe texture to bright blueberry and plum flavours. Finishes smoothly. Drink over the next six years.

A refined and minerally style, with lithe acidity supporting well-knit flavors of cherry and raspberry. The plush finish lingers with creamy accents and plenty of spicy and toasty notes. Drink now through 2026.

This midnight purple colored red blend from Bootleg is a big boy! It opens with a blackberry and boysenberry bouquet with hints of black licorice, graphite, and oak. On the palate, this wine is full bodied with medium acidity. The mouthfeel is round and lush. The flavor profile features delicious concentrated fruit. Those fruit flavors are ripe blackberry and stewed black plum with notes of black jellybean, clove, and acai berry. We also detected hints of cardamom, black tea, graphite, and black cherry. The finish is rather dry, and its big boy dusty tannins stick around for a very long time. This blend is perfect for sipping by the firepit on a cool fall evening or with food, it calls for a well-marbled ribeye steak.

Thick and richly layered, this wine is savory in tobacco, sage and plenty of grippy tannin, the fruit nuanced in dark plum and currant. Tobacco, black pepper and wild game nip at the edges, adding to the complexity and intrigue.

Leathery aromas lead to a core of classic varietal character, made in a savory style with mountain-grown intensity. Violet, blueberry and integrated tannin glide along a velvety texture of refined structure and complexity, leading to a cohesive, oaky finish.

Grown on east-facing slopes at higher elevation than the “Sexton” Pinot, this “Applejack” is the more open and gregarious of the single-vineyard duo. Fleshy fruit sits happily between a mélange of flavors including dried flowers, mushrooms and graphite. It’s medium weight and silky, with smudgy, graphite-like tannins. The savory, herbal finish cries out for roast lamb or a tray of grilled, blistered veggies. Drink now–2028.