One of the many highlights in this range, the 2013 Pinot Noir Kiser En Haut is powerful and direct, with a blast of fruit that makes an immediate impression. The flavors are bright and nicely focused throughout. There is an element of reduction that sits above the fruit. Even so, the depth and intensity of the flavors is compelling. This is a gorgeous wine from Copain.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond Another highlight in this range, the 2017 Syrah Brosseau is enticing. Medium in body and yet somehow also quite rich in feel, the Brosseau has a lot going on. Time in the glass brings out an attractive range of inky blue/purplish fruit, lavender, spice and menthol notes. More than anything else though, the Brosseau is differentiated by its creaminess and textural depth.

Beams of tannin give the 2014 Syrah Brousseau its intense, salivating personality. Today, the Brosseau is raw and not fully formed. I imagine the 2014 will require at least a few years to come together. Not surprisingly, this will be the last 2014 Syrah that Copain will release. The 2014 will need every bit of that time to be approachable.

Made by Pierre Seillan of Vérité in Sonoma (the estate was purchased by the Jackson Family in 2003) from 50- to 60-year-old vines on clay and limestone, the 2015 Lassègue is composed of 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep garnet-purple colored, it opens with expressive black forest cake, preserved plums and blackberry pie notes with an undercurrent of mocha, grilled meats, sandalwood and cigar box plus a waft of lavender. Medium to full-bodied, rich and densely packed with opulent layers of spiced black fruit preserves and chocolate box notions, it has wonderfully plush yet firm tannins and a lovely suggestion of background acid, finishing long and fragrant.

There are generally 2,000-3,000 cases produced of this Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot blend, one of the flagship offerings in the Jackson Family Farm umbrella. The 2001 Cardinale allies power with elegance, exhibiting a sweet nose of black fruits, pain grille, espresso roast, and toasty oak. Rich, full-bodied, opulent, and surprisingly forward, it possesses copious quantities of fruit and glycerin in addition to a heady, voluptuous finish that lasts for 45+ seconds. Most Cardinales tend to be more tannic and closed at such a young age. Anticipated maturity: now-2016.

Napa Valley’s Extraordinary 2016 Cabernets - Part 1 The 2016 Caladan is a new Cabernet Franc-based wine from Cardinale made with the same principles as the flagship, meaning that winemaker Chris Carpenter has the freedom to draw across the Jackson family's vast range of vineyard sites in crafting the blend. Dark, dense and voluptuous in the glass, the Caladan certainly has plenty of richness. It would be nice to see a little more Franc character, especially in the aromatics, as that is such a large part of what makes Franc so distinctive. I can't wait to see what future vintages look like.

The 2009 Cardinale is a gorgeous, beautifully balanced wine endowed with gorgeous textural finesse and depth. Dark red fruit, spices and mint are woven together beautifully in this supple, engaging wine. Bright floral notes add lift, freshness and vibrancy on the finish. There is enough finesse to make the 2009 approachable early, but also enough richness to suggest the wine will drink early for a number of years. Winemaker Chris Carpenter creates the blend from a number of vineyards, including Veeder Peak, La Jota, Spring Mountain, Andrew-Geoffrey and Clem Cardinalli. In 2009 the final blend is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot, predominantly from hillside sites, aged in 100% new French oak barrels. This is a remarkable level of quality considering the 1,300-case production. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2029.

Santa Barbara Dreamin'…Part One The 2016 Pinot Noir Q Block Bien Nacido Vineyard is one of the best wines I have tasted from Byron of late. Unctuous and yet light on its feet, the 2016 is simply gorgeous. The inky blueberry fruit, lavender, spice and mint flavors offer notable intensity, and yet the wine comes in at under 13%. The 33% whole clusters add layers of dimension without dominating the wine. The 2016 is a total stunner. Own-rooted vines planted in 1973 deliver pedigree and class in the Q Block. This is what terroir is all about.

The 2008 Pinot Noir Monument (a blend of their very best barrels) is extraordinary. A super Pinot Noir, with full-bodied, opulent black cherry and black currant flavors touched by a nice, subtle smokiness and a hint of charcoal, this wine has great fruit, purity, and depth, without being heavy or over the top. This beauty should drink well for 7-8 years.

The 2015 Chardonnay Bien Nacido presents intense grapefruit, peach and pineapple notes with hints of honeyed toast and ginger plus a honeysuckle waft. Medium-bodied, rich, intense and with a satiny texture, the palate is wonderfully expressive and refreshing, finishing very long with mineral notes.

The 2016 Pinot Noir Machado comes from a 15-acre site just adjacent to Clos Pepe, which is across the road from Hapgood and just behind the Kessler-Haak Vineyard. It's more restrained than the 459 (which is from the same vineyard) and is more medium-bodied, tight, and fresh, with a classic perfume of black cherries, raspberries, rose petals, and forest floor. With beautiful balance, high yet integrated acidity, and a great finish, it's a classic wine from this estate that needs 2-4 years of bottle age and will keep for a decade after that.

An absolutely gorgeous wine, the 2015 Pinot Noir Drum Canyon is also the highlight in this range from Brewer-Clifton. All the elements come together in a wonderfully expressive, complete Pinot loaded with personality and class. Aromatics, fruit and structure are all deftly balanced. Calera and Swan are the main clones.

I think the first vintage for this cuvée, the 2015 Pinot Noir Drum Canyon is a complex, more ethereal style of wine from this team that has darker, perfumed notes of black cherries, black raspberries, forest floor, dried herbs and earth. It has a good mineral streak, medium-bodied, richness and a solid finish. It’s not as upfront and hedonistic as some of the other releases in the line, but I suspect will be better with another year or two of bottle age.

The 2015 Chardonnay Hapgood has a lovely savory/nutty nose of almonds and cashews with a core of muskmelon, apricots and allspice. Medium-bodied, it delivers a rasping line of invigorating acidity—cutting through the densely packed flavors beautifully—and fonishes with a lively citrus peel lift. 95 cases were made.

A Spotlight on Santa Barbara Moving to the younger vintages, the 2014 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills is still tight and reserved, with lots of matchstick, orchard fruits, and buttered citrus. Medium to full-bodied, gorgeously rich, fresh and lively in style, it needs short-term cellaring but is fabulous juice and loaded with potential.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Smothers-Remick Ridge is a dark, virile wine. Black cherry, chocolate, leather, smoke, licorice all fill out an ample frame. I would prefer to give the 2015 at least a few years in bottle, as it is shockingly primary and raw at this stage, just a few months after bottling.

From the first-growth vineyard of Monte Rosso, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Rosso (again, 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 32 months in 4% new oak) is a 30- to 35-year proposition. Inky blue/purple, with notes of underbrush, forest floor, wet gravel, and scorched earth as well as plenty of blackberry and blueberry fruit, this big, masculine, full-bodied Cabernet Sauvignon is fragrant but structured, dense and built for the long haul. Forget it for another 2-3 years and drink it over the following three decades-plus.

Arrowood's 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Rosso Vineyard is rich with iron, smoke, licorice, bramble and dark red fruit. A relatively soft, supple wine from this historic Sonoma site, the 2009 is also quite open at this stage. I expect the 2009 will gain complexity with more bottle age, but it is already pretty attractive today. Sweet hints of oak and a dash of floral notes linger on the finish. This is a sexy Monte Rosso Cabernet from Arrowood. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2029

From one of California’s grand cru vineyards, Monte Rosso, Dick Arrowood produces a Cabernet Sauvignon from very old vines. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Monte Rosso Vineyard boasts a dense ruby/purple color followed by a big nose of loamy soil, cedarwood, black currant, sweet cherry, and oak characteristics. Dense, full-bodied, muscular, and more broodingly backward than the Reserve Speciale, this wine will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age, and drink well for two decades.

Showcasing the potential for outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon in Sonoma County is the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Speciale (1,600 cases produced). This wine is fashioned from four sources, including the Monte Rosso Vineyard, Murray Vineyard, and the Smothers-Remick Ridge Vineyard. A deep blue/ruby/purple color resembles that of a 3- to 4-year-old wine. This 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged 24 months in both French and American oak, was bottled unfined and unfiltered. It reveals notes of licorice, road tar, toast, black currants, kirsch, underbrush and forest floor. Full-bodied with beautiful purity and moderate tannins, it remains a dense, youthful, exuberant, rich Cabernet that has not yet reached its peak. Give it another 3-4 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 15+.

The 2009 Il Fauno di Arcanum is a compelling blend of Merlot (61%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Cabernet Franc (16%), and tiny parts Sangiovese and Petit Verdot. This is a deeply concentrated red blend from Tuscany that shows complexity, inner poise and grace. The combination of fruit is spotless and you get plush cherry, blackberry, leather and tobacco. The wine isn't all about primary aromas, however. Tertiary aromas also appear and give hope for the future evolution of the wine. The mouthfeel is endowed with textural richness.

The 2014s are 30-year wines, even in such a supple, easygoing and charming vintage. The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana has an opaque purple color, a beautiful nose of graphite, creosote, incense, blackberry and licorice, and maybe a touch of charcoal and earth. The tannins are soft, and there is enormous fruit as well as a deep, full-bodied mouthfeel and some coffee in the finish. It should drink well for 25-30 years.

A drop-dead gorgeous wine, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard is more overt than is often the case. At the same time, there is plenty of underlying structure; it's just that those elements are nearly buried by the fruit. Layers of cool, intense, minerality support the fruit, giving the wine its energy, delineation and nuance. Layers of blackberry jam, violets, cloves and graphite develop over time, adding tons of nuance and complexity, especially on the finish. This compelling 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon captures the very best qualities of the year. Anticipated maturity: 2015-2029.

The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota, which comes from a 750-foot elevation, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 14 months in all French oak. It shows lots of white chocolate, dense opaque purple color, a hint of red and black currants, floral notes and some crushed rock/wet stones. It is very dense, powerful, rich and full-bodied and still shows considerable tannin. Forget this wine for another 4-5 years and drink it over the following 20-plus years. This and its sibling are somewhat atypical of 2004 in requiring more cellaring.

Possesses aromas of white flowers intermixed with spice box, licorice, black currants, raspberries, cherries, toasty oak, and background scents of volcanic/scorched earth. With lovely richness, medium to full body, impressive purity, and a long, heady finish, it should hit its peak in 3-4 years, and last through 2020+.