Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Armoniza is another gorgeous red in this range from Matanzas Creek. Winemaker Marcia Torres Forno has done a fabulous job in taming the often formidable Knights Valley while retaining the savory character that makes wines from this corner of Sonoma so compelling. Cedar, licorice, pomegranate, dark cherry jam and blood orange infuse this super-expressive Cabernet Sauvignon–based red.

It's not every day that you're going to be in the mood to drop forty bucks on a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc -- or any white wine for that matter -- but if you're an appreciator of the complexities that a seriously well made white has to offer, you'll want to treat yourself to a bottle of this beautiful wine. Stone fruit, mint, white flowers, granite minerality and a touch of leaf are present in both aroma and flavor, with a ripe quality to the fruit element that doesn't overwhelm the proceedings. It finishes very crisp and mouth watering. Be careful, though -- on your way to the bottom of the bottle you'll wish you had the kind of life where you could sip this serious wine poolside while your people take care of your business for you. Well done!

One of the gems in the lineup is the 2016 Chardonnay Journey, which is a barrel selection that ended up being 38% new oak. This cuvée is made with the idea of a rich, powerful wine, and while it succeeds on that front, this beauty also has considerable purity and elegance. White flowers, buttered citrus, tangerine, honeysuckle, and hints of wood smoke give way to a deep, rich, concentrated Chardonnay that’s drinking beautifully today.

Orange peel, butter, vanillin and a host of tropical notes infuse the 2015 Chardonnay (Bennett Valley) with remarkable depth and viscosity. This is a decidedly powerful, exotic Chardonnay full of Wente Clone character. Winemaker Marcia Torres Forno got the very best out of this fruit.

Journey's 2013 Chardonnay deftly balances richness with finesse. Apricot pit, orange blossom, mint, spice, butter, brioche and smoke are woven together in a hugely appealing fabric of aromas, flavors and textures. Voluptuous and layered in the glass, the 2013 possesses striking depth, but no excess heaviness. All the elements fall into place effortlessly.

From high elevation estate vineyard blocks in the Alexander Valley, the 2012 Journey Chardonnay was 100% barrel-fermented and aged in barrel for 10 months prior to being bottled. A stunning effort, it boasts abundant notes of candy corn, white peaches, apricots and honeysuckle. Full-bodied, pure and loaded with fruit, with the wood component pushed to the background, this long, rich, authoritative Chardonnay should drink nicely for 4-5 years, possibly longer.

Expensive, yes, but very lovely and dramatic. Creamy and smooth in the mouth, this is perfectly dry, with rich notes of honey, Mandarin oranges and sweet buttered toast, girded with minerals. Shows control and precision.

Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Reserved, but pleasing aromas of forest and blackberry fruit. Both earthy and fruity, exhibiting a mid weight core of fresh black cherry and black raspberry sap clothed in gracious toasty oak. Soft and silken in the mouth with a notable juiciness and a big, even giant, persistent finish. When tasted the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle, that glorious finish continued to grab my attention.

Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Lovely perfume of black cherry, clove, and Wassail spices, becoming more explosive over time in the glass. The mid weight black cherry essence is pure and vivid in the mouth, carrying over through an exceptionally long finish. Even better when tasted the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. This wine has an aura that captivates me year in and year out.

14.5% alc., pH 3.73, TA 0.53, 268 cases, $66. Primary clone is Wädenswil 2A. 5-day cold soak, proprietary yeast primary fermentation, fermented in three separate lots unlike the other Maggy Hawk wines. Aged 15 months in French oak barrels, 49% new. · Moderately light reddish purple color in the glass. A panoply of dark red berries, earthy flora and wood spice greet the nose. In the mouth, the delicious flavors of dark red cherry, raspberry and spice are accented with a judicious touch of oak. The satiny texture is sensual and comforting and the wine’s balance is impeccable. Like all great wines, the intensely flavorful finish refuses to dissipate. Still exceptional the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. Score: 94

Medium-deep ruby color; earthy and rich, fruit forward aromas of dark cherry; full and rich, packed with black cherry and plum flavors; good structure and balance; long finish. Full and rich Pinot with good structure for age.

Moderate reddish purple color in the glass. The nose is more earthy than fruity, with aromas of mulch, mushroom and a hint of blackberry jam. Very soft and silky in the mouth with impressive harmony, this mid weight wine offers layers of sweet dark blackberry, black raspberry and spiced plum flavors accented by complimentary mocha-laced oak. The tannins are satiny and folded in nicely. The fruit intensity builds in the mouth, culminating in an orgasmic finish that never seems to want to go away.

The '99 is a 79/21 blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot all from Reverie Vineyard on Diamond Mountain. Expect intense ripe blackberry jam aromas mingled with pepper, licorice, clove, dried poblano, vanilla and floral aromas. Very aromatic. It's rich, ripe and concentrated on the palate with fine tannins. More blackberry jam, cooked cassis and tobacco flavours with an earthy, spicy, clove finish. Balanced with potential to age for the next 7-12 years. Very fine effort.

Firm, tightly wound and austere, with a compact band of earth, mineral, currant, sage, tea and cherry, Turns tannic and concentrated on the finish, where the flavors sail on.

Another great first release from Lokoya. The '95 Diamond Mountain is saturated black in color with purple highlights and rich aromas of cassis, crystallized ginger, blackberry, cedar, spice and beef. Layers of black fruit, black pepper, soil and oak hit the mid-palate so intensely that you barley notice the tannins until the last bit of finish. It has powerful mountain fruit, yet the tannins and extract are tame enough to approach with some care.

…possesses the most developed aromatics, consisting of black currants, cherries, loamy soil scents, and pain grille. It is the most expansive and fullest-bodied, with stunningly concentrated flavors that exhibit no angularity of sharpness. The acidity, tannin, alcohol, and wood are all gorgeously integrated into this fleshy, succulent, voluptuously-textured wine. The finish lasts for 40+ seconds.

Napa 2016 Vintage: 5 Consecutive Years of Fantastic Wines Subtle and intense aromas of blackberries and hints of fresh herbs. Evergreen. Full-bodied and powerful with chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. A big, mountain-grown style to this.

Napa 2016 Vintage: 5 Consecutive Years of Fantastic Wines Big and chewy red with blueberries and blackberries and fresh-herb undertones. Full-bodied and chewy. Boisterous and solid. Needs five to six years to soften.

Chockablock with dark fig, boysenberry and blueberry fruit paste flavors inlaid with singed vanilla and apple wood notes, backed by a tarry edge on the finish. A hefty red that needs some cellaring to round into form, but there's fruit to burn here.

Top California Cabernet 2015 wines: Full vintage report At a time when many winemakers proclaim their Cabernets to be ready to drink on release and also ageworthy, Lokoya's Chris Carpenter is honest: his wines are made for collectors who will cellar them for a decade or more. This wine, from the Veeder Peak vineyard, is tannic and astringent now yet there's gorgeous blackberry and blackcurrant fruit at its core, with fresh acidity that will hold until the tannins resolve. 100% new French oak.

This is well-packed, with a range of açaí berry, blueberry and black currant fruit looking to spread its wings, but held in check for now by a wall of graphite-edged grip. Mouthwatering apple wood notes show on the finish. Delivers plenty of energy, so you can wait it out in the cellar.

Top California Cabernet 2015 wines: Full vintage report Credit high-elevation grape growing for this tightly wound, almost brooding wine under which lurks succulent, vibrant wild berry fruit and lively acidity to match. Impeccably balanced for its size, it still begs for cellaring for at least five years, as well as decanting. Still, it's the most approachable of the four Lokoya Cabs from the mountains.

This is a big, brawny red, loaded with black and red currant, fig and bitter plum compote flavors that are still wrestling with one another a bit, backed by waves of briar, licorice snap and roasted apple wood. There's serious grip on the finish, but the fruit winds up, rippling longest.

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon (Diamond Mountain) is plush, dark and inviting. It is also quite soft for a young mountain Cabernet. Lavender, licorice and white flowers add nuance to a core of inky blue/purplish fruit. Medium in body and nicely lifted, the 2015 has a lot to offer. Best of all, it should drink well with only minimal cellaring. Graphite, crème de cassis and licorice appear on the nuanced finish. Lokoya's Diamond Mountain Cabernet emerges from the Wallis vineyard, which Jackson Family Estate purchased a few years back.

Concentrated and intense, this is a tight-wound Cabernet with incredible structure and presence. It combines sweet red and black fruits with some intriguing dry tannins and cedary oak. There’s a really grippy, primary character to this wine. Dense and primary with lots of promise for the future. So tannic but with lots of fresh, sweet fruit, too. This could be brilliant in a decade.