Dusty and floral, the 2021 Pinot Noir Zena Crown Vineyard opens with an airy blend of wild strawberries, cola, menthol and grilled herbs. It’s soft and round with pretty red berry fruits, hints of cocoa and cool-toned acidity. A coating of find tannins resonates as the 2021 finishes long and structed with slowly fading hints of licorice. Patience will be required.

Mouth filling, generous but well balanced, this full-bodied wine wafts brown butter, toasted almond and baked apple aromas, followed by a rich palate of ripe fruits and subtle oak spices backed by gentle acidity. It is spot on for a Russian River Chard. —J.G.

This is a richly designed Pinot Noir, starting with aromas of black cherry, cola, root beer and anise-laced pie crust on the nose. The palate is juicy, ripe and bold, but with a more delicate mouthfeel, offering berry and cherry flavors that are dusted in fennel pollen. —M.K.

High-toned raspberry and fresh herb aromas give way to ripe but snappy red and black fruits in this well-balanced, full-bodied wine. Using grapes grown on headtrained vines, the wine was aged in French oak, with 64% being new barrels. —J.G.

The outstanding 2018 Stonestreet ‘Alexander Valley’ Cabernet Sauvignon is a fantastic new bottling that is already beautifully evolved. This is neatly balanced stuff with cassis, black currants and shades of freshly tilled soils on the palate. Medium to full-bodied, enjoy this beautiful, well-structured Cabernet now and over the next ten years. Drink 2023-2033

Tender red fruit aromas. Smooth and quite elegant: raspberries, strawberries and cherries, subtle pepper. Savoury complexity and smoky notes. Drink 2023-2030.

Vivid petrol, peach skin and smoked ham flavors signal that this new brand from Jackson Family Wines makes a classic, varietally correct Riesling. It comes from a cool pocket of vineyards in an otherwise warm region, bringing tangy acidity, mineral accents and a fresh, palate-cleansing texture. 

The 2022 Chardonnay, vinified without malolactic conversion and matured in stainless steel, opens with inviting aromas of quince, white peaches, toasted meringue and citrus blossom streaked with hints of matchstick and saline. The medium-bodied palate balances ripe, floral fruit with focused acidity, and a touch of textural breadth lengthens the finish. It combines the verve of Chablis with the ripeness of California. It deserves 2-3 years in bottle to unwind.

The 2021 Pinot Noir 459 is expressive and detailed. It's scented of blackberries and cranberries with nuances of tea leaves, bitters and tobacco. The medium-bodied palate is chalky and refreshing with a deep core of spicy fruit, and there's a flourish of spice and floral tones on the finish.

The 2021 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills, made with an unusually high proportion of whole clusters (90%), has broody scents of dark cherries, blackberries, woodsmoke, underbrush and rooibos tea leaves. The medium-bodied palate is chalky and refreshing with concentrated, spicy flavors and a long, nuanced finish.

Floral and attractively structured, showing cherry and guava flavors. Laced with sassafras tea and savory spice tones that build richness and tension toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2031. —T.F.

Vibrant and generous, with lilting raspberry and tart cherry flavors highlighted by green tea, forest floor and sandalwood tones as this gathers tension and structure toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2031. —T.F.

This is a weighty merlot. It’s also a firmly structured one. Mulberry, redcurrant, coffee beans and saltbush notes merge into dark chocolate and earth. There will be no compalaints of this wine’s depth, or spread, or tannic framework, though it may (or may not) lack some x-factor. This latter comment is of course in the context that x-factor is a near impossible demand to make of a wine; given that it’s impossible to define, and that you only know it when you see it. In any case there’s ample weight on this wine’s bones, and it’s all delivered in svelte form.

The 2021 Malbec Mount Veeder comes from two sites and relatively old vines (1994 and 2007 plantings). Ripe blue fruits, iron, tons of spice, and a certain exotic quality define this beauty, which is medium to full-bodied, nicely concentrated, and balanced. I'd give it just a few years and enjoy over the following decade.

Very aromatic and bright with some honeysuckle and lemon with some chalk and stone. Medium body with a creamy texture and a long and flavorful finish. Balanced and delicious. Drink now.

Tender red fruit aromas. Smooth and quite elegant: raspberries, strawberries and cherries, subtle pepper. Savoury complexity and smoky notes. Drink 2023-2030.

Perfumed nose, sophisticated and inviting aromas of red forest fruits. Savoury and complex on the palate. Silky texture with a pleasant savoury twist. Long, salivating and very class. Drink 2023-2030.

No fewer than four different clones (4, 76, 96 and 548) are used to produce this stylish Itata Valley Chardonnay. Fermented with full malolactic and aged in 15% new wood, it’s a ripe but well-balanced style showing pear, lemon butter and citrus flavours and top notes of vanilla and cinnamon. 2024-28

The nose is lean red cranberry and rhubarb fruit with notes of mineral and brambly underbrush. The palate entry is subtle blossom and nuanced sleek red cherry that leaves a juicy impression in the core while finishing with red raspberry candies. Drink 2023 – 2029.

The nose is richly concentrated cola, black plum and strawberry backed by a whiff of black pepper. The palate entry is expansive and polished black fruit, tea and graphite leading to a core of well-focused grilled peach and mango finishing with notes of spice. Drink 2023-2027.

The nose is restrained strawberry, subtle spice and floral notes. The palate entry is well-defined red fruit with a core of cherry lozenge and mouth-coating garden herbs finishing with waxy, candied berries. Drink 2023-2028.

The nose is punctuated with bright herb and conifer layered on dried blackberry. The palate entry is beautifully-focused and lively leading to a robust core of blackberry finishing with penetrating acidity. Drink 2023 – 2029.

The nose is focused on hard red stone fruit, and berries with underlying mineral and green herbs. The palate entry is dense mouth-coating plum with licorice and brown spices in the core finishing with bone-dry red cherry. Drink 2023-2029.

The nose is ripe blueberry and cool forest floor. The palate entry is sleek polished cherry leading to a core of beautifully-textured, mouth-coating acidity punctuated with juicy waxiness on the finish. Drink 2023 - 2029.

The nose is juicy orange, gravel, plum and dried herbs. The palate entry is dense and polished with lively acidity in the core finishing with tightly-packed licorice, pulverized rock and dark stone fruits. Drink 2023 – 2028.