Shows presence in an appealingly brooding fashion, with deep blueberry, dusky spice and black tea flavors that build tension toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2029.

Polished and plump fruit wraps gracefully around a complex backbone, with an expressive range and dusky spice accents that build toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2028.

Santa Lucia Highlands Braves the Heat in 2017 Bright magenta. Displays high-pitched red fruit, floral and spice aromas that are accompanied by a smoky mineral nuance and a hint of succulent herbs. Appealingly sweet and energetic on the palate, offering intense raspberry, cherry, rose pastille and spicecake flavors that slowly deepen on the back half. Shows sharp delineation and tension on the long, floral-tinged finish, which is given shape by fine-grained, even tannins.

Santa Lucia Highlands Braves the Heat in 2017 Deep vivid red. A complex, expressive bouquet evokes ripe red berries, cherry preserves and mocha, and bright mineral and spice topnotes lend vivacious character. Stains the palate with appealingly sweet black raspberry and cherry vanilla flavors supported by a spine of juicy acidity. Shows excellent definition and floral lift on the impressively long, supple, cherry-tinged finish, which is given shape by sneaky, well-knit tannins.

Santa Lucia Highlands Braves the Heat in 2017 Bright red. Highly perfumed red berry preserve, floral and exotic spice scents are complicated by a nervy blood orange quality. Seamless and alluringly sweet, offering palate-caressing raspberry, cherry cola and rose pastille flavors sharpened by a spicy jolt of white pepper. Closes silky, focused and appealingly sweet, delivering well-knit tannins and outstanding, floral- and spice-driven persistence.

Santa Lucia Highlands Braves the Heat in 2017 Vivid red. Displays powerfully scented aromas of raspberry, cherry-cola, exotic spices and vanilla and a vibrant mineral nuance expands in the glass. Palate-staining, mineral-laced red fruit preserve flavors pick up notes of star anise and candied flowers as the wine opens up. Powerful but surprisingly energetic in character, finishing with sharp delineation and sneaky tannins that emerge slowly.

Big and bold and every inch a Syrah with sweeping aromas of pepper, gamy spicy and blackberries galore all overlain by a veneer of sweet and slightly toasty oak, this lavish, no-holds-barred effort follows with intense, highly extracted flavors to match and fully lives up to its producer’s motto of “unconstrained winemaking.” It is a hedonistic wine by any and all measure, but it is uncannily well-structured and varietally articulate for one as big and brawny as it is, and it is capable of growing for a full decade and more. We expect it will have its detractors for its unapologetically opulent style, but there are bottles that are so breathtakingly sumptuous that they compel admiration, and this is just such a wine. 2 stars, good value.

Terrific Turkey Wine A silky, seductive cool climate California Pinot Noir from the Sonoma Coast. Morning fog protects the grapes and lengthens ripening while preserving nervy acidity for seafood, roast chicken and turkey. Medium-bodied and delicious! Pinot Noir food pairings: veal medallions, roasted pork loin, roasted and braised lamb, chicken stuffed with asparagus and goat cheese, venison burgers.

Napa Valley Cabernet 10 years apart Cardinale is a blend from mostly mountain sites in Napa, but always with a proportion of valley-floor fruit blended in to give greater approachability. There's very little perceptible evolution in colour here. The nose is both opulent and vibrant, while the palate remains velvety and suave. The tannins are very ripe, and new oak still dominates the mid-palate. The finish is long, spicy, and chocolatey. Jackson Family Wines founded the label in 1982 and its winemaker since 2001 has been Chris Carpenter.

Italy, Tuscany: Chianti Classico New Releases & A New Wave of Italian Icons The 2016 Chianti Classico Riserva is a nicely integrated and seamless wine, with satisfying fullness and richness. It reveals a very contemporary bouquet with black cherry covered in chocolate. The wine is thinner in the mouth, and the tannins make their presence known. But overall, it shows a very streamlined construction. Pair it with a French onion soup. The blend is 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in French barrique for 12 months. Some 29,000 bottles were released. Again, Tenuta di Arceno gives you great value for your money.

USA, California, Napa Valley: More 2016s The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville is a relative newcomer to the range, sourced just off Highway 29, not far from the To Kalon vineyard. Deep garnet-purple colored, the nose is laced with warm cassis, wild blueberries and boysenberry scents plus nuances of chocolate box, candied violets, cloves and cinnamon stick. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has wonderful vivacity with bags of blue fruit and very soft, approachable tannins, finishing spicy. 587 cases made.

South Africa 2019 Special Report Big, bold, rich and reflecting something of the heat of the 2016 vintage, this ambitious, high-end Chardonnay combines fruit from a series of selected Western Cape sites. Savoury, toasty and leesy, it needs a little more time in bottle to absorb its oak.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2016 Chardonnay Signature Selection Katherine's is a gorgeous wine from Cambria. Tropical, unctuous and generous in feel, the 2016 lies very much on the more exotic end of the stylistic spectrum. The interplay of textural richness with the natural freshness of Santa Maria yields an impeccable, compelling Chardonnay that will drink well for at least a number of years.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2016 Pinot Noir Julia's Signature Collection is racy and succulent to the core. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, lavender, spice and rose petal infuse this sumptuous, overt Pinot with tons of depth. Creamy, layered and super-inviting, the 2016 captures all the best of the Cambria house style, while remaining gracious and not at all overdone.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future Byron's 2017 Chardonnay Bien Nacido is creamy, open-knit and inviting. Apricot, tangerine peel, orchard fruit dried flowers and tropical notes meld together effortlessly in a striking, beautifully layered Chardonnay that shows all the pedigree and nuance this site is capable of.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Chardonnay Nielson expresses all the richness of Wente Clone Chardonnay in its lush, tropical profile. Pineapple, butter, sweet French oak and hazelnut add to the wine's extroverted personality. Even with all of its intensity, the 2017 preserves a good deal of freshness and energy.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard is powerful and pungent, with a blast of savory and spiced notes that race out of the glass. Deep, pliant and supple, the JSV has a ton to offer. It is also one of the more complete wines in the range. Red/purplish berry fruit, blood orange, mint and rose petal meld into the striking, nuanced finish.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future From a site in Los Alamos, the 2017 Chardonnay Bar M is perfumed, lifted and wonderfully gracious in feel. Citrus and floral notes abound in a very pretty, expressive Chardonnay that shows the aromatic style that is so common here. White flowers, mint and saline overtones add closing layers to this pretty and inviting Chardonnay from Greg Brewer's Diatom label.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Pinot Noir 459 brilliantly blends fruit density with structure. Creamy and ample in feel, with lovely brightness from the whole clusters, the 2017 has so much to offer. Citrus and floral overtones open up in the glass, rounding out this silky, understated Pinot. The 459 is all class.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Chardonnay (Sta. Rita Hills) is a gorgeous appellation-level wine from Brewer-Clifton. Creamy and ample, the 2017 is absolutely delicious. Tangerine, mint, lemon peel and sweet spice notes all meld together in a striking, nuanced Chardonnay that hits all the right notes. The 2017 is positively stellar. That's pretty much all there is to it.

USA, California, Central Coast: The 2017 Vintage in Santa Barbara County Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2016 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard opens with black licorice and peppercorn hints over a core of crushed blueberries and black cherries, warm blackberries, turned earth and a lilac hint. Light to medium-bodied with luscious black and blue fruits in the mouth, it's framed by soft baking spice, firm, grainy tannins and mouthwatering acidity, finishing long on an earthy note.

USA, California, Central Coast: The 2017 Vintage in Santa Barbara County The 2017 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard is pale to medium ruby-purple with a nose of black and red cherries, crushed stone, licorice and cranberry with touches of potpourri and warm earth. The palate is light to medium-bodied with concentrated, energetic spice-laced fruits seamlessly framed by grainy tannins and juicy freshness and finishing long and flavorful.

USA, California, Central Coast: The 2017 Vintage in Santa Barbara County Entirely whole-cluster fermented, the 2017 Syrah has a medium ruby color and pretty nose of pipe tobacco, blackcurrant, dried black cherries, chargrill, smoke and garrigue with hints of peppered meats, crushed blueberries and loamy earth. Medium to full-bodied and silky, it gives restrained ripe fruits in the mouth, fleshing out to savory layers, with firm, ripe, grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long. Yum!

USA, California, Central Coast: The 2017 Vintage in Santa Barbara County This comes from a smaller section within the 3D vineyard in Sta. Rita Hills and is all Hyde selection. The 2018 Chardonnay Santos Road has a vibrant nose of warm white peach and nectarine, orange blossom, tangerine, cut hay and hints of lime peel, hazelnut and crushed stone. Light to medium-bodied, it's precise, citrusy and mineral-driven in the mouth with juicy freshness and a long, energetic finish.

USA, California, Central Coast: The 2017 Vintage in Santa Barbara County The 2018 Chardonnay Bar-M has an open nose of quince, warm hay, green apple and pear, baker’s yeast, acacia and dried chamomile with white peach and nectarine plus hints of lime peel and crushed stone. Light to medium-bodied, it has a wonderful core of spicy fruit and wicked minerality in the mouth, amplified by juicy freshness and a long, energetic, layered finish. Yum!