A ripe, friendly, open style, with black tea and anise notes infusing a core of raspberry and cherry compote flavors. Shows a light sandalwood echo on the finish. Drink now through 2026. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 168,162 cases made.

A light, open-knit bramble matrix supports this red's bouncy cherry and raspberry fruit, backed by a dash of anise on the finish. Drink now through 2026. 3,019 cases made.

Tenuta di Arceno is in Castelnuovo Berardenga near Sienna in Tuscany. The area has been well known for winemaking since the 16th century because of its proximity to two rivers, the Ambra and the Ombrone. The estate makes wines with both Chianti Classico DOCG classification and Toscana IGT designation. Grapes to make this stunning 100 percent Cabernet Franc are sourced from 12 different blocks and blended together. The 2020 has aromas of peppermint, vanilla, sweet red pepper, and dark cherry. It has silky, yet powerful tannins and flavors of rose petals, red cherry, and red raspberry. Pair this with grilled bistecca alla Fiorentina.

My favorite of the 2021s from Lokoya is the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain. It boasts complex floral and herbal notes of violets, bay leaf and sage that add wonderful nuance to the wine's ripe cherry and cassis fruit. It's full-bodied yet silky and elegant, a thrilling contrast with what you might expect from a "mountain" wine. It's still concentrated and tannic, with a lingering, dusty finish and plenty of aging potential.

Sourced from a single block of the estate Veeder Peak Vineyard (1,800 feet above sea level), Lokoya's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder boasts plenty of cedar, bay leaf and cherries on the nose. This wine shows a more linear nature than the other Lokoya bottlings, being full-bodied but streamlined, velvety and concentrated, with a long, richly textured finish.

A blend of fruit from the family-owned Rhyolite Ridge Vineyard and Wallis Vineyard, Lokoya's 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain combines black cherries and cassis with bay leaf and sage. Full-bodied and supple, with some blueberry shadings on the mid-palate, this is generous, but it still has an underlying mountain structure and a long, dusty but mouthwatering finish.

Sourced solely from the Jackson-owned W.S. Keyes Vineyard at approximately 1,800 feet above sea level, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain features hints of mint, cedar and pine against a backdrop of blackberry and blueberry fruit. This is full-bodied, rich and concentrated, with a long, velvety and mocha-tinged finish. The tannins are broader and plusher here than in the Lokoya wines from the other mountains.

The 2021 Cardinale is a blend of 91% Cabernet Sauvignon from nine different AVAs, plus 9% Merlot from the Jackson Family's Keyes Vineyard on Howell Mountain. Scents of black cherries, cassis, graphite and crushed stone appear on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is rich, generous, concentrated and expansive, then tightens up and becomes more classically structured and dusty on the lingering, mouthwatering finish.

The 2021 W.S. Keyes Merlot is a blend of 78% Merlot and 22% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the Merlot coming from a block planted in 1986 (a partner block goes into Cardinale). Scents of cedar, mint and black cherries dominate the nose, while the palate is full-bodied, rich, round and even opulent but with a strong spine of acid and tannin that prolongs the finish and should see it age well. Concentrated, long, dusty and firm but fully ripe, this is the rare Napa Valley Merlot than can age for up to two decades.

All Cabernet Franc, with the core of the bottling coming from vines planted in 1976, La Jota's 2021 Cabernet Franc Howell Mountain harkens back to the terrific Cab Franc bottlings this estate bottled in the early 1990s. Complex and gently leafy, with notes of pine and red raspberries, the nose is enchanting, while the palate is supple and almost creamy in feel, medium to full-bodied, then moves into a long, elegant finish, capped by gently dusty tannins. Terrific stuff.

A blend of 54% Merlot, 13% each Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot, plus 7% Malbec, Caladan's 2021 Red Blend offers up hints of floral aromatics and tobacco but more prominent notes of ripe cherries. It's full-bodied but supple, richly concentrated and tannic but silky, with a long, gently dusty finish.

The 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder includes 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot and 1% each Malbec and Petit Verdot. Cassis and blueberries are joined on the nose by hints of dried sage, bay leaf and cedary oak. Like the Cabernet Franc, it's full-bodied and silky, with drying tannins and mouthwatering ripeness on the long finish. Give it a couple of years in the cellar and drink it over the next couple of decades.

A blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, 4% Merlot and 2.5% Petit Verdot, the 2021 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain delivers scents of cedar, pine, black cherries, blueberries and cassis. According to winemaker Chris Carpenter, the blend was necessary to ameliorate the tannins for the restaurant trade, a major market for the wine. It's medium to full-bodied, fresh, smooth and silky on the mid-palate, then firmer and more structured, with dusty tannins on the lingering finish. While it should age well for 20 years or more, I suspect much of it will be consumed on the young side, with a thick, well-marbled steak.

The 2021 Chardonnay Upland is a new wine that comes from a single block of 16-year-old vines in the Gran Moraine Vineyard. Grapes were whole-cluster pressed directly to very old, 500-liter French oak puncheons and matured sur lie with bâtonnage for 19 months. Winemaker Shane Moore says, “We allow for a native ferment, which is painfully slow, probably because of a combination of our low cellar temps, low nutrient availability in the juice and high acidity. I’m talking about nine or more months of primary fermentation, then multiple months of malolactic fermentation afterward.” Very little sulfur is added throughout the winemaking process, and it was bottled under Diam 30 corks. The Upland Chardonnay pairs opulence with energy, and this first release is very impressive. It has generous yet detailed scents of peach, honeycomb, pie crust and almonds with wafts of graham cracker and crème brûlée. The medium-bodied palate offers a highly concentrated core of honeyed, nutty fruit and a luxuriously satiny texture. It has a foil of firm, vibrant acidity and a very long, mouth-coating finish. 144 cases were made.

The 2021 Dropstone Chardonnay is pure, chiseled and ideal for long-term cellaring. It has dynamic scents of peach, crème fraîche, elderflower, almonds, beeswax and flint. The light-bodied palate is electric! A silky texture and firm, linear acidity drive concentrated, layered flavors, and it has a long, shimmery finish. 183 cases were made.

From a north-facing block, the 2021 Cabernet Franc Mt. Veeder features scents of tobacco and tomato leaf elements, plus blackberries and blueberries. It's full-bodied and firm but silky and ripe, with hints of licorice and drying tannins on the lingering finish. It's ultimately mouthwatering, which I take as a good sign that the tannins will be balanced in another few years.

The 2021 Chardonnay W.S. Keyes boasts lovely toasted-hazelnut scents, nicely accenting grilled peach and ripe pear notes. Only 10% of the wine went into new oak, and the barrels used are 500-liter puncheons, to keep the oak influence moderate; malolactic fermentation is avoided. The wine is medium to full-bodied, juicy and mouthwatering without being overly lean; it's generous but balances that with plenty of citrusy acid and ample length on the finish.

The 2021 Chardonnay La Crête is exotic and expressive! The nose is bursting with yellow peach, lemongrass and ginger, plus deeper tones of manuka honey, toasted meringue and crème brûlée. The medium-bodied palate offers the same depth of fruit, its dynamic flavors ranging from stone fruit to honey and spice. Its opulence is balanced by firm, focused acidity, and it has a very long, layered finish. 100 cases were made.

An 80-20 blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, Caladan's 2021 Cabernet Franc is largely drawn from Jackson Family vineyards on Spring Mountain and Diamond Mountain, with adjuncts from Howell Mountain and Mount Veeder. Scents of red raspberries are joined by hints of roses, dried herbs, cedar and mocha on the nose, while the palate is medium to full-bodied and framed by dusty tannins yet with some mouthwatering ripeness on the long finish.

La Jota's 2021 Merlot Howell Mountain includes small proportions of Petit Verdot (5%) and Tannat (2%). Scents of mint, pine, black cherries, cedar and crushed stone mark the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is reasonably supple up front, then turns softly dusty on the long, elegant finish.

The 2021 Chardonnay Desiderium is the first Chardonnay from Zena Crown. It's scented of white peaches, acacia, pie crust, roasted almonds and flint. The medium-bodied palate balances satiny, mouth-coating flavors with linear acidity, and it has a long, spicy finish. It will benefit from 2-3+ years in bottle. 172 cases were made.

The 2014 Blanc de Blancs comes from a single vineyard at Gran Moraine and is the winery's current sparkling release. Half of the base wine was fermented in used barrels. It spent about five-and-a-half years en tirage and another eight months under cork and was disgorged in February of 2020. The nose offers scents of bread, almonds and orchard fruit, while the palate is more open, delivering layers of red apple, lemon and pastry. It has exceptionally creamy mousse, fresh acidity to counter its expansive flavors and a long finish laced with iodine. 152 cases were made.

The 2018 Dropstone Chardonnay was matured for 17 months in used oak and an additional four months in stainless steel. It has expressive aromas of yellow peach, clover honey, hazelnuts and citrus blossoms. The medium-bodied palate balances broad, nutty fruits with structuring, linear acidity, and it has a very long, very detailed finish.

The 2019 Dropstone Chardonnay was matured for around 20 months in oak and four months in stainless steel—winemaker Shane Moore says that the 2019s, "were super tight, super wound up, so I left them in wood for a bit longer." It has soft scents of white peach, lemon peel, cashews, elderflower and flint. The medium-bodied palate is satiny with mouthwatering acidity, saline-tinged flavors and a long, energetic finish. It will benefit from a few more years in bottle. 172 cases were made.

All Merlot from a block surrounded by forest, the 2021 Merlot Mt. Veeder is only Merlot, offering up notes of dried sage, cherries and even some vaguely strawberry-like notes. It's medium to full-bodied, silky but concentrated. It doesn't fit the stereotype of round, soft Merlot, being instead firmly structured and linear in shape, with a long, focused finish.