This midnight purple colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Galerie is showing very nice right now. It opens with a fragrant ripe blackberry bouquet with hints black licorice and oak. On the palate, it is medium to full bodied, balanced and savory. The flavor profile is an extracted blackberry jam with notes of minerality and black licorice. I also detected notes of boysenberry, refined graphite and vanilla oak with just a hint of espresso and black cherry mixed in. It is a very complex wine. The finish is dry and its well-managed tannins are very nicely extended. Our group really enjoyed this Cab with our steaks at the Taconic in Vermont.

Oregon: An Embarrassment of Riches and Richness Shimmering ruby-red. Powerful, oak-spiced cherry, blackberry and violet scents are complemented by suggestions of savory herbs and candied licorice. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering ripe dark berry and cherry-cola flavors that pick up vanilla and exotic spice nuances on the back half. Finishes very long and spicy, with a resonating floral note and steadily building, youthfully chewy tannins. (61% new French oak)

From a single block of over 55-year-old bush vines in Clarendon, one of the coolest parts of McLaren Vale, this lithe and evocative Grenache offers an abundance of cherry, blueberry and dried flower aromas. Backed by olive brine, white pepper, fennel seed and flinty characteristics, there's complexity and an autumnal vibe that make smelling this a joy. Things get more serious on the palate, where ultrafine sandy textured tannins support the plump fruit and earthy minerality. Approachable now, this wine will gain even more complexity with age. Drink now until 2027.

Smooth , savory and complex; smooth and rich, elegant and balanced, long and deep.

Voluptuous and gracefully complex, with expressive raspberry and violet accents that build structure and notes of stony mineral toward refined tannins.

The 2009 Napa Valley Cabernets at Age 10 Bright medium ruby. Musky aromas of blue and black fruits, violet, licorice and minerals, complicated by a liqueur-like suggestion and some sexy oak tones. Densely packed and fine-grained, conveying lovely inner-mouth mineral lift as well as a distinct thickness of texture to its flavors of dark fruits, spices and crushed rock. This wonderfully suave yet penetrating Cabernet offers a terrific combination of sweetness, vibrancy and definition. Finishes tactile and very long. Delicious!

This is a big wine in every sense, including the price, the amount of alcohol (14.5%), the excessive weight of the bottle, and -- most important -- the wine’s delightfully robust tastes and textures. In this Bordeaux-style blend of red grapes (dominated by Merlot) you’ll find complex and generous flavors of blackberry and dark cherry, plus hints of spice and a touch of chocolate. The tannins are satisfyingly plump and the finish lingers pleasantly on.

Broad aromas of pineapple, pear and fresh plumeria show on the nose of this bottling by Greg Brewer. The palate zips with acidity, delivering flavors of guava, Pink Lady apple, pineapple and more ripe pear.

Greg Brewer explores the savory side of Syrah in this bottling, which delivers aromas of thyme, green peppercorn, charred beef and elderberry on the nose. The palate packs in herbs and peppercorns but also thicker black-currant flavors, providing both flavorful depth and textural richness.

This bottling's nose is delicate yet focused with aromas of lemon blossoms, lemon candy, lemon balm and lemon verbena, as well as a touch of nectarine. The sip snaps with green-citrus flavors of grapefruit before warming up toward brioche with lemon filling, all surrounding lively acidity and compelling texture.

This appellation blend carries that aromatic hallmark of this winery's Chardonnays, with a streak of walnut oil that decorates the marmalade and toast tones. The palate is bright in acidity, giving energy to the flavors of walnut paste, dried orange peel and sun-dried honeysuckle.

Oregon 2019: 451 Tasting Notes and Scores There’s an impressive sense of ripe, dense dark cherries on this Estate Vineyard bottling, delivering a very attractive nose and plenty of deep flavors on the palate. Smooth, fluid and even-paced, this has good potential. Best from 2022.

Oregon 2019: 451 Tasting Notes and Scores This has deeply ripe red and dark cherries in pristine mode with subtly layered, earthy and spicy nuances. The palate has depth, deep fleshy texture and a sweetly ripe, fluid finish, laced with espresso and spice. Drink or hold.

Julia’s is one of two vineyards on the estate property named for the daughters of Barbara Banke and Jess Jackson (the other is Katherine’s). Here, the benchland clay-loam soils soak up what little warmth the valley provides; the vines usually grow fruit with a savory, dark berry expression. This wine is reserved, with elements of both surf and turf, the tobacco note lined with a salty tang. It’s balanced and finely wrought, with a balsamic savor that calls to mind braised duck. Best Buy.

The mountain-grown cabernets of Sonoma's Alexander Valley remain a source of true California cab value without having to pay Napa prices. This high altitude cab pours deep ruby-purple. The nose lifts with ripe blackcurrant jam, cabernet mint, dark chocolate and fine vaguely resinous wood spice. It is full bodied, chunky and firm with considerable alcohol and tannin, so you may want to age a few bottles. Excellent focus and length, Tasted Feb 2020.

Plush, yet precise and structured, with rich blackberry, green peppercorn and dried sage flavors that finish with fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2029.

Fresh aromas of lemon balm and lemon verbena meet with exotic melon, blistered almond and sliced tangerine on the nose of this bottling. The palate is a bit more ripe, yet still chiseled in tone, offering crushed white rock, apple flesh and more tangerine before the vanilla and caramel spices pop on the finish.

A 100% varietal white fermented and aged in concrete egg and neutral French oak, this wine succeeds in its gorgeously sleek, focused and fresh lemon and earthiness. Crisp and bright throughout, it has a succulent, memorable finish of light spice and stone.

Siduri Likely to Keep on Winning The nose is just gorgeous, offering aromas of baking-spiced red and black fruit, including strawberry, blackberry and blueberry. There’s a moist earth note as well. The deeply layered body is full and round, but juicy acid adds levity, elevating the light and sweet tannin. Flavor-wise, it offers sweet and polished cherry, blueberry and strawberry, which are accompanied by black pepper and cigar tobacco. This is a very pure expression of Russian River pinot.

Tasting the Traumatic 2017 Vintage (And Others) in Northern California Aromas of blueberries, currants and flowers follow through to a medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a delicious finish. Shows some hazelnut and walnut undertones. Very fine-toned. Drink or hold.

USA, California: More Napa & Sonoma New Releases Pale to medium ruby-purple colored—wow—the 2017 Pinot Noir Velvet Sisters explodes with perfumed red and black cherries, candied violets and chocolate box plus touches of rose hip tea, sautéed herbs and tilled soil. Medium-bodied, the palate possesses wonderful vibrance and freshness, with a plush, fine-grained texture and a long, savory finish.

USA, California: More Napa & Sonoma New Releases Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, the 2017 Pinot Noir Truly Rita leaps from the glass with vibrant baked raspberries, Bing cherries and wild strawberries notes, plus hints of melted chocolate, underbrush and lilacs and a waft of fertile loam. Medium-bodied, the palate is plush, juicy and evocative, with loads of red berry and earthy layers, finishing long and fragrant.

USA, California: More Napa & Sonoma New Releases Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2017 Pinot Noir Land’s Edge Vineyards opens with spicy notions of fenugreek, cumin seed and cloves over a core of baked red plums, blackberry pie and blueberry preserves plus wafts of oolong tea and unsmoked cigars. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with black and blue fruit preserves, structured with finely grained tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long and spicy.