2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2018 Chardonnay is a very pretty, nuanced wine that deftly balances textural richness and vibrancy. Lemon peel, orchard fruit, mint and bright floral notes are finely sculpted in this classy, wonderfully polished Chardonnay from Freemark Abbey.

Siduri's Edmeades Vineyard Pinot Noir is from a site that’s probably more widely known for robust Zinfandel, and it's a wine that makes me wonder why that’s the case. This is a restrained beauty, with lively tart cherry, dry earth minerality and great finish push where the acidity rings and gets your palate going. An excellent foil for fish or fowl.

Structure meets polish, with expressive raspberry, savory tea and spice flavors that build richness and tension toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2027.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective The 2009 Le Desir is a blend of 74% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Malbec. Deep garnet in color, it possesses a maturing, flamboyant nose of plum preserves, mulberries and Black Forest cake with underlying cassis, pencil shavings, tilled soil and fallen leaves scents, plus wafts of leather and tobacco. Firm, medium to full-bodied and densely packed with taut, evolving fruit, it has loads of mineral sparks and a long, chewy finish. 1,500 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Deep garnet in color, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall opens slowly to reveal notions of baked plums, warm blackcurrants and blackberry preserves with touches of Chinese five spice, potpourri, cigar box and tree bark plus a waft of aniseed. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a beautiful velvety texture and plenty of freshness supporting the generous black fruit preserves, finishing long and perfumed. Still has loads of life! 505 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Deep garnet in color, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain offers up pronounced notes of baked cherries, blackberry preserves and warm cassis with touches of espresso, mincemeat pie and tree bark plus a waft of dried herbs. Full-bodied, the palate is laden with Indian spices, fragrant herbs and warm black fruits with a chewy frame and earthy kick to the finish. 195 cases were made.

Shows polish and presence, with expressive rose petal and raspberry aromas that pair with multilayered boysenberry and orange peel flavors, finishing with well-groomed tannins. Drink now through 2027.

Buoyant acidity backs a flavor profile that features savory richness to the dried raspberry and cherry notes. Sanguine details emerge on the powerfully spicy finish, offering accents of portobello mushroom. Drink now through 2025.

Aromas of cranberries and cherries, and there’s a lot of spicy herbal tones, rose petals, black tea, along with warm clay and earth. Medium/full-bodied with bright acidity, and moderate grip on the tannins, but no harsh edges — this has lovely balance. Crunchy cranberries, black cherries, wild raspberries, the fruit is laced with smoky earth, pepper, paprika and rose petals. Lovely, fresh, vibrant yet structured well; this should improve with three to four years of cellaring. From Blocks 15 and 13, aged in 43% new French oak.

Deep cherry and raspberry aromas, with a complex blend of rose petals, tobacco leaf, smoky, earthy tones, but also airy, lifted notes. Crisp acidity frames the wine nicely, medium/full-bodied, serious grip on tannins, but this is really well-balanced. Bright strawberries, raspberries and cherries, gorgeous, concentrated fruit, yet so lively. Notes of clove, cola, earth, wild herbs add complexity. I’d love to see what this does in five years. Made from their estate vineyard Block 9, aged 15 months in 45% new French oak.

From a small block on the property’s eastern edge near a riverbed, this wine is sultry and attractive when first poured, with an inviting suite of scents—of smoke and allspice, clove and olive. It stays savory and spicy, with generous flavors of plum and black cherry, and a fine, supple texture. Match its dark generosity to a meaty boar chop.

A sleek syrah from Wells Guthrie, this comes from a vineyard only 25 miles from the Pacific, planted at 1,600 feet in altitude in the early 2000s. It feels rich and grand, with floral notes and meaty depths of flavor. It’s immediately appealing for the purity of its flavors and the subtlety of their earthy root notes. Rather than expanding on those elements with air, it grows quiet for now, a retreat that suggests it’s best to either drink the wine right now, or cellar it for five years or more.

The darkest wine in a flight of dark syrahs, this smells of blood, iron filings and menthol, its black fig and black plum flavors caught in the gravitational pull of its tannins. For all of its opacity, it feels balanced, even charming, ready for a tomahawk steak.

Juicy and textured in Bartlett and Asian pear, this is an impressive white that offers length and breadth around a core of fresh acidity. Stone, mineral and lasting notes of Meyer lemon and peach combine seamlessly on the finish.

New wine to the Yangarra range. Blend of 40% Grenache, 21% Mourvèdre, 14% Shiraz, 12% Cinsaut, 11% Carignan, 2% Counoise. They’re about to plant picpoul noir and muscardin for use in future releases; Yangarra never does anything by half measures. It’s a great wine to drink. Spicy, herbal, fragrant, a bit different, plenty of character, the fruit to carry it. Sparks fly. I guess you’d call it red fruited and medium bodied but that’s just the start of things. You have to seek this out. It’s got something.

Whole berry, basket pressed; wild yeast Ferment, lees maturation and battonage. Rosé shown some love, the Yangarra way. Touch of Turkish Delight and rose petal, softly accented, to entice. Crisp, clipped, has a cool approach - in that it feels punchy across the palate. Spiced nuance moving through the final third, driving length. Rivals the best of any, so-called, Provençal style Rosé.

This Pinot blends fruit from the estate’s four single vineyards. For much of Australia, 2020 was a rollercoaster of a vintage. In the Yarra it resulted in small yields but heaps of natural acidity and elegance. The color of rose petals, this wine is light and perfumed, billowing fresh cherry and spice aromas, followed by soy sauce savory nuances. The palate is equally dainty in frame, with a tug of ethereal tannins, juicy fruit and a spicy, slightly medicinal core.

Comparatively light in the glass, this bottling begins with peppery aromas that waft through smashed black raspberry and hints of tar on the nose. It’s lively on the palate with ample blasts of berry fruit as well as complex pine-needle, bay leaf and rosemary elements. It is versatile for many foods or just apéritif sips.

This is a substantial wine, full of considerable power and length, that grips with a backbone of intensity and structure. Black olive, plum, crushed rock and herb combine for an earthy palate of pronounced richness.

Dark blackberry, licorice, root beer and cola aromas collide in earthy ways on the nose of this clonal selection. There’s a woody frame to the sip, where shiitake, cranberry and orange-rind flavors make for a complex expression that grows fresher into the finish.

Made in a generous, concentrated, full-bodied style with sizable tannins, this wine is juicy yet lush in texture. Ripe black cherries and blackberries ride along a palate of forest floor, clove and cola undertones.

From several sites, including Stellenbosch home-farm. 2018 ripe lemon-lime marmalade tones with lees & complementary vanilla oak, 38% new. Sleek & silky, braced & lengthened by pronounced thread of salty acid.

A brilliant new wine by Erik Kramer, this shows off a pretty core of tart red fruits alongside a great combination of viscosity and tension. The rich mouthfeel entices here. Finishing long with tilled soils and red fruits alongside copious minerals, this is a beautiful 2018 Pinot Noir that is built for the cellar.

Classic, value, juicy.Carmel Road is nestled in the foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains in Monterey's Arroyo Seco appellation. It is just one of the several dozen outstanding wineries in the Jackson Family Wines (Kendall-Jackson, La Crema, Freemark Abbey, Arrowood, etc.) portfolio.At under $20 this wine offers exceptional value. It has initial earthy and spicy notes, that roll into classic red cherry and rhubarb, pomegranate, red apple peel, fine white pepper, bacon fat and leather. It has a juicy palate with lively red fruits underscored by fine aromatic spices and forest floor flavours. It's got excellent bones and true pinosity.

A floral and herbaceous nose of roses, violets and sage with notes of ripe red cherries and black licorice as well. Medium-bodied with well-integrated tannins and good, steady intensity. Sweet red fruit and fresh mint on the palate. Very attractive. A lovely line of balsamic on the finish. Drink now.