A super intense and dense palate of blackberry with hints of chocolate. Full-bodied with density and purity. Long and powerful. Tight and reserved, but telling you it has so much there. Drink after 2024.

A firm, silky red with blackberry, blueberry and hints of black and green olives and herbs. Medium-to full-bodied with fine, chewy tannins and a fruity finish. Drink or hold.

Fine yet chewy tannins in this with full body and richness. Blackberry, dust, blueberry and bark character and a flavorful finish. Give this some time. Better after 2024.

Flowers, crushed stones and blue fruit on the nose. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm tannins and a nuanced finish. Tight, racy and focused. Mountain fruit. Drink after 2023.

Tight and structured red with blackberry, fresh-herb and violet aromas and flavors. Full-bodied with chewy tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Needs time to soften. Better after 2023.

Beautiful, dense Chardonnay with phenolic tension and layers of fruit. Full-bodied with lots of complexity, pretty intensity and tightness at the end. Dried pineapple and hints of tropical fruit and praline. Made from Howell Mountain, Carneros and Napa City. Drink or hold.

Blackberries, fresh herbs and violets on the nose. Mint and olives, too. Full-bodied with delicious, round and juicy fruit and softness. Lightly chewy and pretty now. Delicious now.

A tight, dense red with berry, chocolate, currant and hints of bark. Full-bodied, yet tight and nicely framed with firm and tight, fine-grained tannins. Goes on for a long time. Fresh and attractive for a 2017. Drink or hold.

Lots of pine and walnut with gravel and dark fruit on the nose. It’s very fine-tannined with nice austerity and a dusty texture. Long and juicy. Needs to soften. Better in a year or two. Try after 2023.

Chili, blackberry and blueberry aromas with a full body, firm and round tannins and a flavorful, savory finish. Rather chunky. Drink after 2023.

This deep ruby colored Cabernet Sauvignon opens with a gentle black currant, black cherry and leather bouquet with a hint of cola. On the palate, this wine is medium plus bodied, balanced and round. The flavor profile is mild flinty influenced ripe black plum and cassis blend with notes of black cherry. We also detected hints of cocoa dust, black tea, and some toasty oak. The finish is dry and its mild tannins linger for quite some time. The Panel would pair this Cab with a bacon wrapped filet mignon, roast beef au jus, leg of lamb with rosemary and garlic.

I visited La Crema just over a year ago, though it feels like a different lifetime now. What impressed me as I tasted through the portfolio was how expressive the wines were, both of variety and place. We're not talking about a small, boutique producer here - and that's okay. It means we get wines like this, which overdeliver for the price and still speak to Sonoma Coast. In this case, it evokes the richness and ripeness of Sonoma Coast's warmer sub-appellations, with honeyed stone fruits, baked apple, and moderate, well integrated oak. Well made and good value.

Blackberries, herbs, green pine needles, blackcurrants and lead pencil. Full-bodied with incredible structure and powerful tannins. It goes on for minutes. The structure is something else. Muscular, but the tannins give form and focus to the beautiful fruit. Mountain-grown Latour! Extraordinary. Try after 2026.

This medium purple colored Syrah from Copain opens with a moist pipe tobacco and black cherry bouquet with hints of leather, craisin and cinnamon. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with medium acidity. It is also balanced and savory. The flavor profile is a pronounced oak influenced pomegranate and stony minerality blend with notes of craisin. I also detected hints of red raspberry and cinnamon mixed in. The finish is dry and its dusty tannins and fruit flavors sail away nicely and last for a considerable amount of time. This red fruit-based Syrah would pair well with Shaking Beef from the Slanted Door (San Francisco) or with bratwurst sliders on pretzel buns.

Fresh and juicy, with good cut to the red currant and dried berry flavors that feature bright minerality. Ends with a creamy, well-spiced finish, with notes of dried green herbs. Drink now through 2023.

The slice of Cambria Estate Winery dubbed Julia’s Vineyard, named for Julia Jackson in 1986, consists of ancient soils with fossilised seashells, shale, limestone and sand, with fog swept vines that have endured since the 1970s.And Julia's Vineyard Pinot Noir is the Californian estate's crowning glory; vibrant garnet in colour with a wonderful swirl of juicy red fruits on the nose. Ripe cherry, bold black grape and strawberry flavours on the palate are complimented by a touch of cinnamon spice and subtle underlying earth tones, followed by a well-rounded, mid-palate and a deftly defined elegant finish.

6 Wines Worth Splurging On This WeekOregon has been on a roll the past few years, consistently producing outstanding Pinot Noirs, one year after another since 2014. This voluptuous 2018 Pinot Noir from Penner-Ash Wine Cellars is another stunning wine from another great vintage. Made with grapes from the Yamhill-Carlton subregion in the widely-respected Willamette Valley famous for its complex Pinot Noirs, this wine hits all the rights notes – bright yet subtle fresh berry flavors, a hint of toasted almond, vanilla and fresh herbs mixed with a dash of roasted figs. An outstanding wine that will drink well for at least the next 10 years.

It's cabernet sauvignon on the label, but a Bordeaux blend in spirit. It takes full advantage of California's ability to blend in a healthy dollop of other grapes into a single varietal wine, with merlot (16%), malbec (4%), petit verdot (3%), and cabernet franc (1%). It also blends valley floor and mountain fruit from five vineyards, to produce a wine led by cassis and backed by an appealing savouriness with graphite, mint, and a touch of developing cedar. The vanilla-tinged oak is present but balanced (35% new French oak), leading to a medium-full bodied palate that's linear in texture with firm tannins. Just starting to enter prime time, this is true both to Napa and the estate's house style.

This medium purple colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Kendall-Jackson’s “Estate Collection” opens with a black currant bouquet with hints of toffee, violets and a touch of blueberry pie. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, balanced, soft and very smooth. The flavor profile is black cherry and black currant with notes of toasted oak and dark chocolate. We also detected hints of black raspberry and coffee. The finish initially has substantial drying tannins that build-up and linger for quite a while. The Panel would ideally drink this Cab on its own by the firepit. With food, we would decant it for a while and pair it with a well-marbled ribeye.

2018 has given us a very pure Pinot Noir packed full of black cherry. The textures are similarly inviting with just enough structure to channel all the mouth-filling fruit along the palate to an even more impressive 13.5 alcohol content. Seriously Pinot-like, this was once thought unattainable in California. Delicious and friendly, you can serve it with duck, mushrooms, root vegetables, soft cheeses and pork. La Crema Sonoma Coast oversees a large production of estate and grower vineyards, all within the cool, marine swept boundaries of Sonoma County. Post ferment, it’s aged nine months in 98 per cent (20 pe rcent new and dwindling) French oak. Bravo.

Arceno’s Riserva is crafted from selected plots which boast a warm, south-facing exposure. While ageing is in small French oak barrels, the wood stays discreetly in the background, hinting at incense and cedar. More at the fore is the presence of Cabernet Sauvignon, bringing dill, garden herbs and pepper. This is youthful but open and friendly with rich, mouth-caressing tannins and soft acidity. The finish pops with blackcurrant. Full-bodied but really quite ready to drink.

Golden, approachable, creamy.Made from estate grown grapes KJ's Vintner's Reserve line the 2019 Chardonnay seems riper than previous. Expect buttery pastries, apple sauce, hazelnut praline and spiced lemon curd aromas. It is balanced and creamy, concentrated and consistent. Tropical fruit, spice and nutty flavours linger on the palate.Pair: Roast chicken, smoked cheese grilled cheese or sweet corn bread spiked with jalapeno.

How old are the vines for the Penner-Ash Wine Cellars Old Vines Riesling 2018? The grapes derived from the Hyland Vineyard in Willamette Valley’s McMinnville sub-AVA, planted in 1971, so for this vintage they were 47 years old. Made all in stainless steel, the wine displays a pale but radiant straw-gold hue and enticing aromas of jasmine, lemon verbena, lime peel and spiced pear, with hints of green apple and slightly earthy flint in the background; a few moments in the glass unfurl notes of quince and candied ginger in nose and on the palate, along with pert citrus flavors animated by crisp and taut acidity; a lithe tide of limestone minerality washes through the finish; every element here is meshed seamlessly in a suave, sleek, silky, scintillating package. 12.9 percent alcohol. Production was 300 cases. Winemaker was Kate Ayres. Penner-Ash was acquired by Jackson Family Wines in 2016.

Impressive chardonnay with grapefruit, lime, white peach, biscuit, ginger, struck-flint and attractive nutty-oak flavours flattered by a peaches and cream texture and supported by juicy acidity.

2019 in Monterey was cool, with plenty of fog and overcast skies. No big heat spikes were leading to a slowly ripening crop of fresh fruit. Best of all, the acidity is juicy and the perfect foil to its ripe tropical fruit. Look for an aromatic nose with baked apples and pineapple dusted with butter scented brioche. On the palate, lemon and tangerine pull it all together along with a mineral coating. Balanced, fresh, and ready to drink. The wine is aged eight months in an 85/15 mix of oak (15 percent new) and stainless steel. The Monterey AVA consists of a long valley stretching from the uniquely cold Monterey Bay to the far southeast reaches of the Salinas Valley.