This very attractive and fragrant wine composed of predominantly Cabernet Franc (73% - from 16 different blocks of vines, along with 17% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon) needs some time to open, despite the fact that it is showing decidedly tertiary aromas. While the aromas are immediately inviting, the palate initially feels a bit tough and reserved. The Franc gives notes of tobacco leaf - even cigar wrapper - along with dried cranberries and cherries. There's also a very evident scorched earth note. So Italian, so Tuscan, this is a wine for a table set with hearty fare. The tannins and acidity hold equal voices here. There is a toughness to both that give an angularity to the wine, despite its full body and ample alcohol - the latter thanks to the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. The big positive is that there is no obvious mouth-coating glycerol and the high-ish abv is well contained. The finish lingers with dried sage and savory spices. It's a dramatic, meaty wine that is worth a try when you want a steak knife sort of wine in your glass. Drinking well now, this is hitting its autumn. Drink: 2020-23

A stunning Classico with deep color, smooth texture and luscious berry fruit; structured and juicy with exceptional length.

This light-yellow colored Chardonnay from Kendall Jackson is very impressive! It opens with a toasted oak, vanilla, pineapple and lemon bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, very well balanced and smooth. The flavor profile is a rich oak and Bartlett pear blend with notes of pineapple, butter and ripe apple. The finish is dry and its flavors drift away nicely. This Chard is pure a California style and will be loved by those that like it that way. I would pair it with baked stuffed lobster.

The Merlot is pretty much the weakest link in the range, though it’s a very good wine in its own right, regardless.Savoury, toasty, black olive and black fruit, with a little lemon zest and mint. It’s medium-bodied, roast beef and olives, something of a Campari tang, fine-grained tannin, redcurrant and blackberry on a slightly charry finish. The flavour profile is a little left-of-centre, but the wine is very good.

Fleshy, singular, golden. Harvested from four separate vineyards and matured in neutral oak barrel to add complexity and weight but not oakiness, this is a truly memorable bottle. It is golden and resinous offering aromas of yellow apples, pineapple chunks, spiced butter, vanilla and acacia flowers. Fleshy and ripe but with excellent acidity to balance--fresh weighty and the finish is nutty and spiced.

Blackberries, blueberries and other blue fruit. Some stone and pine-needle undertones. Energetic and fresh for the vintage. Medium to full body and a vivid finish. Drink or hold

This appellation wine comes from a blend of five vineyard-designated sites, all old vine, dry farmed and low yielding. Velvety and expansive on the palate, it has broad appeal in its rich density of cherry, strawberry and fleshy texture. Supple tannins and integrated oak allow a finishing touch of white pepper.

Head-trained old vines give this wine substantial concentration and a soft fleshy core of lush dark-berry fruit. Nutmeg and black pepper give it a contrast of savory and sweet seasoning wrapped in well-integrated oak.

Fresh and inviting on the nose, this is richly round, high-quality red that is structured and lengthy. Mocha, cassis, oak and clove provide a seamless, integrated experience across the palate, with powerful concentration settling into a softened finish.

A spicy nose leads the way to the appellation’s earthy funk and a length of cherry vanilla that balances it well. Powerful and weighty, the wine is juicy in orange and tangerine on the midpalate, with firm, supple tannin support and hearty oak.

Juicy, smooth and velvety, this block selection is full bodied, fleshy and lushly opulent, with soft integrated tannin. The ripeness pushes and offers a warmth of rich cherry cola, baked plum and earthy cinnamon.

From a foggy site near Forestville, this is a reductive, brawny wine with plenty of weight and backbone. Earthy and herbal, it offers a density of red and black raspberry, with hints of tangerine, the tannins expansive andvelvety smooth.

Near the outpost of Fort Ross, this is a wild, coastal site, and it provides intense grip and power. Juicy and broad in orange peel, dark cherry and strawberry, it has undeniable earthiness and accents of rock and iron, finishing with a lengthy lushness.

Vintage Retrospective: The 2001 Napa Valley CabernetsBright, dark, moderately saturated red to the rim. Very sexy scents of black raspberry, mocha, graphite, tobacco, licorice, game and spices, lifted by a floral topnote. Moderately sweet on entry, then shows a fine-grained texture and lovely savory concentration to its berry, spice and floral flavors. At once dense and juicy, even if it doesn't show quite the complexity or detail of the better later vintages of this bottling. Finishes with firm, dusty, slightly drying tannins and very good subtle length. I wanted a bit more sweetness of fruit. With 48 hours in the recorked bottle, this was the supplest and juiciest of the three Vérité 2001s but not the densest or richest. And the tannins turned a bit more clenched.

This dark ruby colored Merlot from Mt. Brave shared top honors in a recent mini-blind tasting that we conducted. It opens with a very inviting blueberry and black cherry bouquet. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, balanced and rich. The flavor profile is a chocolate covered cherry cordial with notes of blueberry. We also detected some hints of oak and vanilla mixed in. The finish is dry and its moderate tannins show very nice length. The Panel suggested pairing this very good Merlot with short ribs.

Follows exceptional form & sleek styling of previous, with pure seam of citrus, saline acidity & taut structure. 2016 more new oak (60% vs 30%) & richness but still sublimely fresh. Stellenbosch, Robertson & Overberg vines. 4.5 stars.

Moderate garnet color in the glass. Aromas of blackberry, pomegranate and oak-driven toast and tobacco. Mid-weight plus in heft, offering an onslaught of ostentatious, spicy purple and black fruits, yet sleek, polished and very agreeable in the mouth. There is more tannins evident but they are entirely supportive. The wine sports impressive length on the generously fruity finish. Still enjoyable when tasted the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle. This wine needs more time in the cellar.

In Bordeaux, 2016 is considered a great vintage, ranked 94 to 98 points by some critics. In tasting the 2016 Château Lassègue you understand immediately that the vintage produced wines of rich, ripe fruit. The aromatics pale in comparison to the 2012’s, but the wine’s fullness, richness of texture, apparent roundness in your mouth, and seamless balance are impressive. Before you label the wine as California-style in your mind, let me add that fine notes of minerality permeate the wine’s taste, a signature of Bordeaux. And as ripe as the fruit is, that fruit is still fresh, not overripe, not baked, not jammy. Counter-intuitively, while the older vintage benefits from aeration, the 2016 is beautiful in the glass from the get-go.

It is said beauty lies in the eye of the beholder, but this 2016 is undeniably a beauty recently lying in the soil at Cambria Estate Winery in California’s Santa Maria Valley, a Pinot Noir hotbed. Radiating pretty ruby with brick-red hues, Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir has something to offer in every direction. Mainly, it embodies great depth of character while really wanting to please, and it does.I have known and drank Cambria Estate wines for a long time, appreciating that their wines have always displayed quality. I was anxiously anticipating the 2016 version of Julia’s Pinot Noir.The intensity of multidimensional flavor that Julia’s delivers didn’t require great heft. Quite the contrary, Julia’s 2016 is barely mid-weight. Those who refrain from trying this wine will forego an opportunity.The nose on Julia’s opens with a slight tang reminiscent of Burgundy, while clearly speaking to Pinot Noir’s varietal character. This introduction is quickly followed by subtle and complex aromatics in the form of dried apricot, raisin, and a trace of pastry spice. With concise intensity the palate presents cranberries, rhubarb pie, and a hint of pomegranate. Shows fine-grained well integrated tannins and refined purity of fruit with notable balance. Displays clear focus while broadcasting amicability.Julia’s is very responsive while continuing to evolve in the glass. This highly inviting Cambria Pinot Noir incurs nuances of change, seemingly adapting to the drinker. At 30-minutes the rich vibrancy intensifies with further intricacies! Next day – at least as fresh and complex as before.Julia’s Vineyard lies on the Cambria Estate which is roughly in between the Bien Nacido and Nielson vineyards. The vineyard was named after Proprietor Julia Jackson (Jackson Family Wines). The soil constituents are fossilized seashells, limestone, shale, and sand nurturing sustainably farmed vines half a century of age.The regime included a seven-day cold soak in stainless, malolactic fermentation in barrel, and eight months in 28% new French Oak. Alcohol reads 14.2%. The winemaker is Jill Russel. User friendly on the pocketbook. A perfect pair with barbecued St. Louis-style ribs.

This red is smooth and richly structured. Wood aging still shows and it needs aging to realize its full, ripe potential. Juicy berry flavors and spice come together in a wine that will be impressive as it ages further. Drink from 2022.

COMMENTARY: The Ex Post Facto story provides a looking into the heart of the grape and its source. Vintner Greg Brewer committed to the wine's totality. When I approached the 2018 Ex Post Facto Syrah, I had an idea that this wine probably has no rules, except what it wanted to be. TASTING NOTES: This opaque, concentrated wine, comes forth with omnipresent ripe red and black fruit aromas and flavors. Enjoy this wine at a slow evolving dinner with fragrantly-spiced, braised meat, and fresh veggies reflecting the colors of the rainbow. This wine is intense and focused.

McLaren Vale Delivers Top Mediterranean Styled RedsBeautifully fresh, peachy stone fruit and a wet-stone edge with flinty lemon peel and lightly spiced bread dough. There’s a very attractively fleshy feel on the palate, wielding both succulence and weight, as well as a bright, fresh and mouthwatering finish. Drink now. Screw cap.

McLaren Vale Delivers Top Mediterranean Styled RedsThis is a fresh, juicy glass of ripe apples, pears and light white peaches, delivered in a crisp, flavorful, mid-weight frame. A blend of mostly grenache blanc (74%), roussanne, clairette, picpoul and bourboulenc. Incredible value in this South of France-style white. Drink now. Screw cap.

McLaren Vale Delivers Top Mediterranean Styled RedsIf you’re after a very consistent, very good-value grenache, then this is a wine you should be buying by the case. It has such impressively energetic aromas and flavors of red and darker berries and a beautifully articulated frame of fine, sturdy tannin. Mouth-filling fruit pervades the finish. Screw cap.

McLaren Vale Delivers Top Mediterranean Styled RedsA striking wine for its extreme depth, as well as freshness. Ripe dark plums and blackberries bathe the nose and palate. This is lead in a fuller-bodied direction and makes a very youthful, bold and stoic impression on the palate. Fine now, but better in three to four years. Screw cap.