Shows all the hallmarks of an ageable wine. It's bone dry, big and hard in tannins, and densely packed with blackberries, cherries, cola, licorice and smoky cedar notes.

There are just under 1,600 cases of this wine. The 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyard (another Rutherford Bench vineyard, but in this case, biodynamically farmed) is a blend of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc given the same treatment as the Bosche Vineyard. Deep ruby/purple with an even more complex and evolved nose than the Bosche, the wine shows notes of cedar, fruitcake, black currants, cherries, smoke, and pain grille. Dense, rich, full-bodied fruit flavors coat moderate tannins. The wine is savory, mouth-filling, and quite deep and layered. It should drink well for 15-20 years as well. Bravo!

Kudos to winemaker Ted Edwards. Lastly, the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyard, which is just to the south of Bosche, is 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot and the rest Cabernet Franc, from the gravelly, clay and loamy soils of this area. It, too, was aged 24 months in French oak and seems dense, full-bodied, powerful and backward as well. Most of the 2004s are far more open than this cuvee and the Bosche, but there is plenty of ripe fruit, moderate tannin and a deep black currant, blackberry, smoky sweetness, with a full, voluminous mouth texture. Give this one another 2-3 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 15-20.

A brilliant Viognier that preserves the variety’s exotic richness, while framing it with balance and subtlety, no easy task. Impresses for its array of pineapple crême brulée, Key lime pie, golden mango and green apple opulence, yet is crisp and zesty in acidity, and there’s a bracing minerality. The grapes come from an unusual combination of Rutherford, which provides ripeness, and Carneros, which brings acidity and freshness.

Marked by crisp, zingy acidity that gives the lemon and lime fruit a mouthwatering tartness, this voluminous Chardonnay is perfect for drinking now, as a cocktail or with rich shellfish dishes. It's really elegantly constructed and stylish, a great restaurant wine.

The 2009 Chardonnay Howell Mountain is all from the Keyes Vineyard. It reveals a Meursault-like hazelnut character intermixed with notions of crushed rocks, white peaches and honeysuckle. This full-bodied, layered, impressive Chardonnay had its malolactic fermentation blocked, which has preserved the fruit's ripeness and vivacity. It should drink well for 3-5 years. Freemark Abbey continues to be a work in progress as proprietor Jess Jackson moves aggressively to get this estate back to its glory days of the late sixties and early to mid-seventies.

This Syrah from Winemaker Greg Brewer is dynamic and built to last, starting with aromas of crushed peppercorn, tapenade, twigs, ground pepper, tar and elderberry fruit. The palate combines black currant with tart black-plum skin, thyme, bay and peppercorns, ending on flashes of tar and mocha.

Deep ruby cast. Moderately full-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderately extracted. Mildly oaked. Mildly tannic. Spice, minerals, tomato. Quite aromatic with real complexity. Generous yet firm in the mouth with an angular spicy finish. Shows fine persistence and intensity.

Unusually graceful and elegant despite full body and dense tannins, this wine has lush, rich fruit flavors like blackberry compote, plus clove and black pepper accents. It's an outstanding example of how attractive the variety can be, and no surprise considering its long history in Mendocino County.

An extraordinary wine, and not just because it wears its 16.4% alcohol so well. The raspberry and cassis flavors are rapturously delicious. It seems almost a crime for wine to taste this good. At the same time, the round soft mouthfeel and dry dusty tannins are textbook perfect.

Something wonderful is going on at Edmeades, and this heritage bottling captures the magic. Ninety-year-old vines yield tiny quantities of complex fruit, layered with dried cherries and plums, tobacco, violets, and sweet spice. Zinfandel this elegant, balanced, and textured is worth every nickel.

The stunning 1992 Edmeades-Zeni Vineyard Zinfandel possesses an opaque ruby/purple color, and a sensational bouquet of spices, black and red fruits, and pepper. Rich and concentrated, with great balance for its size, this well-endowed, chewy, deliciously pure, vibrant Zinfandel will drink well for 8-12+ years.

Tight, concentrated aromas of black fig and dark chocolate meet beefy, earthy and ripe berry flavors in this high-powered, concentrated wine. It has a full body and firm tannins that give it a powerful structure, with nice depth and a lingering chocolate and cherry finish.

Top 100 Wines of 2018 - #6

A very complex Zinfandel that shows great balance despite the big number in small print on the front label. I'm in the habit of tasting first and looking later to make sure that I'm not predisposed to turn off to a Zin based on its alcohol content, as there are myriad other factors that can make the wine work across the scale, from 13% to 16.5%. The cranberry fruit element really makes this wine pop, bringing the pepper, herb, blackberry and dusty tannin texture together in a full flavored, long lingering delight. This will win the high number haters back -- if you show it blind, of course. Contains 3% Syrah.

From a north facing parcel in the Spear Vineyard, which is located just off Highway 246 in the northern part of the Sta. Rita Hills, the 2017 Chardonnay Spear offers a more masculine, mineral, earthy style in its ripe, exotic bouquet of melon, ripe pineapple, lemon, and earthy minerality and crushed rocks. This beauty takes some time to unwind but offers terrific complexity, a layered, rich texture, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish. Give bottles a year and enjoy through 2027.

The 2017 Chardonnay Santos Road, which hails from Hyde clone vines in the 3D vineyard, is my favorite of the Diatom bottlings this year, offering up aromas of peach kernel, pear, honeycomb and white flowers. On the palate, the wine is the deepest and most complete of the range, medium-bodied with a glossily textural attack and fine-boned, racy structure.

DIATOM 2017 CHARDONNAY, MACHADO The nose is bright lemon and grass with hints of chalk and pear. The palate is ripe Bartlett pear, lemon and toast in a mouth-watering core with great acidity.

Santa Barbara Dreamin'…Part Two The 2017 Chardonnay Hilliard Bruce is absolutely brilliant in the way it brings together textural richness in the focused, chiseled style that is the essential Diatom signature. Lemon peel, mineral and floral notes abound, but it is the wine's character and multi-dimensional personality that really stand out.

A richer lemon crème nose with orange marshmallow and notes of lees. The palate is a rich lemony textured core with an effortless feel, finishing clean.

Lastly, the 2016 Chardonnay Spear is another terrific wine. Clean, classic and focused on the palate, with lots of citrus rind, salty minerality, spice and exotic flower-like aromatics, it has beautiful richness, a seamless texture and impeccable balance. One of the more classic Chardonnays in the lineup, with textbook aromas and flavors, drink it anytime over the coming decade or more. The Diatom releases are made by Greg Brewer. I loved all these 2016s and they had vibrant purity and freshness, with plenty of textural richness on the palate. The Sta. Rita Hills appellation needs more Chardonnays like this.

Understated power and tension come through nicely in the 2016 Chardonnay Machado. The flavors are remarkably pure and crystalline in this focused, super-appealing Chardonnay from Diatom and Greg Brewer.

The 2016 Chardonnay Machado is terrific. Pear, apple peal, lots of citrus rind and a touch of salty sea breeze all emerge from this medium-bodied, lively and perfectly balanced Chardonnay that has bright acidity yet plenty of fruit. While it’s good today, it will be even better with 2-3 years of cellaring. The Diatom releases are made by Greg Brewer. I loved all these 2016s and they had vibrant purity and freshness, with plenty of textural richness on the palate. The Sta. Rita Hills appellation needs more Chardonnays like this.

The 2016 Chardonnay Hilliard Bruce is rich and textured on the palate, with a flavor profile that leans towards the riper end of the spectrum while retaining the freshness and energy that are such Diatom signatures.

The nose is fresh lemon and warm grains, firm and crisp green apple. The palate is honeyed and dense on palate entry with a brilliantly focused acidity balanced by a punch of fresh citrus on the finish.