2018 Siduri Russian River Valley Pinot Noir – such an easy drinking wine with notes of berry, red cherry, rose petal, mushroom, nutmeg and a touch of cedar.

2018 Siduri Santa Barbara County Pinot Noir – this was an elegant and savory wine with notes of cherry, violets, plum, mushroom and herbs with a touch of spice.

Inky garnet in the glass, this wine smells of black cherry, licorice, and earth. In the mouth, fleecy tannins wrap around a core of black cherry and cocoa powder that has a faint herbal bitterness to it. Excellent acidity and lovely sawdusty depths make for complex and delicious wine. Beautifully balanced and graceful to the last drop.

Dark garnet in color, this wine smells of black cherry and chocolate. In the mouth, rich cherry cola and cocoa powder flavors are gorgeously juicy thanks to excellent acidity. Cola nut and floral flavors mix with mouthwatering cherry fruit as gauzy tannins coat the mouth. Fantastically balanced and delicious. Impeccable in every way. Effortless to drink, impossible not to love.

Inky garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cherry and tobacco leaf. In the mouth, lush, velvety flavors of cherry, green herbs and dark plums are smooth and supple as they move across the palate. Excellent acidity, powdery faint tannins and impeccable balance. This is a poised, regal wine with confidence and grace. Herbal notes linger in the finish with a touch of licorice.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder is such a great example of the appellation. It is at once powerful and yet light on its feet. Red berry fruit, iron, dried herbs and rose petals infuse the 2018 with myriad layers of nuance that reveal themselves with time in the glass. The 2018 needs time to fully come together, we are on Mt. Veeder after all, but it has so much potential. Red fruit, pomegranate, blood orange, gravel and dried herbs linger. The 2018 is impenetrable and massively tannic, and yet it comes across as so sophisticated.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Cardinale Cabernet Sauvignon is rich and sumptuous right out of the gate. Soaring aromatics and silky tannins add finesse to the dark mountain fruit. It's hard to remember a vintage with this much sheer appeal in the early going. As always, Cardinale is a blend of choice hillside blocks. In 2018, the core is built around Stags Leap, Atlas Peak and St. Helena. Winemaker Chris Carpenter has backed off some of the overtness of the past years, and that is a huge benefit in allowing the wine to be more natural, more relaxed. The 2018 spent 21 months in 80-90% new oak, and clearly has the stuffing to handle the oak. It is one of the most refined Cardinales I can remember tasting.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Red Wine is a total knock-out. Inky, dark and sumptuous, the 2018 is full character. All the elements come together in a Merlot/Cabernet Franc-based wine that dazzles from start to finish. A whole range of dark, savory overtones from the Cabernets grown on hillside vineyards adds layers of nuance to the pliant Merlot and Malbec fruit. Vineyard sites are Yverdon and Wuertel, both on Spring Mountain, Mt. Brave on Mount Veeder and Keyes on Howell Mountain. Winemaker Chris Carpenter certainly got the most out of what he chose to work with. The 2018 is just fabulous.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon from Mt. Brave is fabulous. Inky, rich and explosive, the 2018 possesses tremendous depth and tons of personality. Graphite, blue/purplish fruit, blackberry jam, bittersweet chocolate, sage, lavender, menthol give the 2018 tons of character to match its explosive feel. The brooding, backward wine is going to need quite a bit of time to unwind, but boy is it gorgeous.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is a wine of tremendous power and gravitas. Inky dark fruit, graphite, cured meat and smoke all meld together in a virile, imposing wine loaded with character. I would cellar the 2018 for at least a few years, as it is quite the powerhouse. Swaths of imposing Howell Mountain tannins wrap around the palate. Even so, the 2018 has more than enough volume and resonance to balance things out.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain exudes power and density from the very first taste. Inky fruit, graphite, lavender, blackberry and spice are all beautifully delineated. Readers will find a Cabernet of depth and stature. The Diamond Mountain Cabernet doesn't quite have the heft of the Veeder or Howell Cabernets, but it has a sense of intrigue that is all its own. Vineyard sources are Wallis and Ryolite Ridge.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 W.S. Keyes Merlot is going to need a number of years to be at its best. A rush of dark red cherry fruit, cedar, spice, mint, leather, licorice, mocha, new French oak, iron and dried herbs all race out of the glass. Readers will have to be patient with the 2018, as it is still coming together in bottle. The Keyes Merlot is unctuous and rich, but the dominant personality of Howell Mountain simply will not be denied.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2017 Cabernet Bosché is stunning, and also one of the wines of the vintage. Rich, powerful and explosive, the 2017 possesses tremendous depth and pedigree to burn. Blackberry jam, chocolate, graphite, leather, licorice and gravel race out of the glass as this statuesque Cabernet shows off the character of this site. Time in the glass brings out attractive floral notes, more red-toned character to the fruit and broad swaths of tannin that suggest cellaring is essential. The 2017 is a flat out stunner. That's pretty much all there is to it.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore is dense and authoritative. Sycamore is a bit warmer and less vigorous than Bosché. The site naturally yields smaller berries that produce a Cabernet endowed with tons of sumptuousness, breadth and power. Ripe red cherry, red plum, licorice, menthol, spice, graphite and dried herbs infuse the Sycamore with tremendous complexity. It is such a gorgeous and complete wine.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Cabernet Franc is bright, floral and red fruited in character. Most of this fruit comes from Yverdon, on Spring Mountain, and that's exactly what comes through - the lift, brightness and deceptive mid-weight structure that are typical of this site. The 2018 is going to need a few years to come together, but it is undeniably beautiful even in the early going. A burst of pomegranate, blood orange and red fruit accents the silky finish.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon is a powerful, tightly wound wine that captures all the natural intensity of Howell Mountain. Blackberry jam, graphite, smoke ,iron and crushed rocks give this dark, massively tannic Cabernet a lot of character. Even after having been opened for several hours, the 2018 remains forbidding, with serious tannins that are going to require a good bit of cellaring before the wine becomes approachable.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Cabernet Franc is one of the most distinctive wines in this range. Inky dark fruit, mocha, gravel, spice, menthol and licorice are kicked up several notches in this potent, virile Franc. Time in the glass brings out the wine's floral and spice overtones along with distinctly red shades of fruit. There is a bit of oak influence, but the Franc handles it well while retaining quite a bit of varietal character.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain is rich, sumptuous and exotic in its beauty. Inky red/purplish fruit, rose petal, spice and blood orange all build as the 2018 reveals its personality. The Spring Mountain is the softest of the Lokoya Cabernets, in relative terms of course, as all these wines require cellaring.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Malbec opens with a rush of inky red/purplish fruit, rose petals, lavender and spice. Rich, pliant and super-expressive, the 2018 is a winner in this range from Mt. Brave. All the elements come together beautifully in this sumptuous, structured Malbec. I would cellar the 2018 for at least a few years. It's a gorgeous wine.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Cabernet Franc is fabulous. Like all of these wines, the La Jota Franc is a wine from Howell Mountain first and foremost. Black cherry, gravel, spice, leather, licorice and intense mineral notes infuse the Franc with so much energy and character. I would give the tannins a few years to soften. This is another super distinctive, ample wine from La Jota. The oak is a bit prominent at this stage, but it dissipates with time as more red-toned Franc nuances emerge.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 W.S. Keyes Chardonnay is so distinctive. Bright, translucent and full of energy, the 2018 sizzles with tension. Blocking the malolactic fermentation brings out a range of citrus and mineral flavors. Lemon oil, crushed rocks, mint and sage open up in the glass, but it is the wine's textural feel and mountain character that impress most. Don't miss it.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon (Rutherford) is another impressive wine in this range. Broad, ample and richly textured, the 2017 is fabulous. Dark red cherry, mocha, licorice, chocolate, spice and a bit of new oak all build as this sumptuous, medium to full-bodied wine opens in the glass. There's real presence and character. A dollop of Petit Verdot from Red Barn rounds out the blend.

This pours beautifully ruby and translucent. The bright nose includes aromas of plum, cherry, mulling spice, white pepper, and scorched earth. Medium-bodied with smooth, velvety tannins that envelope the mouth with smoothness pair well with a nice core of restrained but bright acid. The structure is spot on. The flavor profile leads with brilliant strawberry, blueberry, and red and black plums, but the wine doesn’t give the sensation of fruit-forwardness. There’s a touch of black pepper and licorice as well, and kiwi skin on the finish. Drinking really well now with a short bottle decant.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Merlot is full of savory, mineral intensity that is so distinctive. Black cherry, graphite, dried herbs, lavender, spice and crushed rocks infuse the 2018 with tons of complexity. Far from an easygoing wine, the La Jota Merlot is a serious red that will benefit from cellaring.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Pleinair offers a beguiling combination of inky dark fruit and more mineral, savory notes that add complexity. Inky blue/purplish fruit, gravel, sage, mint and lavender all develop with time in the glass. I would prefer to cellar the Pleinair for a year or two, but it is pretty tasty even in the early going just after bottling.