Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon offers a terrific expression of Oakville in its resonant, enveloping feel. Sweet dark cherry, plum, graphite, mocha, licorice and spice all flesh out in this ample, creamy Cabernet Sauvignon. There is really nicely plushness in the 2017.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Merlot is a powerful, tightly wound wine. Black cherry, chocolate, spice, leather and licorice ride a wave of huge tannins. The Merlot has a lot of character, but it is a mountain wine, and needs time to fully come together.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Naissance is a powerful, savory wine built on bright acids and a real sense of structure. The blend of fruit from Knights Valley, Coombsville and St. Helena yields a Sauvignon Blanc that is very much meant for the dinner table. Lemon confit, apricot, white flowers, sage and stony/mineral notes give the 2019 quite a bit of character and intrigue.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2019 Chardonnay is a very pretty wine. Apricot, tangerine peel, white flowers, mint and a touch of new oak are all finely knit in this attractive, mid-weight Chardonnay from vineyards in Carneros, southern Napa Valley and Howell Mountain. Partially blocked malolactic fermentation keeps the flavors vibrant in this attractive, appealing Chardonnay from Freemark Abbey.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 Freemark Abbey's 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is a gorgeous appellation-level wine. Freshly cut flowers, mint and sweet red/purplish berry fruit are all beautifully lifted. The 2017 is bright, energetic and full of character. Best of all, it’s a fabulous value in high-end Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I very much like the vibrancy here.

The nose wafts a dessert table of caramel apple, lemon meringue, and graham cracker crumble. Medium bodied with slightly crisp acid nestled nicely in the center of a lush palate. Flavors include green and Opal apples, lime sorbet, gravel minerality, and white pepper. It finishes on orange marmalade. A nicely profiled and structured chardonnay, the quality outshines the depth.

This pale garnet colored Pinot Noir from WillaKenzie opens with pleasant strawberry licorice and maraschino cherry bouquet with hints of wet slate and cola. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced, round and slightly lush. The flavor profile is a very tasty red plum and red currant blend with notes of earthy minerality and vanilla. I also detected hints of strawberry licorice and maraschino cherry similar to what I found on the nose at the very end. The finish is subtle and the flavors drift away nicely. While this is not the most complex Pinot you will try, it is very yummy and the bottle will not last very long. I would pair this crowd pleasing Pinot with good music and cooking.

The high-toned nose features of honeysuckle, caramel, chamomile, and lime pith. Medium bodied with lightweight, juicy acid that flutters about, refusing to integrate with the structure; even on the finish it remains apart. May be a sign of youth. Flavors include slightly bitter green apple, lemon verbena, damp earth, and white pepper minerality. It finishes on a sweet orange note. I’d love to revisit this in two or three years because if that acid integrates, this improves dramatically.

Exceptional.

Exceptional.

Excellent.

Exceptional.

Exceptional.

Here is a magnificent wine from the Jackson family, the people behind America’s best-selling Chardonnay, Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve. Using grapes from the group’s Stonestreet Winery in the stunning Alexander Valley, an AVA within Sonoma County, it is a delicious example of a classic, richly-textured Chardonnay, with flavours from buttercream, toasted marshmallow, along with ripe peach and pear fruit. It also has a touch of fresh apple on the finish, and this appealing mix of characters linger for a long time after you’ve sipped it – a hallmark of any great wine.

My highest scorer in this year’s Global Chardonnay Masters hailed from South Africa. Capensis is a relatively new top-end white from the Western Cape, made by California’s Chardonnay experts, Jackson Family Wines. It’s outstanding, mixing creamy, toasty oak, and peach and apple fruit with the perfect Chardonnay texture: it’s soft and rich as it hits the tongue, zesty and bright as it slips down the throat, with a lovely lingering note of freshly roasted nuts. It’s not cheap, at close to £100, but when viewed relative to the price of grand cru white Burgundy, which Capensis would rival for quality, it’s doesn’t seem so expensive either.

Happy Spa-lidays!Make it a big pour!

Bright, ripe fruit flavors and zesty acidity in a full-bodied white.

Expertly layered aromas of toast, fine-grained oak, smoked apple, nectarine, crushed limestone and light butterscotch make for a nose that should please all types of Chardonnay lovers. The palate is immediately hit withchalky and fresh acidity, leading into lively flavors of sliced Asian pear and finishing with an intriguing hint of spearmint.

A captivating blend of savory characteristics along with great balance and a good fruit foundation make this wine especially interesting. Elements of sage, tobacco and earth mingle with red and black cherries, and are backed by moderate tannins and good, nervy acidity.