Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2017 Pinot Noir Unforgettable is bold and savory in feel. Black cherry, sage, menthol, spice and lavender infuse the 2017 with striking layers of nuance as well as dimension. This is such a gorgeous, captivating Pinot.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2017 Pinot Noir MacLean's Block is a powerful, heady wine. Exotic spice, blood orange, mint, cedar and new leather infuse the 2017 with quite a bit of character. The aromatics are especially deeply-pitched. Then again, the MacLean's Block is one of the wines in this range that gets a dollop of whole clusters.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2017 Pinot Noir Muldune Trail, also from Anderson Valley, presents a darker profile and more muscular tannins than the Velvet Sisters Pinot tasted alongside it. Spice, leather, coffee, a savory herbs play off a core of dense fruit. Powerful and explosive in the glass, the 2017 needs time to soften, but it is very clearly a special wine in the making.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2017 Pinot Noir Seascape Vineyard is bright, fruity and beautifully focused. Sweet red cherry, raspberry, mint and earthy notes grace this expressive, coastal Pinot Noir from Hartford Court. This mid-weight, gracious Pinot has so much to offer.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2017 Chardonnay Far Coast Vineyard balances nervy tension with a good deal of mid-palate richness. White flowers, mint and white pepper add a brilliant upper register that gives the wine a feeling of energy and vibrancy.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2017 Chardonnay Sevens Bench, from a site in Carneros, is rich and ample in feel. Tropical overtones add nuance to a core of orchard fruit, lemon confit, spice, butter, almond and chamomile overtones.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2017 Chardonnay Stone Côte Vineyard is soft, pliant and super-expressive, with lovely stoniness that gives the wine a feeling of structure and mineral-laced persistence. This is such a pretty wine. Apricot, orange confit, mint and honeyed notes all come together effortlessly.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesIn 2018, the Zinfandel Jolene's Vineyard is wonderfully approachable and inviting. Floral notes, red and purplish fruit and blood orange infuse this mid-weight, silky Zinfandel with tremendous character. The Jolene's is one of the more lifted, succulent wines in the range.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2018 Zinfandel (Russian River) is bright, punchy and full of the energy that makes this vintage so compelling. Succulent dark cherry, plum, chocolate, lavender, licorice, spice, menthol and pine add aromatic character to this bold, dark Zinfandel.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2017 Pinot Noir Maggy Hawk is bold and expansive in the glass, with terrific textural resonance and body but, as always, it is done in the mid-weight style that is typical of these wines. Sweet dark red cherry, red plum, spice, blood orange and cedar add aromatic nuance as the wine turns delicate with aeration.

Offers a memorable mix of pure raspberry, cherry and pomegranate flavors that are lush and polished, set on a velvety frame, with notes of chai tea, white pepper and fresh sage, showing terrific harmony on the long, expressive finish. A hint of freshly grated nutmeg lingers. Drink now through 2035.

Charm, Freshness and Vibrancy The 2017 Jolie, for example, was among my least favorites at first, until its fresh acidity and delicacy revealed themselves. Ultimately, I judge it to be a real beauty, with aromas and flavors of red fruits — raspberry, red cherry, strawberry — floral notes and tea, and a vibrant structure of acid and tannin that is not overpowered by the aromatics. The wine has depth, as well as purity and concentration of fruit expression.

James Halliday's Top 100 Wines of 2019 Top Whites Under $25 A highly esoteric blend of 74% grenache blanc, 12% roussanne, 6% clairaut, 5% picpoul and 3% bourbelenc that is winemaker Peter Fraser's salute to the wines of centuries past. Lest anyone think the vinification is of similar natural antiquity, think again. It will grow rich and textured as it ages.

Italy’s Incredible Year: About 6,400 Wines Rated Aromas of lead pencil and currants with blueberries. Medium body, chewy tannins and a savory finish. Needs two or three years to soften. Try in 2021.

Italy’s Incredible Year: About 6,400 Wines Rated Pretty and balanced 2014 with currant and berry character and just hints of vanilla. Full-bodied yet tight and focused. Needs a year or two to soften even more, but already very attractive. Drink or hold.

Italy’s Incredible Year: About 6,400 Wines Rated This is quite reduced now, so it certainly needs some time in bottle before serving. It should turn out to be a beauty; dark cherries, black olives and blackberry tart intermingle with vanilla and spices. Full-bodied with a lovely, velvety mouthfeel and loads of layers of dark fruit. Drink from 2023.

Italy’s Incredible Year: About 6,400 Wines Rated This shows beautiful freshness and poise, thanks to vivid dark cherries and bright herbs. Medium body with fine-grained tannins, loads of tangy fruit and a finely tuned yet structured finish. Salty aftertaste. Delicious. Drink now.

Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s The 2017 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands is a smoking value. Racy cherry, cranberry, and floral notes all emerge from this juicy, clean, and classy effort. With good acidity, loads of sweet fruit, and a clean, balanced style, it's a beautiful wine.

Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s From a site just beside Gary's, yet planted in 2008 and 2009, the 2017 Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard was completely destemmed (Adam doesn't like the stems from younger vines) and spent 11 months in 40% French. It offers plenty of black cherry, scorched earth, black raspberry, and forest floor notes as well as a medium to full-bodied, rounded, nicely textured, layered style on the palate.

Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s Moving to the Sta. Rita Hills releases, the 2017 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills offers a darker style as well as more blueberries, currants, black cherries, earth, and graphite aromas and flavors. Rich, medium to full-bodied, concentrated, and beautifully balanced, drink it over the coming decades.

Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s Coming from a windy site on the eastern edge of the Sta. Rita Hills, the 2017 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard saw one-third stems and spent 16 months in 57% new French oak. It offers a more classic Sta. Rita Hills bouquet of salted cherries, leafy herbs, flowers, and forest floor. Fruit forward, fleshy, beautifully textured and structured, drink this richer, fleshy Pinot Noir over the coming 7-8 years.

Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s The 2017 Chardonnay Nielson Vineyard is a richer, more voluptuous effort offering loads of ripe orchard fruits, crème brûlée, white flowers, and toasted bread aromas and flavors. Rich, textured, and opulent, it's made in a delicious, fun style you unfortunately don't see very often from Santa Barbara County. It's beautifully made and well worth enjoying over the coming 3-4 years.

Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s A smoking value from the talents of Greg Brewer, the 2017 Syrah Santa Barbara County comes half from the Nielson Vineyard in Santa Maria and the other half from the Neely Vineyard in Los Alamos. Not destemmed and brought up in neutral oak, it has a classic Syrah gaminess as well as notes of black raspberries, bacon fat, crushed violets, and tapenade. This peppery, medium-bodied, elegant, beautiful Syrah has no hard edges, terrific balance, and just a complex, satisfying style.

Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s From the 3D vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills and all Hyde Clone (vines are 11-years old), the 2018 Chardonnay Santos Road offers plenty of beautiful citrus and pineapple notes backed up by lots of spice, white flowers, and salinity. With medium-bodied richness, beautiful balance, and a great finish, it should drink nicely for at least a decade.

Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s I’d say on the earthy slopes of its prime drinking plateau, the 2011 Pinot Noir Machado offers a medium to full-bodied, balanced style that has resolved tannins, beautiful red and black fruits, and complex notes of smoked applewood, black tea, spice, and forest floor. I love it today, yet it’s certainly going to continue drinking nicely for another 4-6 years, probably longer.