Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018Last of the Chardonnay, the 2018 Chardonnay Jackson Estate Camelot Highlands comes all from the Santa Maria Valley (which is a cooler region) and was fermented and aged all in French oak. Brioche, honeysuckle, toasted nuts, and orchard fruits all define the bouquet, and this beauty is rich, full-bodied, and concentrated on the palate, with terrific balance. It's another rich yet balanced, incredibly high-quality white from the team at Kendall-Jackson.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018Savory spice, dried herbs, rose petal, earth, mulled cherry, and cranberry notes all emerge from the 2017 Pinot Noir Muldune Trail, which comes from an estate vineyard in the southern end of the Anderson Valley, located at 1,600 feet in elevation. Aged 17 months in 42% new French oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered, it's medium-bodied, elegant, and ethereally styled, with light tannins and solid length. It's going to keep for 7-8 years, but it’s not one of the more singular wines in the lineup.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018Leading off the Chardonnays (there are two early release 2018s), the appellation 2018 Chardonnay Russian River Valley is a great introduction into the wines of this estate and has a richer, expansive, medium to full-bodied style offering lots of golden apple, musky pineapple, brioche, and honeysuckle aromas and flavors. It's a textured, beautifully balanced, superb appellation Chardonnay to enjoy over the coming 4-5 years.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018Destemmed and aged 9 months in 35% new French oak, the 2017 Pinot Noir Sealift has a spicy, powerful bouquet of red and black fruits, pine forest, iodine, violets, and crushed rocks. This carries to a medium-bodied, juicy Pinot Noir with a firm, focused texture, ripe tannins, and a good finish. It's classic 2017 with its more savory, firm style, but it’s beautifully balanced and will evolve for at least 7-8 years.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018The flagship is the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Stature, which is all Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Alden Park and Kellog vineyards. Cassis, black cherries, crushed rocks, graphite, and dried tobacco notes all emerge from the glass, and it has plenty of underlying structure as well as medium to full body, good overall balance, and plenty of length. It's going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age.

This light-yellow colored Chardonnay from Stonestreet opens with a pineapple and vanilla oak bouquet. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, balanced and has a nice mouthfeel. The flavor profile is a tasty creme brulee and mild pineapple blend with notes of oak and poached pear. I also detected hints of almond and touch of peach. Its flavors and pleasant acidity drift away nicely. This Chard is very good on its own. It would pair well with chicken cordon bleu.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018White grapefruit, acacia flowers, pine, and salted citrus notes all emerge from the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Aurora Point Vineyard. A beautifully balanced, elegant Sauvignon Blanc with bright acidity, plenty of fruit, and a dry finish, it's going to keep for at least 4-5 years, and I suspect even longer.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018More spice, dried earth, herbes de Provence, and ripe cherry and strawberry fruit notes emerge from the 2018 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills, a richer, medium to full-bodied, fruit-loaded effort. It's one of the bigger, richer wines in the appellation series.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018From a great site in the Santa Lucia Highlands, the 2018 Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard sports a more ruby/purple (it's still translucent) hue to go with a spicy nose of cranberries, black cherries, sappy green herbs, and new leather. Nicely textured, medium-bodied, and balanced, drink it over the coming 7-8 years.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018Coming from a mix of vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County and mostly destemmed, the 2018 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County offers a lighter ruby color as well as a beautifully pure, elegant, medium-bodied style that's already hard to resist. Bing cherry, wildflowers, violets, and a touch of spice all define the bouquet, and it's a great value in high-quality Pinot Noir.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018From the cooler Bennett Valley region in Sonoma, the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Bennett Valley is 100% varietal that was brought up in a mix of neutral oak (varying sizes) and stainless steel. Lemon blossom, tart citrus, peach, and a touch of pineapple all emerge from this fruit-forward, nicely balanced, delicious effort. With a Bordeaux Blanc-like style, it has good acidity as well as balancing richness. It's one of the standouts in the lineup.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018The 2017 Chardonnay Saralee's Vineyard is a touch more reserved and closed, yet has more concentration as well as depth. Stone fruits, white flowers, crushed rock-like minerality, and a touch of charcoal all slowly emerge from the glass, and it's nicely textured and medium to full-bodied, with integrated acidity, background oak, and a clean, crisp finish. It's a classy Chardonnay to enjoy over the coming 2-5 years.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Estates Collection Hawkeye Mountain is another Alexander Valley release (from the same vineyard) and spent 19 months in 58% new French oak. All Cabernet Sauvignon, it offers up lots of cassis and blackberry fruit as well as the classic savory style that's common from the Alexander Valley. Dried spice, mountain scrub brush, lead pencil, and charcoal notes all emerge from the glass, and it's nicely balanced, with ripe (yet present) tannins and terrific overall balance. It's a classic Sonoma Cabernet to enjoy over the coming 10-15 years.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018More exotic citrus, acacia flowers, and lemon-laced notes emerge from the 2018 Chardonnay Jackson Estate Seco Highlands. Medium-bodied, it has a vibrant, fresh style, notable balance, and a great finish. It packs plenty of richness, yet it’s still fresh and lively.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018Mostly from the Alexander Valley (there is some fruit from Mendocino and Yorkville Highlands) and a blend of 58% Petite Sirah, 30% Syrah, 10% Zinfandel and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, and Petit Verdot, the 2017 Prequel Red Blend is a big, mouthful of wine with loads of black and blue fruits, chocolate, smoky wood, and spice-laced aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, packed with fruit, nicely balanced, and ready to go, drink this well-done fruit bomb over the coming 4-6 years.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018The 2017 Bootleg Red Wine checks in as 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot that's mostly from Howell Mountain, yet includes fruit from Spring Mountain, Knights Valley, and Diamond Mountain. Plenty of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, cedary herbs, and a touch of chocolate all emerge from the glass of this plump, rounded, undeniably delicious 2017 that does everything right. Enjoy it over the coming 4-6 years.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018Lots of red cherries, kirsch, and blackberry notes emerge from the 2018 Pinot Noir Siduri Perry Ranch Vineyard, which shows plenty of stem influence, medium body, bright acidity, and a clean, moderately lengthy style. It builds nicely with time in the glass and is a Burgundian, vibrant Pinot Noir that will be better in 6-12 months and drink nicely for 7-8 years or so.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018There are two releases from Oregon. Starting with the 2018 Pinot Noir Siduri Gran Moraine Vineyard, it has a medium ruby/translucent color to go with a vibrant, juicy array of red plums, violets, candied orange peel, and spice. It's nicely textured, medium-bodied, and has wonderful purity of fruit. Drink it any time over the coming 7-8 years or more.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018More lightly colored, the 2018 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley comes from a mix of sites in the Russian River and was 80% destemmed and brought up in 25% new French oak. Spiced strawberries, potpourri, candied orange, and lots of spice notes emerge from the glass of this elegant, medium-bodied, nicely textured and fruit-loaded effort. It's ideal for drinking over the coming 4-5 years.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018Light gold-hued with lots of lemon zest, white grapefruit, and a touch of crushed rock-like minerality, the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Knights Valley hits the palate with medium-bodied richness, nicely integrated acidity, and a clean, balanced style. It's not the most complex Sauvignon Blanc in the lineup yet has a classic, balanced, impeccably made style. It's going to shine on the dinner table and should have 2-4 years or more of longevity.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Alexander Valley (89% Sauvignon Blanc, 7% Semillon, and the balance Sauvignon Musque) offers more melon, white peach, and pineapple notes in a richer, more fleshy, textured style. It still has good acidity, terrific purity of fruit, and a deliciously balanced profile that's already a joy to drink.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018Slightly more expensive, the 2018 Chardonnay Alexander Valley offers a more pure, classic, and medium-bodied style with impressive white peach, crushed stone, spice, and white flower-like aromas and flavors. It has beautiful balance, good acidity, and a clean finish.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018Coming from a handful of sites in the Russian River and brought up in 34% new French oak, the 2017 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley offers textbook Russian River notes of mulled red and black fruits, spice box, cola, black tea, and autumn leaves. Rounded, medium-bodied, and supple on the palate, with beautiful fruit, drink it over the coming 4-5 years or so.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018Moving to the Estate Collection Series, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Estates Collection Alexander Valley is 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Merlot all from the Alden Park Vineyard in the Alexander Valley. Aged 19 months in 97% new French oak, its deep purple color is followed by a structured, medium-bodied Cabernet that has plenty of black cherry and blackcurrant fruits, some spicy oak, plenty of tannins, and outstanding length. It's going to integrate some tannins with 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for a decade.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018Just slightly more expensive, the 2018 Chardonnay Grand Reserve comes all from Santa Barbara County (Los Alamos and Santa Maria) and was basically all barrel fermented and brought up in 76% French and the balance American oak barrels. More Meyer lemon, orange blossom, and honeysuckle notes emerge from the glass, and it has a rich, textured, yet balanced mouthfeel as well as a clean finish. It's another high quality, rock-solid effort from this estate.