The 2010 Proprietary Red Josephine is composed of 38.3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36.9% Merlot, 17.9% Cabernet Franc and 6.7% Malbec (talk about being precise). This wine comes from a vineyard situated near Colgin's Tychson Hill site. Stunning aromatics of bouquet garni, black cherries, black currants, graphite and licorice emerge from this dense purple-colored 2010. Medium to full-bodied, elegant, pure and long, it can be drunk now and over the next 15-20 years.

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon, Freemark Abbey’s generic bottling from Napa, is a brilliant example, and at $50, a heck of a value. It is also one of their larger cuvées at 24,332 cases. A blend of 75.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.9% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, this wine spent nearly 26 months in oak. Opaque purple in color, it exhibits beautiful blackberry and blackcurrant fruit with hints of white chocolate, allspice and tobacco leaf. It is rich, full-bodied, seriously concentrated, and has 2013's relatively serious structure and tannic clout. Give it 3-4 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 25-30 years.

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged nearly 25 months in oak. The wine shows the floral/blueberry notes that often come from higher elevations on Spring Mountain. A nice hint of chocolate, toasty oak, bay leaf and spice box. It’s rich, layered, full-bodied and another beauty. This is also a fairly small cuvée of 335 cases, making it the smallest of any of these cuvées from winemaker Ted Edwards.

Good bright ruby-red. Refined, restrained, slightly medicinal aromas of cassis, licorice, herbs, lead pencil and coffee. Sweet, plush and energetic but youthfully reserved, with the medicinal quality carrying through on the palate. Most impressive today on the broad, slowly building finish, which features firm but very suave tannins and terrific lift. This may merit an even higher rating by the time it's released next fall.

Deep medium ruby. Precise aromas of black raspberry, licorice, espresso and spices. Less obviously sweet in the early going than the Helena Dakota, showing more mineral firmness to the flavors of black raspberry, spices and tobacco. Finishes very long and firm, with solid tannic structure for aging.

(14.8% alcohol) Saturated bright ruby. Aromas of cassis, violet, licorice and menthol, plus a whiff of cocoa powder. Sweet and chewy but with lovely aromatic lift to the black fruit, brown spice and floral flavors. At once structured and silky, powerful and stylish. Finishes with firm tannins and noteworthy verve. From a vineyard planted at an elevation of 750 feet. The gravelly silt and loam soil here is a bit less firm than the sandy gravelly loam (volcanic ash) used to make the Helena Montana wine.

Bright medium ruby. Aromas of medicinal blackberry, licorice, violet, graphite and crushed stone. Rich, sappy and quite concentrated, showing a tactile, chewy texture to the youthfully clenched flavors of black fruits and minerals. No shortage of acidity here. This powerful mountain style of cabernet will need time in bottle to absorb its powerful, building tannins time in bottle to absorb its powerful, building tannins.

Good deep ruby. Crushed blackberry, graphite and licorice on the nose. Lush and seamless in the mouth, but with no easy sweetness to the chewy flavors of black fruits and minerals. The least sweet of these Stonestreet reds but this offers impressive mouth coverage. Finishes with substantial dense tannins that call for at least seven or eight years of cellaring.

(from vines at 1,800 feet): Bright straw-yellow. Nuanced nose offers peach, apricot, lime and anise. Supple and gently fruity, with a glycerol quality leavened by bright acidity. Became silkier with air but without losing its edge of acidity. This highly concentrated and very long chardonnay needs some time in bottle to harmonize its sweet and acid components.

Dark ruby-red. Musky, reduced aromas of black cherry and dark berries. Surprisingly plush and ripe on entry, then tighter in the middle, showing medicinal restraint to the dark berry flavors. This very dry, backward wine finishes with serious tannins that will require patience.

Ruby-red. High-pitched aromas of black raspberry, licorice, bitter chocolate, violet and menthol. Silky on entry, then dry and classic in the middle, with kirsch and dark berry flavors lifted by violet and licorice. Really spreads out and builds on the back. Powerful without being brawny or unrefined, this very young cabernet avoids the hard tannins that characterize so many Spring Mountain reds.

Saturated deep ruby. Crushed black fruits and minerals on the lively nose. The densest and richest of these 2006s, with a compelling sweetness to its extremely primary dark fruit and bitter chocolate flavors. Not yet complex but has terrific stuffing to support its big, chewy, broad tannins. Lay this one down.

Full ruby. Briary dark berries, licorice and tar, lifted by a floral nuance. Impressively concentrated but tightly wound and backward, with powerful flavors of briary berries, chocolate and truffle. Finishes with chewy, firm tannins and excellent aromatic persistence. This has turned out very well, but calls for at least five or six years of bottle aging.

Glass-staining ruby. Brooding dark berry, kirsch and licorice aromas and flavors are enlivened by a zesty blood orange nuance and an intense floral quality. Dense and chewy in texture initially but softens and becomes livelier with aeration. Shows excellent power and focus on the finish, which is firmed by dusty tannins and a touch of smoky minerality. The yield from this vineyard was reportedly under a half ton per acre in 2012.

Bright red. Exotic red and dark berry compote, cherry-cola and potpourri aromas are complicated by smoky minerals and herbs. Fleshy, seductively sweet raspberry and candied cherry flavors are strikingly pure and concentrated, with silky tannins adding support. Gains weight with air and finishes with excellent clarity and persistence. Put this one away for a couple of years, at least.

Deep red. Brooding aromas of cherry pit, licorice, dried rose and dark chocolate. Powerful, palate-coating dark fruit flavors slowly unfold to display sexy baking spices and flowers. The licorice note repeats strongly on the finish, which hangs on with great tenacity. I'd give this some time in the decanter or cellar.

Pale lemon-yellow. High-pitched aromas of orange blossom, lemon and minerals. Bright, lively and intense, with citrus, nectarine and stone flavors nicely framed by strong but well-integrated acidity. Very juicy, tautly structured chardonnay with a youthfully firm, lingering finish. I like this!

Chenin is exceptional as a variety that can retain acidity in warm climates. This first release from Matanzas Creek shows not only promise but secured success, with restrained but notable floral aromas followed by flavors recalling pear and white melon with a squeeze of fresh lime.

The 2023 Pinot Noir West Sonoma Coast pours a bright medium red hue and comes from the Seascape and Sealift vineyards. Lifted in the glass with ripe cranberries, fresh salty earth, orange zest, and fresh wildflowers, the palate is juicy and inviting, with a medium-bodied frame. It has a bit more of a linear feel without feeling austere and has a lovely, savory, spiced feel on the finish. Drink 2025-2032.

The 2021 Merlot Bennett Valley comes from the cooler subregion of the Bennett Valley and boasts a deep purple/red hue. The nose is ripe and pretty and has a lovely mineral lift, with notes of dark stones, black plum, pressed violets, and mocha. The palate is full and refreshing, with a well-managed, elegant feel, refreshing ripe acidity, chalky tannins, and a clean finish. It’s a beautiful wine that has the structure to drink well over the next 6-8 years, although I enjoy the youthful definition it offers now.

Pouring an inky black/purple color, the 2022 Malbec Knights Valley includes the small addition of 3% Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s ripe and feels more fruity and primary on opening, with notes of blueberry and blackberry compote, violets, and sweet earth. The palate is fullbodied and rich, with ripe tannins and a fruity, grippy structure. It would be fantastic with burgers or BBQ and has a youthful charm, although it will become more earth-noted as it develops.

The second vintage of this wine, he 2022 Marsanne Roussane Saralee's is a bright yellow hue and includes 25% Viognier in the mix this time. Fermented in neutral puncheons, it opens to notes of golden citrus, beeswax, golden melon, almond, and honeycomb. It’s full-bodied and offers a creamy, fresh feel with a silky, even finish. It’s a texturally lovely wine that stays opulent but never feels blousy. Drink 2025-2032. The original plantings of this site go back to 1989.

A youthful golden yellow color, the 2022 Chardonnay Kelli Ann Vineyard comes from the vineyard on eastside road that was planted in 1989. Generous on the nose, savory elements shine through its layered notes of pineapple, preserved lemon, and elegant spice. Fullbodied, with peachy ripe fruit, it offers notes of frangipane and vanilla, as well as a clean f inish and gorgeous length. Drink now or over the coming 5-6 years.

The golden yellow 2022 Chardonnay Durell Vineyard comes from the Sonoma Coast and opens to a ripe style with notes of wet stones, golden fruit, poached yellow apples, baking spice, and hazelnut. It’s ripe on the palate, with notes of toasted pineapple and a ripe, savory feel on the finish. Drink over the next several years.

Aromas of white peaches, lemons, baking spice, mandarins and pastry. The palate is medium-bodied with balanced acidity and a rounded mouthfeel. Shows generosity and underlying power and gives immediate drinking pleasure. Drink now.