USA, Oregon: Searching for Hidden Gems from Willamette Valley's 2017 VintageThe medium ruby colored 2016 Pinot Noir Triple Black Slopes opens with pipe tobacco, tar, scorched earth and hints of dried herbs and charcuterie with notions of wild blackberries, aniseed and black currant. The palate is medium-bodied, silky and slow to open, grainy and fresh on the long finish. This may benefit from another year in bottle.

USA, Oregon: Searching for Hidden Gems from Willamette Valley's 2017 VintageMedium ruby, the 2016 Pinot Noir Terres Basses opens with broody scents of dried tobacco leaves, tar, blackberries and black currants with touches of cinnamon stick, dried citrus peel and amaro. The palate is medium-bodied and silky with youthfully coiled fruits, grainy tannins and juicy freshness, finishing bitters-laced. Give this another year in bottle.

USA, Oregon: Searching for Hidden Gems from Willamette Valley's 2017 VintageThe 2017 Chardonnay Willamette Valley was barrel fermented with 75% malolactic fermentation, and it aged in about 30% new oak. It has inviting scents of poached pears and red apple skin with notes of white blossoms, white peach, cheese rind and oyster shell. The palate is light to medium-bodied with a lightly rounded texture and a good core of fruit lifted by juicy acidity, finishing long, clean and refreshing. A restrained but approachable style of Chardonnay.

USA, Oregon: Searching for Hidden Gems from Willamette Valley's 2017 VintageMedium ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley opens with inviting scents of shaved nutmeg, cinnamon stick, warm cranberry sauce, rhubarb and ripe raspberries with accents of warm earth, blackberries and autumn leaves. The palate is medium-bodied and silky with grainy tannins and seamless freshness, finishing on an earthy note.

USA, Oregon: Searching for Hidden Gems from Willamette Valley's 2017 VintageThe 2017 Riesling Hyland Vineyard Old Vines comes from original, own-rooted 1972 plantings. It's scented of petrol, lime juice, crushed slate, ripe peach and a tropical undercurrent with citrus blossom perfume. The palate is light-bodied and tensile, with energetic acidity and a minerally undercurrent, finishing long and fresh. The IRF scale on the back label indicates this as medium dry—there is some perceptible sugar here—but the wine is nearly weightless in the mouth due to that tangy acidity.

USA, Oregon: Searching for Hidden Gems from Willamette Valley's 2017 VintageMedium ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard gives up warm blackberries, cranberry sauce, loamy earth, bergamot, saline, crushed stone and pink peppercorn scents with amaro notions in the undercurrent. Medium-bodied, silky and fresh, it finishes spicy. This will benefit from one more year in bottle.

USA, Oregon: Searching for Hidden Gems from Willamette Valley's 2017 VintageThe 2018 Viognier has a nose of honeysuckle, meringue, ripe melon and a peachy core. It's medium-bodied and gently rounded in texture with intense but lively flavors and a long, floral-tinged finish.

USA, Oregon: Searching for Hidden Gems from Willamette Valley's 2017 VintageThe NV Brut Rosé is made up of 56% Pinot Noir and 44% Chardonnay, coming mostly from the 2016 vintage and containing five grams per liter dosage. The nose offers Red Delicious apple, baking bread, cheese rind, poached pears, white blossoms and crushed stone scents, and in the mouth, it's savory with sprightly mousse and a refreshing finish.

USA, Oregon: Searching for Hidden Gems from Willamette Valley's 2017 VintageThe 2017 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley has a pale to medium ruby color and opens with crunchy cranberries, blackberries, pomegranate, dried herbs and dusty earth with touches of bitter peel and bark. The light-bodied, silky palate offers pure, earth-laced, crunchy fruits, finely grained and fresh on the earthy finish. "We picked some grapes early and some later and blended them, in an effort to retain natural acidity without having to acidify," says winemaker Lynn Penner-Ash.

The Best Rosé Wines to Drink This YearThis new vintage from Cenyth and winemaker Hélène Seillan is made from 100 percent Cabernet Franc, one of two wines that she makes at the winery. There are fragrant notes of fruits like crisp pear and apple, complemented by floral whiffs of honeysuckle and lavender. Overall, this is a highly enjoyable rosé.

The 25 Best Cabernet Sauvignons for2020It’s big and oaky. The fruit is rich and tart; you’ll smack your lips for real. The tannins are subtle at first but then they settle in, giving the wine a nice long finish. It could use maybe one more year in bottle to soften up a bit, but this is a typical steakhouse red that you can bring to the parents or gift the boss.

The 25 Best Cabernet Sauvignons for2020The cool thing about this wine is that it won’t cost you too much, and you still get some seriously powerful Cali Cab vibes. This bottle is still aging, but is showing some awesome right now. It has nice tight fruit, with classic aromas thatwill remind you of cherries (maybe even cranberries), a forest in October, and a whiff of cracked black pepper. The tannins are young and dry, but create a nice framework for the fruit. It’s such a nice, balanced wine, and would kill as a gift toimpress the boss or maybe an in-law.

The 25 Best Cabernet Sauvignons for2020This wine shows the full power of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. It’s dark and brooding and deserves descriptors such as: dense aromas of mocha and blackberries with slight hints of white and black pepper. All this means that this bottle is straight-up amazing. It has a rustic edge on the palate that will onlysoften over another year or so. If you’re going to spend this much money on Napa, please consider this bottle and buy the most expensive cut of meat you can afford.

Next we venture to the well-balanced Cambria Estate Winery 2018 Katherine's Vineyard chardonnay, which we pair with strawberry yogurt and waffles. The nose on this wine is spring in a bottle: fresh citrus blossom, flowers, and fruit, complemented by apple and wet stone in the body, with oak influence mid-palate. Sitting with my waffles, yogurt, and chardonnay, I start thinking about Hearst Castle and the ridiculously well-to-do: If each millionaire financially adopted each of the restaurants they regularly eat at (just for the shelter-at-home duration), everyone's favorite places wouldn't have to close down after the quarantine.

Tony Rynders, now free of his lawsuit with a former employer, is back making a white pinot noir under a different label. Not surprisingly, it’s a stunner. Unusual but not unique, a white pinot noir simply quickly removes the juice from the skin to strip the pinot noir of its more common red color. The texture is the same, but this wine has loads of aromas, balance and bright fruit character.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2018 Zinfandel Dina's Vineyard is bright, perfumed and incredibly gracious. There is plenty of energy, but the Dina's has a weightless feel that gives energy and a real feeling of finesse. A wine of precision and nuance, the Dina's hits all the right notes. It is such a gorgeous and expressive wine.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2017 Syrah Brosseau is another exceptional wine in this range from Copain. Dark, brooding and intense in the glass, the 2017 needs a bit of air to emerge, but when it does, turns utterly captivating. A black cherry, plum, lavender, menthol and blood orange infusion gives the Brosseau tons of character. The tannins need time to soften, so readers need to be patient.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2017 Syrah Hawks Butte is bright, floral and full of energy. Sweet red and purplish fruit, wild flowers, blood orange, spice and pepper notes all race out of the glass. The 2017 is wonderfully inviting and alluring, with stunning aromatic presence, bright fruit and exceptional balance. Wow. This is a sensational wine by any measure.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesA rich, unctuous wine, the 2017 Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard is going to need a few years to shed some baby fat. Exotic floral, spice and citrus aromatics meld into a core of plush fruit in a deep, textured Pinot that will have so much to offer one it comes together a bit more fully in bottle. The 2017 has the density and richness to develop beautifully in bottle for many years to come.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2018 Zinfandel Fanucchi-Wood Road Zinfandel is one of the standouts in this range from Hartford. A burst of floral notes and beams of tannin give the Fanucchi a real feeling of tension and drive. Dollops Petite Sirah in this field blend add character. There is something - many things, actually, about the Fanucchi-Wood Road Zinfandel that are so appealing.

The 2017 Chardonnay Seascape Vineyard, from a site next to Coastlands, is one of the most compelling wines in this range. Clean mineral notes frame citrus peel, white flowers, mint and crushed rocks. Vivid and finely cut, the Seascape will appeal most to readers who enjoy energetic Chardonnays.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2017 Pinot Noir Jory Hills Vineyard is an extroverted, luscious Pinot loaded with character. Black cherry, plum, lavender and spice come together in a bold, creamy Pinot endowed with plenty of richness and exuberance. The Jory Hills, from Oregon's Willamette Valley, is a bit out of place in this range of Anderson Valley Pinots, but it is undeniably impressive.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2017 Pinot Noir Land's Edge Vineyards is one of the more refined and pedigreed wines in this range. Rich and deep, yet also finely cut, the 2017 captures the magic of the coastal sites that go into the blend. Inky purplish fruit, sage, lavender, mint and spice all build as this super-expressive Pinot shows off its pedigreed personality. The 2017 is so nicely done.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2017 Pinot Noir Fog Dance Vineyard is creamy and voluptuous in the glass, with tremendous richness. A wine of real substance, the Fog Dance is going to need at least a few years to come together. Red and purplish fruit, pomegranate, blood orange, lavender and star anise build as this potent Pinot shows off its multi-faceted personality.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesOne of the standouts in this tasting, the 2017 Pinot Noir Jennifer's is fabulous. Super-ripe red and purplish fruit, rose petal, lavender, game and blood orange infuse the 2017 with striking character. The Jennifer's is one of the more savory wines in the range. I especially admire the wine's aromatic depth, but there are many dimensions here to discover.