The 2017s From Sonoma The more ruby-colored 2016 Pinot Noir Seven's Bench offers an earthier, more savory style as well as complex notes of ripe currants, autumn forest floor, cured meats, and smoked herbs. It’s rich, medium to full-bodied, and will be better with short-term cellaring. This cuvée from a site in Carneros is a mix of Mount Eden and Dijon 777 clones and spent 17 months in 30% new French oak. 298 cases.

The 2013 Pinot Noir Jennifer’s Marshall Vineyard comes from a vineyard south of Sebastopol that sits right in the windy Petaluma Gap. Foresty, woodsy aromas intermingled with raspberry, blueberry and black cherry fruit jump from the glass of this wine, which is medium to full-bodied and shows terrific purity, texture and length. It is still tightly knit, as one might expect. Another 6-12 months of bottle age is probably suggested, and the wine should evolve easily for a decade or more.

The 2009 Pinot Noir Jennifer's presents an intriguing combination of density in its fruit, but with plenty of underlying minerality from the site's proximity to the Petaluma Wind Gap. Wilder hints of earthiness, game, black olives, tar and licorice develop in the glass, adding considerable complexity. This is almost Syrah-like in its aromatic and flavor profile. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2017.

The cool-climate 2001 Chardonnay Seascape, from a vineyard not harvested until November, exhibits high acidity along with a liquid flint-like bouquet offering notes of honeyed grapefruit, nectarines, and a striking minerality, This lustrous, singular style of Chardonnay has more in common with a grand crus Chablis than most California Chardonnays. It should provide immense pleasure over the next 4-6 years.

USA, Oregon: 2016 Vintage – Part Two Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2016 Pinot Noir Dropstone has a lovely nose of blueberries, black cherries, cassis, exotic spice, autumn leaves and crushed rock. Medium-bodied, it features lovely ripe, dark fruits in the mouth with layers of spice and earth plus a wonderful mineral line. It's got fine, pixelated tannins and juicy acidity, finishing long and spicy.

USA, Oregon: 2016 Vintage – Part Two The 2016 Chardonnay Yamhill-Carlton has a lovely open nose of spiced apples, acacia honey, lemon cream, toast and dried white flowers. Medium-bodied with a great creamy texture, it fills the mouth with layers of honey toast, cream, ripe orchard fruits and spice, with great mouthwatering acidity and a long floral finish.

The 2014 Chardonnay Yamhill-Carlton has a compelling savory character on the nose, offering a mélange of baking bread, yeast extract, salted almonds and brioche with a core of warm pineapples and pink grapefruit, plus a hint of honeysuckle. The medium-bodied palate delivers generous stone and tropical fruit 􀃓avors with a creamy texture and plenty of freshness paving the long finish.

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!

The 2022 Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley was blended with 9% Cabernet Franc and 6% Petit Verdot and matured for 12 months in 25% new French oak. It bursts from the glass with pure aromas of cassis, violet, pencil shavings, garrigue and well-integrated new-oak spice. The full-bodied palate features concentrated, enveloping flavors. It’s framed by abundant, grainy tannins and juicy acidity and has a long, floral finish. It will benefit from some time in a decanter.