Graceful and delicate, featuring silky cherry and raspberry flavors, laced with orange peel and underbrush hints, building richness and structure toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2029.

Rich and finely detailed, with expressive cherry and blueberry flavors, accented by sassafras tea and rose petal notes, wrapped in a silky finish that lingers. Drink now through 2029.

Dynamic, with multilayered flavors swaddled in a velvety texture. Lively raspberry, blueberry and orange tea notes develop elegant complexity on the detailed finish. Drink now through 2029.

Graceful and elegantly structured, with pretty raspberry, stony mineral and tea accents that gather richness and backbone on a long finish. Drink now through 2027.

Juicy and full of richly spiced dark cherry, mulberry and dark plum flavors that are flanked by light iodine and hot stone notes. Shows savory focus on the broad, plush finish. Drink now through 2024.

Shows presence in an appealingly brooding fashion, with deep blueberry, dusky spice and black tea flavors that build tension toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2029.

Polished and plump fruit wraps gracefully around a complex backbone, with an expressive range and dusky spice accents that build toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2028.

Structure meets polish, with expressive raspberry, savory tea and spice flavors that build richness and tension toward refined tannins. Drink now through 2027.

Shows polish and presence, with expressive rose petal and raspberry aromas that pair with multilayered boysenberry and orange peel flavors, finishing with well-groomed tannins. Drink now through 2027.

Expressive raspberry and brooding spice aromas open to multilayered pomegranate and black tea flavors that take on tension toward fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2027.

Floral raspberry and pomegranate scents open to structured and multilayered cherry and orange tea flavors that take on presence toward fine tannins. Drink now through 2027.

A pretty wine, with bold honeysuckle aromas that lead to crisp yet oily-textured apricot, spice nut and orange peel flavors. Drink now.

Focused, with pure-tasting Fuji apple and Asian pear flavors that are supported by fresh acidity. Lemongrass notes show on the juicy finish. Drink now through 2022.

The mountain-grown cabernets of Sonoma's Alexander Valley remain a source of true California cab value without having to pay Napa prices. This high altitude cab pours deep ruby-purple. The nose lifts with ripe blackcurrant jam, cabernet mint, dark chocolate and fine vaguely resinous wood spice. It is full bodied, chunky and firm with considerable alcohol and tannin, so you may want to age a few bottles. Excellent focus and length, Tasted Feb 2020.

Lassegue’s 2016 Bordeaux is an earth-fueled monster, layering notes of mushroom and leather with cassis and blackberry. A licorice kick spars with notes of graphite and crushed slate, plus a modest balsamic note. The finish folds together chocolate and a significant violet character clearly driven by the merlot in the blend (about 60-65%). Complex and curious, it’s a wine that evolves nicely in glass and rewards an extended night of exploration.

This dark ruby colored Merlot from Mt. Brave shared top honors in a recent mini-blind tasting that we conducted. It opens with a very inviting blueberry and black cherry bouquet. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, balanced and rich. The flavor profile is a chocolate covered cherry cordial with notes of blueberry. We also detected some hints of oak and vanilla mixed in. The finish is dry and its moderate tannins show very nice length. The Panel suggested pairing this very good Merlot with short ribs.

11 Stellar Low-Alcohol Wines That Will Change How You Think About Low-Alcohol Wines This Cabernet Franc–based blend from Vérité offers gorgeous aromatics—rose petals over blackberry liqueur and fresh mint. Juicy dark berry and plum flavors are laced with baking spices, and fine-grained tannins are delivered with perfect tension in this bright, balanced wine.

11 Stellar Low-Alcohol Wines That Will Change How You Think About Low-Alcohol Wines No “wimpy Merlot,” this bright and elegant version from Hickinbotham’s winemaker Chris Carpenter (Cardinale, Lokoya) has a firm but integrated backbone of tannin underlying fresh cherry, raspberry, and cassis layered with notes of violets, dark chocolate, and crushed herbs.

A tasty sauvignon blanc with notes of grapefruit, lemongrass and honeysuckle. Balanced, with nice minerality. Pretty. 4 stars.

Natalie MacLean's Wines of the Week - Feb. 24, 2020 This is the half-bottle (375 ml) size of this wine and the full-size 750 ml is also available. A full-bodied and rich wine blend of 95% Cabernet Sauvignon with the balance in Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Merlot. Look for ripe dark cherry, red berry, dried sweet tobacco leak and smoky vanilla flavours on this well-balanced California Cab. Enjoy now and for the next three years. Pair with a meat-lover's pizza.

This isn’t released until July 2020 but if Australian cabernet shiraz blends are to your liking then this release is worth jumping on as soon as you can.It’s a seriously good wine. Its volume and silken mouthfeel announce themselves from the first sip but then the long chains of tannin, tobacco and dust and floral-like highlights, and compelling length serve to seal a quite wonderful deal. This is hearty, full-bodied Australian red wine in all its glory. It’s built on redcurrant, plum, blackcurrant and cloves and the mouthfeel/length combination here is really quite something.

Vines planted mostly in 1971. Not due for release until July but it came across my desk now.Fine-grained tannin. Sweet, ripe fruit. Creamy mouthfeel. And while it all feels controlled, it feels luxurious throughout, perfumed, plush, those kind of vibes. There are sweet herb/tobacco-like characters here too and sophisticated, smoky edges. It’s still coming together but the fine spread of tannin, gorgeous flavour and reach through the finish all spell (high) quality.

Tasting the Traumatic 2017 Vintage (And Others) in Northern California Blueberries, crushed stones, blackberries and violets. So floral. Full-bodied, yet tight and polished with pointed tannins that give it energy and vivacity. This is the Ausone of Napa. Better to wait three or four years. Try after 2022.

Tasting the Traumatic 2017 Vintage (And Others) in Northern California This is stunning on the nose with crushed cassis, like creme de cassis, and violets. So beautiful to smell. Medium to full body. Compact, refined tannins flow across the palate to the borders of the wine. All about balance, freshness and purity. One of the best ever. Drink or hold.

Tasting the Traumatic 2017 Vintage (And Others) in Northern California This is a tight, Chablis-like white with sliced-peach and honeysuckle character. Medium-to full-bodied, tangy and vivid. Precise. Wonderful energy. No malo. Drink or hold.