USA, California, Napa Valley: More 2016s Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley reveals fresh blackberries, blackcurrants and black plums with hints of dark chocolate, menthol and fertile soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers delicious, crunchy black fruits and harmonious structure, finishing softly textured and spicy. 36,588 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: More 2016s Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford rolls from the glass with warm blackberries, black cherry compote and red and black currants at the core with touches of cardamom, lavender, dusty earth and wild thyme. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has plenty of bright, lively fruit and ripe, finely grained tannins, delivering a well-poised, delicately earthy finish.

Here's a fine and fleshy, generous, ripe, dark fruit-flavoured pinot that fits a warm vintage Willamette mold accurately, well-crafted, cleverly oak-influenced. I like the ripe, supple tannins and the ripe-balanced acids, not to mention the long finish. Solidly constructed. Tasted September 2019. Value Rating: **1/2

Santa Barbara: Present & Future Cambria's 2017 Chardonnay Clone 4 is creamy, open-knit and wonderfully layered, while retaining the mid-weight sense of structure that is the signature of the Cambria wines today. Tangerine, mint, vanillin, almond and chamomile grace this attractive, understated Chardonnay from Cambria.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Pinot Noir Solomon Hills Vineyard is soft, supple and delicate. Bright red berry fruit and floral overtones, along with silky tannins give he 2017 its distinctly lifted, airy personality. This is a pretty delicate, understated expression of Solomon Hills Pinot Noir, with all the elements in the right place.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Pinot Noir Q Block Bien Nacido Vineyard is laced with expressive red/purplish berry fruit, sage, lavender and rose petal overtones. Supple silky and inviting, the 2017 is another Pinot in this range that will drink beautifully upon release.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard is fresh, airy and nicely lifted. Chalk, red berries, mint and sweet floral notes give the 2017 a brilliant aromatic upper register. The Fiddlestix is one of the more compact wine in this range. At the same time, winemaker Jonathan Nagy has succeeded in making a rare Fiddlestix that captures terrific fruit purity while avoiding some of the more rustic elements that are so common here.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future One of the highlights in this range, the 2017 Pinot Noir (Sta.Rita Hills) is fresh, perfumed and wonderfully inviting. Rose petal, blood orange, kirsch and mint give the 2017 a decidedly exotic feel that is hugely appealing. In 2017, the Sta. Rita Hills Pinot is wonderfully lifted and nuanced, with terriffc balance and class that will make it impossible to resist, even upon release. Machado and Hapgood are the core sources for this appellation Pinot.

USA, California, Central Coast: The 2017 Vintage in Santa Barbara County Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2017 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard has an open nose with scents of crushed blueberries and black cherries, licorice, perfumed earth, dried citrus and oodles of floral perfume. Medium-bodied and concentrated with nuanced fruits, it has a sturdy frame of grainy tannins, great freshness and a long, layered finish.

USA, California, Central Coast: The 2017 Vintage in Santa Barbara County The 2017 Chardonnay Santa Maria Valley was entirely barrel fermented and aged in 40% new French oak. It opens perfumed, with chamomile, honey-drizzled apples, crushed stone, pie crust and fresh hay plus bright lemon and lime sparks. Light to medium-bodied, it offers appealing perfumed fruits in the mouth, with refreshing acidity and a long, lifted finish.

USA, California, Central Coast: The 2017 Vintage in Santa Barbara County The 2016 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills, made with 40% new oak, is medium ruby colored and has a nose of pipe tobacco, saline and licorice with notes of charcuterie, pepper, nori, earth, wet bark and black and red berries. Medium-bodied, it’s savory in the mouth, segueing to bright citrus and flower sparks. It has a frame of grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing long.

USA, California, Central Coast: The 2017 Vintage in Santa Barbara County The 2017 Jackson Estate Camelot Highlands Chardonnay has an expressive, pleasantly reductive nose of struck flint, toast, dried hay and mushroom with red apple, saline and chamomile hints. The palate is medium to full-bodied, gaining in amplitude before the juicy acidity kicks in, finishing long and savory. This is well made and a great value.

USA, California, Central Coast: The 2017 Vintage in Santa Barbara County The 2016 Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard Signature Collection fermented in stainless steel and was barrel aged in 35% new French oak for 16 months. Light to medium ruby colored, it's scented of woodsmoke, Earl Grey tea leaves, tangerine peel, rosewater perfume, potpourri, moss-covered bark and even juniper notes with cranberry, rhubarb and crushed blackberries—very layered and perfumed. Light to medium-bodied, it has a gorgeous interplay of ripe fruits and earthy character, with a silky texture, fine, grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing long and perfumed.

USA, California, Central Coast: The 2017 Vintage in Santa Barbara County The 2016 Pinot Noir Barbara's Signature Collection (100% Dijon clone 667) was fermented entirely in barrel and aged for 16 months in 100% new French oak. Pale to medium ruby in color, the nose gives up oodles of pure, crushed berries—cranberries, blackberries and red cherries—with notes of charcuterie, cinnamon stick, underbrush, citrus peel, dried rose petals and moss. Medium-bodied, it has great intensity in the mouth with a sturdy frame of grainy tannins and good freshness to lift the long, layered finish.

USA, California, Central Coast: The 2017 Vintage in Santa Barbara County Pale to medium ruby in color, the 2016 Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard has a bright nose of Bing cherry, wild blackberries, earth and stewed black tea leaves with saline and hints of charcuterie and potpourri. Medium-bodied and silky, it's much more giving in the mouth with black and red fruits and tons of Earl Grey tea-tinged spice, with soft, grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing long and layered. A delicate, earthy and pretty expression.

USA, California, Central Coast: The 2017 Vintage in Santa Barbara County The 2016 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard comes from a windy site planted on sandy loam with diatomaceous earth, using one-third whole cluster and 50% new oak. Pale to medium ruby and youthfully tight on the nose, it slowly gives up blueberry, black plum, violet and warm blackberries with blue fruit hints, cocoa, graphite, moss-covered bark and rain-spattered soil. Medium-bodied, silky and mineral-driven in the mouth, it slowly segues out to spice, with dusty-textured tannins and integrated acidity, finishing long and minerally.

Tasting the Traumatic 2017 Vintage (And Others) in Northern California Extremely pure fruit with blueberries and blackcurrants. Lavender, too. Full body. Stony and slightly austere tannins, but real mountain character. Needs two to three years to soften a little, but I like it.

Tasting the Traumatic 2017 Vintage (And Others) in Northern California A fresh, creamy white with sliced-apple and pear character, as well as some pie-crust and praline aromas and flavors. Medium to full body. Flavorful, yet tame on the palate. Drink or hold.

Vibrant ruby color and a bright plum nose; silky and mellow with plum, cassis, and blackberry, plus a refined style and nice depth; balanced and long.

Pale and substantial, this is a bright and zesty chardonnay carrying yellow notes of chamomile and the fresh green crunch of celery through a tight finish. Juicy citrus flavors balance its savor. Bring out the wine’s earthiness with snapper roasted over fennel.

From a cool, sandy site Brewer-Clifton developed in 2007, this fires on three cylinders: rich, tropical fruit (think pineapple); waves of fine, sleek acidity; and a nutty, oaky richness. The net effect is structured and racy, with a mouthwatering hazelnut finish that brings to mind a pairing with buttery roast carrots and leeks.

Made from old-vine fruit from hillside blocks planted above Santa Maria’s benchland, this is chardonnay in a classical vein. It’s sumptuous and flavorful, the pear and apple flavors driven by oak without being over the top. Powerful and stylish; for fried chicken.

Oregon: An Embarrassment of Riches and Richness Translucent ruby-red. A seductively perfumed bouquet evokes fresh dark berries, potpourri, spicecake and cola, along with a building mineral overtone. Concentrated yet energetic in style, showing excellent clarity and spicy lift to the sweet black raspberry, boysenberry and floral pastille flavors. Becomes nervier and spicier on the finish, which hangs on with strong tenacity and gentle tannic grip. (60% new French oak)

Oregon: An Embarrassment of Riches and Richness Vivid magenta color. Displays deeply perfumed aromas of ripe red/blue fruits, candied flowers and licorice, with a suggestion of savory herbs emerging as the wine opens up. Chewy and densely packed on the palate, offering energetic blackberry, bitter cherry and smoked meat flavors and an exotic touch of baking spices. Finishes sweet, broad and very long, with steadily building tannins and lingering violet and spice notes.

Medium ruby color. Lovely aromas of fresh cherries, raspberries and red plums, topped in cola, rhubarb, white pepper, violets, and some earthy-clay notes. Plush yet zesty on the palate with dusty tannins. Bountiful but crisp fruit (cherries, strawberries, raspberries), and I get notes of spiced tea, rhubarb, cola, violet petals and earth. Plump and fruity but vibrant and complex as well, this should do well with two or three years, but it’s very accessible now, too. From a block of Pommard clone in the Londer block of this vineyard, 50% whole cluster fermentation, aged 10 months in 33% new French oak.