Elegant nose with aromas of creamy red berry fruit combining nicely with mocha and sweet spices. Silky texture with a long, pleasant finish.

The 2010 Bordeauxs are proving their merit and age worthiness in bottle. Lassegue's dense and tightly packed St. Emilion Grand cru displays its ambition on its sleeve, still featuring significant oak influence, albeit very high quality wood, alongside roasted vegetal character and especially masses of black fruit, and now the development of tertiary, earthy, mushroom-truffle notes that add interest and intrigue. It's anything but a subtle, elegant wine, rather a full-on bruiser, thick and dense, but impressive in that context, a soldier, not aristocrat. Forget for another 2-4 years, or hold into the mid-thirties. Tasted January 2020.

From a great Bordeaux vintage this maturing merlot-based red shows complex but subdued aromas of leather, very ripe blackberry/plummy fruit, chocolate, oak resin and an offsetting touch of fresh dill/basil herbality. It is quite full bodied with a sense of volume, but it is not heavy. There is some Bordeaux finesse here too - good acidity. Tannins are quite dusty and drying but again not hard. The length is very good to excellent. Best now to 2025. Tasted Jan 2020.

Rod Berglund created La Crema Viñera in 1979 with a group of friends who invested in his endeavor. His vision was to make single vineyard, cool climate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. His mentors included Joseph Swan and André Tchelistcheff. His wines were well received and inspired others, but marketing conditions were not in his favor. In 1984, the winery was sold. Berglund married Swan’s daughter, Lynn, in 1986, and helped Swan with his last harvest in 1987. Joseph Swan died in early 1989 and Lynn and Rod Burglund continue to operate the winery. Jess Jackson took up Berglund’s mission in 1993, shortening the name to La Crema and focusing on cool spots in the Russian River Valley. The winery is now located in the beautiful Saralee’s Vineyard in Russian River and La Crema winemaker Craig McAllister invited founder Rod Berglund to join him in creating this wine to celebrate 40 years. The grapes come from several estate vineyards including Bellflower, Piner, Saralee’s, Seascape and Ross. It is a tantalizing wine with ruby red color and pretty cherry, raspberry aromas with a hint of floral notes and dried roses. In the mouth its svelte structure supports layered flavors of black cherry, blood orange, rose and a touch of fresh herbs. The acidity is mouthwatering, and the tannins are fine grained, encouraging flavors to linger while you experience the harmony of the elements coming together.

Buckets of fruit, strawberry and cracked black pepper. Sharp and focused, with sweet fruits, dry tannins, and some savoury character.

Try these great winter wines to get you through to spring Another winner from Jackson Family Wines founded by the late Jess Jackson, this wine is 87 percent cabernet sauvignon with the balance filled out by cabernet franc, malbec, and petite verdot. Cassis and black cherry elements with a hint of chocolate form the core of this classically made wine. Although approachable now this wine will age gracefully for 10-plus years.

Top 10 wines for 2020 My taste in Pinot Noir typically resides in the old world Burgundy realm and, as such, I find many California examples a little overripe for my tastes but there are exceptions to almost every rule and this is one of them. Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton founded this winery in 2005 and sold controlling interests to Jackson Family Wines in 2017 but remain on as part owners and winemaking team. This is really impressive Pinot crafted in the Burgundian mould with notes of cassis, dried figs, spice and cranberry. Try it with duck confit, roast chicken and baked salmon.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth A resounding success for the year, the 2017 Cardinale is truly impressive. It is also one of the most refined young wines I have tasted here. In most vintages, Cardinale is predominantly made from mountain sites, but the 2017 is roughly equal parts mountain and valley floor fruit. Inky blue/purplish fruit, white flowers, lavender and mint all build in the glass. Lifted and beautifully perfumed, the 2017 is exceptionally polished.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon (Mt. Veeder) is another huge, tannic wine from Mt. Brave. Inky dark fruit, blackberry jam, bittersweet chocolate, spice and new leather are all kicked up a few notches in this dramatic, unctuous wine. Huge tannins wrap around all of the fruit in a big, potent Cabernet endowed with tremendous personality and class. That's the good news. The not-so-good news is that the 2017 needs a number of years to be at its very best.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2017 Cabernet Franc captures a stunning intersection of Franc and Mt. Veeder terroir. Inky, deep and super expressive, the 2017 possesses tremendous richness. Crème de cassis, menthol, lavender, chocolate and graphite infuse the 2017 with real depth and brooding intensity. Beams of incisive tannin give the wine its shape and energy. Readers will need to be patient. The 2017 is really a wine from Mt. Veeder first and foremost; it has tons of character and personality.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2017 Caladan, Cardinale's Cabernet Franc-based wine, is rich, heady and full of personality. Today, it is impressive, but also shut down and showing only a bit of its ultimate potential. Time in the glass brings out pretty floral and red-toned notes, cedar and tobacco. I hope to be able to taste the 2017 again in the near future, as my impression is that it is holding back quite a bit of potential.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2017 Cabernet Franc is fabulous. Bold and dramatic in scale, the 2017 hits the palate with serious fruit intensity and tons of pure richness. Super-ripe red cherry, red plum, menthol, wild flowers, chocolate and mocha build as this racy, voluptuous wine shows off its alluring personality. The 2017 needs time in bottle to develop its full range of aromatics, but it has a ton of potential.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2017 Chardonnay - W.S. Keyes is rich and deeply phenolic, with all of the natural structure that is so typical of Howell Mountain. Bright and fresh on the palate, with terrific energy, the 2017 is wonderfully nuanced and full of character. Savory herbs, chamomile, mint, pineapple and exotic floral notes add to the wine's character, while blocked malolactic fermentation keeps the flavors bright.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore is dark and beautifully resonant from start to finish. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather, mocha, dark spice and licorice infuse the 2016 with notable character as well as volume. Ample and expansive on the palate, with tremendous depth, the 2016 has so much to offer.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Rutherford) is powerful, dense and savory, not to mention incredibly expressive. Sweet tobacco, grilled herbs, leather, licorice, chocolate and dried flowers develop in this characterful Cabernet; there is plenty of Rutherford dirt personality as well. This is very nicely done.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2018 Chardonnay is a very pretty, nuanced wine that deftly balances textural richness and vibrancy. Lemon peel, orchard fruit, mint and bright floral notes are finely sculpted in this classy, wonderfully polished Chardonnay from Freemark Abbey.

This dark red colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Freemark Abbey opens with a faint blueberry and oak bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and smooth. The flavor profile is a gentle graphite influenced black currant with notes of juicy plum. I also detected a hint of five spice. The finish is dry and its dusty well-managed tannins linger and last for a while. I would pair this Cab with a New York strip steak.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2017 Merlot is ripe, bold and luscious. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, new leather, licorice and cinnamon give the Merlot a good deal of aromatic freshness to play off the ripe, luscious fruit. The new oak needs a bit of time to integrate, but there is plenty to like here - that much is obvious.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Latro is rich, lush and super-expressive. Black cherry, chocolate, spice, new leather and espresso give the 2017 quite a bit of brooding darkness. There is plenty of Knights Valley savoriness and structure, which means readers will want to cellar the 2017 for at least a few years. This is really expressive and terrific; a wine of great character.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Naissance is bright and finely sculpted, with terrific focus with a range of varietal flavors that open up in the glass. Lemon peel, white flowers, crushed rocks, mint and sage all race out of the glass. I especially like the energy in this Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville) emerges entirely from the Jackson family's Cardinale estate and shows all of the textural richness that is so common in wines from this part of Oakville. Rich, resonant and creamy with terrific depth, the 2016 is wonderfully sensual and inviting, even in the early going. Time in the glass brings out very pretty red fruit and floral overtones that add freshness. This is an unusually approachable young Cabernet.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Bosché is a powerful, inward wine that is still recovering from its recent bottling a few months before this tasting. The 2016 is attractive, but not more expressive beyond that.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Pleinair is racy, silky and super-expressive. Sweet floral and spice notes give the 2017 pretty aromatic top notes and brightness. This is a very solid value in the world of Napa Valley Cabernet, marked by plush red fruit and floral notes.