2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Equitem offers lovely texture to play off the expressive varietal notes. Orchard fruit, almond, dried flowers and sage all meld together effortlessly. The Equitem has a bit more richness than the Naissance. I would prefer to drink it over the next few years.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is plump, juicy and forward - all characteristics that make it a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so. Sweet black cherry, plum, new oak, spice, new leather and coffee notes are all pushed forward in this mid-weight, succulent and highly appealing Cabernet.

New Year, New You How Cocooning Can Help You Relax in 2020 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon recommended during the segment.

A relatively high-toned nose features mostly red berry fruit aromas that display a top note of menthol. The sleek, detailed and nicely vibrant flavors possess an attractive texture before terminating in a mildly bitter pit fruit-inflected finish. This is delicious and dry in the best sense on the refreshing finish. While it could use a bit more depth, this relatively forward effort is really quite good.

A slightly cooler nose reflects notes of pure and perfumed essence of red pinot fruit that is trimmed in pretty spice nuances. The equally well-delineated flavors possess a sophisticated mouthfeel and good vibrancy, all wrapped in a dusty and, in contrast to the mid-palate, slightly less refined finish that isn’t exactly raspy but neither is it sleek.

Siduri's Edmeades Vineyard Pinot Noir is from a site that’s probably more widely known for robust Zinfandel, and it's a wine that makes me wonder why that’s the case. This is a restrained beauty, with lively tart cherry, dry earth minerality and great finish push where the acidity rings and gets your palate going. An excellent foil for fish or fowl.

This very dark ruby colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Stonestreet opens with a fragrant black cherry bouquet with a hint of black currant, green pepper and blueberry. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, nicely balanced and fruit forward. The flavor profile is a complex blend of blueberry, black cherry and refined minerality with notes of black currant and nicely integrated oak. The finish is dry and moderate refined tannins show very nicely length. This finesse Cab would pair very nicely with a filet mignon.

Anderson Valley is justifiably receiving more attention for their restrained, elegant versions of pinot noir. Located in Mendocino County near the coast this cool climate area produces fine pinot noir that tends to be lower in alcohol and featuring less jammy fruit than some of their more southern cousins. This version by Kendall- Jackson offers delicious strawberry and plum notes and light tannins in a very easy to drink style and affordable style.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Deep garnet in color, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain rolls out of the glass with exuberant warm cassis, blueberry compote and Black Forest cake notes plus hints of exotic spices, wilted roses, black licorice and underbrush with a waft of dusty soil. Full-bodied, rich and beautifully perfumed in the mouth, it has plush tannins and just enough freshness, finishing very long and fragrant. Still very youthful, this beauty still has at least another quarter of a century of cellaring in it! 88 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Very deep garnet-black, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder slowly unfurls to reveal blackcurrant cordial, chocolate-covered cherries and black licorice with nuances of unsmoked cigars, star anise, spice cake and chargrill. Full-bodied, the palate is full-on seductive with ripe, plush tannins and tons of concentrated, expressive black fruit preserves, finishing on a long-lingering licorice note. 952 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective A blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec, the 2009 La Joie sports a very deep garnet color. It opens with baked plums, licorice and blackcurrant cordial notes—on steroids—with an undercurrent of oolong tea, aged meats, fragrant earth and new leather plus a waft of black olives. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers mouth-filling evolved black fruits and earthy sparks with a foundation of firm, chewy tannins and soft freshness, finishing long with some herbal accents coming through. 2,400 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Composed of 85% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 La Muse gives a deep garnet color and delivers pronounced, profound notes of cigar box, baked cherries, dried mulberries and crème de cassis with hints of truffles, dusty soil and Chinese five spice. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is strutting a lot of exotic spice and savory layers with a chewy frame and mineral-tinged finish. 1,000 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective According to winemaker Christopher Carpenter, the 2009 Proprietary Red Wine was dominated by Mr. Veeder fruit. Deep garnet in color, it gives up bold, confident crème de cassis, baked plums and tobacco notes with suggestions of cast-iron pan, dried herbs and chargrill. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is fresh and lively, with finely grained, plush tannins and bags of evolving black fruit and savory flavors, finishing long and earthy. 1342 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Deep garnet in color, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher's Vineyard gives up evolving notes of Black Forest cake, baked blackcurrants, dried mulberries and fallen leaves with touches of leather, camphor, roasted nuts and dusty soil with a waft of pencil shavings. Full-bodied, concentrated and wonderfully layered in the mouth, it has firm, very fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced. 360 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard explodes from the glass with wonderfully profound, expressive notions of baked plums, Black Forest cake, chargrill, molten rocks, tapenade and woodsmoke with nuances of dried flowers, bay leaves, truffles and unsmoked cigars. Full-bodied and firm, with fantastic freshness, the palate is laden with black fruit preserves and savory layers, finishing on a lingering savory note. 800 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Very deep garnet in color, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard gives up a gorgeous fragrance of dried roses, oolong tea, underbrush and spice cake over a core of minted cassis, blackberry compote, star anise and preserved plums. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a wonderful savory personality with a firm frame of chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing on a persistent mineral note. 1000 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Bosche Vineyard has a very deep garnet color, delivering a gorgeous nose of lilacs, dark chocolate, blackcurrant pastilles and blueberry compote with nuances of cloves, cigar box, menthol and black olives. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is still very youthful, sporting loads of black fruit preserves and mineral sparks, framed by plush tannins and finishing long with a minty lift. 560 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Very deep garnet colored, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyards opens with bold notions of crème de cassis, baked blackberries, boysenberries and dried mulberries with wafts of chocolate mint, underbrush, new leather and tobacco leaf. Full-bodied, rich and spicy, the palate features velvety tannins and plenty of freshness to carry the spices to a long finish. 500 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective The 2009 Le Desir is a blend of 74% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Malbec. Deep garnet in color, it possesses a maturing, flamboyant nose of plum preserves, mulberries and Black Forest cake with underlying cassis, pencil shavings, tilled soil and fallen leaves scents, plus wafts of leather and tobacco. Firm, medium to full-bodied and densely packed with taut, evolving fruit, it has loads of mineral sparks and a long, chewy finish. 1,500 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Deep garnet in color, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall opens slowly to reveal notions of baked plums, warm blackcurrants and blackberry preserves with touches of Chinese five spice, potpourri, cigar box and tree bark plus a waft of aniseed. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a beautiful velvety texture and plenty of freshness supporting the generous black fruit preserves, finishing long and perfumed. Still has loads of life! 505 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Deep garnet in color, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain offers up pronounced notes of baked cherries, blackberry preserves and warm cassis with touches of espresso, mincemeat pie and tree bark plus a waft of dried herbs. Full-bodied, the palate is laden with Indian spices, fragrant herbs and warm black fruits with a chewy frame and earthy kick to the finish. 195 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Bear Point has a medium to deep garnet color with an earthy, meaty, gamey nose to begin, featuring notes of chargrill, salami, new leather, truffles and tobacco over a core of crème de cassis and plum preserves with hints of dried herbs and Indian spices. Medium-bodied, elegantly played and sporting great freshness, the chewy frame supports the earthy/savory core of fruit, and it finishes long and spicy. 511 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain is deep garnet colored with a hint of brick. It features expressive mocha, leather and spice box notes with a core of crème de cassis, prunes and dried mulberries and a waft of iron ore. Full-bodied and packed with mint and spices, it has a firm, chewy texture and long, earthy finish. It is looking relatively mature, but there is no huge rush to drink soon. 506 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Very deep garnet in color, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley comes wafting out of the glass with fragrant, expressive warm cassis, baked plums and dried mulberries scents plus touches of dried lavender, dusty soil, tobacco and bay leaves. Medium-bodied, elegant and with lovely freshness lifting the evolved black fruits and earthy flavors, it finishes long and plush. 22,000 cases were made.

12 Spectacular Wines for 2020Wow wines and the stories behind them.11. Lassègue Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2016 From Château Lassègue situated at the southwest hills of Côte de Saint-Émilion, this opulent Merlot-dominant blend with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon is made from 40-50 years old vines. With expressive aromas of violet, blackberry and dark cherry fruit, this Right Bank Bordeaux has nice acidity, elegant tannins and a chalk dust-like minerality on the finish. Lassègue’s iconic label pictures the ornate sundials which decorate the façade of the 17th century château of Lassègue.