The GS welcome matt is rolled out with this wine!Juicy, bright citrus and stone fruit characters, licks of salty nuts and faint honeyed toast. Rolls around the palate with a sense of high refreshment and pristine, youthful, tight-skinned green grapines – you know, pluck a berry off the bunch straight out of the fridge and chomp. That kind of deal. Such a delight to drink, super easy to drink, a little polish and spit shine and we’re here! Nice one.

There’s a simmering intensity at the core of this red, with refined raspberry and hints of blueberry, crushed stone, violets and savory tea that finish with medium-grained tannins. Drink now through 2029.

This deep purple colored Merlot from Howell Mountain opens with a musty blackberry jam and black plum bouquet with hints of black cherry, graphite, black tea leaves and dark chocolate. On the palate, this wine is full bodied with medium acidity. It is nicely balanced and smooth. The flavor profile is a tasty red currant and black raspberry blend with notes of crushed stone and a hint of anise. The finish is dry and its tannins build-up and stick around for quite some time. The Panel would pair this Merlot with a porterhouse steak or braised short ribs.

Deep purple color. Enticing and complex aromatic display of tobacco, eucalyptus, mint, rosemary and smoky pencil lead over top of tangy black and red currants. Full-bodied, fresh acid with structured tannins with rounded edges. Black currants and roasted fig fruit blend well with complex violets, tilled soil, leather and cigar shop, with coffee and cedar woven in well. Solid concentration but stays lively as well. This needs air or time or both, but it’s a beauty and brings a ton to the table for the price point. 100% Sangiovese.

Offers plush elegance and a fine structure, with geranium and other floral aromas accented by boysenberry and cherry, dusky spice and orange peel. Drink now through 2028.

Stainless-steel and concrete-egg fermented, this is a tight-grained, textured white, with nuanced complexity and elegance. Stony mineral elements boost a body of green apple, melon and Meyer lemon that make for a lovely, balanced expression of the grape.

USA, California, Napa Valley: More New 2018 ReleasesComposed of 98.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and 1.5% Petit Verdot, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate was aged for 20 months in French oak barrels, 38% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it delivers notes of warm cassis, baked plums and warm red currants with nuances of dried herbs, garrigue and pencil lead. Medium to full-bodied, it has a firm, grainy texture supporting the generous black and red fruits with beautiful freshness, finishing long with a lively lift.

USA, California, Napa Valley: More New 2018 ReleasesThe 2018 Pinot Noir Sevens Bench Vineyard was aged for 17 months in French oak barrels, 37% new. Pale to medium ruby-purple in color, it bursts with notes of red currant jelly, black cherries and mulberries plus exotic touches of cumin seed, cloves and cardamom. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is packed with red and black berry flavors, framed by grainy tannins, finishing long and spicy.

USA, California, Napa Valley: More New 2018 ReleasesThe 2018 Pinot Noir Land’s Edge Vineyards was aged for 10 months in French oak barrels, 31% new. Pale to medium ruby-purple colored, it bursts from the glass with bold expressions of black cherries, mulberries and wild blueberries plus suggestions of tobacco leaf, fragrant earth and lilacs. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is jam-packed with freshly crushed red and blue fruits, supported by grainy tannins and bold freshness, finishing on a lingering mineral note.

USA, California, Napa Valley: More New 2018 ReleasesThe 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford was aged for 27 months in French oak barrels, 64% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a little swirling to reveal notes of warm cassis, baked blackberries and garrigue with nuances of dried mulberries, bay leaves and tapenade plus a hint of fragrant earth. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has nice, bright, expressive black berry and savory flavors, supported by grainy tannins, finishing long and refreshing.

Supple and polished, with pretty raspberry and orange peel aromas that open to elegant dark berry, garrigue and crushed stone tones that persist toward fine-grained tannins. Best from 2022 through 2029.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Merlot is a powerful, tightly wound wine. Black cherry, chocolate, spice, leather and licorice ride a wave of huge tannins. The Merlot has a lot of character, but it is a mountain wine, and needs time to fully come together.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Naissance is a powerful, savory wine built on bright acids and a real sense of structure. The blend of fruit from Knights Valley, Coombsville and St. Helena yields a Sauvignon Blanc that is very much meant for the dinner table. Lemon confit, apricot, white flowers, sage and stony/mineral notes give the 2019 quite a bit of character and intrigue.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2019 Chardonnay is a very pretty wine. Apricot, tangerine peel, white flowers, mint and a touch of new oak are all finely knit in this attractive, mid-weight Chardonnay from vineyards in Carneros, southern Napa Valley and Howell Mountain. Partially blocked malolactic fermentation keeps the flavors vibrant in this attractive, appealing Chardonnay from Freemark Abbey.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 Freemark Abbey's 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is a gorgeous appellation-level wine. Freshly cut flowers, mint and sweet red/purplish berry fruit are all beautifully lifted. The 2017 is bright, energetic and full of character. Best of all, it’s a fabulous value in high-end Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I very much like the vibrancy here.

This pitch-black colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Jackson Estates opens with a mild black currant bouquet with hints of black cherry and black olive. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, balanced and very smooth. The flavor profile is a graphite infused black currant, blackberry and black licorice blend with notes of oak. I also detected hints of chocolate and black pepper mixed in. The finish is dry and its flavors and mild tannins drift away nicely. This wine would pair well with Roy’s rib roast.

Pale ruby-purple, the 2017 Pinot Noir Vista has a nose of loamy earth, licorice, prosciutto, dried flowers and blackberries. The medium-bodied palate is grainy and fresh with concentrated, layered, floral-laced fruits and a long, flavorful finish.

Pale ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir Slope has fine accents of cinnamon, autumn leaves and potpourri with savory red and black berry fruit. The concentrated, medium-bodied palate has a compelling dichotomy of firm, broody fruits and fresh, spicy uplift, and it finishes long.

Pale ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir Conifer opens slowly to notes of red berries, powdered sugar, dusty earth and amaro with accents of dried flowers. The palate is delicate, silky and fresh with a lifted finish.

Pale ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir Triple Black Slopes opens with singular perfume of laurel and dried violets with notions of dusty earth and fresh red and black berries. The light-bodied palate is broody and firm with a long finish and should age well in bottle over the next 3-5 years.

Pale ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir Terres Basses has broody scents of aniseed, underbrush and earth with floral-laced blackberry fruit. The medium-bodied palate is firm and juicy, with a dichotomy of broody earth and bright fruit character, and it finishes long and lifted. Give it another couple years in bottle.

This is the first vintage of the Ridgecrest cuvée from Penner-Ash. Medium ruby-purple, the 2018 Pinot Noir Ridgecrest Vineyard has lovely aromas of crushed blackberries and boysenberries with notions of tea leaves, dusty earth, aniseed and dried flowers. The medium-bodied palate is silky and fresh with bright, crunchy, fresh fruits and a long, juicy finish.

Medium ruby-purple, the 2018 Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton has broody aromas of crushed cherries and blood orange with accents of forest floor and exotic spices. The medium-bodied palate is silky with uplifted, floral-laced fruits and a long, vivacious finish.

This dark ruby colored Cabernet Franc from La Jota opens with a blueberry and vanilla bouquet with a hint of boysenberry. On the palate, this wine is medium plus bodied, very nicely balanced and juicy. The flavor profile is tasty red plum with notes of black raspberry and crushed gravel. We also detected some hints of black tea and oak mixed in. The finish is dry and its very dusty tannins build-up and stick around for very long time. The Panel suggested pairing this very good Cab Franc with Emeril's spicy root beer and bourbon glazed baby back ribs or with the wagyu meatballs from Strega.

The 2017 Merlot Jackson Park Vineyards is racy and energetic. Far from an easygoing Merlot, the Jackson Park needs time to unwind. Black cherry, lavender, espresso, licorice and menthol add character to the wine's dark, virile personality. I would give it a few years for the tannins to melt away. This is an especially tense, nervy style.