Seductive earth, currant and spices lead to a smooth, supple-textured, richly flavored wine, with layers of currant, blackberry, coffee, mocha and mineral. Turns elegant and sophisticated, with hints of anise and cedar. Well-integrated tannins suggest short-term cellaring.

Blending the lush fruit of Alexander Valley fills with the power of Napa cabernet, Cardinale turns in wine of tough and supple contrasts. It has enough sweet, delicious fruit for the hedonist, and enough tannic structure for the puritan. Fine and juicy, staunch and reserved.

Massages the intense tannins with supple currant and plum-laced flavors, shows off cedar, spice and mineral, too. Holds its focus through the long and complex finish. (Also appeared 11/98)

Impressively balanced and well-proportioned, centered on rich, deep currant, blackberry, wild berry and black licorice flavors, revealing a dusty, cedary oak side. Ends tight and structured. Drink now through 2028.

Bright ruby-red. Classic cabernet sauvignon aromas of cassis, blackberry, bitter chocolate, coffee, shoe polish and mint. At once rich and suave, showing lovely purity and early sex appeal to the sappy flavors of blackberry, blueberry, dark chocolate, minerals and licorice. The broad finish features sweet tannins and lingering minerality. Winemaker Chris Carpenter gets first pick of Jackson Family Wines' Napa Valley cabernet, and his objective is to make a wine with early attractiveness. This one is especially lovely in the context of its vintage.

Ruby-red. Complex aromas of blackcurrant, plum, dark chocolate and minerals. Silky on entry, then broad, young and nuanced in the middle, with moderately dense, energetic flavors of black cherry, cassis and menthol. Finishes with a broad dusting of tannins and lovely lingering fruit. This is mostly from a blend of mountain properties owned by Jackson Family Farms, with Mt. Veeder fruit used as a natural acidification.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond Arrowood's 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Crown is fabulous. Rich and explosive, the Knights Crown is almost shockingly sensual for a wine from Knights Valley. Racy and silky, the Knights Crown is more texturally finessed than most Knights Valley Cabernets, it is a wine of sheer sensuality and appeal.

While the 2015 Harmonie Red Wine isn’t going to make you forget the sensational 2013, it’s still a beautiful wine. A Bordeaux blend of 85% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Sauvignon, this ruby-colored beauty offers loads Margaux-like perfume of crème de cassis, raspberries, spring flowers, sandalwood, and forest floor. It’s medium-bodied, seamless, and beautifully textured on the palate, and while it’s not a heavyweight, it’s perfectly balanced, has sweet tannin, and outstanding length. It needs a decant if drinking anytime soon (I followed this bottle for two days) and will keep for 10-15 years.

The 2015 Révélation, Captûre's 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, is laced with the essence of lavender, spice, violet, mint and inky fruit. This mid-weight, gracious Cabernet Sauvignon is quite refined, especially within the context of the vintage.

The 2016 Sauvignon Blanc Les Pionniers emerges from a single block within the Jackson family's Alexander Mountain Estate. Pliant and deep, the Pionniers offers striking texture and fine overall nuance. Lemon confit, melon and minty notes all flesh out in this super-expressive Sauvignon Blanc from Captûre.

A toasted apple character leads the nose of this wine, with additional glimmers of orange peel, pie crust, peach pit and some stony minerality. The palate is medium in weight and well balanced, with ripe cedar-grilled apple, grilled pineapple and buttered popcorn flavors that mingle with subtle accents of beeswax and orange pith. It is ripe and lush yet well balanced, with ample acidity to keep the richness in check.

The 2015 Capensis comes from the Jackson family of Verité fame and debuted with great fanfare a couple of years ago. This latest release was matured for 10 months in 100% French oak, 41% of it new. It has a well-defined bouquet with finely integrated oak; scents of honeysuckle, beeswax and dried pineapple blossom in the glass over two hours. The palate is well balanced, the oak neatly integrated with a slightly nutty, creamy, orange-peel-tinged finish that feels reassuringly long. I get the feeling this is a more "toned-down" Capensis compared to its previous releases, and restraint suits it well. The only caveat is the price and the stiff competition from high-performing South African Chardonnays.

Capensis is a Chardonnay thoroughbred, taking an authoritative lead right out of the gate. It is perfectly delicious and approachable now, but I can see it evolving beautifully over ten years.

Medium-deep ruby color, black cherry and plum aromas with a touch of spice, deep and complex aromas; concentrated fruit and cinnamon notes on palate, big plum and black cherry with a velvety long finish. Beautiful Pinot - this bottle won't last long on the table!

The density of this wine is surprising. Not a wine for the meek, the rich, heady flavors of plum pudding and spice cake integrate well with dark fruits and earth.

Much meatier than the 115 bottling, 2A also folds in portobello mushroom aromas. The candied, dark cherry flavors are so rich there is a perception of sweetness. This wine finishes with great length and a touch of tea.

A selection of the best estate barrels, this year's Rae's is considerably richer than the Julia's bottling. Cherry, espresso and herb flavors are framed in voluptuously soft tannins, with a rich mouthfeel and a distinctive silky texture. Has the stuffing and style to elevate it into the realm of excellence.

2017 ROSÉ The nose is graphite and stemmy tomato on entry with an overall lean freshness. All whole cluster pressed. The palate is bright strawberry and cherry with well-defined acidity.

…jammed full of blackberry spice and pepper flavors.

Santa Barbara Dreamin'…Part Two The 2015 Pinot Noir Julia's Vineyard Signature Collection is a dense, powerful wine built on textural depth and structure. The 2015 is going to need a few years to come into its own, but it has good potential. Dark stone fruit, lavender, spice and formidable tannins add to the wine's virile feel.

Intense in its color and distinctive in every way, the 2015 Pinot Noir Mesa Terrace is also one of the highlights among these new releases from Cambria. Dark cherry, blackberry, lavender and exotic spice give the 2015 its bold voice. Expressive floral and spice notes add lift to this super-expressive, creamy wine, which continues to develop with time in the glass. Dark, rich and intense, the Mesa Terrace will have plenty to say over the next decade or so.

Candied black cherry, smoked pork, cola and crushed asphalt show on the complex, inviting nose of this smaller-block bottling from the estate’s large vineyard. The flavors are deep and dark yet not rich or heavy, with hints of tar, black pepper, wild blackberries and black plum, all hung from a firm zippy structure.

The 2015 Pinot Noir Element emerges from a single block on the eastern side of the ranch. There is good depth and intensity, but I am not sure the Element is materially different from some of the other wines in the range. In 2015, it offers real weight and gravitas to match its dark fruit profile and brooding personality.

The 2014 Pinot Noir Clone 2A is terrific. Sweet red cherry, hard candy, plum and creamy tannins give the wine its voluptuous, racy personality. All the elements come together nicely in this sleek, pliant Pinot Noir. It is one of the more overtly ripe wines in this lineup, and yet all of the elements meld together seamlessly.

This could be the best-value California Pinot Noir on the market. Full disclosure: I've not tasted them all, but I'm waiting to find a better one at the price. It has the alluring ying-yang-like savory-fruity combination. The emphasis is on the savory earthy nuances that Pinot Noir can transmit when it's not overdone. And, unlike many New World Pinot Noirs, it doesn't finish sweet. It's worth repeating: It's a terrific bargain.