The 2017s From Sonoma The 2017 Pinot Noir Lingenfelder Vineyard is also brilliant. Coming from a cooler site in the Russian River and fermented with one-third whole clusters, it has lots of spice and cola notes as well as hints of violets and sassafras. Complex, medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced, and just with tons of character, it’s a gem of a Pinot Noir to drink over the coming 7-8 years.

Oregon: An Embarrassment of Riches and Richness Brilliant ruby-red. Smoke-accented blackberry, cherry and candied violet scents are complicated by hints of star anise and vanilla. Supple, sweet and expansive on the palate, offering juicy red and dark berry, cola and spice cake flavors that pick up a hint of cocoa powder on the back half. Rounded, even tannins add shape to a smooth, wonderfully persistent finish that leaves behind sappy dark berry liqueur and mocha notes.

Oregon: An Embarrassment of Riches and Richness Limpid ruby-red. Intensely perfumed cherry, blackberry, Indian spice and vanilla aromas show excellent clarity and pick up cola and licorice notes with air. Stains the palate with sweet dark berry, cherry preserve and floral pastille flavors that show impressive depth and a strong supporting core of smoky minerality. Shows a surprisingly light touch for its depth and power and finishes with outstanding detail, youthfully gripping tannins and superb, floral-driven persistence.

The 2017s From Sonoma The 2016 Merlot Keyes Vineyard from Howell Mountain is another rocking effort that has loads to love. Ripe blackcurrants, black cherries, bay leaf, cedar, and scorched earth all flow from this medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced Merlot. Made from 100% Merlot brought up in 40% new French oak, it has ample upfront appeal, yet I suspect it will cruise for 10-15 years in cool cellars.

The 2017s From Sonoma Coming from the Russian River Valley and brought up in 58% new French oak, the flagship 2016 Pinot Noir 9 Barrel offers a beautiful bouquet of black cherries, scorched earth, spice, and earthy notes as well as a medium to full-bodied, concentrated, pure, balanced style on the palate. I love its texture. It has some background oak, nicely integrated acidity, and a great finish.

The 2017s From Sonoma I loved the 2016 Pinot Noir Bellflower Vineyard. This seriously good Pinot Noir comes from an estate vineyard in the Russian River and was aged 15 months in 50% new French oak. Its deep ruby color is followed by impressive notes of wild strawberries, blood orange, black cherries, and spice as well as just a hint of background oak. Medium to full-bodied and nicely concentrated, with good acidity, this elegant, balanced Pinot Noir will keep for 7-8 years, if not longer.

The 2017s From Sonoma One of the gems in the lineup is unquestionably the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate Hawkeye Mountain, which comes from a vineyard at 2,400 feet in elevation and spent 20 months in 47% new French oak. It offers awesome notes of cassis, liquid violets, vanilla bean, and classy oak as well as full-bodied richness, a seamless texture, beautiful tannins, and a great, great finish. It’s approachable today but will keep for 10-15 years.

Biggest Australian Wine Tasting Ever: 2,700+ Ratings Impressive and harmonious aromas here with such juicy and intense red-fruit flavors, as well as blueberries and plums on offer. The elegance and focus is impressive, as is the delivery of long, sustained and dense, smooth tannin. Integrated. Really works well. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

Biggest Australian Wine Tasting Ever: 2,700+ Ratings Attractive cassis and ripe purple fruit with a wealth of blueberries and hints of cola nuts. The palate has a juicy feel with exceptional depth, length and a complete tannin texture. Really seamless and long. Excellent cabernet. Drink or hold. Screw cap.

The 2017s From Sonoma The 2016 Pinot Noir Fog Dance Vineyard also has a marine influence in its mulled cherry, spice box, earth, and shrimp broth-like aromas and flavors. Showing a good mix of sweet fruit and savory notes, it’s medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured, and has a complex, singular style. Aged 17 months in 39% new French oak, it can be drunk today with incredible pleasure or cellared for 7-8 years.

The 2017s From Sonoma A classic Sonoma Coast release, the 2016 Pinot Noir Land's Edge Vineyards offers perfumed notes of candied cherries, orange rind, rose petals, and sandalwood. I always find the true Sonoma Coast releases to have a rounded, supple texture and that’s certainly the case here. This medium-bodied wine has a silky texture, ripe yet polished tannins, and a great finish. Drink it over the coming decade. This cuvée comes from two Sonoma Coast sites located 4 miles off the coast and spent 31% new French oak.

The 2017s From Sonoma From a single vineyard in Marin County located north of the Golden Gate bridge, the 2016 Pinot Noir Marin County was mostly destemmed and spent 17 months in 38% new French oak. It’s a medium to full-bodied, textured effort that has loads of bright cherry and cranberry fruit, plenty of loamy earth and compost, a touch of smoky stem character, solid mid-palate depth, and outstanding length. It will be thrilling to drink bottles over the coming 7-8 years, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it keep even longer.

The 2017s From Sonoma Another Anderson Valley release, the 2016 Pinot Noir Muldune Trail comes from a warmer, higher elevation vineyard located on a ridge at 2,000 feet above sea level. This puts the vineyard above the fog line, so it sees higher day temperatures and cooler nighttime temperatures. Aged 17 months in 32% new French oak, it has a classic, savory Anderson Valley bouquet of black and blue fruits, dried spice, loamy soil, cured meats, and forest floor. It’s rich and medium to full-bodied, with a mouthfilling texture and a great finish.

The 2017s From Sonoma The largest production cuvée from Hartford Court is their 2017 Chardonnay Russian River Valley. Its medium gold color is followed by a rounded, supple, textured Chardonnay that has classic notes of pineapple, white flowers, honeysuckle, and toasted spice. Rounded, fleshy, and textured on the palate, with plenty of oomph, it shows the quality of this estate beautifully.

The 2017s From Sonoma Ripe and upfront on the nose, with tons of caramelized citrus, honeysuckle, brioche, and some spice, the 2016 Chardonnay Sevens Bench Vineyard is another rounded, textured, yet fresh Chardonnay from this estate. With good acidity, plenty of length, and a balanced, high-quality feel, it's already drinking nicely and should keep for 5-7 years.

Expressive and impressively structured, with floral cherry and blueberry aromas and refined layers of crushed stone, white pepper and sweet anise notes that build tension and power toward broad-shouldered tannins.

The 2017s From Sonoma The 2017 Zinfandel Fanucchi-Wood Road Vineyard is a bigger, more structured wine and, like the other Zinfandels here, is a field blend aged 10 months in 50% new oak. Beautiful notes of red plums, blueberries, sandalwood, and candied orange all flow to a medium to full-bodied red that has notable purity of fruit, a supple, sexy texture, no hard edges, and a great finish. Enjoy it over the coming decade as well.

The 2017s From Sonoma The 2017 Petite Sirah comes a site planted in 1894 and was brought up all in barrel. Its deep purple color is followed by a rocking bouquet of cassis, blueberries, tobacco, leafy herbs, and classy oak. It's ripe and incredibly sexy, with fine tannins and beautiful purity of fruit, and is a seriously good barrel sample.

The 2017s From Sonoma From a small 20-acre family-farmed vineyard, the 2017 Chardonnay Dupratt has a richer, deeper bouquet of orange blossom, honeysuckle, and candied lemons. Despite the richer nose, it has racy acidity, medium to full body, and a rounded, beautifully textured mouthfeel. Brought up in 10% new French oak, it’s another beautiful wine from winemaker Ryan Zepaltas.

Get Ready: The Super Italians Are Coming Aromas of lead pencil and currants with blueberries. Medium body, chewy tannins and a savory finish. Needs two or three years to soften.

Get Ready: The Super Italians Are Coming Pretty and balanced 2014 with currant and berry character and just hints of vanilla. Full-bodied yet tight and focused. Needs a year or two to soften even more, but already very attractive.

Biggest Australian Wine Tasting Ever: 2,700+ Ratings A very succinct and smoothly delivered style that has a wealth of blueberries and raspberries and a crisp, forthright frame of tannin that speaks to the old vines and the superior site at work here. Bold finish. Certified organic. Drink now. Screw cap.

Biggest Australian Wine Tasting Ever: 2,700+ Ratings Showing sweet, earthy complexity, fresh red fruit, dark spices and forest wood. The palate has a super supple feel with a long, succulent and detailed finish. Still so fresh. Long tannins. Drink or hold.

Biggest Australian Wine Tasting Ever: 2,700+ Ratings A beautiful South of France-style white with freshly squeezed lemon juice, thyme, sea salt, apple curd, apricots and a touch of dried honeysuckle and vanilla. So driven and minerally on the palate, it draws a fine line between oiliness and vitality, but hits the nail right on the head. Medium-bodied and very vibrant. A blend of 35% grenache blanc, 30% clairette, 20% roussanne, 10% picpoul and 5% bourboulenc. Drink now. Screw cap.

Get Ready: The Super Italians Are Coming This is quite reduced now, so it certainly needs some time in bottle before serving. It should turn out to be a beauty; dark cherries, black olives and blackberry tart intermingle with vanilla and spices. Full-bodied with a lovely, velvety mouthfeel and loads of layers of dark fruit.