Good full ruby. Captivating aromas of cassis, minerals, spices and cocoa powder. Dense, round, sweet and deep; more tactile than the Dakota but also shows terrific energy today (the pH here is lower than that of the Dakota: 3.67 vs. 3.8). Very broad cabernet with a restrained sweetness to its dark berry flavors. Finishes very long, with superb spine. The tannins here seem more harmonious than those of the 2006, suggesting that this vintage possesses even more buffering extract.

Revealing straight forward cedar and black currant fruit notes, but not the intensity or mass of the Helena Dakota, it should be at its finest between 2008-2022.

Dark, ripe and intense. A potent barrel sample showing lots of smoky, toasty oak and a dense cork of earthy currant flavors. Given its weight, it's rather elegant on the finish.

One of the more finesse-driven wines from Adam, the 325-case 2015 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard is a medium-bodied, silky and incredibly finely textured barrel sample that's loaded with notions of violets, spring flowers and hints of plums. It shows a touch of oak at present, but it has beautiful purity of fruit.

Another gorgeous barrel sample, the 2014 Pinot Noir Rosella's Vineyard offers the tell tale freshness and purity of the vineyard to go with a medium-bodied, finely balanced, clean and seamless feel on the palate. Possessing nicely integrated acidity and a great finish, it, like more 2014s, will be hard to resist on release.

Saturated ruby. Knockout musky nose combines cassis, red currant, Cuban tobacco and mocha. Suave and dense in the mouth, with bright, harmonious acidity framing the primary dark berry flavors. Still extremely young but deep and very long. A cabernet with impressive potential.

Full medium ruby. Liqueur-like aromas of raspberry, leather, sassafras and cocoa powder; superripe but less roasted than the 2001 version. Impressively opulent, even unctuous, with compelling sweetness of fruit. A very large-scaled wine that appears to have enough freshness and structure for balance. Offers impressive potential.

Full ruby. Cassis, licorice and bitter chocolate on the nose. Dense, fat and broad but uncompromisingly dry, with flavors of currant, leather, licorice and tobacco. Finishes strong and long, with serious but ripe tannins. Highly promising.

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate Series is a small cuvée of 7,000 cases and a really impressive wine. The mountain vineyards seem to dominate the wine’s character, with moderately high but sweet tannin, briary blackberry and cassis fruit, and a crushed rock minerality present. The final blend was 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest the other Bordeaux varietals. This wine was about ready to go into the bottle right after I tasted it.

Fairly light pink in the glass. Rather floral in the glass with a bit of minerality and another lovely wine on the palate. Fruity, well-balanced, and tart. Delightful. Excellent.

OK, this wine is officially all over the map: this was stellar, similar to the second bottle, while the other two were, well, meh. I bought these back in 2014 from Last Bottle for a fraction of the retail price (~3/5 for the fraction geeks out there), a pretty good deal, even the two lesser-thans. A bit of a golden straw in the glass with lemon peel, slightly browned butter, and hyacinth. The palate is pretty close to glorious with great acidity, still vibrant fruit (even a decade out), and a lengthy finish. Close to a Whoa. Excellent.

Light cotton candy pink. Luscious red fruit with some peach. Tartness a go-go with a chalky finish. More fruit here as well. Yowza. Excellent.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2018 Grenache, a new wine in this range, is gorgeous. Bright and floral, the 2018 captures a striking display of varietal character and the bright, intensely mineral notes that are so distinctive here. The purity of the flavors is just striking.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2018 Pinot Noir Abel is pretty, gracious and wonderfully perfumed. Cedar, dried flowers, mint, cinnamon, spice and dried cherry are all laced together in this understated, classy Pinot. All the elements come together beautifully here.

Fairly dark in the glass, even eight years out. Dark berry fruit, a bit of spice, a tad of heat on the nose. The palate is a lesson in balance: fruit, acidity, earth, lovely. I have been a fan of Siduri for as long as I can remember and if this is what the “new” Siduri shall be under Jackson Family ownership, then I welcome it with open arms.

Darker in color and in aromas with a touch medicinal. More good fruit and secondary flavors (leather). Excellent.

Dirty and rustic nose with wild cherry, spice, and chalk. Fruity and lovely, this is also fabulous. Just short of a whoa. Excellent.

A bit on the darker side both in color and aroma. Vanilla and red fruit. Rich and full with a nice level of tartness. On the bigger side of Pinot. Excellent.

Strawberry jam in a glass. Tons of fruit here. Tons. Rich and delicious. My wife’s wheelhouse. Excellent.

Good full, bright ruby-red. This and the Bosche were scheduled to be bottled this June. Reticent aromas of primary, brambly blackcurrant and blackberry, crushed cherry, licorice and blackberry leaf. A real essence-of-cassis in the mouth; dense and bright, with powerful medicinal reserve. This large-scaled wine finishes with big, tongue-drenching tannins and plenty of structure. At once sweeter and more tannic than the Bosche.

The 2017 Lassegue displays a deep garnet-purple color and quite a spicy nose giving up black pepper, cinnamon and cloves notes over a core of crème de cassis and preserved plums with a waft of dusty soil. The palate is medium to full-bodied with a firm frame of chewy tannins and tons of black fruit layers, finishing long and spicy.

The 2016 Red Wine (Sonoma County) is laced with the essence of blackberry jam, chocolate, mocha, new leather and licorice. Bold and ample on the palate, with quite a bit of structure, the 2016 is decidedly ripe and also virile in style. The 2016 is shaping up to be the best wine from Cenyth yet.

A tank sample, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Cenyth Red Wine Blend (a blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 32% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Sauvignon) gives a savory/meaty nose of Bovril and chargrill over a core of red currant jelly, cassis and crushed plums with a waft of red roses. Medium-bodied, it offers a firm structure of ripe, grainy tannins and great freshness cutting through the intense red and black fruits, finishing long and lifted.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Cenyth Red Wine Blend—composed of 60% Cabernet Franc, 20% Merlot, 16% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Malbec—is scented of crème de cassis, mocha and sautéed herbs with a waft of forest floor. Medium-bodied, the palate is firmly structured with chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing on a savory/earthy note.

The 2015 Cenyth is a slightly richer, thicker style of wine because of the vintage, but the acids are essentially the same, it’s just that the small crop and tiny berries seem to have given the wine more glycerin and textural impact than usual. This wine is dense ruby/purple and offers up forest floor, dark raspberry and spring flower garden notes. It is an exciting, elegant style of wine to drink over the next 12-15 years.