Like the 2013, the 2014 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard is pretty and elegant, with a floral, perfumed bouquet, nicely integrated acidity and a rounded, supple texture. I think its balanced, and it finishes nicely as well. It should be close in quality to the 2013 and drink well for 7-8 years.

Opaque ruby. Exotically perfumed scents of raspberry liqueur, cherry-cola, licorice and sexy oak spices. Pliant, spice-tinged red and dark berry flavors gain energy with air, taking a turn to zestier red fruits. This impressively deep yet energetic Pinot finishes with excellent thrust, silky tannins and lingering spiciness.

Deep ruby. Intense smoke- and spice-accented cherry and dark berry aromas are complemented by hints of woodsmoke, sassafras and licorice. At once sweet and penetrating on the palate, offering densely packed black raspberry and floral pastille flavors and a touch of succulent herbs. Closes smooth and very long, with resonating spiciness and subtle, harmonious tannins.

Like the 2013, the 2014 Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard comes from three different parcels in the vineyard. It's a superb looking barrel sample that exhibits lots of cassis, spring flowers and underbrush to go with a medium-bodied, layered and sexy profile on the palate. It certainly doesn't lack for fruit, yet the emphasis here is on freshness and purity. It should drink nicely on release and over the following 5-6 years.

Not yet bottled, the 2016 Zinfandel Limerick Lane Vineyard leads with its fruit, yet has good acidity and purity. Fresh plums, scorched earth, spice, and incense notes all emerge from this medium to full-bodied, beautifully balanced effort that shows the quality of this great vintage for Sonoma.

Wine of the Week When I see a nearly five-year-old Sauvignon Blanc, I get worried. Really worried. Unless, of course, it says “Sancerre” on the bottle. With this bottle, I might have to expand that universe just a tad. This is delightful. Tropical and flinty on the nose with the slightest hint of that characteristic “cat pee.” The palate is still surprisingly fruity with great tartness and wet rock. Wow, this is good. Excellent... As I mentioned in the note above, I am usually not a fan of Sauvignon Blanc, but this is not a usual Sauvignon. Even though the price of the 2014 Matanzas Creek Winery Sauvignon Blanc Bennett Valley is a bit higher than the average New World Sauvignon Blanc, there is little doubt in my mind that it is worth it, and worthy of Wine of the Week honors.

.reveals the Howell Mountain terroir in its earthy, violet, black currant/crème de cassis fruitiness. It possesses high tannin, and a linear, medium to full-bodied personality with plenty of firmness, grip, and structure. Lay this one away for the next 4-5 years, and enjoy it over the subsequent two decades!

A brilliant effort, although it is not yet in bottle, is the 2012 Pinot Noir Jackson Estate Seco Highlands, a 100% Pinot Noir from their estate vineyard in Monterey County. This is a tightly spaced vineyard planted with Dijon clones. This wine was aged in 100% French oak of which 85% was new. This beautiful wine possesses a complex nose of freshly cut mushrooms, black cherries, raspberries, forest floor and a floral character. A world-class Pinot Noir with medium to full body, loads of flavor and a textured, long finish, it can be enjoyed over the next 5-8 years. There are only 321 cases of this cuvee, so good luck finding any.

Absolutely brilliant is the 2012 Merlot Taylor Peak from Bennett Valley. Made from their Jackson Estate Vineyard, a relatively high elevation vineyard, this 100% Merlot was aged in 47% new French oak. The wine is serious stuff, with white cassis and black cherry liqueur intermixed with licorice, graphite and vanilla. It’s opaque purple, full-bodied, luscious and best drunk over the next 10-15 years.

Exhibits blueberry and blackberry fruit notes along with notions of crushed rocks, spicy oak, and tobacco leaf. Sweet and rich with soft tannin, terrific fruit intensity, an earthy/mineral component, and a long finish. It should evolve nicely for 15 or more years.

A potentially long-aged wine is the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Hawkeye, from the hillside benchlands of the Alexander Valley. At nearly 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in all French oak (54% new) for 21 months, this wine has a dense purple color and plenty of blackcurrants, licorice, vanilla and spice box. It is full-bodied, powerful, tannic, and should be cellared for a good 4-5 years and drunk over the following two decades.

Another brilliant effort...a blend of primarily Mt. Veeder fruit as well as a bit from Howell Mountain. Made from 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot, it is an impressively built red exhibiting an inky/purple color as well as a big, sweet nose of creosote, blue and black fruits, and mineral characteristics. It is extracted, rich, layered, and long with high tannin that suggests 4-5 years of cellaring is required. It should keep for two decades

"...superb...displays more earth and mineral characteristics in its buttered caramel, pineapple, and custard-filled aromas and flavors. Full-bodied and rich, with terrific texture and a long finish, it should drink well..." *Mr. Parker originally reviewed this wine prior to its release. At the time of his initial review, it was known as the "Durell Vineyard" Chardonnay. Today, that product is know as "Sonoma Valley" and is the same wine.

The 2012 Chardonnay Stature is the deepest and densest of these 2012 Chardonnays. Dried pear, spice, mint and pastry are some of the notes that inform the powerful, extroverted finish.

Hartford's 2013 Pinot Noir Jennifer's is endowed with a lovely sense of energy and vibrancy. Graphite, black cherries, plums and smoke are fused together in an energetic, cool-climate Pinot to drink over the next 7-8 years.

Silky tannins and expressive, perfumed aromatics are some of the signatures of the 2013 Pinot Noir Far Coast Vineyard. Bright red stone fruits, blood orange, raspberry and savory/floral notes are all nicely lifted in the glass. The personality of this cool site near Annapolis comes through in spades.

Freshly cut flowers, sweet red berries, mint and cinnamon are laced together in the 2013 Pinot Noir Marin County. This floral, savory, mid-weight Pinot is an excellent choice for drinking over the next few years.

The 2009 Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyard sees less new oak than its two siblings. It reveals elegant tropical fruit, citrus oil, pear and white peach notes in a medium to full-bodied, crisp, zesty style. It can be enjoyed over the next 4-5 years. Owned by Jess Jackson and Don Hartford and assisted by winemaker Jeff Mangahas, Hartford Court is one of the bright shining stars in Jess Jackson Family Vineyard's impressive portfolio. All three Chardonnays come from cool climate sites, either the Sonoma Coast or the Green Valley. I tasted five 2008 Pinot Noirs, a challenging vintage for some producers but Hartford Court had no smoke issues.

The 2015 Chardonnay Far Coast Vineyard is one of the most reticent wines in the range, but that is the nature of the Sonoma Coast. Mineral, citrus and white pepper notes give the wine its lifted, chiseled personality. There is real phenolic weight and intensity here, but in the deceptively medium-bodied style that is typical of sites on the true Sonoma Coast.

The 2015 Chardonnay Fog Dance Vineyard is one of the most distinctive wines in this range. Slate, smoke and a host of soil-driven notes give the wine its signature aromatic complexity. Delicate and lifted, the 2015 is pure class. White pepper, mint and bright orchard fruit are all beautifully delineated. The Fog Dance is a real stand out.

A new wine in this range, the 2015 Chardonnay Sevens Bench emerges from a Jackson property in Carneros that was part of the original Buena Vista estate. Layered, supple and beautifully persistent, the 2015 is all class. The Mt. Eden and Rued clones add perfume and brightness, but there is also plenty of richness laced throughout.

The 2014 Chardonnay Far Coast Vineyard is endowed with a real sense of phenolic intensity and breadth, which serves to balance the more overt, tropically-leaning elements that develop in the glass. A wine of true distinction, the 2014 will drink well for at least a handful of years. Clean, saline notes buffer the finish. The Far Coast emerges from a vineyard that sits at 1,000 feet above sea level. It is also one of the most distinctive wines in the range.

The 2014 Chardonnay Seascape Vineyard is from one of the coldest vineyards in all of Northern California. On a ridge top close to the town of Occidental, facing Bodega Bay in the Pacific Ocean, it is often the last to ripen – and sometimes as late as late October or November. A deep golden color, exotic tropical fruits, crushed rocks, and an almost saltiness characterize this rather nutty and strikingly Mersault-like Chardonnay that will be somewhat controversial compared to the more classic aromas and flavors of the other five offerings, but it is still a brilliant, somewhat idiosyncratic Chardonnay in the lineup of the Hartford Court wines. Drink it over the next 4-5 years.

Hartford's Chardonnay Far Coast Vineyard is one of the more expressive and unique wines in this lineup. Ethereal and lifted, with an understated personality, the 2013 stands out for its balance and sense of completeness. The flavors are bright and aromatic throughout. Lemon curd, jasmine and sweet spices linger on the expressive, layered finish.

Pineapple, mint, butter, orange blossom and wild flowers are some of the signatures in the 2013 Chardonnay Jennifer's. This silky, perfumed Chardonnay should drink well for a number of years. The Jennifer's is one of the more overt, racy wines in this range, with flavors that tend towards the more tropical end of the spectrum, which is quite unusual considering the cool micro-climate in this part of the Petaluma Gap.