A more embryonic Grenache from 2020, the Ovitelli is fermented and aged in ceramic eggs for 170 days without any oak maturation and offers a wild ride. It initially bursts with primary red fruits, particularly raspberry and strawberry, topped by stony minerality and a distinctive herbal edge. A drying, chalky, savory palate follows, with flavors bound up in slightly hard-edged tannins. Excellent mineral length is also displayed, but the wine needs a little more time to flesh out.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2019 Merlot wafts easily out of the glass with notes of juicy red plums, bay leaves, and tilled soil, plus hints of cracked pepper and wild fungi. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is taut with muscular, youthful fruit and firm, rounded tannins, finishing long and earthy.

A blend of 82% Merlot, 11% Petit Verdot, and 7% Tannat, the 2019 Merlot is deep garnet-purple in color. It leaps with savory notions of black olives, dried herbs, and charcuterie over a core of redcurrant jelly, cassis, and ripe black plums. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-coating black fruits with lifted red berry flavors and a firm, grainy texture, finishing long and refreshing. 1,038 cases were made. Sadly the six rows of Tannat that went into this were frozen and killed last year, so there will be no Tannat in the blend going forward for a while.

Blackcurrant, dried raspberry and redcurrant, coffee with cream, violet, and a fair amount of peppermint and sage It’s full-bodied, fresh and stony, a slick of Turkish coffee tannin offering plenty of grip, but also quite a lot of mint chocolate flavour, which is maybe a little overt, though the intensity and length is quite something, albeit somewhat dry in tannin. Lively and assertive, but just a little too minty and oaky, I feel, at least as at now.

USA, California, Central Coast: The 2017 Vintage in Santa Barbara County The 2016 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills has a pale to medium ruby-purple color and scents of blueberry, boysenberry, warm black cherries and berries with touches of smoke, turned earth and a faint floral hint. Light to medium-bodied, it offers great intensity of blue and black fruit in the mouth with a frame of firm, grainy tannins and great juicy acidity, finishing long with some warm spice coming through.

USA, California: More Napa & Sonoma New Releases Already bottled, the 2018 Chardonnay Russian River Valley sings of fresh Bosc pears, white peaches and pink grapefruit with hints of powdered ginger, shaved almonds and white pepper. Medium-bodied, the palate has great vibrancy and juiciness with effortless fruit expression and lovely savory layers on the finish. I wish all Chardonnays at this price point tasted this good!

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Red Wine Innovent is a little closed at this youthful stage, revealing notes of roses, blackberries and cassis over notions of bay leaves, spice box and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is taut and firmly structured, yet approachable, with generous fruit and nice ripe, grainy tannins, finishing long and lively.

The medium-ruby 2019 Hickinbotham Grenache is a new wine, completely destemmed, fermented in cocciopesto egg-shaped amphorae and kept on skins for 90 days, then aged in the amphorae for another eight months. It's marked by delicate scents of red raspberries and pomegranate on the nose, then adds wiry suggestions of fine herbs amid the silky mouthfeel of the medium to full-bodied palate before finishing on notes of crushed stones and dusty tannins. I'd give it another year or two to resolve some of those tannins, then drink it over the next seven years or so.

Wild strawberries, crushed rocks, mint, and subtle floral notes all emerge from the 2018 Pinot Noir Van Der Kamp Vineyard. Medium-bodied, it has a light, elegant texture, vibrant acidity, and a distinct sense of minerality on the palate. Beautifully done, in a racier, livelier, more streamlined style from this estate, it should benefit from a year of bottle age and keep through 2028.

The 2019 Chardonnay Tidal Break, which comes from the Sonoma Coast, is another terrific effort. Ripe lemon, salty sea breeze, white flowers, and a touch of rocky mineral-like nuances define the bouquet, and it's medium-bodied, with good concentration, bright acidity, and nicely integrated oak. It will keep for 5-7 years.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley is terrific and just classic Sonoma Cabernet. Lots of cassis, blackcurrants, lead pencil shavings and rocky, savory earth-like nuances all emerge from this spicy, medium-bodied, beautifully balanced Cabernet. It shows the fresh, focused style of the vintage, has wonderful purity, and enough tannins to warrant 2-3 years of bottle age.

The 2018 Chardonnay Estate offers pretty tones of hazelnuts, candle smoke, flint and beeswax with a core of white peaches. Medium-bodied, the palate is silky, elegant and expressive, with delicate but lengthy flavors and loads of verve. This should improve with another couple years in bottle.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyAnother smaller production release from this estate, the 2017 Pinot Noir Signature Collection Barbara's 667 comes from the same vineyard (Julia's) and is all clone 667 that was destemmed and aged 18 months in new French oak. It displays lots of oak as well as notes of spiced black raspberries, toasted spice, dried herbs, and new leather. Rich and medium to full-bodied, it has solid mid-palate depth and enough tannins and acidity to warrant 2-3 years of bottle age.

The product of a cool vintage, Hickinbotham's 2017 Brooks Road Shiraz is a tart, intense offering. Scents of mixed berries and pastry crust mark the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate is tight and taut, juicy but a bit ungenerous. The finish suggests more potential, offering mouthwatering acidity and fine-grained tannins. I'd suggest holding this for at least another year, giving it time to relax a bit and reach its potential.

The Pinot Noir Lingenfelder Vineyard displays a medium ruby color. It exhibits lovely freshness with notes of cherries, red plums, tangy mulberry and hints of herbs. It’s a vivacious wine with an uplifted finish. Although technically on the Santa Rosa plain, Lingenfelder is a cool climate, 3 acre vineyard west of Fulton planted in 1996 with a mix of Pommard and Martini clones. About 40% whole clusters on the Pommard which lends a brightness to the wine.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018Destemmed and aged 9 months in 35% new French oak, the 2017 Pinot Noir Sealift has a spicy, powerful bouquet of red and black fruits, pine forest, iodine, violets, and crushed rocks. This carries to a medium-bodied, juicy Pinot Noir with a firm, focused texture, ripe tannins, and a good finish. It's classic 2017 with its more savory, firm style, but it’s beautifully balanced and will evolve for at least 7-8 years.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018The flagship is the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Stature, which is all Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from the Alden Park and Kellog vineyards. Cassis, black cherries, crushed rocks, graphite, and dried tobacco notes all emerge from the glass, and it has plenty of underlying structure as well as medium to full body, good overall balance, and plenty of length. It's going to benefit from 2-4 years of bottle age.

USA, Oregon: Searching for Hidden Gems from Willamette Valley's 2017 VintageThe medium ruby colored 2016 Pinot Noir Triple Black Slopes opens with pipe tobacco, tar, scorched earth and hints of dried herbs and charcuterie with notions of wild blackberries, aniseed and black currant. The palate is medium-bodied, silky and slow to open, grainy and fresh on the long finish. This may benefit from another year in bottle.

Central Coast: The 2017s and 2018s The 2017 Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard Block Q is distinctly different from the base cuvée and is all Pommard clone, from vines planted in the 1970s, that was 75% destemmed and spent 16 months in 50% new French oak. Notes of blackberries, ground herbs, pepper, and damp earth notes all define the bouquet and it's more tight, backward, and closed on the palate. Possessing good concentration, nicely integrated acidity, and a good, although shorter finish, give it 2-3 years, and it should evolve for over a decade.

USA, California, Sonoma: 2017 Vintage – Part 2 Made with about 30% whole cluster and aged in 27% new French oak, the 2017 Pinot Noir Afleet is medium ruby and opens with red cherry coulis, roasted cranberries, black cherries, loamy earth and tree bark with nuances of amaro, dried citrus peel and tea leaves. Medium-bodied with a silky texture, it offers great intensity in the mouth with gobs of spicy, orange-peel accents. It has a frame of well-woven freshness and finely grained tannins, finishing spicy. 353 cases produced.

The backward, Bordeaux-inspired 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder reveals sweet black currant, oak, forest floor and underbrush characteristics. Full-bodied with terrific ripeness and richness as well as a long finish with moderately high tannins, it should be forgotten for 3-4 years and drunk over the following two decades.

The dark ruby-colored 2007 Zinfandel Ciapusci Vineyard is a peppery, spicy, intense effort with fragrant aromatics as well as full-bodied flavors with plenty of spice and earth intermixed with a hint of herbs. It is a beautiful Zinfandel to enjoy over the next 5-7 years.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Pinot Noir Maggy Hawk is a bit closed next to the other Pintos in the range. There is good depth and structure, but the aromatics are not as open, while the tannins remain imposing. It will be interesting to see where things end up once the Maggy Hawk is in bottle.

Copain's 2015 Syrah Baker Ranch is deep, pungent and very savory, with a lot of whole cluster influence from the 100% stem inclusion. There is good aromatic intensity, but readers should expect a somewhat compact, austere style, especially on the mid-palate, where the wine is presently very shut down. It will be interesting to see if time helps the 2015 find a bit more generosity. Rose petal, white pepper, chalk and bright red fruit are all nicely delineated.