Napa 2016 Vintage: 5 Consecutive Years of Fantastic Wines I have not had many Howell Mountain cabernets like this with crushed blackberry and blueberry character. Nuanced. Full-bodied and extremely fine-textured. It goes on for minutes. Greatness.

The 2015 Valadorna (65% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Franc, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot) is a dark and thickly endowed red wine that boasts a rich and lasting grip on the palate. The bouquet offers depth and complexity with dark fruit, leather, cured tobacco and spice. There are also softer notes of chocolate and ground espresso beans. The wine's seamless integration of flavors leads to increased momentum and intensity as the wine continues to open in the glass.

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.

Napa 2016 Vintage: 5 Consecutive Years of Fantastic Wines Aromas of blackcurrants, roses, brick and spice. Full-bodied, firm and layered with a chewy and juicy tannin structure and a flavorful finish. Coffee bean. A luscious and generous red with freshness and focus.

I adore the individual nature of this wine. The medium-depth colour is clear and vibrant. Snappy and fragrant are the cherry aromas. The palate is light yet textural; it epitomises suppleness and the flavours are lively and intense. I particularly enjoy the burst of cherry fruit on the finish, with the flavours long and satisfying.

Joyous fruit is flanked by exotic spices. This is complexity and sophistication all the way. From a 2 hectare block planted in 1946, the crushed fruit is tipped into 675L ceramic eggs. Fermentation occurred in the eggs and remained on skins for 138 days. No pressings used, no oak either with an additional six months in the eggs. Certified Organic and Biodynamic Medium bodied and delicate to taste, mulberries and blueberries reign supreme. Flirtatious from the get-go, touches of raspberry and strawberry are present too. Pretty scents of dried red flowers and almost dashes of violet slowly rise up. Mouthfilling and charming, superfine tannins roll out to a long and moreish finish. Just brilliant.

This has to be one of the best value wines in Australia. Glorious, fragrant, dark fruit with an intricate, yet silky, tannin frame. The flavours are incredibly pure, poised and vibrant. It is a serious wine, yet incredibly drinkable in its youth. Outstanding value. Drink now or age for further complexity.

A highly rich and concentrated wine with gorgeous aromatic appeal. Alluring dried cherry fruit enhanced by some fine sweet-oak. Although the palate is concentrated, there is appealing background savouriness. The tannins are intricate, fine and plentiful, and the finish is long and delicious.

Sublime Grenache! Planted in 1946, these bush vines deliver pristine fruit. The highest section of this 1.7 hectare McLaren Vale site sits 210m above. Give this some time to catch its breath and it sings harmoniously. Hoisin and soy slide underneath dark berry fruits and subtle dried herb nuances. Aromas of purple flowers continue to shine with a gorgeous profile moving with ease through the mouth. Waves of fine spices roll through freely with fruit and acid perfectly balanced. Elegant and precise perhaps summarise this best. Wow!

This is an utterly mesmerising and compelling shiraz. Divine, concentrated dark fruit with very gentle spice. Classically-structured and not overdone in any way. Lively acidity and plentiful integrated tannin. An absolute steal at this price. Fabulous.

This one of my favourite wines in the country. It seems to hit that magical place where it is neither sweet-fruited nor savoury but instead sits somewhere gloriously in between. It is a hard wine to dissect as it is so well-balanced. I love the texture, the palate weight and the inherent brightness. Flecks of lime, fresh cream and faint fruit juiciness tied together by savouriness.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Monolith, from a parcel at 1,750 feet in altitude, is quite refined in this vintage. Medium in body, with tremendous aromatic and flavor intensity, the Monolith dazzles from the first taste. A range of floral and red-toned flavors are some of the signatures of a Cabernet that is both refined and polished.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher's Vineyard brings together all of the elements that make the Stonestreet Cabernets so distinctive. Dark fruit, savory herbs, spice, new French oak, menthol and pine build as this unctuous, full-bodied Cabernet shows off its considerable appeal and personality. The Christopher's is the most flamboyant of the wines in this range, but not necessarily the most complex. Part of that is attributable to the very high average quality across the board in this lineup.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Chardonnay Upper Barn Vineyard is a wonderfully complete wine that melds fruit intensity and structure. Apricot, tangerine, pineapple, mint and lightly buttered notes give the Upper Barn a slightly richer flavor profile to match its oily, textured feel. Floral notes appear later, adding lift to round out this superb Chardonnay from Stonestreet.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Chardonnay Gravel Bench Vineyard is fabulous. Vivid, deep and translucent, it has much to offer. Crushed rocks, savory herbs and dried flowers develop first in a Chardonnay that is all about nuance. Just as subtle on the palate, the 2017 is slow to reveal itself, and yet there is so much complexity and nuance. It is also the most complete Chardonnay in the range.

Napa 2016 Vintage: 5 Consecutive Years of Fantastic Wines This is an awesome Napa malbec that you need to try, offering blackberries, blueberries and minerals. Hot stones and cement. Full body, chewy tannins and a fresh, salty finish. Shows tension and focus.

You don’t see much straight Malbec from the Napa Valley. Rose petal, and musk, red plum and fruit, spice and coffee, earth. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and ripe chocolate and ironstone tannin, mouth-perfume, grip and serious length on the finish. Rich but fresh. Powerful. Emphatic.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Journey Red is powerful, resonant and also light on its feet, with a good bit of aromatic complexity and nuance. Crushed flowers, sweet dark berries, mint, pomegranate and blood orange all run through this super-expressive flagship wine from Matanzas Creek. In the past, Journey has been much more overt, but the 2016 points to a greater emphasis on finesse.

From the minute I pulled the bottle from its carton, I wanted to dislike it. A hundred bucks for a heavy bottle. Not a good start. But that’s why you taste. Labeled simple, “Red Wine,” it’s a Merlot-heavy blend that conveys a lot over everything — dark fruit, earthy notes — and wonderful harmony. An intense wine, but not heavy or over-the-top. Indeed, it’s a balanced powerhouse. Savory notes predominate in the finish, which ends with a seductive hint of bitterness. Leg of lamb studded with garlic would be a great match.

Napa 2016 Vintage: 5 Consecutive Years of Fantastic Wines This is a rich and tannic young red with blackberries, blueberries and currant bush. Some fresh basil. Full-bodied, chewy and impressive. Burly and fun. Needs at least three or four years to soften.

From an outstanding vintage, the 2015 La Jota Howell Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon lives up to expectations. Exhibiting rich black-fruit aromas, this wine is beautifully structured, showing power and finesse in unlikely combination. The tannins are firm but nicely integrated and suggest a long life.

Those who want upscale can look to La Crema Nine Barrel Chard 2015, 95 McD, scrumptious.

The Jackson family’s Hickinbotham property is a pure A-grade estate, and this is classic Stuff. From the 1971 contour mode planted blocks, handpicked, fermented with 50% whole berries, matured for 15 months in 30% new oak. This is next level McLaren Vale Shiraz – a lovely grainy, oak polished, dark berried red shaped by oak but not dominated, the acidity and alcohol very nicely integrated. Just a pleasurable, well balanced, full bodied Vale red with superb detail. Best drinking: Now to twenty years. 18.7/20, 95/100. 14%, $75. Would I buy it? I’m not buying wine, but if I wanted a real McLaren Vale red for the long haul, $75 for this is more than fair.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Zinfandel Dina's Vineyard is the clear standout in this range. Rich, sumptuous and beautifully layered in the glass, the 2017 hits all the right notes. Above all else, the Dina's Zinfandel is a wine of texture, but the presence of Alicante is felt as well.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Bear Point Vineyard is another powerful wine in this range. Next to some of the other Cabernets, the Bear Point is much more reticent and inward. Layers of blue/purplish berry fruit, spice, gravel and savory herbs are present, but the wine remains compact and not fully expressive, though there is plenty of richness lurking in the background. I wouldn't touch a bottle for at least a few years.