Inky purple. A complex smoke- and spice-accented bouquet evokes ripe blackcurrant and boysenberry, with a suave note of potpourri emerging as the wine opens in the glass. Palate-staining, vibrant black and blue fruit flavors are complicated by hints of candied licorice and violet. The spice note makes a strong return on the penetrating finish, which features chewy tannins and a powerful whiplash of sweet dark fruit.

The brilliant 2014 Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard comes from a Zinfandel-dominated, old vine vineyard. With notes of licorice, incense, black raspberry and black cherry fruit, the wine also offers hints of pepper and roasted meats, but loads of fruit in a full-bodied, opulent, exciting and consumer-friendly style. Drink it over the next 5-7 years.

This showcases a highly sought-after vineyard site known for its tension of big, bold, ripe fruit and notable acidity. Red currant, cranberry and leather find a well-composed rendering of leathery clove and other lively hits of spice, including black and white pepper.

Dark purple. Expansive aromas of dark berry preserves, cherry-vanilla, Indian spices and cola, with a suave floral note emerging with aeration. On the palate, densely packed, palate-staining black and blue fruit flavors show a compelling blend of richness and vivacity. Closes juicy, spicy and very long, with outstanding persistence and smooth tannins that meld completely with the wine's vibrant fruit.

Bright purple. Heady, complex scents of ripe black and blue fruits, incense, lavender and woodsmoke, with a mineral element adding vivacity. Sweet and expansive on the palate, offering intense blackcurrant and blueberry flavors and a suggestion of allspice. Distinctly rich but lively as well, showing excellent finishing clarity and fine-grained tannins that build slowly and add grip.

Bright purple. Displays intense, smoke- and spice-accented dark fruit preserve, licorice and cola scents, along with a sexy floral nuance. Sappy, concentrated and appealingly sweet, offering blackberry and cherry liqueur flavors and a touch of star anise. For its heft this wine shows very good balance and finishes long, chewy and precise, with building tannins and a touch of candied flowers.

Seeing just a touch of new oak, the 2015 Syrah Sierra Mar Vineyard came from tiny yields (which is one of the defining features of the vintage) and is all from the Alban clone of Syrah. It’s a deep, purple, even inky colored, effort that offers tons of blue and black fruits, pepper, hints of olive and even bacon fat in a forward, sexy, fruit-loaded style. The Novy label is for winemaker Adam Lee’s (of Siduri) Rhône blend and Zinfandel releases.

Adam Lee's recent fascination with Châteauneuf-du-Pape translates to this bottling, which offers aromas of black plum, black currant, clove, cinnamon and star anise. It's rich and ripe on the plush palate with wild strawberry, more baking spice and firm tannins holding it altogether.

This opaque and dark purple colored GSM from Novy is very good. It opens with a fragrant blackberry jam bouquet with hints of old leather. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, balanced, juicy and rich. The flavor profile is an extracted blackberry and anise blend with notes of stewed plum. I also detected hints of wild strawberry, beef stick and a touch of minerality. The finish is dry and its fruit flavors fade away nicely. This wine is food friendly and would pair well with bourbon-glazed steak tips.

Jammy but well-built, with floral blueberry and cracked pepper aromas and zesty blackberry and smoky sweet anise flavors that finish with polished tannins.

Medium-dark ruby; attractive, forward, deep, intense, spicy, blackberry jam aroma with hints of espresso, licorice, and bacon fat; full body; big, rich, ripe, extracted, dark cherry and blackberry fruit flavors with notes of baking spices and mocha, and a full, plush mouthfeel; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Very drinkable and enjoyable now and over the next two to four years. Very highly recommended.

2016 ZINFANDEL, LIMERICK LANE VINEYARD The nose is a sticky loam and herb over blackberry, dense cherry and hints of grilled meat. The palate is a dry raspberry and pomegranate with higher toned hints of tobacco and herb in the core. Finishes dry and lean with fresh strawberry and nectarine.

Medium-dark ruby color; Very attractive, forward, intense, deep, raspberry and boysenberry fruit aroma with hints of baking spices, smoked meat, and black pepper; full body; deep, rich, ripe, concentrated, red and black berry fruit flavors with spicy and peppery notes, good acid balance, and a plush mouthfeel; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. A big, rich, ripe style of Zinfandel that is enjoyable to drink now in its youth, and over the next couple of years. Very highly recommended.

Lively blueberry and bitter chocolate aromas open to expressive black raspberry, pepper and orange peel flavors that gain zest on the finish.

Showing a darker, blueberry, cassis, spice and hints of white chocolate, the 2015 Zinfandel Carlisle Vineyard reminds me of the Ridge Geyserville with its full-bodied, opulent yet seamlessly textured on the palate. Pure, silky and layered, with tons of fruit, nicely integrated acidity and a great finish, you're going to love drinking it over the coming 4-5 years. The Novy label is for winemaker Adam Lee’s (of Siduri) Rhône blend and Zinfandel releases.

Zesty and expressive, with floral wild berry and licorice aromas and lively, rich raspberry and pepper flavors.

This is among the best under-$20 Pinot made anywhere in the world. By best, I most certainly don't mean biggest, but rather most delicate, integrated and pure. If I want a bigger wine, I'm perfectly capable of ordering Syrah or Cabernet. If I'm after Pinot, it is because I want a wine that won't fight with my fish or chicken. This fits the bill perfectly, showing light-medium body, appropriately pale color, significant (but not overbearing) aroma and flavor, and a finish that is fairly long and very fresh… without any awkward sweetness or hint of cheap oak-chip tricks. Delicious, and a triumph at this price.

Very dark in the glass, this inky wine shows aromas of iodine, distilled violets and wound-up black-currant fruit, making the Syrah appear in charge. It’s very dense but not especially ripe on the sip, where layered tannins reluctantly reveal elderberry and lilac flavors. Though five years old, it still needs time to unwind.

2016 CHARDONNAY, ESTATE, SANTA MARIA VALLEY The nose is a full white stone fruit, resinous lemon and coconut. The palate is nicely elevated toast and bright lemon, butterscotch and peach through the finish.

Smooth and lush with juicy cassis and plum with toasty sweet oak; ripe and deep with density and rich flavors; balanced and long.

Knights Valley is the typically the warmest area in Sonoma County, and thought it has a great reputation for Cabernet, I'd say it's still under rated. Poker Knight makes an argument for the AVA, with classic varietal character, firm tannins, food friendly acidity and a long finish that's showing good integration now and will reward up to five years additional bottle aging. There's rack of lamb structure on this one - save the poker game for later.

Murphy-Goode's Knights Valley Cab offers up a rich slice of northern Sonoma County flavor. The Knights Valley is a warm spot in Sonoma's vast viticultural area that delivers ripe Cabernet grapes with regularity. This vintage of the Poker Knight exhibits luscious blackberry and cassis aromas, shows a bit of wood on the nose, and finishes with grippy tannins that suggest it might be best to lay this one down in the cellar for two to three years.

This is the style of Cabernet Sauvignon that made California famous for that variety. It’s balanced and discreet, with haunting herbal influences that complement the ripe fruit flavors. Not overdone, over extracted or over oaked, the multifaceted flavors of Cabernet come through. It dances on your palate. Murphy-Goode makes a series of more muscular -- and expensive -- single vineyard Cabernets as well for people who are looking for more oomph in their wines. For my money, I’d go with this one because you can appreciate the subtlety the wine offers.

The label is retro but the wine is thoroughly modern; silky and fresh with seamless, juicy, and tangy pear fruit lightly kissed by vanilla; what a price.