There are an impressive 20,000 cases of the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley, a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon with 8% Merlot, 2% each Malbec and Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Franc, aged in 40% new oak. About half of the fruit is sourced from estate (organically grown) vineyards, while the balance is purchased. Lovely herb-inflected cassis and hints of ripe cherries appear on the nose, while the palate is medium to full-bodied, silky and fine, but with some substance and concentration, finishing with soft, dusty tannins. Good concentration, balance, length.

This is an ethereal, earthy and cool-climate red, burly in tannin and power, with lasting notes of rose petal, black tea and forest.

A spicy, warm layer of oaky vanilla and cinnamon wraps the ripe blackcherry and blackberry flavors in this expansive, full-bodied wine. It is big in mouthfeel, coating the palate with a chocolaty richness.

This generous, nicely oaky wine offers abundant, ripe fruit flavors and classy spice notes of cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg. Delicious red and black cherries mingle with the oak on a full body bolstered by moderate tannins.

Clean, crisp and restrained on the nose, this bottling offers apple-flesh and lemon-peel aromas on the nose. The palate is all about the grippy texture, with that citrus-sprayed pome-fruit flavor arising in the mid-palate.

Elegant aromas of dried lemon peel, nectarine and wet stone make for a complex nose on this bottling from a rocky appellation. Crushed stone comes through on the palate, lifted by splashes of
lemon juice.

Brioche aromas lead the way on the nose of this bottling, which also offers ripe pear and drizzles of honey. The single-vineyard expression is more subtle on the sip, with lemon-glaze, baked peach and warm oak flavors achieving a restrained balance.

Savoury nose with bramble, clove and a tick of cigar box. Classy on the palate, with refined tannins and a lengthy finish.

Floral nose of violets, smoky notes and ripe blackberry with hints of leather. It combines ripeness with elegance on the palate.

Rich and ripe aromas of blackcurrant and baking spices. Good drive and energy, with tight tannins and long savoury finish.

An elegant and restrained style with blackcurrant, even redcurrant, fresh acid and supple tannins. The finish is long with vanilla and savoury notes.

Lovely aromas of savoury fruit, ripe blueberries, vanilla and green bell pepper notes. Great energy and poise in the mouth.

Inviting aromas of sliced almond, orange blossom and grapefruit. Medium-bodied. A blast of citrus and tang on the palate with a nutty finish. Fun stuff. Drink now.

The wine is crisp and moderately herbal on the nose in a way that I like: green grass and boxwood, kind of a milder version of a classic New Zealand sauv blanc. On the palate, this wine opens into gentle fruit, shot through with zingy lime. It ebbs slowly and satisfyingly on the finish, making me want to keep taking another sip, and another. Not glugs, but savoring sips; it’s a weekday after all. Serve super chilled.

Juicy and very open in feel, with loganberry and red licorice notes melding with hints of red and black tea. A flash of singed vanilla lines the finish. Crowd pleaser. Drink now through 2025.

Dark and quiet, this wine opened beautifully over two days of tasting, becoming smoky in its thick-skinned savor and dark purple fruit, with a hint of dashi in the background. Decant and serve with smoked trout.

Grown in Chalone’s limestone soils, this stylish, mildly rustic syrah delivers savory olive, plum skin and pine sap notes along with a salty tang. That all plays nicely into the wine’s dark plum flavors, with the grippy tannins to age.

With its nose of cinnamon, cherry, and rose, this inviting Pinot Noir shows brilliant minerality and a light, airy mouthfeel. A touch of white pepper seasons cherry, cranberry, and red tea.

There are pleasantly herbal and seashore-like characteristics to the nose of this bottling, which offers aromas of green sage, kelp, cranberry, smoke and chiseled rock. The palate begins with baked red-cherry flavors before hints of leather and wild thyme arise, as sandy tannins hold everything together.

Offers lemon meringue, marmalade, green apple and Bartlett pear flavors that are fresh and polished, with details of toasted sesame seeds, spice and orange blossom. Drink now through 2035.

The Penner-Ash 2019 Estate Pinot Noir is refreshing and savory — a delicious effort by Kate Ayers, the winemaker. It is a terroir-driven Pinot Noir that showcases the distinguishing textures and flavors of Willamette Valley. The first sip releases high-toned notes of wild strawberry, raspberry, cranberry, rose petal, wet stone, cherry, and crushed earth. The palate is fresh and lush with supple tannins and a soft mineral core that provides complexity to each layer of the wine.

This bears the Greek symbol Epsilon (the letter E), which the winery translates as “the sum.” Three-fifths of the ferment used whole clusters, which puts a frame of drying tea type tannins around the finish. The fruit mixes red plum and berry and the overall balance is spot on.

This is the first release of a vintage sparkling wine from Gran Moraine. Half was barrel fermented, bringing a light but welcome toasty note around the crisp and fresh apple fruit. The wine was disgorged early in 2021. Aromatic, with bright acidity, it should drink very well for a decade or longer.

This is a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc and 2% Petit Verdot made from a selection of vineyards, including the high-elevation Alexander Mountain Estate. Earthy in sage, cedar and dried herb, it shows a wealth of mountain power and tannin, with wisps of tobacco and blackberry dappled in oak.

This wine has strong layers of structure and tannin, bold swathes within an otherwise elegant, restrained style of graceful complexity. Plum, graham cracker, currant and leather combine in dense bolts of concentrated intensity and length.