With a subtle nose of camomile, white peach and wet stones, this is smooth and creamy with bright acidity. Delicate, nuanced, with just a hint of saline minerality on the long finish. Smart stuff.

This strikes a balance between ripe, generous flavors and a thread of savory elements, with lanolin, toasted sesame and sea salt details to the core of lemon curd, mango and peach flavors. A note of nutmeg lingers on the finish. Drink now through 2032.

Soft approachable style. Raspberry and ripe strawberry, some mint and spice, a light sappiness, all sweet spiced strawberry, balanced acidity, gentle powdery tannins on a cool mint/red fruited finish of solid length. Affable, easy going, and good drinking. Kind of Pinot 101, but in a nice sort of way.

Aromas of ripe strawberry, raspberry and a hint of sage. Medium-bodied with earthy and mineral undertones. Red-fruited and lightly savory. Drink now.

A savory pinot, showing dark raspberries and earthy berries, orange peel and hints of mushrooms and walnuts. A juicy, medium-bodied pinot with juicy fruit and a smooth, supple mouth-feel. Drink now.

Peach pits, apricots, butter, milk and broad beans on the nose. Full-bodied with a round, creamy and leesy palate, with lingering yoghurt and milk character. Drink now.

The 2019 Malbec Mt. Veeder features almost candied blackberries and black cherries on the nose, yet there's also a loam-like earthiness to steer the wine toward savory. Medium to full-bodied, with a silky texture, this bottling isn't that long or complex, but it offers something a bit different and fun.

La Jota's 2019 Merlot Howell Mountain includes 11% Petit Verdot and 7% Tannat. It boasts plummy black cherries and hints of herbs on the nose, while the palate is medium to full-bodied and silky but not that deep or rich. Supple and charming yet not unstructured, this mouthwatering Merlot may be enjoyed on the young side, but it should drink well through at least 2030.

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.