The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyPeppery herbs, green olives, violets, bacon fat, and ample darker, almost blue fruits emerge from the 2018 Syrah Ex Post Facto. Medium-bodied, with a juicy, elegant, Saint Joseph-like texture and a clean, lengthy finish, it's a classy, character-filled Chardonnay from Santa Barbara County to enjoy over the coming 5-7 years.

Shimmering ruby. Oak-spiced aromas of dark berries and cherry cola take on a floral overtone with air. Supple and expansive on the palate, offering juicy black raspberry, cola and rose pastille flavors and hints of mocha and spicecake. Shows strong, spicy lift on a long, spice-driven finish shaped by even, slow-mounting tannins. 37% new French oak.

Glistening ruby-red. Fresh blackberry, cherry liqueur, mocha and a spicy nuance on the deeply perfumed nose. Sweet, palate-coating red and blue fruit and cola flavors pick up floral pastille and smoky notes with aeration. Shows smooth, velvety texture and turns spicier on the long, youthfully tannic finish, which echoes the mocha note.

The second vintage of this wine, the 2018 King's Wood Shiraz comes from a single east-facing parcel, includes 25% whole clusters and aged in a 2,500-liter foudre. At only 13.5% alcohol, it may surprise people who are expecting a traditional South Australian style of Shiraz, but it's meant to. Spicy and slightly herbal on the nose, it offers boysenberry fruit and an uncommon sense of balance. Medium-bodied and suave in feel, it's an elegant, refined style of Shiraz that can be consumed over the next 6-7 years.

Toasty nose, fresh, smooth and tangy with bright fruit and good balance, ripe and creamy with notes of vanilla, long and charming.

Medium dark ruby. The Pinot Noir Ewald Vineyard offers earthy aromas and flavors of cherry. pomegranate and smoky spice. The palate reveals brambly notes of blueberry and blackberry with moderate intensity. The wine is well-balanced with good acidity, fine grained tannins, and a persistent finish. Ewald is a 3.1 acre vineyard of clones 115 and 777 located directly behind the Kistler winery in the Vine Hill area of Forestville. Matured in 30% new French oak for 14 months.

The Pinot Noir John Sebastiano displays a medium ruby color and aromas of spicy and brambly red berry fruit. On the palate it is seamless with an elegant texture, good concentration and a long finish. Planted in 2007, John Sebastiano is a relative newcomer to Sta. Rita Hills; it’s located on the eastern end of the appellation with steep vineyards and highly varied aspects, some exposed to strong winds.

The Siduri Santa Rita Hills displays pretty red fruit with a touch of spice. Full in the mouth, it is nicely balanced with good acidity and a pleasant finish. An easy drinking wine.

The 2018 Pinot Noir Willamette Valley is medium ruby-purple and dark-fruited on the nose, with black cherries and berries accented by forest floor, mushroom, spices and minty touches. The medium-bodied palate offers bright, earth-laced fruits with a grainy frame, good freshness and long finish.

This is a grown-up wine that offers more than simply fruit or oak and boasts a good, moderately tannic texture that’s quite appetizing. It develops nice complexity on the palate, showing blackberry, black pepper and a touch of tobacco.

South Africa's renowed viticulturalist Rosa Kruger selected some of Western Cape's finest Chardonnay plots for this wine - its maiden vintage - where the purity of the orchard fruit is not masked by the toasty new oak which has softened with time. It is creamy and round, with just enough acidity to balance.Drinking Window 2017 - 2023

Minerally freshness accents the structured Gala apple and white cherry flavors, backed by a zesty core of acidity. Savory hints and lemon drop notes show on the finish. Drink now through 2025.

Plush, pillowy and lavishly spiced. Apple and peach pastry flavors dominate, with a creamy texture. Tropical fruit accents show on the rich, juicy finish. Drink now through 2024.

This brilliant and almost clear colored Sauvignon Blanc from Matanzas Creek opens with a fragrant white grapefruit and lime bouquet with hints of pineapple, limestone and Granny Smith apple. On the palate, this wine is light to medium bodied, nicely balanced and delicate. The flavor profile is a mild gooseberry and flinty mineral blend with notes of lime. We also detected hints of white grapefruit, pineapple and a touch of peach pit towards the end. The finish is dry and its flavors are pleasantly prolonged. The Panel suggested pairing this very good Sauvignon Blanc with fried scallops or grilled swordfish.

COMMENTARY: The 2017 WillaKenzie Estate Chardonnay is a packed and satisfying wine. TASTING NOTES: This wine offers a full experience on the palate and in the finish. Enjoy its concentrated aromas and flavors of ripe fruit and oaky notes with a well-seasoned Porchetta.

COMMENTARY: The 2017 Penner-Ash Willamette Valley Pinot Noir is on point. TASTING NOTES: This wine is bright and lively with beautiful and abundant red fruit aromas and flavors. Pair it with a grilled fillet of salmon.

Golden color, smooth, lush and juicy with depth and style; rich, toasty and tangy and lovely pear fruit and a long, balanced finish.

This serious, structured wine has a very deep color, intense blackberry aromas and concentrated, almost thick flavors. Blended with 9% each of Malbec and Merlot, it has plenty of fine-grained tannins surrounding the ripe black fruits and dark-chocolate notes. Best through 2024.

This wine is fruity in blueberry and black cherry, with an inviting nose of black tea and clove. Earthy and refined in tannin, it is softly layered and approachable in its lasting richness, the oak well integrated.

McLaren Vale Delivers Top Mediterranean Styled RedsA bright assemblage of fresh red-fruit aromas and flavors with crisp, easygoing texture and a neat, succulent finish. 62% grenache, 15% shiraz, 12% mourvedre, 6% carignan, 3% cinsault and 2% counoise. Drink now. Screw cap.

This light-yellow colored Chardonnay from Stonestreet opens with a pineapple and vanilla oak bouquet. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, balanced and has a nice mouthfeel. The flavor profile is a tasty creme brulee and mild pineapple blend with notes of oak and poached pear. I also detected hints of almond and touch of peach. Its flavors and pleasant acidity drift away nicely. This Chard is very good on its own. It would pair well with chicken cordon bleu.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018White grapefruit, acacia flowers, pine, and salted citrus notes all emerge from the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Aurora Point Vineyard. A beautifully balanced, elegant Sauvignon Blanc with bright acidity, plenty of fruit, and a dry finish, it's going to keep for at least 4-5 years, and I suspect even longer.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018More spice, dried earth, herbes de Provence, and ripe cherry and strawberry fruit notes emerge from the 2018 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills, a richer, medium to full-bodied, fruit-loaded effort. It's one of the bigger, richer wines in the appellation series.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018From a great site in the Santa Lucia Highlands, the 2018 Pinot Noir Soberanes Vineyard sports a more ruby/purple (it's still translucent) hue to go with a spicy nose of cranberries, black cherries, sappy green herbs, and new leather. Nicely textured, medium-bodied, and balanced, drink it over the coming 7-8 years.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018Coming from a mix of vineyards throughout Santa Barbara County and mostly destemmed, the 2018 Pinot Noir Santa Barbara County offers a lighter ruby color as well as a beautifully pure, elegant, medium-bodied style that's already hard to resist. Bing cherry, wildflowers, violets, and a touch of spice all define the bouquet, and it's a great value in high-quality Pinot Noir.