A vertical tasting at Cardinale While still young, this structured wine has floral and red and purple fruit aromas and drying elegant tannins.

10 Cabernet Sauvignons From Napa Valley That Challenge the ‘Reds from California’ Stereotype Deep and meaty on the nose, with beef carpaccio, bakers chocolate, porcini, espresso, and hoisin sauce leading to flavors of cherry, blackberry, Chinese five-spice powder, and violets. Great now, and will continue to evolve for another three decades.

What To Drink Now: Balanced Red Blends Some of the world’s finest wines are blends, and here are a few standout options to consider. (Some were sent for editorial consideration.) Cheers... Though Cardinale is primarily Cabernet Sauvignon, the wine captures the essence of great blending. Winemaker Chris Carpenter meticulously crafts the best of Napa’s mountain districts, developing a wine with graphite, black fruit, dried tobacco, and spice.

A vertical tasting at Cardinale Considered one of the coolest vintages ever, the wine has notes of bell pepper, dark cherry and spice and grippy tannins.

A vertical tasting at Cardinale Considered a perfect year, this wine is very pretty with aromas of fruit, graphite and anise and velvety tannins.

A vertical tasting at Cardinale Floral aromas as well as notes of black cherry cassis and anise are present in this wine that has silky tannins and has many more years of life left.

Jackson Family Wines has another winner in the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Cambria Wine Estate… Now the 2015 Julia’s Vineyard Pinot Noir was very rich and vibrant with a slight transparent hue. The nose was very perfumed and the finish of the wine long in length and quite elegant. I could see pairing this with a substantial dish like Salmon and also risotto. The estate is owned by Katie and Julia Jackson, and located in the coastal Santa Maria Bench of Santa Barbara, where all the best wines come from. When I taste Jackson Family wines, I often wonder how they can deliver such great quality at an affordable price. These are two great wines to try.

Toffee aromas and on the palate rich notes of ripe apple and melon. Lush texture, yet balanced. Nice length. 3½ stars.

Jackson Family Wines has another winner in the Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from Cambria Wine Estate. The 2015 Katherine Vineyard Chardonnay is the dream of the perfect “California Chardonnay” – buttery, vanilla flavors yet restrained and balanced. The secret is the barrel aging and judicious use of new French oak... The estate is owned by Katie and Julia Jackson, and located in the coastal Santa Maria Bench of Santa Barbara, where all the best wines come from. When I taste Jackson Family wines, I often wonder how they can deliver such great quality at an affordable price. These are two great wines to try.

Asian Chardonnay Masters of 2018: Master Another top-medal winning wine from the blind tasting is Jackson Family Wines’ Cambria Benchbreak Chardonnay 2015 from California’s cooler-climate Santa Maria Valley. This smoky and leesy Chardonnay is laced with citrus notes, lemon peel, toastiness and a pleasant struck-match whiff, a result of hydrogen sulphide during fermentation. The wine, harking back to a more classic Chardonnay style, impressed the judges enough to take home a Master.

What To Drink Now: Balanced Red Blends Some of the world’s finest wines are blends, and here are a few standout options to consider. (Some were sent for editorial consideration.) Cheers… Grown in the heart of Tuscany, il fauno di Arcanum blends Bordeaux varieties from rolling hillsides for a unique expression of fruit. Textured and well-rounded, with raspberry, plum, lilacs and lavender.

2014 Alcance Gran Reserva Carmenère – harvested from 20-year vines and notes of herbs, spice, black fruit and a great acidity. Old Vines Carmenère – how fun!

The Best Merlot Wine To Enjoy Now: MerlotMe Another fabulous Chilean Merlot I recently had the pleasure of tasting was The Alcance Grand Merlot from Alcance Wines. This was very delicious Merlot with bold rich flavors I loved, extremely smooth and silky in texture which was beautiful. I also tasted through quite a bit of the Alcance Wines and enjoyed them all. So if you’re looking for something outside of California check out Alcance Wines and be sure to taste this incredible Merlot.

2014 Alcance Gran Reserva Merlot – sourced from 16-year-old vines with notes of chocolate, spice, plum, dark fruit and earthy notes.

2014 Alcance Vigno – This 100% Carignan varietal, is made from 50 to 70-year-old Carignan vines with notes of red fruit, spice, flowers and tomato leaf. This involves a group of 17 producers with a goal of keeping dry farmed, Old Vines Carnigan alive, establishing the first Chilean DOC and protecting the laborers who manage and own the vineyards.

2013 Bravura Proprietary Red — Meaning “courage” in Spanish, Bravura is sourced from highest quality vineyards and is only produced in exceptional vintages. It is a Bordeaux blend and has notes of spice, berry, plum, black fruits, herbs, chocolate, cedar and olive tapenade.

2015 Alcance Gran Reserva Cabernet Sauvignon – 100% percent Cabernet Sauvignon with notes of rose petal, chocolate, black currant and graphite.

2015 Alcance Gran Reserva Chardonnay – great minerality with tropical fruit, lemon, almonds, butterscotch and a nice nuttiness. This was a delicious Chardonnay.

When Jackson Family Wines acquired one of the North Willamette Valley’s gems in 2013, it signaled the California giant’s first land purchased beyond the Golden State. It’s no coincidence that trailblazing winemaker Lynn Penner-Ash pulled from Zena Crown for some of her top Pinot Noirs. (Jackson Family Wines bought Penner-Ash Wine Cellars in 2016). The Sum is one of four examples of Pinot Noir that JFW winemaker Shane Moore produces in McMinnville under the Zena Crown brand, and he finished harvest of these clone 4 and clone 777 berries on Sept. 29. Baking spice from the 18 months in 59% new barrels melds with cherries and a bit of raspberry in the aromas. Dark cherry and a bit of pomegranate lead its flavors. It finishes with sport-on acidity that extends its depth of fruit. Earlier this month, some of the region’s top wine buyers selected The Sum as the best Pinot Noir at the sixth annual Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition. Outstanding.

2018 Great Northwest Invitational Wine Competition Best Pinot Noir Zena Crown Vineyard, a site and brand owned by Jackson Family Wines, earned best of class for its 2015 Σ The Sum Pinot Noir, a wine from the rising Eola-Amity Hills crafted by Shane Moore, an Idaho native who graduated from Washington State University.

Top Wines of 2018 Pinot Blanc is often more austere than Pinot Gris. This one’s always vibrant and minerally.

Vérité: The Truth of Sonoma Wonderful, vibrant core of almost electrified and candied blue fruit framed by savory herbs, truffles and black tar.

Vérité: The Truth of Sonoma Big and muscular wine with a velvet frame. Dark fruit is accented by intense minerals, charcoal and roasted game.

Vérité: The Truth of Sonoma Very balanced mix of red and blue fruits with a fresh acidity and moderate alcohol. Some black olive, mushroom and graphite minerality.

Vérité: The Truth of Sonoma Still powerful and potent after 18 years in the bottle. Some heat from the alcohol is immediately present on the nose. Tart red and blue fruits, freshness of acidity, lavender, graphite, savory herbs, charred meats.