USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2016 Pinot Noir Land’s Edge Vineyards reveals a wonderfully expressive nose of pomegranate, red and black cherries and mulberries with touches of rhubarb, forest floor and yeast extract. Medium-bodied, the soft, silken palate has bags of elegance and restraint with red and black fruit layers and earthy accents, finishing with great length.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages One-hundred percent Cabernet Sauvignon, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Latro Knights Valley Cabernet Sauvignon gives up notions of crushed red and black currants, warm plums and baked cherries with touches of garrigue, dusty soil and bay leaves. The palate is medium to full-bodied, firm and grainy with lovely freshness and great intensity in the mouth, leading to a long, purely fruited finish.

One of the most expensive in the lineup, the 2015 Pinot Noir Signature Collection Julia's Vineyard is another wine from Julia’s Vineyard in the Santa Maria Valley and spent 14 months in 32% new French oak. Deep ruby/purple-colored, with some obvious oak in its smoky black fruits, crushed rocks, violets, and spice-driven aromas and flavors, it's medium-bodied, has terrific purity, and a fresh, focused style. Give bottles a few years and it should shine for a decade.

Italy, Tuscany: Chianti Classico (New Releases) A blend of 72% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot, the 2014 Il Fauno di Arcanum comes from a weaker vintage, and the wine's texture and aromatic intensity are just a touch more subtle as a result. But not by much. Indeed, this wine shows the deft hand of the winemakers, with impressive richness, concentration and a full range of aromatics. If you are looking for excellent value from Tuscany, look no further.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages The medium garnet-purple colored 2015 Syrah les Voisins (100% Syrah) displays bold black cherries, blackberries and warm plums scents with a very spicy undercurrent of baking spices and black pepper. Medium to full-bodied with firm, rounded tannins, it gives a great intensity of peppered black fruits, finishing long and perfumed.

Broad and plush, with concentrated notes of cardamom to the dried cherry and berry flavors. Elegantly framed, with rich spiciness and minerality that lingers on the polished finish.

Byron's 2016 Chardonnay Bien Nacido is a ripe, flamboyant beauty that offers loads of tropical fruits, quince, and flower oil-like notes in its medium to full-bodied, mouthfilling, opulent style. It has good acidity but just fills the mouth with fruit. It’s a character-filled, pleasure-bent effort to drink over the coming 2-3 years.

Spirited and well-structured, with cherry and tart blueberry flavors accented by stony mineral and clove notes, finishing with refined tannins.

Brilliant ruby-red. Ripe cherry and black raspberry aromas are complicated by building floral pastille and cola nuances. Sappy and expansive on the palate offering concentrated red and dark berry flavors that turn sweeter on the back half. Shows excellent clarity and definition on a long penetrating finish framed by silky even tannins.

Bright ruby-red. Smoke-tinged dark berry and cherry aromas are complemented by suggestions of cola espresso and candied flowers. Nicely concentrated but lively as well offering sweet red and blue fruit flavors that are energized by building spiciness. Subtle tannins build on the persistent finish which leaves cola and floral notes behind.

Densely packed, featuring red currant, cherry and spice flavors that are supported by medium-grained tannins. Offers lush spiciness midpalate, with a vibrant and minerally finish that lingers with Asian spice notes.

Medium-light to medium ruby; attractive, rich, fragrant, intense, raspberry and red cherry fruit aroma with hints of forest floor and Asian spices; medium to medium-full body; rich, textured, red fruit flavors with good depth and concentration, bright acidity, and a silky mouthfeel; medium tannin; lingering aftertaste. Very enjoyable to drink now with its richness and elegance, though deserve a few more years of aging. Very highly recommended.

Medium ruby; deep, intense, earthy, spicy, cherry and red berry fruit aroma with hints of mocha and baking spices; medium to medium-full body; deep, rich, red fruit flavors with some plushness in the mouthfeel; medium to medium-full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Initially a bit subdued, though developed with airing in the glass. Should benefit from a few more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

Medium-light to medium ruby; attractive, deep, rich, ripe, dark cherry and red berry fruit aroma with hints of forest floor and baking spices; medium body; forward, rich, supple, red fruit flavors with bright acidity and some plushness in the mouthfeel; medium tannin; lingering aftertaste. The forward, rich fruit and excellent balance makes this wine very enjoyable to drink. Very highly recommended.

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.

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.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages The 2016 Pinot Noir Green Valley is medium ruby-purple in color and opens with opulent black cherries, black raspberries and baking spices notes with nuances of rose petals, violets, dried herbs and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers wonderfully nuanced red and black berry flavors, with a grainy texture and great freshness paving the long finish.

The 2015 Brooks Road Shiraz offers aromas of red and black fruit, earth, sage and toasted oak. Medium weight, it is nicely balanced with good concentration, firm dry tannins and a long finish. It appears less concentrated and weighty compared to the 2014 vintage. A wine sourced from predominately 1971 blocks of the Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard and skillfully vinified with attention to detail.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages The 2016 Hartford Court Chardonnay hits the ground running with open-knit scents of ripe peaches, Bosc pears and honeydew melon with touches of honey toast and crème brûlée. Medium to full-bodied, rich and with a pleasant oiliness to the texture, it fills the mouth with generous stone fruit flavors, finishing long and spicy.

Medium-light to medium golden yellow; attractive, ripe, citrus and tropical fruit aroma with floral notes and a hint of honeysuckle; medium to medium-full body; crisp, apple, melon, and tropical fruit flavors with firm acidity, hints of baking spices, mineral notes, and a slight creaminess in the rounded mouthfeel; lingering aftertaste. At its prime, showing some maturity relative to the other younger wines in this flight. Very highly recommended.

Medium-dark to dark purplish ruby; very attractive, rich, ripe, intense, spicy, briary, red, blue, and black berry fruit aroma with notes of dried herbs and black pepper; full body; rich, ripe, concentrated, briary, black raspberry and blackberry jam flavors with good depth and acid balance, and notes of mocha and black pepper; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Very appealing to drink now with its forward rich fruit, though also worthy of a few more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages A blend of 87.7% Merlot, 6.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.1% Petit Verdot and 2.1% Malbec, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Merlot features ripe, expressive warm plums, black cherries and blackberry scents with touches of spice cake, fallen leaves and tobacco. Full, rich, plushly textured and laden with spiced black fruits, it finishes with a compelling peppery lift.

The 2015 Pinot Noir John Sebastiano Vineyard has a slightly earthy undercurrent, with plenty of dark fruits, damp soil, forest floor and mossy notes emerging from the glass. It's medium-bodied, juicy and lively on the palate, with enough acidity to warrant a year or two of bottle age. It certainly has beautiful purity of fruit and I suspect will drink nicely for over a decade.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages Made up of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2015 Journey is medium to deep garnet-purple in color and gives intense scents of crème de cassis, baked plums and blackberry preserves with touches of cedar chest , violets and mocha. Medium to full-bodied with a firm, chewy frame and lovely red and black fruit preserves in the mouth, it finishes earthy with a bit of grip.

Made by Greg Brewer and reminding me of a terrific St. Joseph, the 2016 Syrah Santa Barbara County has vibrant notes of red and black fruits, lots of pepper, hints of tapenade, and even a kiss of bacon fat. It's elegant, medium-bodied, has high yet integrated acidity and a great finish. Readers looking for a more traditional, classic Syrah from California that has some Old World charm should check this out.