Very savory and dense on the nose, this bottling by Adam Lee shows smoky roast beef and smoked-pork-shank aromas as well as concentrated black currant and dried purple flowers. The palate is fresh, lively, tense and dense all at once, and needs a bit more time for the black-plum flavors to unfurl and acidity to mellow.

Abundantly flavorful and full bodied, this wine has lots of dark berry and black-cherry aromas, a big rich mouthfeel and deep layered fruit flavors sprinkled with spices from cinnamon to bay leaf to black pepper. It tastes extra ripe and has the moderate tannins and good acidity to support that ripeness.

This is a distinctive and detailed wine that starts with floral and spicy aromas, follows with generous fruit flavors and intriguing accents of tea, rhubarb and wet stone. It's ripe but not overly so, and that little bit of restraint gives it an appealing structured mouthfeel and fine sense of balance.

This wine is an impressive barrel selection of several vineyards across the appellation. It opens with a nose of charcuterie and brined olive, with a palate that is textured and rich in flavors of tarte Tatin and baked mango.

From a coastal site overlooking the Pacific Ocean near Annapolis, this is cool-climate yet brawny in its grasp of cherry cola, black pepper and black licorice, that is wild and densely packed with power. Wild blackberry and blueberry come along for the ride, adding to the succulence of the midpalate, a nice contrast to the underlying gaminess and tobacco.

Named for the way part of the vineyard is planted, the vines trained on a high wire, this is a dense earthy red. (The site is also field planted to Carignane.) Juicy with plenty of acidity on the midpalate, it oozes blackberry, black cherry and white and black pepper, with a lasting hit of texture and freshness.

Planted more than 100 years ago by her family, this head-trained vineyard is still looked after by Dina. The wine's tart focused acidity zeroes in on candied-cherry and strawberry flavors. Sumptuous and brightly rich, it has undeniable structure and a lasting mineral element of oyster shell and brine.

Silky smooth, soft and concentrated, this hails from 100-year-old vines in the heart of the appellation. The wine is luscious in strawberry and black-cherry flavors. Expansive and boldly ripe, it has a core of richness that never overwhelms, finding companionship in a wisp of black and white pepper.

Wine of the Day Greg Brewer’s Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir cuvee sees only neutral barrels (well seasoned) of French oak and is a selection of the best lots of each of the estate farmed vineyards. Depending on the vintage, Brewer-Clifton goes all for whole cluster fermentation(s) for expressive and pure Pinot Noir(s), they farm with a focus of having ripe stems as well as evenly ripe grapes, allowing for harmony and balance in this offering. This 2016 really has a lot going for it with beautiful layers of juicy strawberry, racy red cherry, sweet plum and an array of delicate spices, nervy or thrilling stem energy and subtle floral tones. Working with the stems allows for wines that are more structured, it’s earthy underneath, though somewhat hidden by youth, and with a fine tension to match the forward Sta. Rita Hills fruit. When opening, this 2016 BC Pinot starts with an almost Grenache like character, like a lighter Chateauneuf, highlighting the whole cluster and fresh stems, with a fruit and spice burst, before settling into a fine Pinot Noir, it’s also a wine that gets deeper with food. This vintage is made up of the three main Brewer-Clifton estate farmed sites, that includes the 3D, Machado, and Hapgood vineyards. According to Brewer and team, the 3D Vineyard, expresses a primary emphasis on it’s predominantly sandy soils, it’s main focus is Chardonnay planted here, but there is a small block of Pinot Noir here planted to classic Swan and Pommard as well as some 667 and 828 clone(s) that really stands out, then there is their Machedo Vineyard, a 15 acre parcel on the Machado family land that is located adjacent to Clos Pepe and immediately behind the Kessler-Haak site contains a selection of Pommard, Merry Edwards, Mount Eden, and 459 clone(s) on rolling terrain with sand, clay and loam soils, which I suggest adds a sense intensity and power, and lastly, there is the Hapgood Vineyard, which is planted exclusively to the Merry Edwards clone, the mainly clay and loam soils gives a fuller mouth feel, a feeling of density and impact. It’s funny, because, I almost always love this cuvee more than the more acclaimed Brewer-Clifton single cru bottlings, in fact Steve Clifton, ex-founder/partner here and now La Voix (his own label) winemaker, always told me to never miss this bottling, as they (He and Greg) used to pick the most expressive barrels from their single vineyard lots to craft this one, counter to the usual practice of using the downgraded barrels for the basic Pinot or village wine! It was a piece of advice that stuck with me and so far I’ve never been let down, and this one does not disappoint, in fact it’s a sublime vintage and gets better with every sip, over the course of a full day being open it revealed wonderful character and charm, it’s red fruit core seriously reminds me of a ripe year Volnay! I can imagine many years of great drinking ahead, I might suggest putting a few bottles away too, best from 2010 to 2027.

A Spotlight on Santa Barbara The 2015 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills will be another terrific vintage and, while young, offers plenty of pleasure. Pineapple, citrus blossom, salty minerality and creamed corn all flow to a rich, beautifully textured, layered, young Chardonnay that’s going to benefit from short-term cellaring and have 10-15 years of overall longevity. Like all of Greg’s Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnays, it spent 10 months in neutral barrels.

The 2015 Capensis comes from the Jackson family of Verité fame and debuted with great fanfare a couple of years ago. This latest release was matured for 10 months in 100% French oak, 41% of it new. It has a well-defined bouquet with finely integrated oak; scents of honeysuckle, beeswax and dried pineapple blossom in the glass over two hours. The palate is well balanced, the oak neatly integrated with a slightly nutty, creamy, orange-peel-tinged finish that feels reassuringly long. I get the feeling this is a more "toned-down" Capensis compared to its previous releases, and restraint suits it well. The only caveat is the price and the stiff competition from high-performing South African Chardonnays.

Offers mouthfilling richness, with suave and well-articulated flavors of dried red fruit and savory spice. The minerally finish stretches out, revealing hints of soy.

A Spotlight on Santa Barbara The earliest vintage of Greg’s career to date (harvest dates in California continue to be earlier and earlier), the 2014 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is also beautiful. Smoked herbs, black cherries, currants and earthy notes give way to a classic, textured, beautifully balanced and lengthy Pinot Noir that will drink nicely for another decade.

A Spotlight on Santa Barbara Also from a slightly cooler vintage for the region, the 2009 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is still going beautifully. A hybrid between the '07 and '08, it offers lots of black cherries, incense, and leafy herbs, with plenty of purity and precision in its aromatics. However, it shows more fruit and depth on the palate. It too is a beautifully complex wine that's drinking great today.

A Spotlight on Santa Barbara From a great vintage for the entire Central Coast, the 2007 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is beautiful and drinking at point. Kirsch, olive, spice, forest floor and gamey notes all emerge from this supple, elegant, mature yet still youthful wine. It’s not going to get better but will certainly keep for another 4-6 years.

A Spotlight on Santa Barbara Terrific (and classic) notes of ripe apples, spice, brioche, and honeysuckle all emerge from the 2011 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills, which picked up an alluring chalky minerality as it sat in the glass. Its medium body, great mid-palate, bright acidity and clean finish all making for a terrific Sta. Rita Hills Chardonnay that’s going to evolve gracefully for at least a decade.

A Spotlight on Santa Barbara Similar to the 2008 with its racy, lively style, the 2009 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills is more reserved aromatically, with notes of orchard fruits, lemon peel and spice, and lots of minerality coming through with air. Medium-bodied, fresh and lively, with a balanced, clean style. it is drinking beautifully today but should keep nicely going forward.

Why Australian Wine is Some of the Most Exciting in the World A spicy GSM blend with lots of ripe black cherries, a hint of ivy extract, dark licorice and some cassis. On the palate, this shows real structure and definition with ripe yet sturdy tannins and fresh acidity. A tangy, chewy finish.

Why Australian Wine is Some of the Most Exciting in the World Poached quince and pears with spicy and lightly honeyed aromas. The palate has a smoothly formed, fleshy texture. The honeyed, lees-derived influence sits well in this complex and textural white.

Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2016 Pinot Noir Zena Crown Vineyard has deep scents of blackcurrants and black cherries with layers of nutmeg, turned soil and tree bark. The palate is medium-bodied with black cherry, forest floor and mushroom with firm, structuring tannins, finishing fresh and lifted with the black fruit coming through.

It has been a while since I have tasted this wine, I guess I was in a state of denial since the winery has been sold since the last time I popped a Penner-Ash. Still youthful, even a decade out with dark cherry, blackberry, anise, and a smidge of tar. On the palate, this is fruity, but certainly complex—not as boisterous as the 2008s, but so refined. Delicious. Outstanding.

This is a fruity wine that overflows with cherry, plum and raspberry aromas and beautifully ripe pure flavors along with some rhubarb and herbal accents that add complexity and interest. It's full bodied, and has a silky-smooth texture.

Why Australian Wine is Some of the Most Exciting in the World This is a ripe and assertive merlot with plenty of cedary oak in the mix, as well as plums and spiced plum pudding. The fleshy palate is underpinned by grainy tannins, making this a bold, assertive red.

Light purple color. Nose shows tart but deep fruit (blueberry, dark plum, roasted fig) along with waves of eucalyptus, mint and earthy-tobacco notes. Full and structured with a chewy feel but underlying acidity keeps it fresh. Blackberry, tart blueberry, gushing fruit but so pure and vibrant. Notes of dusty earth, minerals, violets, eucalyptus and mint, with vanilla and coffee woven in well, and some sweet pipe tobacco on the finish. I’d love to bury a bottle of this for 6-10 years, the quality is that high, but it’s also delicious young. All Merlot.

Bold purple color. On the nose: tart black currants, roasted fig, saucy blackberries, violets, eucalyptus, black pepper glaze, and some vanilla. Full-bodied with solid tannins for structure (but not harsh) and mildly fresh acidity. Blackberry, blueberry and cassis, the fruit is suave and delicious and loaded with violets, cocoa, black pepper, eucalyptus, dark chocolate, earthy and tar tones. Great stuff, but this needs a solid decant or, preferably, a few years of sleep. All Shiraz.