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.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018From the cooler Bennett Valley region in Sonoma, the 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Bennett Valley is 100% varietal that was brought up in a mix of neutral oak (varying sizes) and stainless steel. Lemon blossom, tart citrus, peach, and a touch of pineapple all emerge from this fruit-forward, nicely balanced, delicious effort. With a Bordeaux Blanc-like style, it has good acidity as well as balancing richness. It's one of the standouts in the lineup.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018The 2017 Chardonnay Saralee's Vineyard is a touch more reserved and closed, yet has more concentration as well as depth. Stone fruits, white flowers, crushed rock-like minerality, and a touch of charcoal all slowly emerge from the glass, and it's nicely textured and medium to full-bodied, with integrated acidity, background oak, and a clean, crisp finish. It's a classy Chardonnay to enjoy over the coming 2-5 years.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Estates Collection Hawkeye Mountain is another Alexander Valley release (from the same vineyard) and spent 19 months in 58% new French oak. All Cabernet Sauvignon, it offers up lots of cassis and blackberry fruit as well as the classic savory style that's common from the Alexander Valley. Dried spice, mountain scrub brush, lead pencil, and charcoal notes all emerge from the glass, and it's nicely balanced, with ripe (yet present) tannins and terrific overall balance. It's a classic Sonoma Cabernet to enjoy over the coming 10-15 years.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018More exotic citrus, acacia flowers, and lemon-laced notes emerge from the 2018 Chardonnay Jackson Estate Seco Highlands. Medium-bodied, it has a vibrant, fresh style, notable balance, and a great finish. It packs plenty of richness, yet it’s still fresh and lively.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018Mostly from the Alexander Valley (there is some fruit from Mendocino and Yorkville Highlands) and a blend of 58% Petite Sirah, 30% Syrah, 10% Zinfandel and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache, and Petit Verdot, the 2017 Prequel Red Blend is a big, mouthful of wine with loads of black and blue fruits, chocolate, smoky wood, and spice-laced aromas and flavors. Full-bodied, packed with fruit, nicely balanced, and ready to go, drink this well-done fruit bomb over the coming 4-6 years.

Sonoma: Another Brilliant Vintage in 2018The 2017 Bootleg Red Wine checks in as 73% Cabernet Sauvignon and 27% Merlot that's mostly from Howell Mountain, yet includes fruit from Spring Mountain, Knights Valley, and Diamond Mountain. Plenty of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, cedary herbs, and a touch of chocolate all emerge from the glass of this plump, rounded, undeniably delicious 2017 that does everything right. Enjoy it over the coming 4-6 years.

This dark ruby colored wine from Toscana opens with a fragrant black cherry and oak bouquet with a hint of graphite. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, nicely balanced and rather smooth. The flavor profile reflects the nose. It features oak influenced black cherry with a nice streak of graphite running through the middle. I also detected hints of black tea and nutmeg. The finish is dry and its moderate tannins are well-managed and stick around for a while. This wine is food friendly and would pair nicely with roasted chateaubriand with red wine-mushroom reduction sauce.

Deep red colour with a good tint of purple and a savoury, faintly earthy bouquet that de-emphasises primary fruit. The palate is full-bodied and round, finishing with firm drying tannins. Good strength of backbone and structure to age. It has more to give if cellared. There's little doubt the ceramic tanks have given it a matured character in lieu of barrels, and they seem to have also imparted an earthy savouriness as well. (Fermented and matured in ceramic eggs; no oak. 100% destemmed fruit. 158 days on skins).

Pale lemon color. Airy, breezy aromatics with lemon pith, green apples, topped in sea spray, baby’s breath and nettle, some mint. On the palate, this has lovely textural depth but a bright, sprightly appeal. Lemon, green apple, kiwi, fun and fruity but complexities abound: chalk, minerals, crushed stones, pure mountain stream. Notes of mint, honeysuckle and sliced cucumber round out the finish. Pure, lively, racy, fun, this is a killer Napa SB for the price. Fermented and aged in a mix of stainless steel, concrete eggs and old oak.

Black-plum, rose-petal and violet aromas converge on the nose of this clonal selection from a historic vineyard. There’s an earthy array to the sip, where leathery and loamy flavors meet with tart cranberry tones.

For such a widely available wine, this is an extremely reliable bet. Aromas of clean and light lemon, nectarine and sea salt are pleasantly mellow, while the palate offers balanced brushes of lemon peel and white peach, wrapped in a soft yet acid-boosted texture.

Wonderful spicy, minty aromas and complex fruit, spice and toast flavors fill out a moderately tannic frame in this full-bodied, lavishly oaked and sophisticated wine.

The nose is an herbal perfume with aromatic sap and cracked pepper. The palate entry is bright, sticky and ripe leading to a full-bodied core of dried prune plum providing polished richness and depth finishing with fine acidity. Drink 2020 - 2024.

The nose is a savory tapenade, graphite, strawberry and cherry conjuring complex earth aromas. The palate is firm tobacco, dried plum skin and mineral. Drink 2020 -2025.

The nose is sticky strawberry and nectarine with notes of blueberry. The palate entry is full and generous with plenty of structure and dimension in the core with a persistent, faceted finish. Drink 2020 -2025.

USA, Oregon: Searching for Hidden Gems from Willamette Valley's 2017 VintageMedium ruby, the 2016 Pinot Noir Terres Basses opens with broody scents of dried tobacco leaves, tar, blackberries and black currants with touches of cinnamon stick, dried citrus peel and amaro. The palate is medium-bodied and silky with youthfully coiled fruits, grainy tannins and juicy freshness, finishing bitters-laced. Give this another year in bottle.

USA, Oregon: Searching for Hidden Gems from Willamette Valley's 2017 VintageThe 2017 Chardonnay Willamette Valley was barrel fermented with 75% malolactic fermentation, and it aged in about 30% new oak. It has inviting scents of poached pears and red apple skin with notes of white blossoms, white peach, cheese rind and oyster shell. The palate is light to medium-bodied with a lightly rounded texture and a good core of fruit lifted by juicy acidity, finishing long, clean and refreshing. A restrained but approachable style of Chardonnay.