This robust red manages to find elegance amidst power. The nose starts out quiet, needing some swirling to open up and show plush blue and red fruit, floral notes and baking spice. The juicy palate is sandy-textured from superfine tannins, yet there’s enough heft and structure to take this well into the future, from 2028 and beyond.

Weekend Picks Australian Charlie Seppelt and American Chris Carpenter have combined their winemaking talents at Hickinbotham to produce what they term is the pinnacle of Clarendon Cabernet. The wine is shaped by its tannins which are rich and dense, framing the wine’s structure from front to back. Expect rich and pure black fruit with a whiff of green pepper, menthol and dark chocolate. First planted in 1971 by Alan Hickinbotham, the vineyard remains well cared for today under the Jackson Family Farms banner.

Australian Charlie Seppelt and American Chris Carpenter have combined their winemaking talents at Hickinbotham to produce what they term is the pinnacle of Clarendon cabernet. The wine is shaped by its tannins which are rich and dense, framing the wine’s structure from front to back. Expect rich and pure black fruit with a whiff of green pepper, menthol and dark chocolate. The fruit is hand-picked from Clarendon high country at 220 metres where it enjoys warm mornings and cool nights, lending ripeness yet holding bright acidity. At 14.5 percent the alcohol is up a full point over last year but to little overall effect. First planted in 1971 by Alan Hickinbotham it remains in good hands today under the Jackson Family Farms banner.

Graceful and perfumed, with notes of candied violet and gingerbread adding richness to the plum, cassis, fudge and black walnut liqueur flavors. Features dense, polished tannins and a long, lingering finish. Drink now through 2026. 238 cases made.

Smooth and spicy with dense, earthy with a not unpleasant hint of herbs; lush, rich and long with balance and style.

Shows an incredible array of spice notes layered over cola and black cherry flavors. Cinnamon, mint, and anise highlight the aromas and finish. Like all of the Hartford offerings, the mouthfeel is smooth and expansive.

Deep, dark ruby purple color; slightly closed cassis, blackberry notes on nose; big and tannic, there is ample blackberry and cassis fruit underneath, great structure and a finish that goes on and on. This Pinot is huge and tannic, but there's no doubt that this is a Pinot of character, I think the fruit is there to reward some patience in the cellar.

Actually, the vineyard is in the Green-Valley sub-AVA, but the wine is more marketable with the RRV appellation on the label. Despite 75% new oak, the smoke and the toast notes are accents rather than dominant, elegantly framing the plump black cherry fruit. Some wood tannins mark the finish, but they should rapidly resolve. Drink 2003-2007.

Good full red. Perfumed aromas of fresh red cherry, raspberry, lead pencil, tar and herbs. Large-scaled, plump and rich, with complex red fruit, earth and herbal flavors lifted by wild spices. Nicely restrained sweetness. An impressively dense, nuanced pinot noir that finishes with very fine tannins.

Buttery and Spicy, with cinnamon and nutmeg dusted over baked apples. A full, verging on fat, mouthfeel is balanced by long, acidic finish that leaves your tongue tingling.

There are 811 cases of the 2000 Chardonnay Stone Cote, a provocative effort remniscent of a Chevalier-Montrachet in its greenish light straw color, gorgeous perfume of honeyed citrus, nectarines, white peaches, and steely, liquid minerality. Full bodied, tightly knit and super-endowed, it is a brilliant white that should evolve for 5-7 years.

A mineral tone runs through it, focusing the wine's citrus flavors on a bitter orange note, lengthening the more austere structural elements of the finish over a buttery warmth. Match its coastal minerality with grilled fish.

Deep cherry red. Moderately full-bodied. Highly extracted. Moderately oaked and tannic. Chocolate, toast, ripe blackberry. Deep dark brooding nose leads a seamless and rich palate with some attractive toasted oak flavors through the finish. Overall a firmly structured style.

This wine epitomizes what the Russian River Valley is all about: some of the best vineyard-designated Pinot Noirs in America. The grapes are cold soaked, hand punched, and fermented whole. The result is a delicious wine full of brambleberries and spice. It is the quintessential artisan Pinot Noir.

Smooth and elegant with lovely fruit and varietal depth; smoky, lush and very long.

Dense and luscious with intensity and richness; long and smooth on the finish with lovely complexity.

[Among] California's most exceptional producers of Pinot Noir. "The 1995 Arrendell Vineyard Pinot Noir exhibits more complexity, a more Burgundian, earthy, spicy nose, deep, dense, rich, full-bodied flavors, sweet tannin, and enough acidity to provide delineation to the wine's well-endowed personality.

...gets my nod over the 1996, simply because it is a richer, more multidemnsional wine with excellent vibrancyto its smoky, cherry fruit flavors.

Intense and aromatically profound, a glorious nose of subtle toasty oak that adds an attractive spice component to the otherwise intense, black-cherry, raspberry, and floral scents. Full-bodied, round, expansive, and sumptuous, this is gorgeously made.

The 2005 Pinot Noir Sevens Bench is a richer, fleshier species of Pinot Noir, with hints of spring flowers intermixed with black cherry and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied with good acidity, outstanding ripeness, and a long, layered finish, it is a beautiful Pinot for drinking over the next 4-6 years.

Medium ruby color; attractive, deep, intense, raspberry and black cherry fruit aroma with hints of forest floor, clove, and vanilla; medium to medium-full body; rich, ripe, textured, red fruit flavors with good depth and acid balance, a hint of Asian spices, and a crisp finish; medium to medium-full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Enjoyable to taste now, though will benefit from a few more years of bottle aging. Very highly recommended.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Pinot Noir Muldune Trail stands out in this range for its vertical feel and overall energy, both typical of this high-elevation site. Dark cherry, plum, rose petal and mint all open up in the glass. The 2016 is a touch compact and slightly nervous in feel, but quite attractive just the same.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2016 Hartford Court Pinot Noir reveals lovely crushed black cherries, mulberries and black raspberries notions with hints of candied violets, black soil and iron ore plus a waft of bay leaves. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the palate with black fruit and earthy accents supported by a firm frame of finely grained tannins and finishes with a refreshing lift.

The 2015 Pinot Noir Fog Dance Vineyard is forward, fruity and absolutely delicious. Although not especially complex nor subtle, the 2015 packs a serious punch in its dark red/purplish berry character. Plush and voluptuous on the palate, with silky tannins, the 2015 is wonderfully accessible today.

Medium-light to medium ruby; attractive, assertive, cherry fruit aroma with earthy notes and hints of baking spices and forest floor; medium to medium-full body; rich, earthy, spicy, red fruit flavors with herbal notes, good depth and structure, and a pleasing, supple mouthfeel; medium to medium-full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Appealing to drink now, though best to age for several more years. Very highly recommended.