Full bodied, rich and beautifully textured. Plush chocolate, coffee, plum, vanilla, licorice, black cherry, spice, cedar and herb notes co-mingle here in a fine showing of an elegant, powerful Zinfandel. Long and lush at the end.

A robust, beautifully flavoured Californian Zinfandel from the cool climate Russian River district of Sonoma. Pair with barbecued meats.

The 2012 Zinfandel Russian River, their largest production cuvee (over 2,500 cases), was aged in 20% new French oak for nine months, then bottled unfined and unfiltered. It tips the scales at 15% alcohol. It exhibits an opaque blue/purple color along with plenty of briery, berry fruit intermixed with hints of incense, Christmas fruitcake and spice. This exuberant, richly fruity, full-bodied Zin can be drunk over the next 4-5 years.

This pale pink colored wine opens with an inviting rose pedal and watermelon like bouquet. On the palate, this wine is light to medium bodied, nicely balanced and smooth as silk. The flavor profile is a gentle mineral infused faint strawberry with hints of white pepper, watermelon and almond. The finish is dry and fades away nicely. This elegant Rose is very sophisticated and would pair with the finest mild dishes. I would pair it with a shrimp scampi risotto.

Medium ruby-purple in color, the 2015 Pinot Noir West Vineyard has an understated, restrained nose of rhubarb, Bing cherries and cranberries with hints of fragrant earth, bay leaves, fungi and mossy bark. Light to medium-bodied, rugged and earthy, it has a firm frame of chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long.

USA, Oregon: 2016 Vintage – Part Two The 2016 Pinot Noir Cascade is pale to medium ruby-purple in color with a very perfumed nose—lilacs, rose petals and potpourri—over a core of sweet red and black fruits plus notions of fresh tobacco and baking spice. Light to medium-bodied, it has lovely sweet fruits in the mouth accented by spice and perfume, grainy tannins and a long earthy finish.

Sleek and vibrant, with rose petal and cherry aromas and layered, lively raspberry, stony mineral and spice flavors.

Lurid red. Oak-tinged raspberry, cherry and candied rose scents, along with cola and vanilla notes that build steadily with air. Smooth and broad on the palate, offering sweet cherry-vanilla and spicecake flavors that firm up on the back half. The vanilla note carries through a long, spice-tinged finish given shape by supple, harmonious tannins.

Medium ruby-purple colored, 2015 Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton delivers a lot of red berry/raspberry expression with underlying menthol, dried herbs and tree bark notes. Medium-bodied, the palate offers a great concentration of juicy red fruit flavors with a solid backbone of grainy tannins and great freshness, finishing long.

This dark red colored Pinot Noir from Oregon opens with a mild black cherry bouquet with hints of raspberry tea and cigar box. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced, refined and smooth. The flavor profile is a gentle red plum and flinty minerality blend. We also detected notes of black cherry and oak along with a hint of cinnamon. The finish is smooth and dry while its flavors fade away nicely. The Panel suggested pairing this Pinot with a veal chop or venison.

Oregon: Pinot Still King Even In Hot 2015 and 2014 Vintages Aromas of exotic spices, raspberries, black pepper and hints of vanilla. Medium to full body, silky tannins and a clear finish. Drink now.

The 2014 Pinot Noir has a seductive nose of Bakewell tart, freshly picked strawberries and red cherry on the nose that gains intensity in the glass. The palate is medium-bodied with crisp acidity and there is a healthy dash of black pepper here, with moderate weight in the mouth and a slightly savory, meaty finish that lingers. It will require 2-3 years in bottle, but it should develop into an enticing Pinot Noir.

This will please fans of a more tart, earthy style of Pinot Noir. Sour cherry, dry earth, mushroom and cardamom aromas and flavors are carried by mouthwatering acidity that leaves a lingering, well integrated finish.

The nutty character on the nose mingles nicely with Challah bread and lemon cream. The palate shows a lean, mineral driven edge, with good structure and lighter cantaloupe and Pink Lady apple flavors. This elegant wine finishes long with vanilla cream.

Oregon: Pinot Still King Even In Hot 2015 and 2014 Vintages Aromas of dried flowers, citrus, chamomile and hints of honey in this opulent chardonnay. Medium to full body, medium to high acidity, clean texture and a cool finish. Sherbet. Drink now or hold.

Napa Valley’s Extraordinary 2016 Cabernets - Part 1 The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Latro, from vineyards in Knights Valley, is bright, precise and nuanced. This is an especially fruity, supple style for Knights Valley. Black cherry and plum fruit are nicely pushed forward in this soft, open-knit wine. The 2016 is undoubtedly attractive, but it would be nice to see a little more appellation character. Most of the fruit is from the Jackson family's Kellogg vineyard, plus purchased fruit from Knights Bridge.

Galerie's 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Pleinair is laced with the essence of black cherry, plum, mocha, new leather and licorice. Drink this juicy, flavorful Cabernet Sauvignon over the next decade or so. There is plenty of near to medium-term appeal. This is the first vintage that includes fruit from Bosché, one of the most famous vineyards in Napa Valley.

Grainy and gritty in texture at first, this wine finds a smooth roundedness on the midpalate that follows it through the bright acidity and punches of red plum and cherry. Ultimately rich and full-bodied, it offers a touch of reduction on the finish that presents as complex and intriguing.

The other Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Latro is 100% from Jackson family owned vineyards in Knights Valley. Aged 20 months in 63% new French oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered, this is a more earthy, tannic, structured style of Cabernet Sauvignon compared to the Pleinair from Napa. It is dense ruby/purple and shows licorice, Christmas fruitcake, blackcurrants and loamy soil notes in abundance. It is medium-bodied, elegant and very well made. Drink it over the next 15+ years.

Dense, rich red fruit belies an elegant wine that finds balance despite the concentration of vanilla and berry. Soft, approachable and integrated tannin and oak let the whole exist as one, instead of separate parts. This shows off the appellation’s mountain fruit and rocky minerality.

Concentrated in raspberry liqueur and balsamic tanginess, this is a juicy, soft and smooth wine, with plenty of structure and complexity. Blackberry coats the palate along with a savory tip of tobacco and black tea, components that linger on the finish

The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Pleinair spent 18 months in 58% new French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. This elegant, stylish Cabernet Sauvignon, created from four different sources in Napa, exhibits a deep ruby/purple color as well as textured, blueberry, red and blackcurrant fruit, cedarwood and background toast, and a medium to full-bodied, plush style. There are 1,100 cases of this beauty that sells at a realistic price. Drink it over the next decade or more.

This is bright in acidity and nicely textured, with an underlying lushness to the weight of the body. Peach and dried herb show most prominently on the palate, with a smoothness of stony mineral and lentil.

This Sauvignon Blanc from Galerie is very good. That said, it initially opens with a off-putting sulfur, green pepper and yellow grapefruit bouquet that softens with swirling and aeration. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced, elegant and soft. The flavor profile is a tasty gooseberry and gentle mineral blend with notes of yellow grapefruit and saline. I also detected a hint of lime zest. The finish is dry and its flavors fade away nicely. I would pair this Sauvignon Blanc with swordfish skewers.

This pale straw colored Sauvignon Blanc from Galerie is very nice. It opens with mild gooseberry bouquet with a hint of wet stone. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, slightly acidic and round. The flavor profile is a mild mineral infused light yellow grapefruit with hints of faint vanilla oak and lime. The finish is dry and its flavors drift away nicely. This Sauvignon Blanc is food friendly and would pair well with swordfish skewers.