The 2014 Pinot Noir Seascape Vineyard is round, polished and seductive, with lovely mid-palate pliancy and plenty of generosity. Spice, new leather and menthol wrap around the inviting finish. Rose petal, savory herbs and mint add the closing layers of nuance.

The 2014 Pinot Noir Hailey's Block is one of the more exuberant, racy wines in the Hartford range. Succulent dark cherry, plum, spice, menthol, licorice and cloves flesh out in a powerful, inviting wine. The 2014 is bold, juicy and forward, all of which make it an excellent choice for drinking over the next few years.

One of the flagships in this range, Hartford's 2014 Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard is sweet, perfumed and totally gracious on the palate. Silky tannins, nuanced aromatics and an emphasis on finesse rather than power are some of the many signatures. This is a vivid, wonderfully nuanced Pinot from Hartford.

The 2014 Chardonnay Seascape Vineyard presents a very different expression of Chardonnay than the Far Coast. Apricot jam, wild flowers, honey and chamomile are some of the signatures. Winemaker Jeff Stewart likes to open the canopy here to stave off disease pressure, which also gives this wine a bit more raciness in its fruit than the Far Coast.

The 2013 Proprietary Red Stature, a blend from Alexander Valley and Knights Valley from high-elevation vineyards, is mostly Cabernet Sauvignon and is tannic, powerful and rich, with impressive extraction and density, but certainly 4-5 years away from prime-time drinkability. This is a wine for the patient connoisseur to cellar and consume between 2020 and 2035.

The 2017 Lassègue was tasted twice, one sample not representative as it was too old. The second sample taken the day before, has a perfumed bouquet with iris and light incense aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin and ample, tobacco-tinged black fruit. I really appreciate the balance and freshness of this Lassègue. It feels nicely poised with just a light graphite note poking its head above the surface towards the finish. This property, owned by the Jackson family of Kendall-Jackson/Verité fame, has great terroir and this 2017 shows it off well.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana is a very pretty wine with lovely red/purplish berry fruit character, sweet, perfumed aromatics and soft contours. The purity of the fruit is just remarkable. I imagine the 2018 will drink well pretty much upon release. It is so showy today.

The 2019 Lassègue is a property that lies in a prime location, on the slopes along from Pavie and Bellefont-Belcier. Deep in colour, it has a fragrant bouquet with vivacious blackberry, blueberry and crushed violet scents. The oak IS beautifully integrated. A marine element develops with aeration. The palate is fleshy and soft on the entry, an easygoing, nicely balanced 2019 Saint-Émilion. I would have like a bit more backbone and grip on the finish. Crack it open after a couple of years and enjoy over 12-15 years.

This is going to sound bad, but I was ready to be less than whelmed by this wine. La Crema has become a brand that is, well, ubiquitous and ubiquity is rarely associated with excellence. Hold on for just a minute. While this will not likely be confused with a vintage Grand Cru Champagne (that cost 3-4 times the price), it is plenty tasty. Ripe red apple with a hint of yeastiness on the nose, the palate is bright and fresh yet also layered. Yum. While $45 might be a tad steep, this is a fantastic effort. Excellent.

Solid Pinot nose of cherry, cranberry and a bit of earth. Quite tart cherry on the palate, with decent depth, some spice. Really tart though. Excellent.

Dark and brooding in the glass with more black fruit than red. With menthol and a bit of funk. Big and bold on the palate. This is a beefy one, but well done. Excellent.

Lovely nose with subtle fruit, solid palate, juicy and perfectly fine. Yum, even. Excellent.

Minty, pine, and dark cherry. Fruity, rich, another winner here. Excellent.

Dark red fruit, a bit of earth, some lovely notes, most of them dark. Spice. Very nice. Excellent.

Lastly, the 2000 Zinfandel Zeni Vineyard was still in barrel when I tasted it, but it revealed an inky black/purple color in addition to gorgeous aromas of blackberry liqueur, blueberries, huckleberries, licorice, and smoke. Full-bodied and unctuously-textured, it should prove to be the best of this impressive quartet.

Light pink. Strawberry and spice. Sweet fruit and good acidity. This might be a prototypical rosé. Nice. Outstanding.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond Another new wine in this range, 2017 Pinot Noir Côte Bannie is perfumed, silky and also quite promising. Sweet floral notes, red cherry, mint, hard candy and blood orange are all wonderfully alive in this mid-weight, classy Pinot. All the elements are in the right place.

Saturated ruby. Super rich aromas of blackberry, flowers and toasty oak, along with some almost porty black cherry and chocolate notes. Fat, chewy, and very deep, but with excellent vinosity framing the black cherry and spicy oak flavors. Finishes very sweet and long, with noble, dusty, fine-grained tannins. I love the sugar/acid balance here.

This tannic, backward, structured, sizeable St.-Emilion exhibits a steely backbone, huge tannins, and equally huge extract. Reserved, weighty, and rich on the palate, it is a good choice for young readers who have the time to wait for it to come into focus and shed some of its tannin. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2030. P.S. This is the St.-Emilion estate of California visionary, Jess Jackson.

The 2015 Red Wine (Sonoma County) offers tons of potential. A host of inky blue and purplish fruit, crème de cassis, licorice, cloves and exotics spices are all pushed forward. Sumptuous and inviting, the 2105 exudes depth. A closing burst of graphite, lavender and purple-toned fruit punctuates the finish.

The richer, more complete and potentially more complex 2013 Proprietary Red is composed of 50% Cabernet Franc, 29% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Malbec. Its possesses a dense ruby/purple color along with notes of dark berries, white chocolate, forest floor and spice box, and medium to full body. Winemaker Hélène Seillan seems to have a magic touch at getting sweet, velvety tannins integrated into the wine’s structural core. This beauty should offer delicious drinking over the next 8-12 years.

The 2012 Red Wine Sonoma County comes across as very tight at this stage. It is also resting in tank awaiting bottling, which may explain the wine's reticence. With time in the glass, the wine's pure depth begins to emerge. The 2012 is a huge wine that needs time to fully come together. Black cherries, plums, violets, cloves and menthol flesh out as the wine shows off its personality. In 2012, the blend is 56% Cabernet Franc, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Merlot.

The Largest Blind Tasting of American True Rosés  - Flights 1-3 Brilliant pink with the slightest orange note. Strawberry with a decided meaty aspect. Good fruit and acid. Really coats the mouth with strawberry goodness. Yum. Outstanding.

Not yet bottled, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Smothers-Remick Ridge, from an organically farmed site in Sonoma, is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that will see a full 32 months in 70% new French oak. Lots of black cherry-like fruit, spice, graphite, and dried earth characteristics flow to a medium to full-bodied, nicely structured Cabernet that has building tannin and good concentration. It should certainly be an outstanding wine.