Pale pink in color, dusty-rose-and-bold-cherry in scent, this is a rich rosé with some coriander notes that lend it the spiciness to match tête de cochon or cured pork sausages.

This mountain-grown wine displays firm, hearty tannins and smoky oak on the back of the palate, which support rich, full-bodied brambly blackberry and cherry. Sweet tobacco, crushed rock and clove add a length and breadth of earthiness that contrasts well.

This midnight purple colored Syrah from Copain opens with a mild boysenberry bouquet with a hint of coffee. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and easy to drink. The flavor profile is a mild juicy plum that is slightly tart with notes of integrated black olive, mild minerality and charred oak. I also picked up a hint of blackberry towards the end. The finish is dry and its moderate tannins build-up slightly before drifting away. This Syrah is food friendly and would pair well with grilled steak tips.

This grows at a Jackson Family vineyard in Occidental, neighboring Coastlands. Jeff Stewart captured the cool site in a brisk 2017 with vibrant notes of sour cherry and nori that contrast with the smoky, black density of its tannins. The extract is a little bitter for now, the wine needing bottle age to mellow and integrate.

Scents of lilac and creosote give the wine a strong chaparral feel. The flavors are all dark cherry, the texture tense and compact at once, with the stuffing to age. Cellar.

This has a brooding scent of tobacco, burnished wood and a whiff of blood. It’s compact and savory, with a spicy finish for beef stew.

Fruity, smooth and slightly spicy, this medium-bodied wine is a crowd-pleaser. Still one of the best Chardonnays with the broad California label designation, it offers delicious peach, ginger and vanilla flavors, and a good balance between ripeness and crispness.

Spicy and complex, featuring tobacco, cedar and chocolate-covered coffee bean notes that add plenty of detail to the core of currant and plum flavors. The spiciness continues to linger on the plush, velvety finish. Drink now through 2035.

Hints of licorice accent the snappy black currant, plum and dried blackberry flavors, stitched together by firm acidity and tannins. Minerally finish. Drink now through 2023.

Shows laserlike focus to the cherry and currant flavors, backed by fresh, crunchy acidity. Leafy and savory hints show on the finish. Drink now through 2023.

Fruity, with precise, well-structured green apple and citrus flavors that feature minerally richness. The lithe finish offers pastry, spice and honeyed accents. Drink now through 2023.

Herbal, meaty and generously fruity in plum and dark cherry, this wine is approachable and deeply concentrated, with ample complexity around its soft, supple tannin profile and integrated oak. The finish is textured and dusty in crushed rock.

Earthy forest and damp earth make it clear this is from a wild, mountainous site, the texture rich and rounded with a pronounced profile of oak and tannin. Red and black cherry combine with the savory characteristics to flesh out the full-bodied concentration.

Siduri Likely to Keep on Winning The nose is blue-ish in tone, with blueberry, plum and rhubarb making immediate appearances. Below them rest a mild fungal element and a saline quality. The body is slightly over medium, and texturized by slightly gritty tannin that carries sweet and juicy acid. Structurally it’s a nice wine. Flavors include blueberry, Acai, general florals and top soil, while it finishes on a note that suggests menthol cigarette.

USA, California: More Napa & Sonoma New Releases Medium ruby-purple colored, the 2017 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley bursts with a black and red berry melange—raspberries, black cherries, red plums and warm cranberries—with nuances of black pepper, sassafras and mossy tree bark. Medium to full bodied, the palate delivers mouth-coating red berry flavors along with a soft texture and peppery kick to the finish.

USA, California: All Along the Central Coast – The 2017 Vintage in Paso Robles and Beyond Pale to medium ruby-purple, the 2016 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands has a bright nose of crushed red and black cherry, dried cranberry, pomegranate liqueur and rhubarb with nuances of dusty earth, dried leaves and floral hints. Light to medium-bodied, it offers fresh red and black fruit flavors in the mouth with juicy acidity and soft tannins, finishing with an herbal tinge.

USA, California: All Along the Central Coast – The 2017 Vintage in Paso Robles and Beyond The 2017 Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands is pale to medium ruby-purple, opening with fresh cranberries, Bing cherries, warm blackberries, pulverized stone, floral and citrus peel hints. Light to medium-bodied, it has a good core of spiced fruits, grainy tannins to structure and juicy acidity, finishing long.

USA, California: All Along the Central Coast – The 2017 Vintage in Paso Robles and Beyond The 2017 Pinot Noir Lemoravo Vineyard has a pale to medium ruby-purple color and open nose of crushed blackberries and black cherries, red cherries, warm cranberries, soil, underbrush and hints of citrus peel and dried flowers. Light to medium-bodied and concentrated, it has a frame of grainy tannins and juicy freshness, finishing long and spicy.

Vibrant and focused, with Meyer lemon, stony mineral and spice flavors that take on structure toward the finish.

2018 Oregon Vintage: Vineyard Savvy Reaps Consistency and Quality Dried forest wood, dried red cherries and a light, herbal thread lead to a light, fine-boned palate that holds mellow, red-cherry flavors with a spicy twist through the lacy finish. Drink now.

From several sites in the appellation, this 100% varietal wine is impressively taut and angular in style, with an herbaceous intensity. Made in a full-bodied lushness, it has generous toasted oak and a mix of concentrated red and black cherry.

Napa Valley's 2017s The Galerie wines are now made by Gianna Kelly. The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Pleinair has a bright, juicy nose of blueberries, cassis, violets, and spring flowers as well as a rather firm, streamlined style on the palate. It has some grippy tannins, so give it a year or two.

Napa Valley's 2017s The largest production release is the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley. It's 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot, and the rest Malbec, Petit Verdot, and Cabernet Franc, all of which spent 27 months in 35% French oak. It's a soft, elegant red with pretty black cherry, raspberry, toasted spice, and tobacco notes as well as a medium-bodied, silky, polished style. It's nicely balanced, has present tannins, and a great finish.

Napa Valley's 2017s The 2017 Merlot Stagecoach comes from a site on Pritchard Hill and is a (roughly) 500-case offering that just goes out to the mailing list. Pretty black cherry, floral, and hints of tobacco all give way to a medium-bodied, silky, lightly textured Merlot that has light tannins and a clean finish. Drink it over the coming 7-8 years.

Buckets of fruit, strawberry and cracked black pepper. Sharp and focused, with sweet fruits, dry tannins, and some savoury character.