Dark for a pinot with a candied nose of darker red fruit and a bit of earth. The palate is nicely balanced and finishes well. Very Nice. Excellent. 92 Points.

Inky black and completely opaque, the 2020 La Joie (80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Malbec) reveals a more spicy and layered profile and reaches the next level of purity for this vintage, with notes of graphite as well as loads of kirsch, lavender oils, sweet tobacco, licorice, and toasted spice. Full-bodied, with an elegant mouthfeel, it’s pure and inviting, with ripe tannins and fresh acidity. Delivering great energy, it has a long, weightless feel, with outstanding length and freshness, and shows no evidence of smoke effect. Drink it over the next three decades. This is one of the great successes for this vintage in Sonoma.

Also inky black, the 2021 La Joie is packed with loads of licorice, blackcurrant, menthol, and polished leather. Full-bodied and plush, with a rocky texture, massive structure, and tremendous power, it will be a wine to cellar while you’re drinking the 2022s.

Tasted as a tank sample and made from 87% Cabernet Franc, 11% Merlot, and a splash of Malbec, the 2021 Le Desir is highly aromatic at this stage and opens to wild and savory aromas of black and blue fruit, with a mineral-tinged lift. Gripping in structure, it’s long on the palate with savory richness and the feel of a rugged landscape. Massive structured, while having reined in alcohol levels, this is going to be another one to lay down for some time.

Tasted as a tank sample, the 2021 La Muse is 91% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, and a splash of Malbec. It’s loaded with attractive ripe fruit, graphite, and lots of flowers. Offering ripeness as well as incredible structure, it has nothing heavy or heated about it. With alcohol levels at 14.2%, it’s unquestionably going to improve with significant age, so it will probably be best to stash this away for quite a few years before it reaches its peak drinking window. Scheduled to be bottled In February 2024, it’s showing the potential to be a truly stunning wine.

Composed of 80% Cabernet Franc, 15% Merlot, and the rest Malbec, the 2020 Le Desir was tasted as a barrel sample and offers up a resinous and piney profile that’s lush with aromas of wild cherry liqueur, cedar, wildflowers, white pepper, and forest herbs. It’s full-bodied and long on the palate, with a bit more nervous energy, and I’m looking forward to seeing how this wine evolves over the coming years. I personally like its rustic tannin structure, and it’s impeccably balanced, with a luxurious, ripe feel. Drink it over the next couple of decades.

Reminding me of obsidian with its inky black hue, the 2020 La Muse is lush with layered aromas of blackcurrant, violets, polished leather, and vanilla bean spice. Full-bodied and supple, with a luxurious mouthfeel, sweet, velvety tannins, and a hint dusty earth, it’s approachable upfront (the most approachable wine in this lineup) and has outstanding length. It captures the style of the estate and is one of the best examples from the vintage, with notes of mocha on the finish. Drink 2026-2046.

This is racy and refined with very defined tannins that give length, depth and focus to the wine. Medium to full body. Great energy here. Tight and bright with tannins that have tension and class and are melted into the wine. Bright. Very serious for the vintage. Drink after 2026.

Aromas of bark, forest flower, mushroom and white truffle with ripe fruit. Chalky. Volcanic ash. Full to medium body with more tannins that are chewy and compacted. Lovely polish to it all. Yummy texture. Lead pencil, too. Drinkable but better in 2026.

Iodine, licorice, bark, and fresh mushrooms. Red currants. Lead pencil. Full-bodied with chewy tannins that are powdery and juicy. Savory. Flavorful. Terra-cotta and clay. Milk chocolate. Tight and linear. Clear and all there. 95% merlot and 5% malbec. Needs time to soften. Drink after 2025.

Graphite, lead, asphalt, iron pot, hints of bark and pine needle. Medium to full body, with round and juicy tannins. Savory. Tight at the end. Lightly chewy. Very pretty. Better after 2027.

A balanced and polished red with berries and chocolate with some walnuts and bark. Medium body with juicy tannins. Polished and savory. Drink or hold.

Jackson Family Wines have lovingly restored Château Lassègue under the direction of celebrated winemaker Pierre Seillan. Lassègue is an opulent Saint-Émilion whose 50-year-old vines grow on the south/southwest hills that are an extension of the Côte de Saint-Émilion. Its clay and limestone soils work in tandem, storing moisture and refreshing the palate in warm years like 2018. Expect a subtle mix of floral and cassis that bleed into a rich, chalky palate, pitching soft, round, blackcurrant and barely there tannins. 2018 ranks among the best ever vintages at Lassègue and is a tribute to the work done at the property. It will age effortlessly through 2030 and beyond. The blend is 62/35/3/ merlot, cabernet franc, and cabernet sauvignon that spends 12 months in 60% new French oak.

Freemark Abbey is on a roll under the Jackson Family Wines banner and winemakers Kristy Melton and Ted Edwards. In 2019 this Napa Valley cabernet opens with rich dark baking chocolate and blackberry. Similar flavours mark the palate with some espresso and reasonably bright acidity that lends a fresh, juicy character to what is a youthful red. It was a mostly perfect year for Napa cabernet, and this warm, spicy red is all you can want at this price point. The final mix is 90% cabernet sauvignon, 8% merlot, 2% petit verdot, 2% malbec, and 1% cabernet franc. The fruit comes from all over Napa Valley, led by 33% Okaville, 20% Atalon, 5% Keyes, 2% Sycamore and 40% purchased fruit. It aged 24 months in French oak barrels, of which 41% were new.

Unabashedly Napa, the 2021 pitches a full-on opening of honey, pineapple, oak spice, and orange. The palate is no less boisterous, with more warm, spicy pineapple and lemon curd, with creamy caramel and apple pie on the end. It's a bit old school, but no doubt there is a large audience for this style. Lobster is a fine match, or a brown butter pasta dish. The wine is 84% barrel fermented in 40% new French oak barrels before aging for 10 months in an 85/15 oak and stainless steel spread.

Monterey County, Central Coast, California, United StatesAt first taste, this certified sustainable all-Monterey chardonnay suggests it has had some oak aging, but this is not true. Its rich, creamy palate speaks to lower yields in 2022 that elevated the fruit quality. Look for intense fresh peach and sweet lime that spills onto a multi-layered citrus palate, providing acidity and freshness through the finish. It is California, for sure, but with a twist of modernity. It is certainly worth the money for California chardonnay fans, new and old. Technically, 75% of the chardonnay is fermented in stainless steel while the remainder is fermented in neutral oak, all at less than 13.5 percent alcohol.

Kendall-Jackson Low Calorie Chardonnay is a different kind of low-calorie wine. According to Kendall-Jackson winemaker Randy Ullom, the initial harvest of grapes is picked earlier to keep the primary sugar low. A secondary harvest later in the season brings complexity and concentration to the wine. It balances the structure in light of its lower alcohol and calories, namely nine percent alcohol and zero sugar, hence the 85 calories. The palate is a blend of grapefruit and other citrus with pineapple and a taut citrus lees that leads to subtle hazelnuts and vanilla in the finish. Its only drawback is a high level of acid, but for fans of New Zealand sauvignon blanc, it should be no problem. It is 78% barrel-fermented and aged in neutral French and American oak, drawing 41/31/28 fruit from Mendocino County/Monterey County/Santa Barbara County. If you want to lower your sugar and alcohol intake while drinking wine, this may be a possible alternative, mainly because it tastes like wine.

This bottling offers a twist on the classic cabernet, with a streak of high-toned pomegranate running through its rich black fruit. It also has notes of mineral, cedar and leather in the mix. Jackson Family Wines now owns Freemark Abbey, which was founded in 1886 and was one of the first cabernet producers in Napa Valley.

Aromatically expressive with scents of red and black cherries accented with spicy undertones and a note recalling tomato plant leaves that often results from some whole cluster fermentation. Stylishly light in color and weight, this still offers plenty of flavor, though thankfully without any excess oak, nor any sweetness that doesn’t seem to emanate from the fruit

will elevate your holiday meal when paired with stuffed mushrooms. Daybreak is crafted from a harmonious fusion of seven distinctive white grape varieties, Viognier, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Grigio, Picpoul, and Chenin Blanc—a truly exceptional and one-of-a-kind choice for your holiday celebrations.

Again, at this price, not everyone will appreciate the refinement of this Merlot from Mt. Veeder, whose underpinning of a seabed’s mineral-rich soils and cooler climate make this Merlot multi-dimensional with a delectably long finish. From winemaker Christ Carpenter, who established the Mt. Brave project in 2007, the berry flavors have concentration, not too tannic, and quite ripe for this vintage.

Plump and open, with cherry and singed vanilla notes wrapped together through a lightly toasted finish. Drink now. 100,000 cases made. -J.M

This is mountain Merlot at its best. The grapes were sourced from a vineyard in Napa’s Howell Mountain AVA that sits at an elevation of 1,600 feet. That altitude keeps daytime temperatures cooler, while the location above the fog line leads to warmer evenings, resulting in a long, slow growing season. The long hang time allows the fruit to develop deep and complex flavors while maintaining acidity. This particular bottle has a nose of rich dark berries with a wisp of pepper and baking spices from oak aging. The acidity and slight tannic grip balance out deep fruit flavors on the palate.

A distinctive version, with a velvety core of blueberry and blackberry notes that show a touch of huckleberry, accented by fresh rosemary, bay leaf and sage notes, plus details of tobacco, salted black licorice and oolong tea that linger on the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2034. 207 cases made, 100 cases imported. -M.W.

Opulence meets restraint in this Mt Brave bottling from the high elevation Mt Veeder AVA in Napa Valley. Aromas of spiced black plums, cinder, smoke and dried floral notes are underpinned by an esoteric mint note. The palate is lush, rich and brooding. Dark plum flesh, Christmas spice and blackberries meld together with rich raisin and chocolate notes. There is a savoury balance that brings acidity to lift the proceedings.