Mt. Brave Vineyard sits high atop Mt. Veeder at 1,400 to 1,800 feet. The estate, on the western flank of Napa Valley, is named for the native Wappos who first called it home. Mt. Veeder has been planted to wine grapes since the early 1860s while Mt. Brave Vineyard dates back to 1841—before the Gold Rush and the Civil War. The site is all about high elevation and thin, rocky soils that present many winegrowing challenges. Four cabernet clones (191, 4, 8, and 337) and three rootstocks (3309C, 101-14, and 1103P) neutralise some of the issues in what is a slow moving, long, cool growing season above the fog line. The wine fermented in stainless steel and goes through malolactic fermentation in French oak barrels (80 percent new). After some 19 months of barrel ageing it is bottled without fining or filtration. The season was perfect, yielding flavourful floral, blueberry notes with stony mineral whiffs. The palate is firm with rich, dense tannins, black raspberry/blackberry fruit and dried herbs. A real mountain wine that will need time. The blend is 82/7/6.5/4.5 cabernet sauvignon, merlot, malbec and cabernet franc. Cellar for a decade or two.

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.

South Africa's renowed viticulturalist Rosa Kruger selected some of Western Cape's finest Chardonnay plots for this wine - its maiden vintage - where the purity of the orchard fruit is not masked by the toasty new oak which has softened with time. It is creamy and round, with just enough acidity to balance.Drinking Window 2017 - 2023

Pure and lively, with flavors of lemon meringue, green apple, honeydew and spice. Though rich and dense, this is also elegant. The vibrancy keeps the flavors dancing.

Plush, with loads of richness to the well-honed flavors of beeswax, baked pear and lemon tart. Minerally midpalate, presenting a fresh and zesty finish that finishes with pastry notes.

Balanced and fruity, with juicy apricot, pear and guava flavors, accented by spice hints. Creamy notes linger on the pastry-filled finish.

Murphy-Goode co-founder Tim Murphy was the architect of their Zinfandel program conceived, in part, through “consultation” with Sonoma County Zinfandel growers over breakfast games of Liar’s Dice. M-G 2013 Zin is a juicy, celebratory wine with dark cherry and blackberry fruit, a jammy palate and notes of oak from a combination of American and French oak aging.

Here’s another authentic California Zinfandel coming from less heralded, but equally superb Mendocino County up the coast off Highway 101. Vineyards here are equally famous for Zinfandel with very old vines, and are dry farmed to produce intense, ripe fruit. As KJ winemaster Randy Ullom celebrates his 25 years with the brand, he comments on the wine’s “plum, raspberry jam and blackberry flavors, supported by chalky tannins – with sultry cedar and spice accents.”

Stonestreet draws from Jackson Family’s dramatic benchland vineyards, some more than 2,000 feet above the valley floor — this one, from multiple elevations, might be the brand’s least structured — but not to worry, it’s got plenty of depth and grip to the textures. There’s a scent of bay leaf and cedar to go with the red plum and wild cherry flavors, a classically grippy mouthfeel, with a forresty, savory wallop of mountain tannin on the finish.

Let's hear from winemaker Ted Edwards: Our Merlot expresses rich dark fruit aromas of cherry, boysenberry, Santa Rosa plum, bay leaf and dried herbs. There is a milk chocolate nuance with integrated spicy oak. Coupled with the rich dark fruit there is a hint of arugula adding to the complexity.

The La Jota and W.S. Keyes vineyards are the sources for this classically styled wine that is intense and alive in minerality. Clove, black pepper and mountains of dried herb are front and center between firm, dusty tannin and oak. The texture is plush and velvety on the palate, with plenty of length on the finish.

From a site that reaches up to 1,800 feet and dates back grape-growing wise to before the Civil War, this wine is bold and beautiful. It’s a study in dusty leather, black pepper and cigar, allowing sauvage, savory aspects to speak louder than fruit. Full bodied and robustly structured, it offers a memorable Tahitian-vanilla note on the finish.

Comprised solely of old-school Swan and Calera clones, this bottling offers red cherry-cinnamon-mocha foam on the well-integrated, multilayered nose, along with some heartier plum and vanilla. It tightens on the sip to reveal strawberry fruit but also oregano, raw beef and lots of florality.

Black pepper and orange rind complement one another aromatically before riding a medium-bodied layering of soft, seductive texture and acidity, additionally highlighted in rhubarb and black tea. As the wine builds complexity in the glass, it shows a minerality marked by earthy mint on the finish.

This showcases a highly sought-after vineyard site known for its tension of big, bold, ripe fruit and notable acidity. Red currant, cranberry and leather find a well-composed rendering of leathery clove and other lively hits of spice, including black and white pepper.

Dried sage and a hint of saddle leather highlight this dry, dusty wine noteworthy for its bright, buoyant acidity and layering of red currant. It delivers plenty of full-bodied flavor within a complex, approachable experience.

An alluring, toasty style, with lots of hazelnut and warm brioche notes leading the way for creamed melon and yellow apple fruit. Toast lingers on the finish, delivering a creamy mouthfeel and enough fruit for balance. For fans of the style. Drink now. 1,000 cases made.

Fresh aromas, vivid citrus flavors, elegance and poise make this an attractive wine. It has a balance that is easy to enjoy and keeps calling for more sips, with pleasant notes of citrus and green fruit throughout.

This lush wine offers true value, deeply flavored in strawberry and cherry. A tannic foundation supports the fruit beside black tea, clove and a twist of orange and cranberry, with a soft and smooth texture.

This juicy, medium-bodied wine offers a mix of crisp lemon meringue and richer notions of pear compote and biscotti. Grapes are sourced from a range of vineyards, including Saralee's.

Deep colour and dark plum aromas laced with toasty oak. It's full-bodied and rich, with smooth, supple tannins and warmth of alcohol lingering on the aftertaste.

Powerful fruit flavors and a firm, high-octane feeling on the palate make this a big, imposing wine. It offers tasty, ripe boysenberry-jam flavors, moderate tannins and a lip-smacking finish.

This wine is somewhat shy in aroma, with rust, light raspberry, cherry, gravel, dust and a slight cola element arising with patience. Bright red-cherry fruit and hibiscus shows on the sip, yet it's a tad dried out. Slate and riverstone touches add minerality, and the structure is defined by a rocky grip.

Fruity in wild strawberry and cherry, this is a straightforward, lightly spiced wine from a marquee old-vine site, complete with dusty tannin and softly integrated oak.

Sleek, focused and distinctive, with a savory edge to the cherry and blackberry flavors, playing against fine, nubby tannins on the long and expressive finish. Has presence and depth. Best from 2018 through 2024.