Silky and juicy with spice and tangy blackberry and boysenberry fruit; smooth, ripe and showing toasty oak and a bright finish.

Soft vanilla nose; crisp and fresh with juicy fruit and bright acidity; long and balanced.

Light green-tinged yellow. Fresh citrus and pit fruits on the perfumed nose and in the mouth. Subtle floral and mineral nuances emerge as the wine opens up, as does a deeper suggestion of honey. Closes smooth and gently spicy, offering very good cling and echoing florality.

Dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of cherry cola. In the mouth, cherry cola flavors mix with hints of cocoa powder and tobacco. Excellent acidity keeps the wine bright and fresh, and the wood, while present, is nicely integrated.

Pale gold. Ripe tangerine and melon on the fragrant nose; a subtle floral element builds in the glass. Supple and expansive in the mouth, offering sappy honeydew and white peach flavors braced by a shot of juicy acidity. Finishes on a subtly spicy note, displaying very good clarity and persistence.

Deftly balanced, rich and focused, with zesty wild berry and blueberry flavors, accented by shades of cedary oak, licorice and mocha. Ends with a lingering finish that echoes the core elements.

There is certainly no shortage of good Cabernet Sauvignon these days, and the best can come fairly dear, but the outstanding **FREEMARK ABBEY Napa Valley 2012 outperforms a great many costing two and three times as much and reminds that affordable, highly collectable Cabernet still has not disappeared.

Dark ruby color; luscious, juicy and rich with sweet oak, ripe blackberry and cassis; another stunner made by winemaking master Chris Carpenter.

Lovely vanilla nose; silky and fresh with tangy acidity, fresh pear and soft vanilla oak; fruit forward and elegant.

There is just enough reduction to remark upon but not so much as to completely mask the red cherry and pomegranate aromas. The generously proportioned and attractively textured flavors possess both good richness and verve while delivering good length on the warm finish where a hint of bitter cherry appears. This is pretty if not especially complex though more depth should develop if you’re willing to cellar it for a few years first.

Once again the nose is mildly reduced and it’s enough to warrant a thorough aeration first. By contrast there is good verve and freshness to the rounded and seductively textured medium-bodied flavors that possess a sleek palate feel before terminating in a dusty, sappy and sneaky long if again mildly warm finish. This appears to be still on the way up and should benefit from a few more years of age.

Hints of menthol sit atop the very ripe liqueur-like aromas of black cherry and cola that display an interesting array of spice elements. There is excellent volume and power to the big-bodied flavors that possess very solid mid-palate concentration, all wrapped in a dusty, powerful and palate coating finish that manages to carry its considerable alcohol reasonably well. This isn’t to say that there is no warmth but it is less evident than might be expected. This isn’t my style but if big and bold is yours, this qualifies.

There is nothing shy or retiring about this wine, and it goes right to the limit in terms of high ripeness, but even as it teeters on going over the edge, it is pulled back from the dangerous brink by its ample blackberry and blueberry fruit. That fruit is tested on the latter palate by both high alcohol and astringency, yet it never gives up the fight and it keeps the wine from descending into raisiny desiccation. That said, this is not a “spaghetti red” for pouring with simple, marinara-sauced pastas, and it needs to be saved as a foil for much heartier fare, preferably once a couple of years have passed.

A relatively restrained nose requires some coaxing before it grudgingly reveals a pretty mix of both red and dark pinot fruit aromas that are nuanced by hints of spice and lavender. There is good richness to the mildly grapey flavors that possess a rounded yet punchy mouth feel before culminating in a mildly warm and robust finish that delivers acceptable depth and length if limited refinement.

Bright and zingy, delivering green melon, kiwifruit and floral flavors on a lively frame, finishing with bracing acidity. Best after 2018. 1,318 cases made.

Deep and hearty mulberry aromas meet with condensed rose petals, cinnamon, clove and hot gingerbread on the earthy, spicy nose of this clonal bottling by longtime winemaker Denise Shurtleff. The sip is thick and full of chaparral herbs at first, then opens toward rounded red cherry, cranberry and cinnamon before diving into fennel and peppercorn. It's amazing for one clone to be so complex.

It's hard not to be smitten with the 2013 Il Fauno di Arcanum. This blend of 55% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Petit Verdot is a rich and lasting Tuscan red that offers ample power and concentration. There are points of greenness here with crushed peppercorn and wild sage, backed by dark fruit aromas of plum and blackberry. Yet the Merlot component does much to smooth out and enrich the mouthfeel.

The 2009 Il Fauno di Arcanum is a compelling blend of Merlot (61%), Cabernet Sauvignon (20%), Cabernet Franc (16%), and tiny parts Sangiovese and Petit Verdot. This is a deeply concentrated red blend from Tuscany that shows complexity, inner poise and grace. The combination of fruit is spotless and you get plush cherry, blackberry, leather and tobacco. The wine isn't all about primary aromas, however. Tertiary aromas also appear and give hope for the future evolution of the wine. The mouthfeel is endowed with textural richness.

The 2011 Arcanum is a blend of 77% Cabernet Franc, 14% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Sauvignon and 2% Petit Verdot aged in new French oak for up to one year. The wine is extraordinarily black and dense in appearance with virtually no light penetration. The bouquet is equally rich and generous with black fruit, prune, spice, leather and black olive aromas. The natural tannic astringency of the wine is apparent on the palate and adds to the wine's firm structure and power.

The 2013 Chianti Classico Riserva is a terrific wine that is offered at a very attractive price point. The bouquet is sweet and generous with bold layers of red fruit and dark berry nuances. Those are followed by balanced tones of spice, tobacco and moist earth. The blend is 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in French oak for up to 12 months. This 2013 vintage shows exceptionally well. Some 27,000 bottles are produced.

Intense fruitiness along with touches of mint and baking spices make this full-bodied wine impressive as well as complex and layered. The vivid, ripe strawberry and blackberry components are well balanced by firm tannins and a light oak coating.

The successful 2011 Chianti Classico Riserva does a great job of portraying both vintage and territory. This was a warm growing season that produced rich and powerful wines. Yet, the restrained nature of Sangiovese reflects themes of elegance and grace that are so specific to the Chianti Classico appellation. Bright acidity and firm tannins appear on the close.

Deftly balanced, rich and focused, with zesty wild berry and blueberry flavors, accented by shades of cedary oak, licorice and mocha. Ends with a lingering finish that echoes the core elements.

A plump, juicy, effusively fruity expression, offering a veritable fruit bowl of plum, blackberry, blueberry, cherry and black licorice flavors, framed by light oak that casts a cedary, sandalwood-accented spiciness. An elegant, supple style.