This 100% varietal wine opens with a strong bouquet of black licorice, maybe even fennel, before big, boisterous tannins stomp the stage. Full bodied and exuberant in blackberry and black cherry, the oak is measured. A backbone of structure could stand up to aging.

From a vineyard in the foothills of the Mayacamas Range, this shows dramatic ripeness in flashes of alcohol, and plenty of new oak in scents of coffee and smoke, yet there’s clarity of flavor here: tangy black raspberry and cedar tones that provide a center of energy to its roasted edges. The fruit fights mightily, and wins out in the end. Its burly intensity would ease the transition between a porterhouse and a plate of firm cheeses.

From a vineyard in the foothills of the Mayacamas Range, this shows dramatic ripeness in flashes of alcohol, and plenty of new oak in scents of coffee and smoke, yet there’s clarity of flavor here: tangy black raspberry and cedar tones that provide a center of energy to its roasted edges. The fruit fights mightily, and wins out in the end. Its burly intensity would ease the transition between a porterhouse and a plate of firm cheeses.

Dark and juicy with lush texture, blackberry and cherry fruit; dense, rich and balanced with lovely notes of earth, spice and complexity; long and stylish.

From a vineyard in the foothills of the Mayacamas Range, this shows dramatic ripeness in flashes of alcohol, and plenty of new oak in scents of coffee and smoke, yet there's clarity of flavor here: tangy black raspberry and cedar tones that provide a center of energy to its roasted edges. The fruit fights mightily, and wins out in the end. Its burly intensity would ease the transition between a porterhouse and a plate of firm cheeses.

Lush and juicy with ripe plum and blackberry fruit; smooth, dense and nicely structured with notes of coffee, spice and cedar; a charming, deep wine with a long finish and lovely balance.

With sizable yet soft tannins firmly in place, this wine unleashes substantial flavors of raspberry and prosciutto-wrapped fig. Its seamless texture is dotted in vanilla and smoky meat, ending with plush, round knots of blackberry pie.

Sleek and jammy, with appealing aromas of huckleberry and sassafras and ripe but focused flavors of black cherry, licorice and toffee. The tannins sneak in on the finish.

Smooth, lush and ripe with intense alcohol and rich berry fruit; spicy, long and balanced with rich, powerful flavors; deep and stylish.

Ripe and plush, this is well made for the style. Cherry pie aromas open to lively flavors of jammy raspberry, cinnamon and toasted spice. A crowd-pleaser.

Ripe and plush, this is well made for the style. Cherry pie aromas open to lively flavors of jammy raspberry, cinnamon and toasted spice. A crowd-pleaser.

Cherry pie aromas open to flavors of raspberry, cinnamon and spice.

Perfumy, this lusty Zin is also structured and juicy, offering plenty of jammy blackberry and cherry to keep a palate coming back for more. Powerfully built, it’ll stand up to chunks of meat very well.

Fresh and juicy with generous spice and blackberry; tangy and balanced with spice and vibrant flavors; long and snappy.

Bright and juicy berry flavors race through this clean, friendly zin. The fruit is sweetly ripe, corralled by crisp, mineral lines of tannin.

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.

Medium-bodied and fleshy for a sauvignon blanc, this excellent white oozes ripe peach, orange marmalade and melon flavours on a smooth texture, with a hint of smoke on the long finish.

The star of this line-up is the delicious, exotic, fruit-forward 2009 The Fume, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc from the North Coast (primarily Lake County and Alexander Valley). It offers abundant notes of honeysuckle, orange marmalade, fig and melons in a crisp, fresh, medium-bodied, exotic, exuberant style. It needs to be consumed over the next year.

This wine is well-balanced from nose to palate with caramel apple and ripe pears. The palate is rich with food-friendly acidity, and the fruit is vibrant thanks to fermentation mainly in stainless steel.

Smooth, soft and rounded with notes of vanilla and peach; juicy and lush with toasty oak and soft spices; long and generous.

2002 CHARDONNAY - SONOMA COUNTY Dry and acidy-tart, this is a wine of great structure and balance. The flavors veer toward lime custard, mangos, apricot, vanilla and slate, with a gentle overly of toasty oak. It's quite a sophisticated Chardonnay, and a great value.

The Surprise of 2015 in Napa and Other California Wine Reviewed The nose is very rich here, offering a wealth of plum paste, vanilla extract, chocolate and coffee beans. The palate's very intense with dense fruit, ripe tannins and a fruit-forward finish. Drink in 2020.

Rich, very ripe and outgoing both on the nose and in the mouth and a wine that will not be accused of being underplayed in any way, Mt. Brave’s is a big, beamy Merlot that succeeds in spite of its flirtations with excess. It is mouthfilling stuff with plenty of extracted, black cherry fruit keeping it on track, and, if we would not count on finesse ever becoming one of its strengths, it has the presence, the potency and the tannic structure to support a good half-decade of age. One star.

Good full red. Sexy high tones to the aromas of currant, chocolate, graphite and coffee. A tad aggressive with alcohol initially, but proving increasingly precise in the glass, with ripe red fruit, mocha and dusty spice flavors already displaying considerable personality. Very pliant, classically dry merlot with a firmly tannic, persistent finish.

Blended with small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, this is a full-bodied concentrated red that's thick in tannin and youthful structure. Black fruit, sage, clove and cinnamon figure into the rich, lushly crafted palate that's integrated in toasted oak.