Weighted toward smoky, toasty oak, with a charry edge overriding the creamy pear, apple and melon notes. Time may bring the elements into a more harmonious balance.

Moderate reddish purple color in the glass. Aromas of black cherry and subtle oak leave a good impression. Mid weight flavors of dark red cherries and berries with a very appealing expression of cherry fruit, especially on the finish. The tannins are silky, there is good acidity, and the oak offers subtle seasoning. A highly respectable wine that can be enjoyed now but will last in the cellar.

Very light golden yellow color and clear in the glass. Highly enviable aromas of lemon zest, almond, vanilla and brioche. Very enterprising on the palate, with hi-tone flavors of lemon, pear, white peach, melon and spice. Sleek in texture and refined in character with a palate cleansing finish.

Moderately light reddish purple color in the glass. Boastful black cherry fruit aromas are shy but appealing. Oak-kissed flavors of black cherry and boysenberry are elevated with juicy acidity. Discretely concentrated, with a silky mouthfeel, and some notable fruit engages on the finish.

Moderately light reddish purple color in the glass. The nose is primary, offering little even with vigorous swirling, except notes of oak-driven coffee and spice. Much more giving on the mid weight palate, offering fresh flavors of black raspberry and black cherry fruits. The satiny texture is very seductive and the wine is impeccably balanced with oak delicately augmenting the fruit flavors.

Shows the freshness and richness of the 2013 vintage with blackberry, walnut and blueberry character. Medium to full body, firm and silky tannins and a savory finish. Drink in 2019.

Moderate reddish purple color in the glass. Boisterous aromas of dark red cherry and berry with a compliment of oak. Mid weight plus core of black cherry and boysenberry fruit flavors in a rather simple but pleasurable style. The mid palate has noticeable intent, the tannins are nicely balanced, there is an noticeable oak thread plying the background, and the finish shows some vigor.

Aromas of chocolate, tar and blackberries follow through to a full body, ripe fruit and spicy character. Rich and chewy. Some charcoal and tar undertones. Better in 2018.

Moderately dark reddish purple color in the glass. Oak-driven aromas of espresso, toast and spice lead to a lively palate of oak-kissed black cherry fruit. The fruit is juicy and vibrant, the tannins are modest and the finish attracts attention with its energy and gift of bright fruit. I wanted more fruit on the nose, and less oak infusion, but the wine delivered plenty of pleasure in the mouth.

Moderately light golden yellow color and clear in the glass. Toast dominates the nose that also offers scents of citrus, white peach and pear. Much better with time in the glass with more energetic fruit aromas. The flavors of lemon, white peach, pear, fig and butter echo the nose but with more citrus singing. Sleek and clean, with a razor finish.

Jackson Family Wines invested in the Willamette Valley to create cool-climate Pinot Noir, and here's another delicious example from a warm vintage in the Pacific Northwest. Elizabeth Grant-Douglas collaborated with eight vineyards, primarily in the Yamhill-Carlton and Eola-Amity Hills growing regions for this deliciously balanced, fruit-forward Pinot Noir. Her reliance on only French oak, 23% of those being new barrels for nine months, shows pleasing integration with aromas of Bing cherry and cocoa with light toast, caramel and a whiff of charcuterie. It's loaded with high-toned red fruit flavors - cherry, raspberry and currants - that combine to stay ahead of the Craisin skin tannins and roasted coffee finish. Suggested pairings range from pepper-crusted prime rib, rosemary rack of lamb, sautéed salmon, lentil soup with fresh tarragon, curried mussels and Chicken Masala. Nearly 100 percent of this production came estate fruit, allowing Jackson Family Wines to increase production by nearly 40 percent from the 2013 vintage.

A full-bodied and complex Californian red wine with aromas of wild tart blackberry and cedar brush. Finishes with a lick of dark spice. Pair with rare steak.

This wine is crafted from the top 7% of all Kendall-Jackson wine lots, with grapes sourced from higher elevation, lower-yielding estate blocks and vineyards. From the warm 2013 vintage, the wine offers what many wine lovers are looking for - big fruit aromas and flavors with bells and whistles provided by talented winemaker Randy Ullom: oak aging notes of mocha, baking spice, vanilla and caramel. Pair with your finest meats from the grill.

A tasty chardonnay with aromas and flavors of pear, apple and honeysuckle. Nice oak treatment. Lingering finish.

Mostly cab with small amounts of merlot and petit verdot, aged in French and American oak. This fresh and fruity cabernet is very drinkable, with some astringency and a trace of bitterness that would likely disappear when served with food. A good buy.

100% cabernet sauvignon from a single-vineyard, aged in French oak with a little American oak. Vibrant purple-ruby color. Mature and complex aromatics. Lacks the up-front fruitiness of its youth. Balanced with blackberry and spice notes and well-integrated oak. Nicely matured for a 12-year-old cabernet.

Backstory: Stonestreet is the middle name of the late Jess Jackson, the revered vintner who turned heads in the wine world with chardonnay. This tasty chardonnay has aromas and flavors of pear, apple and honeysuckle. Nice oak treatment. Lingering finish.

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.

Supple, generous and expressive, dancing deftly while offering black cherry, smoke and pepper flavors that come together on a harmonious finish.

Bright and expressive, with a green peppercorn edge to the blackberry and spice flavors, lingering on the lively finish.

Deftly balanced. Though smoky oak notes hold the upper hand for now, there's plenty of well-centered plum and black cherry flavors to fill out the palate.

This Australian wine is so compelling, both in taste and in story. Crafted from a single, lonesome plot of old vine Grenache that dates back to 1946, the wine shows a sour cherry over dried herbs on the nose. It’s silky but not simple. We served a bottle at a big dinner party and the whole table loved this wine, both before and during dinner.

A powerful, unctuous wine, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon is striking. Intense, expressive aromatics make a strong first impression. Silky tannins wrap around a core of dark red cherry, plum, mocha, spice and leather. Deep, unctuous and beautifully layered throughout, the 2014 Cabernet is a fabulous wine in this vintage. All the elements simply fall into place effortlessly.

At its best, petite sirah feels a bit like a black hole - a wine that ought to be described by an astrophysicist, not a wine critic. This opens with exceedingly rich, ripe blueberry and fig flavors, the pulls them inward, hiding that mass of fruit inside dark, spicy tannins, transmuting alcohol warmth into cool, stony persistence. It's a strange but wonderful sensation. This comes from a vineyard planted on the gravelly loam of the Talmage bench, at the northern end of the Mayacamas mountain range. In addition to younger, irrigated blocks, this includes fruit from dry-farmed vines between 70 and 80 years old. Try to forget a bottle or two in the back of a wine cellar for two decades or more.

Subdued floral aromatics open this delightfully complex, dry wine, lilting in lemon, green apple and stone. Beautifully balanced, it begs for inclusion at the table, ready to complement or contrast, lingering in orange blossom on the refined finish. Editors’ Choice.