Dark reddish purple color in the glass. Aromas of blackest cherry, ripest strawberry, wood spice and cigar lead off. A chunky mid weight plus core of black cherry and boysenberry fruits is overlain with smoky oak. Silky in texture, with modest tannins, finishing modestly and oak infused. The oak and fruit are not dancing in step at this juncture.

A smoky nose with mushrooms, dried cherries and dried herbs. Fruit-forward with round tannins. Not overwhelming. The acidity pulls it all together on the finish.

Aromas of mushrooms and bay leaf with a core of dried raspberries. Generous thanks to plenty of upfront fruit and a bright backbone of acidity that holds it all together.

A ripe nose with plums, dry violets, and hints of black pepper. The palate is round and intense with plenty of fruit - maybe too much fruit. The finish is austere. A good entry-level pinot for Oregon.

Plenty of ripe plums, dried strawberries and dried leaves. Very exuberant and more full-bodied than most Willamette Valley pinots. Lacks some definition.

Now in its third vintage, the Oregon version of La Crema’s pinot noir program is a stunning wine. Generous aromas with fruit-forward, ripe plum and blackberry flavors and a soft texture. Incredibly delicious.

Firm, focused and light-footed, with blueberry and plum flavors set on a taut frame. Savory notes inform the long finish.

From the hilltops and benchlands of Alexander Valley comes this lovely Cabernet dusted in cedar and a faint rose-petal aroma. Along with a delicate supporting cast of oak and tannin, it offers black cherry, graphite and dried herbs, as well as a powerful concentration on the finish.

Its effusive floral aroma leads to a nicely balanced, almost delicate, and energetic palate of juicy red cherry, pomegranate and raspberry fruit, with subtle spice from oak aging. Focused on finesse rather than power, it’s an elegant wine with huge charm and poise.

When it comes to interesting, high-quality, white wines that deliver the goods at very fair prices, few varieties can match Sauvignon Blanc, and our November edition of Best Buys leads with a full baker's dozen of examples well worth seeking out. …and they are joined among other outstanding offerings earning one star recommendation by the intensely grassy one star Matanzas Creek Sonoma County 2014…

Sonoma-based winemaker Elizabeth Grant Douglas brings out creamy lemon and pear notes in this white cousin to Pinot Noir.

Spicy oak frames the plush, juicy red plum and black fruit; the supple, mouth-coating tannins are balanced by palate-whisking acidity. It delivers more than its relatively modest price would suggest.

Winter is a wonderful time to break out the good stuff, to celebrate and enjoy finer foods and moments with friends and family. Seek out these bottles for your table. If you like…Jackson Estate 2013 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon...This wine is made from a collection of vineyards dotted along mountainous ridgelines and benchlands, most planted along the Mayacamas range. Winemaker Randy Ullom captured Cab's classic characteristics of dried sage, cedar and pencil shavings, supporting that savory personality with bright acidity and structured tannins.

Grapes from the estate and a small amount of purchased fruit combine in this deep-fruited, concentrated wine with earthy, dark-cherry aromas and flavors, silky texture and palate-whisking acidity.

Hartford purchased grapes from a vineyard block in the Durell Vineyard near Sonoma for this wine. It’s full-bodied yet bright, with honeysuckle, white peach, green apple and clover honey personality. Crunchy acidity makes for a long, refreshing finish.

Adam Lee's bottling from one of the region's most famous vineyards is a winner for fans of the rich style of Pinot, lush with blackberry jam, lilac, cinnamon and gingerbread. The palate is similarly dense, soft and sultry, with tart olallieberry jam and plum jelly, but also lively with thyme, spearmint and a unique lemon verbena kick.

Adam Lee makes some concentrated wines each vintage, and this one shows cherry syrup, sandalwood and some smoke on the dense, layered nose. The palate is similarly deep, rich and complex, with tangy cherry, mulberry, dried ginger and mace flavoring, rising into a chorus of camphor on the finish.

Jackson Family's venture into deepest Oregon; dark and silky with juicy blacck cherry and racy acidity; elegant, Burgundian and classic; stylish and bright; long and refined.

Pressed boysenberry aromas highlight simultaneously dark and fresh fruit on the nose of this bottling by Adam Lee, which also conveys Earl Grey tea, lavender, hibiscus and crushed pencils. The palate picks up the same tack, offering delicate fruits and florals, from cranberry to elderflower.

This wine by Adam Lee shows concentrated touches of nutmeg, crushed pepper and dried thyme laid across a base of hearty blackberries, with dried leaves on the nose. There is a strong herbal component to the sip, with eucalyptus oil and black-pepper dust spicing up the hearty beet juice and black-fruit core. A strong menthol lift arises on the finish.

This appellation blend performs as well as the single-vineyard expressions by the same vintner (at least early in the wine's life). From Adam Lee, this bottling offers fresh blackberry, violet, lilac, lavender, charcoal, beef and white pepper on the nose. The palate is full of peppery, boysenberry-juice flavors, wrapped in an engaging texture.

Adam Lee's bottling from an iconic vineyard offers thick black fruit on the nose as well as fields of fennel and a dense array of purple flowers including lavender. Ripe blackberry and blueberry fruit make for a warm palate, lifted by roasted fennel and lots of tarragon and wild mint.

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder is a dense, tightly wound wine. Bright red cherry, iron, pomegranate, chalk, mint and white pepper abound. Deep and layered, in the medium-bodied style of the year, the 2014 exudes Veeder personality and tension. The mid-palate needs time to develop, but this is another highly expressive wine from Lokoya. There is plenty of punch and mountain intensity here. Veeder Peak is the fruit source.

Mortar and a taste of black-olive tapenade ride softly layered waves of leathery tannin and peppery clove in this richly balanced wine that features tension between notes of cedar and cured meat. Focused and full bodied, it’ll do well in the cellar; drink now through 2023. Cellar Selection.

A reduction of tar and meaty leather at first overrides elusive fruit in this 100% varietal wine. It’s alluring nonetheless, for its soft tannins and toasted hits of oak. Currant, clove and tobacco give a savory, compelling and complex edge to the full-bodied frame.