A dash of spicy oak suggests nutmeg and cinnamon in the aroma of this well-balanced, rich and flavorful wine. Cherry, red currant and touches of mint and cedar fill out the palate, and the texture is just firm enough, with fine tannins for great balance.

The producer expertly captures the mix of coolness and intensity so true to the appellation, a tangle of brooding black cherry, blackberry and underlying smoke, that's both decadent and succulent on the palate, deeply satisfying in its finish of chocolate and black licorice.

This full-bodied wine smells like black pepper and light wood smoke, and tastes rugged but fruity as blackberry blends with woodsy notes. A dose of tannin provides grip in the texture, and good balance bodes well for mid-term aging. Best after 2019.

Fresh-pressed boysenberry, black plum and lavender show on the nose of this bottling by Adam Lee of Siduri, who recently sold both brands to Jackson Family Wines yet remains intimately involved. Framed by a silky structure, the palate conveys blackberry, soy and black-pepper flavors.

This producer continues to up its game with this brand. This wine offers a smoky, luxurious experience defined by black-cherry spice, smoky oak and a thickness of chocolate. Textured and full bodied, it's made for fans of a richer, more concentrated style.

This plush-textured wine effortlessly blends ripe fruit, light spices and touches of oak to glide easily across the palate. While full bodied it is not heavy, but well balanced by good acidity and fine-grained tannins.

Good fruit concentration and a velvety texture make this deeply colored, dry wine substantial enough for a special occasion. It smells like spicy oak and tastes like ripe black cherries and blackberries, with a smooth mouthfeel.

Good fruit concentration and a velvety texture make this deeply colored, dry wine substantial enough for a special occasion. It smells like spicy oak and tastes like ripe black cherries and blackberries, with a smooth mouthfeel.

The 2014 Malbec is another bold, punchy wine from Mt. Brave. Rich and voluptuous, the 2014 offers notable intensity in its dark red fruit. Soft tannins add to the wine's plush, radiant feel. Even with all of its fruit intensity, the 2014 will drink well with minimal cellaring.

Ripe apples, fresh blossoms, a scant touch of citrus and mildly caramelly, wholly complementary oak merge seamlessly in the nicely filled aromas and like-minded flavors of this rich and very well-crafted wine, and, while moderately full-bodied and slightly oily on entry, it shows fine acid balance and effortlessly avoids the least sensation of heaviness. Its impressions of early polish cannot be missed, but they are merely precursors of things to come, and, while we would have no qualms about enjoying this one tonight, it is a Chardonnay with the clear capacity to reward a few years of forbearance.

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Latro shows how distinctive this small appellation adjacent to Calistoga is. Graphite, smoke, mint, espresso, lavender and dark chocolate are nicely delineated in the glass. The 2014 balances the fruit intensity of style with the savory and mineral undertones that are so typical of Knights Valley.

Olallieberries, grape seeds, roasting herbs and hot gravel show on the nose of this appellation blend by Adam Lee, whose recently sold his brand to Jackson Family but remains deeply involved. A marjoram-laced cranberry-juice flavor consumes the palate, lifted further by hints of dried fennel.

Lime and grapefruit aromas lead to crisp, dry and fresh citrus flavors in this medium-bodied and tautly balanced wine with a lively personality.

There's slight effervescence in the glass of this wine that offers tart green-apple skins and pear-cider notes on the nose. Yellow pear and sour apple skins also show on the palate, lifted with nuances of lemongrass.

Inclining to ripeness without abandoning fruit and finding a note of creamy sweetness to its dominant theme of juicy red apples, this slightly fat and full-bodied Chardonnay, while in no imminent danger of drying out anytime soon, is a flavorful, easy-to-taste offering whose ready richness and wide-open, soft-edged style make a strong case for drinking before the bloom of youth has faded and worn off.

Matanzas Creek Winery was founded in 1977 and revitalized the viticulture tradition of Sonoma County’s Bennett Valley. Visit the winery just east of Santa Rosa for a stroll and a sip, and maybe a game of bocce. The 2013 Merlot offers aromas and flavors of red fruits and dried herbs mingling with hints of cedar and spice.

Grand Reserve is Kendall Jackson winemaker’s blend of their mountain, ridge, hillside and benchland grapes grown along California’s cool coastal appellations. The wine was aged in mostly French oak, 28% new, but does a great job of integrating the oak for complexity and structure. Look for red currant and cherry flavors with background notes of cedar, cocoa and spice.

True to the power and intensity of wines created from the 2013 vintage in California, this baby will rock your socks: It has big, bold, dark berry flavors with notes of dark plum, dark cherry, dark chocolate and cedar. Tannins are refined; acidity provides structure. It was aged 17 months in mostly French oak. It's no wallflower.

A whiff of smoke mingles with lemongrass and lime zest details on a crisp, medium body, revealing an appealing roasted pineapple note that lingers on the finish. Drink now.

A potentially long-aged wine is the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Hawkeye, from the hillside benchlands of the Alexander Valley. At nearly 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in all French oak (54% new) for 21 months, this wine has a dense purple color and plenty of blackcurrants, licorice, vanilla and spice box. It is full-bodied, powerful, tannic, and should be cellared for a good 4-5 years and drunk over the following two decades.

The grapes for this Californian Chardonnay are grown in a cool climate and gravel soils, with excellent drainage. The 2013 vintage of the Chardonnay Jackson Estate Camelot Highlands is sourced from 40-year-old, ungrafted vines. The wine is then barrel-fermented and matured for 8 months in 50% new French oak barrels. Extremely concentrated and full-bodied Californian Chardonnay: toasted almond and butterscotch from generous oak aging. Aromas and flavours of pear, peach and apple. Pair with roasted chicken or turkey.

La Crema is well-known for its Californian Pinot Noir, and here we are with their Oregonian version from the Willamette Valley that savoury and mouth-watering. A luscious, medium-bodied, satin-smooth Oregonian Pinot Noir with classic aromas of fleshy ripe cherry and berry and some mocha. Racy acidity on the palate from this cool climate. Pair with grilled salmon or seared tuna.

Loaded with black fruit, smoke and spice, this Californian red wine blend has a long life ahead of it. Decant 2 hours and pair with a rare steak.

Usually my favorite in many vintages, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder is the most backward of the 2014s and actually seems to require 4-5 years of bottle age. The wine has the telltale signs of Mt. Veeder – blackberry and blueberry fruit infused with considerable floral nuances. This wine has all that, then hits the palate with a cascade of glycerin, fruit extraction, and layers of blackberry and blueberry fruit. It is full-bodied and opulent, but finishes with some structure and ripe tannin. This is a magnificent wine – full-throttle, extremely pure, and incredibly well-balanced. Give it 5-6 years of bottle age and drink it over the following three decades.

From the micro-terroir of the W. S. Keyes Vineyard on Howell Mountain, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain is pushing perfection. Its incredibly opaque color is followed by notes of lead pencil shavings, mulberry, blackberry and dark raspberry fruit, some background oak and minerality, and profound richness in a full-bodied, multi-dimensional style. It is gorgeously ripe, and sexy already, with a lush and voluptuous texture. Drink it over the next 25+ years.