The gritty tannins in this ripe zinfandel give the wine enough body to match the most sturdy meats. Plum and blackberry flavors with a dash of cedar.

A colossal wine from an often-forgotten producer, this Rutherford giant is intense and rich. Good balance with notes of cherries, black currants and blackberries.

Red Plump and sumptuous, with a rich core of plum, cherry, blackberry and licorice flavors, retaining juiciness and firming on the finish, where gravel and oak elements add backbone and dimension.

Ted Edwards brings us another fine expression of Rutherford's top vineyards, including Bosche, Sycamore, Red Barn Ranch, Round Pond and Wood Ranch. The complex aroma mix includes blackberry, cassis, high-toned cherry, clay, wildflowers, fall spice and a hint of citrus zest, all of which are beginning to show themselves as flavors, with bright pepper notes added. It's pretty firm at present, but is quite approachable with a good decant. I'm going to opt for a long rest in the cellar to really get at the promised elegance.

La Crema's latest RRV pinot shows a floral and spice nose, followed by bright cherry fruit on the palate with a modest touch of oak. Well balanced, with bright acidity, this is a beautiful complement to roast duck or chicken.

I’m not a fan of California SBs; they’re grassy, gooseberry-juice imitations of grassy, gooseberry-juice New Zealand SBs. Murphy- Goode is different. Over an hour it developed intriguing depth.

Moderate reddish purple color in the glass. Fruit aromas of black cherry and black raspberry are complimented by aromas of savory herbs and toasty oak, with the oak showing up more over time in the glass. Middleweight flavors of black cherry, black raspberry and blackberry are underlain with subtle smoky oak. Good intensity of flavor, integrated ripe tannins, and a juicy finish driven by bracing acidity.

This winery has been a class act over the past three decades, led the entire time by Ted Edwards, perhaps the most underrated winemaker in the Napa Valley. Edwards has always crafted his cabernet for the long haul and this muscular effort from the excellent 2013 vintage has all the power, layered depth and rich fruit aroma anyone could want. That said, it is well balanced, shows inviting notes of wood spice, and it wouldn't disappoint if you pulled the cork tonight. But don't do that. This beauty needs another five years minimum to approach its peak.

This single-vineyard pinot from Carmel Road offers a nuance of earthy forest floor followed by notes of cherry and spice. Still showing the bite of youth on the finish, it should be ready to rock after another year or two in the bottle.

The wine is named after founder Bernard Lacroute’s father, it is a more masculine and structured expression of this estate vineyard. · Moderate reddish purple color in the glass. The nose is somewhat primary, offering only scents of savory herbs. Much more expressive on the palate, with a mid weight plus core of black cherry fruit. Structured, yet suave, with exquisite balance and a giving, but not exceptional finish. This wine has a strong physique and is keeping back some of its charm at present and needs more time in bottle. I think this wine will be more glorious in another 2-3 years.

A blend of clones grown on the WillaKenzie estate and is intended to be approachable early. This wine is named after Bernard Lacroute’s sister. · Moderate reddish purple color in the glass. Aromas of cherry, exotic spices, crumb cake and earthy flora. Cherry-driven in a feminine style that is vibrantly flavored with crisp acidity, and a lip-smacking finish with some persistent cherry goodness.

This comes from vines planted on sandstone at 1,500 feet in the western coastal hills of Anderson Valley. The wine's oak feels raw for now, but the site comes through with a compelling vinosity - a bold salted-apple flavor that lasts. Decant it to reveal the wine's refreshing power.

Plump blackberry, cherry and toasted rye bread flavors are supported by a muscular backbone of tannins, set in a velvety texture. Black tea and licorice details lend a refined element to the long finish. Drink now through 2030.-M.W.

Jazzy and bright, with jammy blackberry and smoky meat aromas leading to layered flavors of plum, black olive and licorice.

Well-made and balanced as you expect from this producer, this reasonably priced pinot noir is simple and medium bodied. Black cherry and cola flavors.

Vivid ruby. Sexy, high-pitched red berry and potpourri scents are complemented by a minerally aspect and a hint of Asian spices. Sappy, incisive and appealingly sweet, offering lively raspberry and cherry cola flavors that gain sweetness and a hint of smokiness with air. Shows a suave blend of power and finesse and finishes with excellent focus and length; silky tannins come up slowly.

Brilliant purple. Highly perfumed, mineral- and spice-tinged dark berry, cola and floral pastille aromas show excellent clarity and a hint of smokiness that gains strength with air. Silky and precise on entry, then broader and deeper in the midpalate, offering vibrant black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors and a touch of floral pastilles. Finishes sappy and extremely long, with supple tannins shaping the exuberant fruit.

Vivid purple. Assertive aromas of black raspberry, cherry cola and spicecake pick up floral and woodsmoke nuances with air. Juicy, focused and alluringly sweet, offering juicy red and dark berry and cola flavors that deepen and spread out slowly on the back half. The floral note comes back emphatically on the strikingly persistent, fruit-driven finish, which features even tannins and a touch of star anise.

Limpid ruby. A heady, exotically perfumed bouquet evokes candied red and dark berries, Indian spices and rose pastille. Sappy, penetrating and alluringly sweet, offering juicy black raspberry, spicecake and cola flavors and a suggestion of licorice. Displays impressive power as well as elegance; smooth tannins come up slowly to frame the sappy, extremely persistent fruit and floral notes.

Brilliant ruby-red. A lively, sharply focused nose displays an array of ripe red fruit and floral qualities and a smoky mineral overtone. Lithe and sappy in the mouth, offering juicy raspberry and cherry flavors and a sexy rose pastille nuance that gains strength as the wine opens up. Finishes with repeating red fruit and floral character, excellent clarity and silky, slow-building tannins that contribute subtle grip.

Brilliant ruby-red. Ripe red berry, cherry-vanilla and floral pastille aromas are complemented by hints of cola and mocha. Sappy and seamless in texture, offering concentrated black raspberry and bitter cherry flavors that become sweeter and deeper with air. Shows excellent depth as well as vivacity, finishing with sneaky tannins and strong, fruity persistence.

Bright violet. Spice-accented red and blue fruits, violet and smoky minerals on the deeply scented nose. Juicy and expansive in the mouth, offering concentrated raspberry and cherry compote flavors that pick up candied rose and allspice notes on the back half. The red fruit and spice notes linger impressively on a smooth, very long finish that's framed by velvety tannins.

Vivid purple. A complex, expansive bouquet evokes fresh black and blue fruits, olive paste and candied violet, accompanied by subtle vanilla and woodsmoke nuances in the background. Stains the palate with sweet boysenberry and cherry compote flavors that are enlivened by a jolt of peppery spices. Rich yet energetic in character, offering excellent finishing clarity and smooth tannins that arrive late.

Dark purple. Highly perfumed, mineral-accented dark berry liqueur, cherry cola and violet pastille flavors show excellent clarity and emerging hints of licorice and olive. Deep blackberry, blueberry and bitter chocolate flavors are energized by zesty acidity and a hint of cracked pepper that adds spiciness to the back half. Expands and becomes sweeter on the finish, which features a lingering dark berry skin quality and harmonious tannins.

Bright violet. Ripe cherry and dark berries on the deeply perfumed, smoke-accented nose. Sappy, broad and supple, offering pliant blueberry and bitter cherry flavors that become sweeter and livelier with aeration. Finishes sweet, youthfully tannic and long, displaying a late touch of vanilla and resonating smokiness.