"...exhibits copious quantities of pure black currant fruit intermixed with cedar, smoke, and spice box. It is full-bodied, opulent, rich...

With abundant amounts of Asian spices, minerals, black cherries, and cassis as well as admirable structure, this fruit-dominated, full-bodied, large-scaled, opulent wine should drink well...

Big mountain fruit here throws powerful aromas of ripe plum, thyme and bacon, while full-scale oaking yields maple aromas, vanilla flavors, and coffee on the finish. The wood element is a little weighty at this point, but there's solid fruit to support it.

This beautifully crafted red has a fine depth of color and a ripe black currant aroma. The clean scent of fruit grows more sophisticated with an overlay of dark green herbs, leather and a glimmer of burnished oak. Youthfully tannic for now, it's already well suited to a steak, but should prove more complex and satisfying with several years of age.

Lots of upfront spicy and plummy flavors, turning elegant and refined. Finishes with a spicy richness and firm, supple tannins.

…is destined to last for two decades. The wine boasts an opaque purple color, and rich nose of minerals, black currants, and spicy oak. A dense, full-bodied powerhouse, with nicely integrated wood, acidity, and tannin, this firm Cabernet is loaded with extract and richness.

A complex, well structured, intensely flavored wine, with layer of currant, plum, black cherry and wild berry. Finishes with ripe, well-integrated tannins.

Generally speaking, when you see Alexander Valley on a bottle of cabernet, you think soft, fruity and easy to drink. Instead, this '95 has some real mountain fruit extract and flavor that demands aging. Ripe flavors of licorice and plum are framed by oak and very firm tannins. This Buckeye could use two to three years to soften into a lithe and supple wine, then pull out a bottle for a holiday dinner of roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.

The new-look 1991 exhibits a deep ruby/purple color, and a moderately intense bouquet of toast, black-cherries, and cassis. Flamboyantly rich, full-bodied, with fabulously juicy, succulent fruit, this hedonistic Cabernet should drink well for at least another decade. The Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is more typically Californian in proportions as it is a bigger, more blockbuster-styled wine.

Delicious, rich cassis and black currant. Proportional oak and integrated tannins. Perfectly balanced.

Vanilla and earth notes mingle with ripe plum and currants. Full-bodied and straight forward with flavor to spare.

This is a thick, chewy and full-bodied red that will appeal to a wide range of palates and budgets. Bright underlying red fruit enlivens the firm tannic structure and integrated oak, finishing soft and smooth on the palate.

USA, California, Northern California: Napa & Some Sonoma New Releases The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Reserve is blended of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, 3% Malbec, 3% Petit Verdot and 2% Cabernet Franc, aged 21 months in 27% new French and 1% new American oak. Deep garnet-purple colored, it opens with compelling cassis, black cherries and warm plums scents with hints of bay leaves, Marmite toast and black olives. Medium to full-bodied, the palate gives mouth-filling black currant and plums flavors with a firm, grainy frame and loads of herbal sparks on the finish.

The 2017s From Sonoma A selection of top lots from Knights Valley, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Reserve offers more dark fruits and cassis notes as well as hints of graphite and scorched earth. It’s a step up over the Vintner’s Reserve, is medium to full-bodied, has good concentration, and outstanding length. Drink it over the coming 5-7 years.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner's Reserve is another terrific, entry-level wine from Kendall Jackson. Floral and lifted, the 2016 offers terrific Cabernet aromatics to match its mid-weight structure and overall feel. The 2016 is tasty, not to mention a superb value.

This is a large-production wine that spares no attention to detail or quality. Winemaker Randy Ullom created an expression of thick, rich, grippy power that’s available for an attractive price. Baked plum, clove, mountain sage and black cherry all figure into the mix, with a lasting touch of mocha on the lengthy finish.

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner's Reserve is terrific. This is an especially pliant, fruity wine for Sonoma County, but the 2015 offers lovely fruit purity and plenty of near term appeal.

Gold Medal

This wine is made from a collection of vineyards dotted along mountainous ridge lines and benchlands, most of these spots along the Mayacamas Mountains. Winemaker Randy Ullom captures a classic character of dried sage, cedar and pencil shavings here, supporting the savory with bright acidity and a strong presence of tannin. This wine could stand more time in the bottle before enjoying; its youthful grip doesn't go without notice.

Showcasing several vineyards within the appellation, including Alden and Hawkeye, this is a rounded, approachable wine with quiet red and black fruit and leather notes. Balanced acidity gives the full-bodied, ripe fruit a lift.

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate is a medium-bodied, textured, classic Alexander Valley Cabernet that offers plenty of darker fruits, scorched earth and a hint of vanilla. It has rock-solid purity of fruit, as well as impressive balance. The blend is almost 100% Cabernet Sauvignon (there’s 1.5% Petit Verdot), aged in 31% new French oak.

This classic Bordeaux blend, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon along with Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, has plenty of berry and cherry flavors. It is spiced with discreet touches of oak, and is satisfyingly long on the finish.

This affordable red succeeds in offering full-bodied dark cherry and black-currant flavors among an expansive palate of integrated oak and structured tannins. The finish is an extended mix of cinnamon, toast and chocolate tones.

The outstanding 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Reserve is another Sonoma bottling (32,886 cases). It is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest the usual suspects in the Bordeaux grape variety category. Dense ruby/purple, with a big, sweet kiss of crème de cassis, licorice, graphite and new wood, the wine is full-bodied, dense, rich, nicely textured and quite long. This wine will actually age nicely for a decade or more.