May 30: Memorial Day Buy the 2012 Murphy-Goode Homefront Red ($14), and 50 cents will go to Operation Homefront to help armed-service members' families.

Winemaker Adam Lee presents aromas of pressed elderberries and ripe black cherries on this single-vineyard bottling, boosted by hints of licorice and a touch of wet tobacco. Dark but not particularly ripe berries power the earthy palate, which also benefits from eucalyptus, sagebrush, mace and a hint of juniper.

Complex, integrated and soft, this wine from fellow winemaker Mike Officer’s historic site is lightly spiced in cinnamon and pepper. Dollops of vanilla and blackberry make themselves felt on the palate amid the zest.

A powerfully intense wine from an historic vineyard site, this has a surprisingly welcoming theme of tangy acidity behind the ripeness of the black and red fruit, the typical blackberry giving way to brighter notes of pomegranate and red cherry. The finish delivers a fistful of black pepper and back note of leather.

A bit less intense aromatically than other Adam Lee bottlings, this shows sour plum, smoked meat and a touch of garden herbs on the nose. Those elements come alive on the palate, where peppercorns, oregano, thyme and pencil lead decorate dark cranberry fruits.

Dark in color and generously bodied, this wine exudes a taste and aroma of brown sugar and roasted plum, flavors that ride a wave of soft, velvety texture, blackberry compote and mocha chocolate. Richly rewarding, it’s also a tremendous value.

Tempting spicy aromas like cedar and clove lead to rich but bright fruit flavors shaded by smoke and black pepper. This wine has commendable complexity without going over the top, and a nice, firm texture of fine tannins and good acidity for balance.

Pierre Seillan's 2015 Lassègue wraps around the palate with serious depth. Mocha, bittersweet chocolate, plum, exotic spices and new leather wrap around a core of dark, voluptuous fruit. Forward, racy and pliant, the Lassègue captures the exuberance of the vintage in spades. This is an especially sweet, voluptuous Saint-Émilion with notable mid-palate volume and juiciness. The 2015 is 55% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, done in 70% new oak.

This wine shows wet cement, lime rinds, light honeysuckle and fragrant minerality on the nose. The texture is solidly grippy and intriguing once sipped, with flavors of yellow grapefruit pith and Gala apples in the midpalate, sliding into a lime-rind tang on the finish.

Plum cake and blackberry confiture notes belie the lighter profile of the vintage, while ambitious toast, fruitcake and licorice accents manage to integrate through the finish. A bit obvious in style, but will certainly have fans. Drink now through 2019.

Very deep golden colour with amber tinges. It seems filter-bright. The bouquet is muffled and developed, lacking freshness and primary fruit, the palate full-bodied and fruit-sweet in the middle, then opulently round and ample in the mouth with an emphatic, dry finish. Power, length and weight. It's also quite complex, in its way. (100% ceramic egg fermented, 60% on skins.) The rating is hedonic.

Hint of oak, aromas and flavors of black cherries and mocha, complex, rich and smooth. Long finish.

Tightly focused and balanced, with aromas of boysenberry, mint and crushed stone. Features deep, complex flavors of plum and blueberry, accented by hints of fresh anise, mineral and fresh white pepper. The tannins are big but ripe. Needs time. Best from 2018 through 2026.

Plump and fleshy, with a dense core of focused tannins and lively acidity. Aromas of ripe black raspberry, anise and licorice open to layered, slightly jammy flavors of black cherry, blueberry pie and smoky cracked pepper. Drink now through 2024.

This storied 125-year-old Napa valley winery can still produce terrific wines. This example is a classic Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon and is a blend of all five Bordeaux varietals, with cherry and cassis nose and flavors. Firm tannins, but approachable now, this beauty can easily age a decade if stored properly.