Hint of oak, aromas and flavors of black plums and earth, big ripe tannins, full body.

Aromas and flavors of black plums and mocha, soft, rich and smooth.

Dark, bright, youthful ruby. Ineffable aromas and flavors of dark berries, black cherry, minerals and brown spices. Suave and wonderfully silky, communicating an impression of power with finesse. Like Le Désir, this is not overly sweet but boasts a wonderfully fine-grained texture and outstanding inner-mouth lift. The juicy, very slowly mounting finish features serious but seamless, pliant tannins and outstanding length, with a late suggestion of licorice.

Bright, dark medium ruby. Medicinal black fruits, menthol, rose petal, brown spices, mocha, espresso and molten chocolate on the very ripe nose; some hints of _surmaturité. Boasts a texture like liquid velvet; not particularly sweet but delivers terrific depth of dark raspberry and chocolate flavor and an incredibly glossy texture. As seamless as this wine is, its powerful structure gives a kick to the finish, where broad, serious tannins saturate the entire palate. This very young, sophisticated wine is a beauty, but give it some time in a decanter if you plan to open a bottle anytime soon.

Bright medium ruby. Kirsch, mocha and brown spices on the nose. Large-scaled, rich, sweet and powerful; can't quite match the nuance of La Joie but boasts powerful medicinal reserve. Today this is almost more Pauillac in style than La Joie, no doubt due to its sizable and very firm Cabernet Franc component. Finishes classically dry, with explosive black cherry fruit. All three of these Verité wines possess terrific energy, but this one is the most backward of the trio.

Saturated ruby. Extremely primary aromas of cassis, blackberry, boysenberry, violet, licorice, coffee and crushed rock. At once fine-grained and penetrating, with strong minerality and nicely integrated acidity giving a light touch to the mouth-saturating black fruit flavors. This sweet, savory, beautifully balanced wine features firm but harmonious tannins and a very long, echoing finish. Still a baby!

Saturated bright ruby. Restrained but pure aromas of blackberry, kirsch and licorice, plus a suggestion of sweet butter. Tightly wound and less giving than the Helena Dakota, showing a strong mineral spine and distinctly cooler, slightly medicinal flavors of black cherry and blackberry. Less generous and sweet than the Helena Dakota, finishing with tougher tannins that still require patience. This may yet merit a higher rating but it's painfully unevolved today.

Deep medium ruby. Lively nose combines black raspberry, blueberry, violet, licorice, coffee, mocha and tobacco. Very rich, dense and concentrated but not heavy in spite of its almost liqueur-like ripeness. The flavors of dark berries, bitter chocolate and licorice are nicely framed by slightly elevated acidity. Finishes with big, broad, dusty, chocolatey tannins and excellent length. Still young.

Made by the talented folks at Carmel Road this wine exhibits a lovely ripe pear and melon nose. This pinot grigio is very round and smooth in the mouth with pear flavors. A very nice package that would pair well with chicken or fish dishes.

Marked by an elegant array of spicy raspberry, blueberry, anise and fine-grained, earth-laced tannins. Most impressive on the finish, where the tannins sustain the flavors. Drink now.

This was the absolute best Grenache wine of all the wines I tasted. The flavors are so compelling; sour cherry over dried herbs, silky but not simple….layered, interesting. It was served at a dinner party and the guests loved this wine above all others, before and during dinner. Exotic and hedonistic— harvested from single plot of Grenache planted in 1946.

Clean, crisp, and lively, this Chardonnay offers only a faint hint of oak, supplanting the taste of wood with bright, fresh fruit. While it lacks the earthiness or minerality that can characterize the best Chardonnays made in this style (think Chablis), it comes at a very fair price and is extremely tasty. In addition, secondary complexity, while wonderful in a wine sipped on its own, can get lost with food. Nothing like that happens here.

It's not every day that you're going to be in the mood to drop forty bucks on a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc -- or any white wine for that matter -- but if you're an appreciator of the complexities that a seriously well made white has to offer, you'll want to treat yourself to a bottle of this beautiful wine. Stone fruit, mint, white flowers, granite minerality and a touch of leaf are present in both aroma and flavor, with a ripe quality to the fruit element that doesn't overwhelm the proceedings. It finishes very crisp and mouth watering. Be careful, though -- on your way to the bottom of the bottle you'll wish you had the kind of life where you could sip this serious wine poolside while your people take care of your business for you. Well done!

Very deep, youthful purple/red colour. The bouquet is vanillan, toasty and chocolaty, with overt coconut and vanilla (American?) oak touches. The palate is solid and grippy, with density and rusticity, with what seem like oak tannins rather dominant. There's also a metallic mineral note. It's not a finesse wine, but a grunt and guts wine. A big, brawny, solid, quite tannic wine which demands time and patience. It will reward cellaring. (1946-planted bush-vine vines, in deep sand. 160 cases made)

Hint of oak, aromas and flavors of sweet black plums and espresso, full-bodied.

Hint of toasty oak, aromas and flavors of black plums and spice, medium body.

Not all sauvignon blanc is one-dimensional and this Sonoma County producer proves it year after year. You pay more — but you get so much more complexity and depth. The Bennett Valley version has powerful aromas of pear, lychee and basil. There is crisp acidity yet a roundness that comes from dash of musque clone. The producer also makes a Helena Bench sauvignon blanc ($40) that is even more delicious.

Not all sauvignon blanc is one-dimensional and this Sonoma County producer proves it year after year. You pay more — but you get so much more complexity and depth. The Bennett Valley version has powerful aromas of pear, lychee and basil. There is crisp acidity yet a roundness that comes from dash of musque clone. The producer also makes a Helena Bench sauvignon blanc ($40) that is even more delicious.

This chardonnay from the Sonoma Coast appellation - the heart of La Crema's business despite successful forays into other regions - profited from a long, cool and predictable growing season, which delivered small berries with firm acidity and highly concentrated aromas and flavors. The fruit was hand-harvested, whole-cluster pressed, then fermented in French oak.

Dark and rich with blackberry, plum and cassis; smooth and deep with notes of vanilla new oak and a long, lush finish. 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, 2% Malbec, 2% Cabernet Franc, 1% Petit Verdot.

Smooth, ripe nose; ripe pear fruit, vanilla, butterscotch and toasty oak - all in balance; rounded, rich and long; classic.

Broad and generous, this is supple underneath a layer of crisp tannins, layering chocolate and tobacco flavors with ripe currant and plum fruit. Has ample depth and complexity, and finishes with finesse. Drink now through 2022. 135 cases made.

This trim, streamlined version has a pure, focused mix of flavors, presenting ripe berry fruit, acidity and tannins in an easy-to-enjoy style.

Light and crisp, with lemon-lime, lemongrass and green apple notes, revealing a whiff of hay and lanolin on the refreshing, lingering finish.

A fairly dry and tannic offering, dense and chewy, with dark berry notes and earth-laced fruit buried underneath.