The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard is incredibly primary at this stage. Layers of fruit flow across the palate, nearly covering the mineral notes and persistent tannins that are so typical of this site. A round, incredibly seamless wine - especially within the context of Knights Valley - the 2012 boasts tons of depth and pure concentration. The 2012 finishes with tremendous richness and volume.

Today the 2011 Le Desir is much more aromatically expressive than it was last year. Savory and floral notes meld into sweet tobacco, mint, licorice and dark red fruit, all in a sexy, nuanced wine bursting with intensity. I can't wait to see how the Desir, and the rest of the 2011s here, turn out once they have been bottled.

Grilled herbs, smoke, tobacco, wild flowers and black fruit explode from the glass in the 2011 La Joie. This is a huge structured vintage for La Jose, with tons of intensity and sheer power. In keeping with the style of the year, the flavors are quite savory and earthy. Imagine Old World Cabernet-inflected fruit meets California ripeness. The 2011 has fleshed out nicely over the last year.

Grilled herbs, blackberry jam, spices and graphite jump from the glass in a vivid, nuanced wine. The flavors are wonderfully clear and articulate, especially for such a big, resonant wine. Chocolate, mocha and spices are some of the notes that inform the rich, generous finish.

Dark raspberry jam, white flowers, sweet spices and rose petals jump from the glass in the 2011 La Muse. Wonderfully open and expressive today, the 2011 impresses for its silkiness and the sheer purity of its fruit. Floral and savory notes add complexity on the finish. I expect the 2011 will shut down a bit in bottle, but today it is impossible to miss the generosity and resonance of the fruit. I tasted the 2011 from tank, just before bottling.

The 2011 Red Wine Sonoma County wraps around the palate with gorgeous depth and persistence. Sweet herbs, raspberry jam, white pepper and flowers all lift from the glass. In 2011 Cenyth is predominantly Cabernet Franc, and it is those floral/savory notes that carry the fruit through to a finish laced with dark cherries, plums, espresso and sage. This is a striking wine in every way. It is also the first vintage Hélène Seillan blended on her own. Most importantly, the 2011 is a fabulous showing in a vintage that was very difficult. The 2011 is 60% Cabernet Franc, 19% Cabernet Sauvignon, 16% Merlot and 5% Malbec.

Inky, deep and gorgeous, the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard emerges from the glass with blackberry jam, cassis, sweet spices, menthol and cloves. This is a surprisingly juicy, full-bodied wine with superb depth for the year. Typically firm Knights Valley tannins support the finish. All the elements fall into place nicely. I am intrigued to see how the 2011 ages. There is certainly plenty to look forward to here.

The 2012 Red Wine Sonoma County comes across as very tight at this stage. It is also resting in tank awaiting bottling, which may explain the wine's reticence. With time in the glass, the wine's pure depth begins to emerge. The 2012 is a huge wine that needs time to fully come together. Black cherries, plums, violets, cloves and menthol flesh out as the wine shows off its personality. In 2012, the blend is 56% Cabernet Franc, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon and 16% Merlot.

The 2009 Red Wine Sonoma County is dark, rich and enveloping. Black fruit, mocha, cloves, licorice, menthol and new leather explode from the glass in a huge, mouthfilling red. This dark, sumptuous Cabernet Sauvignon-based red is still incredibly primary. The 2009 can be enjoyed today for its intense fruit, while more tertiary notes are just beginning to develop. The 2009 is 47% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, 7% Malbec.

In 2010, Red Wine Sonoma County is Merlot-based, so the wine is quite different from the other vintages that have been made so far. Plump, juicy and open, the 2010 comes across as a bit simple and forward. Mocha, black cherries, plums, smoke and cloves flesh out on the finish. The 2010 is attractive today, but it's hard to see too much upside from cellaring based on the wine's mid-weight structure. The 2010 is 54% Merlot, 34% Cabernet Franc and 12% Cabernet Sauvignon.

This proprietary red wine is brought to you by the Matanzas Creek Winery and is made up of 88.6 percent cabernet sauvignon with the balance made up of merlot, malbec, and a dash of petite verdot. This big-bodied wine was aged in 63 percent new French oak for about a year and a half before release, and exhibits a complex nose and flavors of red and black currants, some herbal notes and a hint of licorice. This wine, although expensive, shows the care of the winemaker and is very full and pleasing.

One of our favorite chardonnays, this Sonoma County beaut is very expressive with pear and hazelnut aromas and luscious, ripe pineapple and citrus flavors. A good dose of oak and caramel notes keep it interesting.

Very nice yeasty toasty notes in the nose with citrus and peach flavors developing in the mouth. A lot of pleasure and complexity for the price. Try this one.

Whatever they are doing over at Yangarra with Roussanne, is very much the right thing to do with Roussanne over at Yangarra. Roussanne, you don't have to put on the red light, those days are over. Cedar, lemon and preserved lemon, spice, fennel and honey and maybe a bit of chicken stock. Fresh but weighty, good acid balance, tight line, and a particularly intense burst of flavour and acid on finish. Pow! Sour yoghurt and flint and spice - all very nice. Very good! Such a lovely well balanced and entertaining

A pinot with deep cherry fruit and great minerality. Notes of cranberry, blueberry and spice. Good bones (structure).

A supple, smooth, medium bodied red wine with cherry-berry mouth-filling wonder and flavours. Just enough oak for hedonists. Full-bodied, layered yet not heavy. A consistently great producer of classic Californian pinot noir year after year. Love this silky Pinot Noir! It seems to get better every year. Beautiful cherries and field raspberry notes roll in first, then there's fresh earth aromas after a spring rain followed by some baking spices and a long finish. This pinot has been one of my favourites for years. Satin seduction in a glass. Pinot Noir food pairings: seafood, coq au vin, beef, grilled salmon, lamb. A Natalie MacLean Scrumptious Seafood Wine.

Smooth, lush and creamy with elegant balance and good structure; soft oak and juicy fruit.

2011 Champ de Reves Pinot Noir, Anderson Valley: powerful and crisp, with aromas and flavors of black raspberries, licorice and tobacco, full and creamy;$40.

2010 Matanzas Creek Winery Merlot, Sonoma County: aromas and flavors of black cherries and dark chocolate, firm tannins; $28.

Champ de Reves Pinot Noir 2011 ($35). Anderson Valley pinot noirs are the rage and for good reason. It has the right climate for pinot noir. This beauty has great acidity to help with food matches and opulent blueberry and blackberry notes. Hints of anise and truffles on the nose make for a very sexy wine.

It's a bit hard-edged when it's first opened, but this full-bodied red wine quickly opens up to display vibrant flavors of blackberries, plums, herbs and chocolate and black pepper. There's a a port-like quality to this blockbuster, but it's a fully dry wine. It's pretty gripping.

This wine comes from Jackson Family Wines’ Boone Ridge Vineyard, planted in 2006. It’s full-bodied and rich, yet with crisp acidity and a spicy note that adds depth and complexity. Black raspberry, pomegranate and cassis flavors fill the mouth, and while there is an alcoholic kick (14.5% on the label), it will certainly please those whole love lusty, full-throttle Pinot Noirs.

What a food wine! Winemaker Elizabeth Grant-Douglas suggests a mushroom risotto; yes, but maybe also veal piccata, osso buco or an alfredo-style pasta dish. It’s a dreamy Pinot — with that cool climate vibe: crisp, firm acidity and dark plum-pomegranate-blackberry fruit framed in sweet, supple tannins. It was aged in 94 percent French oak (26 percent new with toast ranging from medium to medium-plus. It is surely a Pinot to rival the best plate of food you can put in front of it.

Think ripe white peaches, green apples and melons and citrus: The 2012 Chardonnay from the cool climes of Monterey has layers of flavor — infused with oak and braced by firm acidity. The smoke and spice off the barrels ripple through the aromas. It’s a full-bodied wine — alcohol is almost 14 percent. It’s like an essence of Chardonnay – intense and concentrated, a meal in itself. And yes, pair it with the proverbial chicken, veal, pork and seafood but you will likely find yourself studying this golden nectar more than the food. It’s a restaurant wine you can pour at home. The vintage is hailed by winemakers as one of the best in this new century.

A lovely red blend with lush red and black fruit, and notes of mocha, cigar and vanilla. Bright flavors. Ripe tannins. Well done.