North Coast Part 1: Napa Valley’s Incredible 2016s The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Latro is in the same ballpark yet has more savory characteristics as well as plenty of conifer, California bay leaf, currants, and loamy soil aromas and flavors. This full-bodied beauty has plenty of tannin, terrific purity of fruit, no hard edges, and a great finish. Give it a few years.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyards, a blend of 89.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.5% Merlot, 2.8% Cabernet Franc and 2.9% Petit Verdot, opens with youthfully subtle, very primary black currant and black cherry notes with hints of eucalypt, fertile soil, underbrush and new leather. Medium to full-bodied, firm and muscular in the mouth, the tightly wound fruit is well framed by very ripe, fine-grained tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing with an herbal and mineral-laced lift.

From a nearby Rutherford Vineyard, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyard (located at the very end of Bella Oaks Lane in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains) is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5.7% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot, but also aged 28 months in French oak. Notes of Christmas fruitcake, graphite, blackcurrant and black cherry are present in this wine, which is full-bodied and powerful, with high levels of tannin, amazing structure, but profound depth and richness. This baby needs to be cellared for a good 8-10 years and drunk over the following 35-50.

packed and youthfully taut, displaying outstanding energy to the deep, chewy dark fruit and mineral flavors. This very tightly coiled, sharply delineated Saint-Emilion blend has serious tannic clout that will require extended aging. Should evolve positively for 20 years or more.

Bright, full ruby. Complex, vibrant aromas of cassis, cherry pit, licorice and graphite, with a floral topnote building as the wine opens in the glass. Dense, pliant and suave, with a compellingly layered, fine-grained texture to the dark berry, licorice and mineral flavors. A wine of major dimension but today the firm, noble tannins clamp down on the fruit. I'd love to see this again in six or seven years--in a flight of top 2009 Medoc wines.

(67% cabernet sauvignon, 12% merlot, 12% cabernet franc, 7% petit verdot and 2% malbec) Good bright ruby. Black cherry, minerals, musky Cuban tobacco and leather on the nose and palate, lifted by a minty nuance. Lush on entry, then concentrated, sweet and penetrating, with superb focus and sap to the middle palate. Wonderfully expressive even if still youthfully unevolved. Finishes with full but ripe tannins and a compelling combination of sweetness and energy.

Good bright ruby. Black cherry, minerals, musky Cuban tobacco and leather on the nose and palate, lifted by a minty nuance. Lush on entry, then concentrated, sweet and penetrating, with superb focus and sap to the middle palate. Wonderfully expressive even if still youthfully unevolved. Finishes with full but ripe tannins and a compelling combination of sweetness and energy.

Dark ruby. Opens with aromas of elderberry, tobacco and soil, progressing to dark fruited, tea-like palate. Broad and mouth filing with dense flavors, dry tannins, and rich extract on a lingering finish. A beautiful wine. 100% Sangiovese aged 12 months in second use French oak.

L’inattendue (“unexpected”) expresses a single grape, single terroir, and single vintage. In 2018 the grape is Chardonnay, and the terroir is Chouilly in the Côte des Blancs. The vineyard parcel selected gives high acidity even in a hot year; in 2023 the parcel selected was the same as that for 2018. The 2018 L’inattendue opens with floral and toasty/earthy aromatics and follows with a fresh, focused, mineral-like palate with ripe lemon and stone fruit notes. A gorgeous, energetic Champagne. Aged a minimum of 4 years.

First made in 1889, this cuvée is from equal amounts of the 6 founding Grands Crus of the house; the Hemera Cuvée thus reflects the vintage. It’s not made every year, and 2013 is a surprising choice given the cold wet growing season and the humid, very late harvest. But, as winemaker Alice Tétienne says, challenging conditions can produce character, and the 2013 Hemera exudes character. The bouquet reveals citrus zest, almonds, and fresh bread crust. The medium weight palate has a refined elegance, chalky minerality, briochelike notes and juicy acidity. A blend of Chardonnay from Avize, Chouilly Le Mesnil-sur-Oger and Pinot Noir Winemaker Bérangère FierfortCaqué at Bollinger (credit JButlerMW) from Mailly, Verzeney and Verzy given at least 10 years of aging.

Deep garnet-purple in color, the 2022 Helena Montana Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon rolls out with evocative scents of blueberry pie, crème de cassis, and candied violets, leading to hints of dusty soil, Indian spices, and chalk. The full-bodied palate is velvety and juicy with a lively backbone and loads of flavors and spicy nuances, finishing with great length.

The 2022 Helena Dakota Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is deep garnet-purple in color. After a little shaking, notes of black currant jelly and baked blackberries erupt from the glass, followed by nuances of iron ore, garrigue, and dried roses. The full-bodied palate is packed with powerful black fruit layers, supported by firm, grainy tannins and bags of freshness, finishing long and fragrant.

Great concentration here, with nice intensity. Robust red cherry and berry fruits with a touch of strawberry, and well integrated savoury characters. It’s a complete wine, with concentration and harmony, lots of fruit, and some structure. There’s flesh that covers all the bones in a really nice way.

Nice precision and delicacy here. Floral and bright with nice grip, but nothing heavy at all. Cherries, raspberries, some wild strawberry, as well as a touch of tomato, with nice flow across the palate. Very fine and bright, showing a bit of structure. Such prettiness.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Slope was matured for 17 months in 69% new French oak. It has slowly unfurling scents of rhubarb, blueberry, conifer, mushroom and garrigue. Full-bodied, it floods the mouth with dark, floral flavors. It’s framed by velvety tannins and vibrant acidity and has a long, iron-laced finish. 697 cases were made.

The 2022 Pinot Noir Block 14 was matured for 17 months in 50% new French oak. It floods the senses with waves of pomegranate, cranberry, conifer, truffle and lilac, revealing additional nuances as it opens in the glass. The full-bodied palate is tremendously concentrated with dark, iron-laced flavors. It has a luxurious, silky texture, vibrant acidity and a very long, floral finish. It will be long lived in the cellar. 315 cases were made.

Matured for 10 months in 24% new French oak, the 2022 Pinot Noir Pas de Nom has expressive aromas of raspberry, wild cherry, Earl Grey tea leaves, rose petal, forest floor and mushrooms. The full-bodied palate is powerful yet elegant, balancing concentrated, nuanced flavors with vibrant acidity. It’s framed by fine, chalky tannins and has a long, elegant finish. It should be long lived in the cellar. 272 cases were made.

The 2022 Dropstone Chardonnay was matured for 16 months in 20% new French oak puncheons, plus an additional four months in stainless steel. It has alluring aromas of yellow peach, matchstick, toast and holiday spices and becomes more expressive as it airs in the glass. The full-bodied palate explodes with nuanced flavors, segueing from fruit to spice and flint. Its satiny texture and concentrated flavors are balanced by vibrant, focused acidity, and it has a very long finish. It should be long lived in the cellar. 183 cases were made.

Matured for nine months in 65% new French oak, the 2022 Pinot Noir Upland is bursting with scents of rhubarb, blueberry, mossy bark, aniseed and lavender. The full-bodied palate is highly concentrated, though its mineral-driven flavors are youthfully coiled at this stage. It’s structured by velvety tannins and mouthwatering acidity and has a very long, nuanced finish. It will benefit from 3-5 years in the cellar. 218 cases were made.

From Banhoek home-farm, 2021 shows most intensity, minerality & focus of the chardonnays in fine vintage. Tight structure & arresting freshness beg time or decanting to reveal deep core of zesty mandarin & dried apricot. Most new oak, 50%, 11 months, yet quietly supportive rather than overt. Seriously styled & deserving of lengthy cellaring.

Heady and seductive with aromas of grilled cherries and sweet green herbs. Full-bodied with plush, supportive tannins and a round, mouthwatering palate. Warm Christmas-spice character in the finish. Drink or hold.

Complex, intriguing aromas of mixed crushed berries, forest and resinous herbs lead to a fresh, juicy and mouth-filling medium body with blackberry flavors. Delicious and age-worthy. Drink or hold.

WillaKenzie is part of the Jackson Family portfolio, purchased from the founders nine years ago this month. It’s nice to see the original brand retained on this elegant sparkling wine, a classic cuvée of 57% Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay and 7% Pinot Meunier. It was disgorged in July of 2024 and has impressive freshness, clarity and depth. Crisp tree fruit flesh and rind, compelling minerality and a long, detailed finish make this a standout.

The 2023 Chardonnay Perilune is my favorite of these Chardonnays from Brewer-Clifton, seamlessly melding a waxy, tropical and honeyed profile with an equal measure of lifted, vibrant and electric energy. The palate is lush, deep and elegantly creamy, showcasing the most prominent bass register of the Chardonnays while retaining upright posture and focus. It seamlessly flows into a tensile, flashy, and multifaceted finish that foregrounds crystalline clarity, a chiseled mineral quality and nutty, rich undertones that linger.

The most multifaceted Pinot Noir in the Brewer-Clifton portfolio is the 2023 Pinot Noir Machado, which functions as an amalgam of all its counterparts in the roster. There is an effortlessness on display from front to back, combining floral, earthy, saline and fennel notes with a darker-fruited backdrop and less overt whole-cluster influence. Echoing the Machado Chardonnay, the palate fuses a broad, supple textural power with a palpably tense and vertical rudder that runs through the graceful, high-toned and chalky finish. This is a beautiful expression of the contemporary style at Brewer-Clifton, and it should evolve beautifully into its second decade.