From the oldest vines planted in the 1970s, the 2015 Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard is a perfumed, spicy wine that's just singing on the nose. Ripe cherries, raspberries, candied orange, and exotic spices give way to a medium to full-bodied, supple, seamless Pinot Noir. It has bright acidity, sweet, vibrant, fruit, notable tannin, and a great finish. Like a lot of the wines here, it has the fruit to shine, but this is certainly one of the more structured and tannic wines in the lineup.

The 2015 Chardonnay Jennifer's comes from a site south of Sebastopol, which is a cooler terroir. Harvest is normally 3-4 weeks later than what they find in the Russian River Valley. All from Wente clone and brought up in just 28% new French oak, it has a vibrant freshness and purity, with lots of salty minerality in its mango, orange blossom, caramelized citrus all soaring from the glass. Fresh, lively and pure, with remarkable purity and elegance, it's going to keep for a decade as well.

From an extremely cold terroir, it possesses terrific acidity, a liquid minerality, and hints of orange zest intermixed with white peaches and honeysuckle. Produced from tiny yields (255 cases from a 5-acre vineyard), it should drink well for 4-5 years.

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.

The 2022 Maggy Hawk Edmeades Vineyard Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley spent 10 months in 100% neutral French oak 500L puncheons and captures a precise, crystalline expression of its cool-climate site. Crafted from heritage clones, including Calera, and incorporating 50% whole-cluster fermentation, this wine radiates purity and depth. The nose unfolds with aromas of red currant, wild strawberry, and rose petal interlaced with hints of white pepper, damp earth, and pine resin. On the palate, it glides with effortless grace, delivering flavors of tart cherryvand blood orange, underscored by fine, chalky tannins that lend quiet tension. Subtle herbal tones and mineral undertones emerge as the wine opens, revealing a delicate interplay between fruit and savory nuance. A little over 200 cases were made.

The 2022 Maggy Hawk Jolie Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley spent 16 months in 19% new French oak and beautifully captures the vineyard’s graceful, high-toned personality. Sourced from the 58-acre estate planted to five Pinot Noir clones, this cuvée shines with finesse and clarity. Aromas of crushed raspberry, Bing cherry, and wild rose petals mingle with notes of citrus zest, tea leaf, and a hint of mossy earth. The palate is bright and finely detailed, balancing tension and delicacy through its vibrant acidity and supple texture. Flavors of blood orange and cranberry unfold across a silky frame, giving way to lingering impressions of dried herbs and wet stone. Elegant and lifted, it speaks of cool coastal breezes and forest edges rather than overt power. The finish hums with freshness, tapering slowly. 336 cases were made.

The 2023 Gran Moraine ‘Telluric’ Pinot Noir utilizes clones 4, 667 and 777 Pinot Noir. Aged in mainly new French oak (66%) for 10 months, this delivers citrus blossom and bright guava fruits on the nose alongside rocky soils. The palate is lush and refined with terrific weight, mouthfeel and salty minerality. Drink 2026-2042

Spice, pepper and charred meat
aromas lead to lavender, blackberry
and graphite flavors on the palate.
Full-bodied, moderately tannic and
appetizingly bitter, with great acidity
and a lingering finish. Drink now or
hold

A pretty, charming, perfumed wine
that feels light and bright yet with a
full body. Red cherry, cranberry,
cinnamon, red pepper and floral
flavors with brilliant acidity. Turns
mellow and smooth in the finish. So
good and fresh. Drink now.

A fresh wine with aromas of black
tea and red cherries, offering vivid
acidity, light tannins and a vibrant
mouthfeel. Subtle cinnamon, red
pepper, cranberry and cedar
notes. Drink now.

Lively, full and fruity, offering
subtle butter and oak spice flavors
that build on the palate. Poached
pears, crisp apples, cinnamon and
vanilla bean. Great balance and a
lingering finish. Drink now.

Intense and expressive, with wonderful purity to the crunchy star fruit, pomelo, kumquat, tangerine and lemon sorbet flavors. Details of fresh ginger, lemon zest and lemon verbena, plus a hint of sea salt minerality, linger on the sleek, mouthwatering frame, with extra torque on the finish. Drink now through 2039. 

The Rutherford Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend drawn from three vineyards, including Sycamore and Bosché, and is aged for 19 months in 49% new French oak. It is an excellent steakhouse wine for those who do not want to stretch to the single-vineyard bottlings. The wine builds beautifully in the glass with blue-, black-, and red-fruited notes, alongside wonderfully fragrant, unsweetened cocoa powder, scorched loamy earth, deep forest spice, and hints of olive tapenade. Full-bodied and super-expressive on the palate, it delivers inky dark fruit and deep concentration while remaining light on its feet, impressively suave, and long. Very complex and flavourful in this vintage, with classic Rutherford ‘dust’ hallmarks clearly expressed through ultra-refined tannins.

A creamy, elegant expression, offering maraschino cherry, marionberry and fresh raspberry puree flavors highlighted by Saigon cinnamon, star anise and red licorice accents, with a hint of white chocolate, plus whiffs of fresh, loamy earth and white pepper. Shows plenty of intensity on the long, driven finish. Drink now through 2040.—M.W.

Hints of celery seed, Himalayan salt and grilled lemon are at the core, expanding into elements of sencha, apricot, peach and white raspberry that are generous, expansive and focused. Its sleek body and complexity leave an impression on the finish, where further notes of lemongrass and vetiver linger. Drink now through 2039.—M.W.

This shows a mix of Bing and morello cherry and mulberry fruit that’s all gently mulled together but also keeps a succulent feel, basketed by a gently burnished structure. The finish lets singed mesquite, rose hip and dried anise notes fill in liberally, with a refined, minerally edge echoing. The long finish indicates that this is set up nicely for the cellar. Best from 2027 through 2036.—J.M.

Sapid and engaging, with a gush of raspberry, blood orange and cherry fruit that knits progressively tighter as this moves along, picking up red licorice and rooibos tea accents along the way. The finish is pure and unadorned, with a gently burnished feel that lets the fruit cruise through beautifully. Drink now through 2036.—J.M.

Complex and delicious, with fresh, snappy acidity and a juicy tannin structure. An autumnal wine with aromas of fallen leaves, cranberry sauce, ripe wild berries and dried orange peel. A long, aromatic finish. Drink or hold.