Dark garnet in color, this wine smells of dusty roads, dark fruit, new oak, and cigar box. In the mouth, juicy plum and cherry flavors mix with new oak, wrapped in muscular tannins that are extremely fine-grained. Fantastic acidity keeps the wine quite fresh through a finish scented with dried herbs and cola. A blend of 90% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec.

Dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of dried flowers, black cherry, plum, and the vanilla of oak with just a hint of green bell pepper. In the mouth, wonderfully bright herbal notes mix with plum, green bell pepper, and a touch of jalapeño. Excellent acidity keeps things very fresh, and the tannins, while muscular, are quite fine-grained. Notes of mint linger in the finish giving this wine a fantastic freshness and lift. Expressive, layered, and quite stunning. I predict this wine will continue to improve for several years as I don’t think it is at its peak. A blend of 89% Merlot, 7% Malbec, 5% Cabernet Franc.

Very dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of black plum, black cherry, and a hint of pencil lead. In the mouth, muscular tannins wrap around a juicy, mouthwatering core of black plum and graphite. The wood here is much better integrated than the 2005 and 2007. Still has some lovely freshness as green herbs linger in the finish with excellent acidity. This one is built for the long haul, give it 10 years and watch it soar. Extremely impressive. A blend of 85% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec, and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Very dark garnet in the glass, this wine smells of sweet oak, cherry, and plum. In the mouth, bright plum flavors have the tartness of plum skin still, as extremely juicy acidity makes the fruit boisterous while notes of herbs and dried flowers hover in the background. Muscular tannins grip the core of fruit and linger along with notes of sawdust. This wine will no doubt continue to blossom with time. A blend of 85% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec.

Very dark ruby in color, with just a hint of purple in the highlights, this wine smells of dried flowers, black cherries, and new oak. In the mouth, sandpapery tannins wrap around a core of black cherry and plum fruit that is shot through with the texture and flavor of wood. The tannins are slightly drying, and overall this is not as well integrated as it could be. The wine feels a bit compressed at this stage of its evolution, and I’m not sure if it will ever achieve the seamlessness that is typical of these wines, but I haven’t given up hope yet, as the wine has many admirable qualities, among which are wonderfully lush fruits. Very good acidity. A blend of 88% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec.

Very dark ruby in the glass, this wine smells of dark earth and cedar, with hints of cocoa powder and stewed prunes. In the mouth, the wine has a sort of brooding power, with prune and dried black cherry flavors mixed with deep earthy notes. The remnants of muscular tannins keep the wine structured, but they are ghosts of their former burly selves. Excellent acidity and depth, with the fruit fading a bit more than in the 1998. Savory, with notes of licorice root and Chinese medicine in the finish. A blend of 92.5% Merlot, 7.2% Cabernet Franc, 0.3% Malbec.

Dark ruby in the glass, this wine smells of dusty roads and chocolate-covered raisins. In the mouth, juicy acidity brightens flavors of dried cherries, prunes, and cedar with notes of dried flowers and a touch of pencil shavings. Wonderfully juicy and quite delicious with aromatically sweet echoes of fruit still very much alive in the wine. Faint, wispy tannins caress the edges of the mouth. Notes of licorice root linger in the finish. There’s an ethereal, mysterious quality to this wine that makes it utterly compelling. This is the winery’s inaugural wine, made in one of the most difficult vintages in California history, and inarguably, a triumph. A blend of 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon.

This northern Syrah with well-drained subsoils of maritime influences traces a clean and refined profile, with the deep fruitiness of tapenade and stone, all framed with admirable freshness.

Top 6 in the 6ix: Wine of the Week - Earth DayWith ‘sur lie’ aging and barrel fermentation the Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay has rich layers of flavour alongside a textured and creamy mouth feel. With notes of pineapple, vanilla and honey, this wine is aged for 7 months in French oak for a beautiful balanced taste. It’s truly delicious!

The Gran Moraine Brut Rosé nv, Yamhill-Carlton District, is a blend of 57 percent chardonnay and 43 percent pinot noir that aged two years in bottle on the lees. The color is palest of pale onion skin enlivened by a steady upward stream of tiny bubbles; boy, this one is steely and elegant, characterized by ethereal notes of strawberries and melon, limestone and smoke; even more tantalizing are hints of acacia, lightly buttered cinnamon toast and lime peel; sparkling wine doesn’t come much more crisp and energetic than this model nor as sleek and spare; you feel as if you ought to be well-dressed to sip this high-toned sparkler; what you sniff in the glass comes through on the palate in delicate, nicely balanced manner though the entire enterprise is filtered through glittering layers of limestone and chalk minerality. 12.6 percent alcohol. Beautiful stuff; I could drink it every day.

Transparent ruby. Fresh and grainy on the nose. Round and spicy. Lots of character. A little bit too sweet for my palate but it does have personality and is not too heavy.

Transparent ruby. Damp rope again. And quite a skein of sweetness but the balance is good – acid and tannin at the right levels. Not that concentrated but that’s OK.

Bright garnet. Complex nose that speaks of much more than sweet fruit. Very bright in every way with just a (non-fatal) hint of cappuccino. There is freshness (tick) though quite a lot of sweetness. It has admittedly lasted well.

Deep orangey gold. Pretty mature on the nose. Savoury finish. Interesting! Cool and fresh. Lots of green grassy character. Quite long.

Deep gold. Rich nose but very lively on the palate. A great California archetypal Chardonnay. Racy and round. At peak but not losing it.

Another deep-gold wine. Not much nose. Monterey coolness on the palate but not enough fruit grip in the middle.

Not that deep gold. Lively, green-vegetation nose. Much, much fresher than the average California Chardonnay! Though there is still a bit of sweetness there. But it’s a good example of where it comes from. Funnily enough, without connecting any dots, tasting this immediately reminded me of their neighbours Au Bon Climat. Power to both their elbows…

The Best Wines to Drink This Spring (and What to Serve Them With)Put away your winter coats (and heavy winter wines). This spring, give your at-home wine list a spring cleaning and take your pick of this fresh crop of wines that are just right for the season.Medium-Bodied Reds2016 Brewer-Clifton Pinot Noir, Sta. Rita Hills, California

Six red wines you should be drinking now2016 Mt. Brave Mt. Veeder Merlot17.8 (9.3 for quality, 8.5 for value)The wine: In 2007, winemaker Chris Carpenter launched the Mt. Brave project, using fruit from what was once the Chateau Potelle Vineyard, located between 1,400 and 1,800 feet in elevation on the hillside, where the gravelly loam soils, lacking minerals and nutrients, produce tiny berries with concentrated, complex flavor profiles.Taster’s take: “Blackberry and cherry flavors with a hint of chocolate.”Critical acclaim: The Wine Enthusiast awarded it a score of 94, deeming it a Cellar Selection: “Best from 2026 through 2031.”

Top 6 in the 6ix: Wines of the Week - Netflix Wine PairingsA delicious full bodied and easy going cabernet Sauvignon ideal with saturday night date night, lamb rack and season two of The Crown – a wine and series that is both serious and exciting!

A very good, almost chewy wine, but still very lively on the palate with some perfumed notes, some wood accents and great tannins.

A friend and I tasted this together, and both of us said we would have guessed in a blind tasting that it was a top-growth Bordeaux, with its barrel treatment, blackberry flavors, and a finishing dollop of cream. And it is an all-Bordeaux blend, led by a preponderance of Merlot. Note, too, that with this and the other two Arceno wines, Pierre Seillan, who oversees the estate, likes to hold the release of his reds for a few years until they are at least beginning to mature. (Tenuta di Arceno is one of the prize estates owned by Jackson Family Wines of Sonoma.)

A delicious Chianti that manages to have both the dusty, tannic, earthy characteristics of Sangiovese while also presenting a ripe fruitiness and a great mouth feel. I would decant this for a couple of hours before drinking.

17 Intoxicating Mother's Day Gifts for Moms Who Love WineFrom high-profile Pierre Seillan, who makes wine on Bordeaux’s Right Bank as well as in Sonoma (Vérité), comes a Tuscan project showcasing his favorite variety: Cabernet Franc (representing 73 percent of this wine). High-toned aromas of violets and red berries belie the power and density of the palate that follows, and yet there’s great balance and finesse here, with juicy acidity and rounded tannins.

The 19 Best Grenache Wines to Buy Right NowSand-based soils cradle vines planted back in 1946, and nurture a wine of fantastic aromatic complexity: First cherries, then raspberries, then brambly berries sweep in before the spice notes hit. All of it sets the stage for a plush, elegant, layered Grenache, with mountain berries, fresh-picked cherries, and cracked floral peppercorns. This terrific wine's concentration grows as the finish lingers on: It's nothing short of regal.