Bright saturated ruby. Extremely dark aromas of crushed blueberry, violet, bitter chocolate, licorice and camphor. Peppery and precise but not green, with outstanding dark fruit and violet intensity accentuated by an electric impression of energy. This seriously tannic Le Desir will need at least eight years of cellaring before it approaches its plane of peak drinkability.

Deep ruby-red. Terrific lift to the aromas of cassis, licorice, mint, minerals and bitter chocolate, accented by herbs and rose petal. The middle palate offers outstanding depth for 2011, as well as terrific definition and energy to the dark berry, nutmeg and cassis leaf flavors. Finishes classically dry, with subtle building length. Seillan told me he uses the malbec for spice, not to add color or volume. A huge success for the vintage.

Good deep red-ruby. Complex aromas of cherry, plum, musky brown spices, licorice and menthol lifted by a floral topnote. Quite dry and youthfully imploded initially, then opened to show a creamy sweetness and growing pliancy to its red fruit and mineral flavors. This has firmed up since I saw it in barrel a year ago, while La Joie has become more harmonious. The most tannic of this outstanding trio of 2007s today, with the structure for a long and positive evolution in bottle.

Bright ruby-red. Black fruits, licorice and cedar on the nose. Broad and round but backward, with a distinctly medicinal reserve to the flavors of black fruits, menthol and smoke. The middle palate is currently dominated by the wine's spine and yet the very long finish is lush and sweet. The least obviously minerally of these three 2006s today, but offers great potential.

(65% cabernet sauvignon, 20% merlot, 10% cabernet franc and 5% petit verdot) Bright ruby-red. Black and blue fruits complicated by licorice, minerals and fresh herbs on the nose. Rich, broad, lush and full, even if it conveys less easy sweetness and personality today than the Muse (but then this is Seillan's Pauillac-style blend). Best today on the sensational back half, which features a major coating of suave tannins and an extremely long, aromatic finish that reverberates with subtle floral tones. Interestingly, this cabernet-based wine has a higher pH than the merlot-based Muse: 3.78 vs. 3.64.

Good bright ruby-red. Very ripe aromas of cassis, black cherry, graphite, iron, tobacco, menthol and spice cake. Lush and broad on entry, then sweeter and lusher in the middle palate than the Muse, with a captivating chocolatey quality and outstanding volume. As rich and full as this is, there's no sense of excess weight. Finishes long, dense and palate-saturating with major dusty tannins. This Pauillac is sweeter and deeper than Seillan's Pomerol, a comment on the comparative quality of cabernet sauvignon and merlot in California's North Coast.

Very pale yellow. Captivating nose combines exotic apricot, white plum, crushed rock, brown spices and a lavender high note. Intense and tactile on entry, then tightly coiled and penetrating in the middle, a step up over the foregoing wines in its impression of acid spine. Very powerful, youthfully aggressive, palate-staining wine that will need time in bottle to open and expand. Less thick and sweet at the same stage than the 2008, but at the same time more glycerol than the 2009 Gravel Bench. A great example of a California chardonnay, by which I mean that I would not mistake it for Burgundy in a blind tasting.

The Mt. Brave Vineyard sits on the high elevation site of Mt. Veeder — with vines planted at about 1,400 to 1,800 feet above sea level. High above the Napa Valley fog line, these vines enjoy one of the longest growing seasons in the region, leading to an elegant expression of Malbec. The nose is dominated by dark fruit and savory notes. Aged for 22 months in French oak barrels, the palate is rich and plush with blackberry jam and stewed strawberries. Soft, edgy tannins reflect the rugged mountain terroir.

From the rocky, windy and wild site, Sierra Mar, in the southern end of the appellation, with blocks coming from the upper blocks of Sierra Mar. It's a warmer pocket, says winemaker Matt Revelette. An interesting mix of clones, some Pisoni, a Swiss clone, with elegant notes of violets, seaspray, and blood orange. Salty and savoury to the fore on the palate, ripe berries, purple sage and wild thyme.

This vineyard is 12 miles from the coast, so it yields lively red berry and red plum fruit tinged by dried herbs. The palate has greater intensity, offering black tea, cardamom, and citrus zest, with delicacy on the finish. The wine has a long life ahead. Cellar until 2034 or aerate and enjoy the ride.

From a fogshrouded vineyard nearly 1,500 feet above sea level, this wine features lively stone fruit, citrus, and savory herbs on the nose. Subtle flavors convey apple, white nectarine, cinnamon, orange-vanilla cream, and racy acidity to finish.

From a high-elevation vineyard, this wine offers aromas of dark cherry, plum, citrus, and vanilla spice on the nose. The flavors on the palate are rich, evoking Bing cherry, black raspberry, orange zest, allspice, and cocoa, with a dry finish.

This wine is concentrated, with aromas of blueberry, dark cherry, and cardamom. It is full bodied in flavor, with black plum, violets, and allspice intertwined with orange vanilla cream, espresso, and bittersweet chocolate, leading to plush, silky tannins. Long ago, I created a story about this wine, imagining mythical sisters who lived in the forest.

This Chardonnay, crafted predominantly from Stellenbosch vineyards, offers a delicate
nose with notes of lime and spices. The textured palate offers a subtle mix of floral notes,
quince, and lemon, creating a pleasant, balanced character throughout. Sovereign Wine
Imports. —J.V.

2019 was a warm vintage in South Australia. It was a drought vintage as well, and the wine is so dark and dense. I was about to attribute this character the vintage, then winemaker Chris Carpenter reminded me that this was the year that the late Yangarra winemaker Pete Fraser made very specific winemaking decisions in the winery regarding his vision for the tannins. This is substantial, grainy and layered with black fruit and exotic spices. The 2019 The Peake Cabernet Shiraz comprises 53% Cabernet Sauvignon and the balance Shiraz. The 2019 was blended right on the cusp of the COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. 14.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap.

A gorgeous new vintage Champagne, the 2015 ‘Brut’ is near equal parts Chardonnay and Pinot Noir coming from only premier cru and grand cru sites. This saw more than eight years on the lees prior to disgorgement, opening with honeysuckle, toasted almond and shades of baking spice laced shortbread on the nose. The palate is round and generous with terrific freshness, texture and overall balance. Delightful now, enjoy over the next decade. Drink 2026-2036-

The 2023 Chardonnay Broken Road Vineyard comes from the Alexander Mountain estate at 1,800 feet of elevation. It’s deftly balances generous, expressive, rounded peach/nectarine fruit with a tense line of minerality. “Polished power” is the phrase that comes to mind. Aging in 15% concrete adds such lift and clarity. The 2023 is a beauty through and through.

The 2022 GSM Hawks Butte is a co-fermented equal-parts blend of Grenache, Syrah and Mourvèdre from a site in the Yorkville Highlands in Mendocino County. It's gorgeously expressive. The Syrah is really out in front today, showing off its violet florals, orange peel and black-licorice-like spices, with a measure of seamlessness and textural polish to the mountain structure that really works. Juicy acids leave the mouth watering on the finish. The Rhônes win the day in the range at Copain this year.

The 2023 Grenache Brosseau Vineyard is beautiful. Kirsch, rosemary, rosewater, slightly candied raspberry fruit and chalk join together effortlessly, cruising across the palate with weightlessness and clear definition. It’s a very precise, pure reflection of place—exactly what wine is all about.

This is ripe and fleshy, with ample raspberry, cherry and boysenberry compote flavors at the core. Hibiscus and iris accents lend range and added detail. Shows solid underlying succulence, carrying the fruit easily through the apple wood–framed finish. Deliciously engaging. Drink now through 2033. 210 cases made.

Offers the juicy succulence of the vintage, which lends the mix of raspberry, boysenberry and pomegranate fruit drive and focus, while singed rose hip and anise notes flicker on the mouthwatering finish. Drink now through 2033. 133 cases made.

From a 2,220-feet elevation site, the 2023 Chardonnay Skycrest Vineyard opens in earthy celery root that leads the way to medium-bodied layers of quenching peach, pear, and citrus. There's impressive length and balance to the wine, its herbaceousness compelling amidst balanced acidity and plenty of complexity. Drink now through 2035.

A just fantastic cool-climate white, the 2023 Chardonnay Marin County is energetic and textured, with medium-bodied layers of creamy tropical fruit and lovely acidity. From an area just south of Sonoma County, close to the Pacific Ocean, it offers subtle notes of white flower and Meyer lemon, a fantastic wine from this always stellar producer. Drink now through 2033.

From grapes grown at 1,500 feet elevation, the 2023 Chardonnay DuPratt Vineyard is mineral-driven in flinty waves of sea air and dried herb. Citrus forward on the palate, it delivers brightness and lively medium-bodied intensity with aplomb. There's structure from the mountain site, contained by the inherent freshness from the sea air. Drink now through 2035.

This first red release from Capensis is a classy and classical Stellenbosch Cabernet Sauvignon from the Helderberg that is varietally labelled but also draws on the salt and pepper complexity of a 9% Merlot and a 6% Cabernet Franc addition that was matured in French oak, 30% new, for 14 months before bottling. Picked before the rains, this 2023 displays perfumed aromatics of violets and rose petals, sweet cedar and smoky Christmas spices, lead pencils, red and black berry fruits, and subtle notes of graphite and oystershell. In the mouth there is a deliciously fresh acidity that supports lush, supple sweet tannins and a medium weighted, concentrated black berry fruited finish that slowly recedes to reveal a stony, classically dry mineral finish. An excellent debut effort. Drink from 2026 to 2040+.