USA, California, Napa Valley: More New 2018 ReleasesThe 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford was aged for 27 months in French oak barrels, 64% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it needs a little swirling to reveal notes of warm cassis, baked blackberries and garrigue with nuances of dried mulberries, bay leaves and tapenade plus a hint of fragrant earth. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has nice, bright, expressive black berry and savory flavors, supported by grainy tannins, finishing long and refreshing.

Supple and polished, with pretty raspberry and orange peel aromas that open to elegant dark berry, garrigue and crushed stone tones that persist toward fine-grained tannins. Best from 2022 through 2029.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2018 Merlot is a powerful, tightly wound wine. Black cherry, chocolate, spice, leather and licorice ride a wave of huge tannins. The Merlot has a lot of character, but it is a mountain wine, and needs time to fully come together.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2019 Sauvignon Blanc Naissance is a powerful, savory wine built on bright acids and a real sense of structure. The blend of fruit from Knights Valley, Coombsville and St. Helena yields a Sauvignon Blanc that is very much meant for the dinner table. Lemon confit, apricot, white flowers, sage and stony/mineral notes give the 2019 quite a bit of character and intrigue.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 The 2019 Chardonnay is a very pretty wine. Apricot, tangerine peel, white flowers, mint and a touch of new oak are all finely knit in this attractive, mid-weight Chardonnay from vineyards in Carneros, southern Napa Valley and Howell Mountain. Partially blocked malolactic fermentation keeps the flavors vibrant in this attractive, appealing Chardonnay from Freemark Abbey.

Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Part 1 Freemark Abbey's 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is a gorgeous appellation-level wine. Freshly cut flowers, mint and sweet red/purplish berry fruit are all beautifully lifted. The 2017 is bright, energetic and full of character. Best of all, it’s a fabulous value in high-end Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. I very much like the vibrancy here.

This pitch-black colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Jackson Estates opens with a mild black currant bouquet with hints of black cherry and black olive. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, balanced and very smooth. The flavor profile is a graphite infused black currant, blackberry and black licorice blend with notes of oak. I also detected hints of chocolate and black pepper mixed in. The finish is dry and its flavors and mild tannins drift away nicely. This wine would pair well with Roy’s rib roast.

Pale ruby-purple, the 2017 Pinot Noir Vista has a nose of loamy earth, licorice, prosciutto, dried flowers and blackberries. The medium-bodied palate is grainy and fresh with concentrated, layered, floral-laced fruits and a long, flavorful finish.

Pale ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir Slope has fine accents of cinnamon, autumn leaves and potpourri with savory red and black berry fruit. The concentrated, medium-bodied palate has a compelling dichotomy of firm, broody fruits and fresh, spicy uplift, and it finishes long.

Pale ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir Conifer opens slowly to notes of red berries, powdered sugar, dusty earth and amaro with accents of dried flowers. The palate is delicate, silky and fresh with a lifted finish.

Pale ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir Triple Black Slopes opens with singular perfume of laurel and dried violets with notions of dusty earth and fresh red and black berries. The light-bodied palate is broody and firm with a long finish and should age well in bottle over the next 3-5 years.

Pale ruby, the 2017 Pinot Noir Terres Basses has broody scents of aniseed, underbrush and earth with floral-laced blackberry fruit. The medium-bodied palate is firm and juicy, with a dichotomy of broody earth and bright fruit character, and it finishes long and lifted. Give it another couple years in bottle.

This is the first vintage of the Ridgecrest cuvée from Penner-Ash. Medium ruby-purple, the 2018 Pinot Noir Ridgecrest Vineyard has lovely aromas of crushed blackberries and boysenberries with notions of tea leaves, dusty earth, aniseed and dried flowers. The medium-bodied palate is silky and fresh with bright, crunchy, fresh fruits and a long, juicy finish.

Medium ruby-purple, the 2018 Pinot Noir Yamhill-Carlton has broody aromas of crushed cherries and blood orange with accents of forest floor and exotic spices. The medium-bodied palate is silky with uplifted, floral-laced fruits and a long, vivacious finish.

This dark ruby colored Cabernet Franc from La Jota opens with a blueberry and vanilla bouquet with a hint of boysenberry. On the palate, this wine is medium plus bodied, very nicely balanced and juicy. The flavor profile is tasty red plum with notes of black raspberry and crushed gravel. We also detected some hints of black tea and oak mixed in. The finish is dry and its very dusty tannins build-up and stick around for very long time. The Panel suggested pairing this very good Cab Franc with Emeril's spicy root beer and bourbon glazed baby back ribs or with the wagyu meatballs from Strega.

The 2017 Merlot Jackson Park Vineyards is racy and energetic. Far from an easygoing Merlot, the Jackson Park needs time to unwind. Black cherry, lavender, espresso, licorice and menthol add character to the wine's dark, virile personality. I would give it a few years for the tannins to melt away. This is an especially tense, nervy style.

The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc (Bennett Valley) shows just how captivating Sauvignon can be in the cool vineyards of Bennett Valley. Lifted, airy and weightless yet with remarkable depth, the 2018 is captivating from the very first taste. Tangerine oil, lemon confit, mint, white flowers and light tropical accents all grace this striking Sauvignon Blanc from Matanzas Creek.

The 2017 The Silks is a new Cabernet Franc-based wine in the range. Bright red berry fruit, floral overtones and bright acids give the 2017 its distinctive personality. This is an especially refined wine that shows a more gracious, restrained side of Stonestreet.

The 2017 Farrier is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot. Black cherry, espresso, menthol, licorice, plum and spice notes all meld together in this racy, super-expressive red. A whole range of savory and mineral nuances lend terrific energy, while beams of supporting tannin give the wine a real sense of vibrancy and its shape. I would cellar it for at least a year or two, as the contours could use some time in bottle to soften.

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is an attractive wine. Unlike most vintages, the 2017 needs time to soften, as the acids and tannins are a bit edgy at this stage. Black cherry, plum, chocolate, licorice, spice and menthol infuse the 2017 with terrific depth and plenty of complexity.

Graham Weerts makes the Legacy wines at the Field Stone Vineyard, a property acquired by the Jackson family in 2016. He includes fruit from that vineyard as well as the family’s Jimtown and Alexander Mountain properties, focusing this blend on cabernet sauvignon (74 percent), along with small amounts of four other Bordelais varieties. Fermented in small French oak uprights and aged in French oak barrels (60 percent new), the wine is generous in its tannins, showing notes of lanolin, black mushroom and full-on chocolate richness. Everyone on the panel went immediately to an herb-roasted leg of lamb.

Greg Brewer’s wines are always intriguing and sometimes challenging, often recasting what one grape can be. This bottling from a vineyard in the Los Alamos Valley leads with dried lime, wet wool and citrus pith aromas. The palate is laser-focused on citrus peel and pith and yet somehow also earthy, reflective of damp sand.

Meaty and iodine on the nose, the fruit is pretty much hidden behind those two elements. Maybe a little herbal as well (mint?) or eucalyptus. This is “different” as it seems to focus on secondary (or even tertiary) elements over the fruit. But me likey. Excellent.

Medium color, translucent. Sweet corn and red cherry on the nose. Big, luscious fruit on the palate, more of a ripe style here. Lovely tartness, a touch of earth. Fantastic. Excellent.

Powerfully structured, with crackling acidity backing the intense red fruit flavors, layered with minerality. Savory flourishes show on the finish. Best from 2021 through 2025.