I rate it McD 92, ready now, but a year in cellar would improve it. GM is a Jackson Family Wines project. Look for black cherry nose with cocoa and floral notes. Very smooth on the palate with more black cherry and hints of tanned leather; it rides a nicely balanced tannin/acidity frame though a long mineral finish.

A Bordeaux blend of all five varieties extracted from more than 20 Napa Valley Vineyards, this is classically shaped Napa fashioned by winemaker Ted Edwards. Plush and lush, luxe et volupté, swelling with all the red and purple berries one can imagine packed into one red wine. Handles its French and American oak with elegance and distinction.

This very dark ruby colored “Grand Reserve” level Cabernet Sauvignon from Kendall Jackson was very well received by the Panel. It opens with a black currant bouquet with hints of black raspberry, Oreo cookie, nutmeg, and cigar box. On the palate, this wine is medium plus bodied with medium plus acidity. We found it to have a smooth mouthfeel. The flavor profile is a black currant and blackberry blend with notes of oak, gentle minerality and black licorice. We also picked up a hint of toffee mixed in as well. The finish is dry and its medium-plus chunky tannins build-up and drift away nicely. The Panel suggested pairing this very good Cab with smoked brisket or Korean barbeque.

A pretty and refined wine, with vibrant cherry and strawberry blossom accents, showing elegant structure and polish on the long finish. Drink now through 2026.

Minerally layers of ripe red currant and cherry compote flavors feature plenty of toastiness. Cedary accents come in on the well-structured and lightly spice finish. Drink now through 2024.

Plush flavors of red fruits are matched to viscous spiciness. Pastry and toasty accents emerge midpalate, leading to a fruity finish that lingers with hot stone notes and hints of paprika. Drink now through 2024.

Offers a vibrant structure, with sea salt, mineral and savory notes flanking the dried red berry and cherry flavors. Violet and floral accents emerge on the taut, leafy finish. Best from 2022 through 2025.

There's a minerally core to the intense and powerful ripe red fruit and berry flavors. Underbrush notes midpalate lead to a sanguine essence on the structured finish. Drink now through 2025.

Notable reduction protects and locks in freshness for Stonestreet’s ’16 construct, a chardonnay built not for speed but for strength. If 14.2 per cent (declared) is considered boozy by California chardonnay standards then you may be reading yesterday’s papers. This commands attention and stands tall, light on its fleshy feet and grants the gift of time. A generous wine of structure and solid bones. Right up there with the bigger names that charge twice the price. Drink 2021-2026.

Fresh Granny Smith–apple crunch and vibrant lime zestiness focus this wine on the coast and the grape, tamping down the oak influence to a structural component. The grapes are predominantly from Tom Dehlinger’s vineyardon Laguna Ridge, where the vines are more than 40 years old. They deliver a tight wine with firm minerality, giving it a brisk uplift in the end.

Cambria’s clone 4 selections trace their lineage back to the Martini selections propagated by UC Davis professors in the 1950s. They grew a wine that feels rich and tropical at first, then becomes complex with exposure to air, with notes of golden apple, raisin and nutty sunflower seeds. Broad, powerful and focused, this should reward some cellar time.

Deep red colour with a tinge of purple, the bouquet smoky, oaky and savoury, the classy oak adding an aromatic floral lift. The wine is elegant in the mouth, medium-bodied and with the lighter tannins slightly firm on the after-palate. Bucket loads of raspberries. A delicious merlot.

A tinge of melon peel meets with ash and Brie-rind aromas on the nose of this single-vineyard expression. There’s a firm grip to the sip, where engaging flavors of honeydew and green plum ride zesty acidity into the finish.

Dried lime peel, lanolin and hints of wet dough show on the nose of this singlevineyard expression by Greg Brewer. Orange-peel and honeysuckle flavors mix with ash and Brie-rind flavors on the unique sip.

Pale yellow. Fresh pear, melon and lemon curd aromas are complemented by hints of white flowers, vanilla and buttered toast. Fleshy and seamless in the mouth, offering juicy citrus and orchard fruit flavors that tighten up and pick up a minerally nuance with aeration. Finishes with firm grip, a repeating floral note and strong, spicy persistence.

Shimmering yellow. Fresh nectarine, orange, Bosc pear and floral qualities on the highly perfumed nose. Sappy and penetrating on the palate, offering concentrated yet lively orchard and pit fruit, honeysuckle and vanilla flavors that show an appealing touch of smoky reduction. Hangs on with impressive tenacity on a spice-laced finish that strongly echoes the pear and floral notes.

Glistening ruby-red. Powerful cherry preserve, black raspberry, candied licorice and exotic spice aromas are sharpened by a steadily building mineral note. Succulent and pliant on the palate, offering gently sweet red and dark berry flavors, a hint of succulent herbs and a floral pastille quality that emerges on the back half. Finishes long and smoky, with a resonating cherry note and subtle tannic grip.

Deep scarlet. Spice-accented cherry and blue fruit aromas pick up cola and floral accents with air. Juicy, seamless and nicely concentrated, offering lively black raspberry, boysenberry and bitter cherry flavors that show fine definition and smoky back-end thrust. Finishes long and lively, with lingering red fruit, spice and floral notes and rounded tannins that make a late appearance.

This layered wine comes from the neighbors’ grapes, largely the noted Ferrington Vineyard, and offers enticing apple-pie aromas, ripe and zesty citrus and apple-skin flavors and a nicely tangy, almost chewy texture. Aged in95% used oak barrels, it’s a complex and tempting wine.

Wild in forest floor, with a velvety texture, this coastal wine shows elegant layers of plum, wild strawberry and black tea. Additional savory components of clove and cardamom contribute sizzle to its exotic, ethereal nature.

This relatively light-bodied wine is broad and delicious, layering baking spices like cinnamon, vanilla and clove over considerable black-cherry flavors. It highlights the Anderson Valley’s fresh fruitiness and supple texture.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir Truly Rita is a fabulous introduction to the Sta. Rita Hills. A burst of sweet red/purplish fruit, mint, rose petal and blood orange caresses the palate in a sumptuous, luscious Pinot that oozes with class. This gorgeous, alluring Pinot shows all of the raciness of the Sta. Rita Hills. I loved it.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2017 Pinot Noir Julia's Signature Collection is a beguiling wine. Orange peel, cinnamon, cedar and all sorts of dried flowers give the 2018 an exotic dimension that is so inviting. Savory and floral notes from the whole clusters extend the finish nicely in a mid-weight, understated Pinot that has quite a bit to offer.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard is a gentle, open-knit wine. Soft contours and the tropical accents typical of Santa Maria give the 2018 a very pretty sense of immediacy. Airy and gracious, with terrific precision, the Katherine's Chardonnay is classy through and through.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir Fiddlestix Vineyard is a pretty, elegant wine. Freshly cut flowers, red cherry, mint and white pepper are all nicely delineated. Energetic and taut in the glass, the Fiddlestix emphasizes verve and freshness more than anything else. I would prefer to drink it on the younger side.