The 2013 Chardonnay, matured in a judicious 15% new oak puncheons for 14 months, has a delightful, well-defined and yes, very Burgundy-like bouquet with impressive mineralité coming through. The palate is well balanced with crisp acidity and nuanced white chocolate and almond notes infusing the citrus fruit. Armed with satisfying depth and a precise finish, it is basically everything you look for in an Oregon Chardonnay.

Another gorgeous wine, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Latro offers a compelling mélange of dark red cherry, plum, herb, graphite and mocha notes. The mineral and savory-driven brightness that makes Knights Valley wines so compelling comes through loud and clear in this very pretty, singular Cabernet Sauvignon. Sadly, production is just one-third of normal.

Very deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Pleinair Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon delivers pronounced baked berries, prunes and warm black currant cordial notes with touches of baking spices, olives and dried herbs. Medium to full-bodied, it has concentrated baked black berry and savory layers with soft, velvety tannins and balanced freshness, finishing on a spicy note.

The two red wines include the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Pleinair, which comes from Napa vineyards Atlas Peak, St. Helena, Diamond Mountain and Howell Mountain. Aged 20 months in 53% new French oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered, the wine is a beauty, with notes of loamy soil interwoven with red and blackcurrants, tobacco leaf and forest floor. It is medium to full-bodied, shows excellent purity, a nicely layered mouthfeel and ripe tannins. It should drink well for at least 15 or more years.

Smooth and lush with notes of earth, spice and herbs; ripe blackberry, plum and dense style; long and balanced.

Smooth and lush with mellow black raspberry and juicy style; rich and balanced with depth, style and length.

This wine is fermented partially in concrete, partially in amphora and French oak puncheon. Lemony green-apple and peach flavors star with ease against a backdrop of creamy, lush texture and plenty of fresh bright acidity.

This light yellow colored Riesling opens with a ginger and bees wax like bouquet. On the palate, this wine is light bodied, dry and fruit forward. The flavor profile is a delicious ginger and Bosc pear blend with notes of nicely integrated minerality and a hint of pineapple. The finish remains dry and its flavors and mild acidity show very nice length. This Riesling is impressive. I would pair it with Emeril's crab cakes.

This gentle, complex white offers lovingly crafted waves of tropical lychee and golden-apple minerality, with bites of wet stone, gravel and lemon. Balanced in acidity and a lightness of being, it's meant for the table or kitchen, to sip happily while making a meal.

Beautifully balanced and elegant, this is made by one of the winemakers at Cardinale and inspired by the Loire Valley. It offers equal parts fruit, weight and minerality, tasting of fresh-squeezed lime and wet stone, with a layering of viscous vanilla. Medium-sized in terms of texture, it dances on the palate, refreshing throughout.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages A blend of 87.7% Merlot, 6.1% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.1% Petit Verdot and 2.1% Malbec, the deep garnet-purple colored 2016 Merlot features ripe, expressive warm plums, black cherries and blackberry scents with touches of spice cake, fallen leaves and tobacco. Full, rich, plushly textured and laden with spiced black fruits, it finishes with a compelling peppery lift.

Rich, mature and deep scent with a dark and delicate fruit. Spicy and mature but still with a fresh touch. Super elegant and structured. Beautifully balanced fruit, acid and tannin. Drink friendly and mouth watering. 5 stars.

Freemark Abbey is most well-known for its splendid vineyard-designate Cabernets, winemaker Ted Edwards has always had a strong hand with Merlot and this vintage is more evidence, if any were needed. This vintage is bold and rich, showing aromas of black currant, black cherry and plum, with spice notes from oak aging. The tannins are firm on the finish, but those will soften with time.

A cross-Napa Valley blend, the 2012 Merlot is their largest cuvée (15,500 cases), and is composed of 85.2% Merlot blended with other Bordeaux varietals. Only 21% new oak is used, so the fruit component dominates. A dense plum/purple color is followed by notes of chocolate, berries, tobacco leaf, forest floor and mocha. This lush, fruit-driven, hedonistic, sensual Merlot can be drunk over the next 7-8 years.

Full, dark red. Sexy, rather claret-like aromas of plum, currant, blackberry, leather, spices and dusty stone show freshness and complexity, as well as a hint of wildness. Wonderfully savory, plush wine with a firm mineral spine giving shape to its very dark berry flavors. The slowly building finish really stains the palate and lingers. Not yet completely open--in fact, there's something still a bit youthfully tough here despite the lovely sweetness--but then this is a magnum. Aeration brought a more pliant back end, but this big mouthful of red wine is still evolving. The tannins mount.

Smooth, lush and showing herbs, spicy dark cherry and bright plum; long and tasty with deep flavors and good balance; lovely, smooth texture and earthy notes.

This dark ruby colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Freemark Abbey opens with cassis, coffee and oak bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium to full bodied, balanced and polished. The flavor profile is a mocha and coffee blend with notes of black currant and a streak of gentle minerality. I also detected a hint of RC Cola and cedar. The finish is dry and its moderate refined tannins fade away nicely. This Cab is ready to go now and would pair very nicely with a New York strip steak with caramelized shallots.

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley—blended of 78.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Petit Verdot, 5.6% Malbec and 2.2% Cabernet Franc—has a compelling perfume of dried roses, fragrant herbs and dusty earth over a core of crushed plums and blackberries with a waft of tobacco. Medium-bodied, lively and expressive in the mouth, it has a pleasant pluminess accented by herb and earth notions, finishing long and chewy.

Intense ripe berries, stones and fresh leather on the nose. Full body, chewy tannins and a powerful finish. A little extracted. Needs three to four years to soften. Try in 2021.

A classically styled, beautifully made red, this is defined by its well-chiseled structure and sanguine characteristics, as well as notes of cranberry, dried herb and anise. Lush and full-bodied, it has additional elements of pencil shavings and meaty game, complex and interesting to the end. Enjoy best 2022 through 2032.

Tasted as a barrel sample that’s undergone its final blending, the 2021 Winemaster's
Blend is an opaque purple/black color and opens up with aromas of graphite,
blackcurrant, mocha, and black raspberry. Fleshy and full, it brings forward a gravelly
texture, with ripe, young, firm tannins that will soften with time in bottle and has notes
of tea leaf and dark meaty fruit. It’s clean but has a nice bit of earthiness. It will be bottled in about a month.

I tasted the 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner's Reserve as a finished barrel sample of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot, 3% Malbec and 3% Petit Verdot. Deep ruby-purple in color, the nose opens slowly to cassis, blueberry and violet, and the full-bodied palate is powerful and spicy, with a long, floral finish. 170,000 cases will be bottled after aging for 15 months in 7% new French oak and 7% new American oak.

Wine of the Day A much more serve version of Santa Barbara County Syrah than you’d expect from a wine with close to 15% natural alcohol this 2017 vintage details a more austere style than the last year with plenty of wild herbs, loam, bramble/briar spiciness and less, at this stage, forward fruit with more subdued layers of blackberry, blueberry, tangy currant and cranberry on the powerful palate. This wine moves to its own agenda and with a snails pace adding crushed pepper, olive and anisette notes before revealing pretty violets, kirsch and a vinous mouth feel. I will put a few bottles away for another year or two and revisit, as I felt it is more of tease at this point, hinting at more pleasure and poise to come. Best to decant this and or serve with hardy cuisine, including grilled meats, hard cheeses and or lamb dishes.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Bosché is a powerful, inward wine that is still recovering from its recent bottling a few months before this tasting. The 2016 is attractive, but not more expressive beyond that.

This deep garnet colored Pinot Noir from Oregon opens with a blueberry and gentle cinnamon bouquet with a hint of mushroom and cedar. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with integrated medium acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, round and very approachable. The flavor profile is a crushed stone and gentle red plum blend with notes of cinnamon, oak, and mushroom. We also detected hints of pleasant red cherry. The finish is dry and its flavors drift away nicely. The Tasting Panel would pair this Pinot with cedar plank grilled salmon or a juicy lamb burger.