Dark, rich, intense and tannic, with roasted coffee, currant and toasty oak flavors. Hard and unyielding now, but has a solid core of fruit and oak.

Weaves together rich, complex cherry, currant, plum and spicy flavors, with pretty, toasty oak and elegant tannins. Beautifully crafted.

From American Jess Jackson’s vineyard in St.-Emilion (run by the incomparable Pierre Seillan), the 2010 Lassegue possesses an opaque purple color as well as a dense, muscular, masculine style displaying lots of black cherry and black currant fruit intermixed with hints of new oak and graphite. Full-bodied but backward, this cuvee (like most of Seillan’s wines) is built for the long haul. It requires 5-7 years of patience and should last for 20+ years.

Bright ruby-red. Very floral aromas of black raspberry, cherry and minerals. Round and seamless, with good inner-mouth definition and lift to the flavors of plum, dark cherry, cigar box and green olive. This solidly structured wine finishes with substantial broad, dusty tannins. Winemaker Ted Edwards noted that he may fine-tune the tannins prior to the bottling. All of these 2009s represent a step up in quality from this winery's 2008s.

The 2016 Syrah Baker Ranch is layered and supple in the glass. Floral and savory notes from the 100% whole clusters give the wine its distinctive aromatic signatures. In 2016, the Baker Ranch is wonderfully polished, nuanced and understated.

Violets, blackberry jam, cloves, graphite and crushed rocks are some of the many notes that inform the 2013 Red Wine Sonoma County. The flavors are dark, inky and bold in this super-expressive and highly promising wine from Hélène Seillan and Cenyth. A powerful, resonant finish rounds things out in style.

Full medium-ruby. Deep, superripe aromas of black fruits and dark chocolate. Denser and deeper than the 2000, with slightly medicinal, briary berries and minerals in the mouth. Already offers lovely inner-mouth perfume. Finishes with powerful, chewy tannins that avoid dryness and lovely persistence. Offers excellent potential.

Very good ruby-red. Inky cassis and blackberry aromas given lift by a highly aromatic floral nuance. Superb intensity of flavor and sweetness in the mouth: a real fruit bomb. This is remarkably expressive already and should provide pleasure sooner than the '95. Dense but somehow light on its feet, thanks to bright, framing acidity. Very long, sweet back end. Very impressive potential.

Red-ruby color. Perfumed aromas of dark berries, nutmeg, and nutty, spicy oak. Bright, juicy and tightly wrapped, with excellent flavor intensity and firm but harmonious acids.

A gorgeous, promising wine, the 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana captures all the personality that makes wines from this site so alluring. Intensely mineral and savory, the 2016 has more than enough nuance to play off the intense, inky fruit. Lavender, menthol, licorice, sage and blackberry jam meld into the dense, powerful finish.

Good full ruby. Aromas of blackberry, licorice and coffee torrefaction. Juicy, minerally and sweet, with very good depth of flavor and a sexy wildness. The coffee note carries through in the mouth, where it's joined by forest floor and floral notes. Finishes quite long, with substantial dusty tannins and lingering sweetness.

Good deep medium ruby. Crushed cassis, licorice, spices, minerals and a whiff of currant leaf on the complex nose. Juicy, firmly built and serious, with ripe flavors of dark berries and spices complemented by a whiff of fresh herbs. At once sweet and classically dry. This offers lovely aromatic lift on the back end, finishing with broad, toothdusting tannins and excellent subtle persistence. Interestingly, this has the highest pH of these four Anakota wines (3.84, compared to 3.63 to 3.68 for the other three), but there's no shortage of verve.

A strong showing for the 2010 barrel sample revealed lots of fruit in this primary, unevolved blend of 50% Cabernet Franc, 45% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. With a low 14% alcohol and an elevated pH of 3.72, it reveals lots of blue and black fruit, cedarwood, toasty oak and white chocolate characteristics. This lighter-styled, medium to full-bodied effort's personality appears to be similar to the 2000 Le Desir's.

The outstanding 2011 La Joie (13.7% alcohol) is composed of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc, 7% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Malbec. More structured and tannic than La Muse, it displays good ripeness, no herbaceousness or hollowness, and a relatively quick, but moderately long finish. Give it 2-3 years of cellaring and drink it over the following 15-20 years.

Saturated medium ruby. Brooding aromas of briary dark berries, bitter chocolate and nutty oak, all lifted by a floral element. Dense but juicy, with rich, slightly medicinal flavors of black cherry and menthol. Finishes very long, with big, chewy tannins. Offers strong potential.

The 2013 Chardonnay Broken Road exhibits a liquid rockiness intermixed with orange and pineapple notes. The numerous Chardonnay vineyards are planted at 800 to as high as 1,800 feet (in the case of the Gravel Bench, Upper Barn and Broken Road vineyards). All are 100% Chardonnays largely made from the Old Wente clone with a small percentage of the Hyde clone, and are fermented with indigenous yeasts. Almost all of them spend 10-11 months in various percentages of new French oak, ranging from a low of 44% (the Estate Chardonnay) to a high of 100% (the Gravel Bench Chardonnay. The differences between the various cuvées are very subtle as they are all relatively full-bodied, rich, and aromatic with natural textures. As the scores attest, they are far more alike than dissimilar. My favorites include the 2013 Chardonnay Gravel Bench, which reveals amazing texture and richness as well as a honeyed crème brûlée intensity and striking minerality. The same can be said for the 2013 Chardonnay Broken Road as well as the 2013 Chardonnay Upper Barn, a parcel made famous by Helen Turley and John Wetlaufer when they were producing Chardonnay from this site under their Marcassin label. All of these wines are great Chardonnays that combine the best of California ripeness with the minerality, structure and delineation of a French white Burgundy.

Full bright ruby. Aromas of black cherry, cassis and mint. Dense but backward, with sappy flavors of black cherry, cassis, minerals and mint. Finishes very long, with building, cheek-coating tannins. But in contrast to the Howell Mountain wine, this appears to have plenty of stuffing to support its tannic structure.

Full ruby. Vibrant aromas of black cherry, licorice and bitter chocolate. Bright, sharply defined flavors of dark berries, licorice and menthol. Not especially fleshy today but offers brooding mountain fruit character and plenty of personality. Showed growing sweetness as it opened in the glass. Finishes with firm tannins and sneaky length.

Full medium ruby. Slightly medicinal aromas of blackberry, cassis, and mint, plus a whiff of game. Fat, lush and supple but uncompromisingly dry, with a large underlying structure. A more elegantly styled wine than the Howell Mountain cabernet. The substantial, building tannins spread out to coat the entire palate.

There are nearly 3,000 cases of the 2012 Pinot Noir Jackson Estate Outland Ridge. Made from Dijon clones 828, 667 and 777, this beauty moves toward Pinot Noir’s blue fruit spectrum, displaying notes of blueberries and raspberries. It was aged in equal parts new French, old French and old American oak. A terrific wine offered at a reasonable price, this supple, velvety textured Pinot should drink well for 4-6 years.

A powerful, impressive Cabernet Sauvignon is the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Trace Ridge from Knights Valley. This comes from the Jackson-owned Kellogg vineyard and is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon aged 21 months in 100% French oak. This showed plenty of lead pencil shavings, licorice, damp earth, forest floor and spice box. It should drink nicely for 15 or more years.

The 2007 Grand Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon is superb. Dense creme de cassis notes intermixed with fruitcake, coffee bean, and tobacco leaf are found in this fat, fleshy wine, which displays excellent purity, density, and richness. It should drink will for 15 or more years.

offers up sweet aromas of melted licorice, chocolate, black currants, and crushed rocks. Elegant as well as powerful and deep, with a layered mouthfeel, a long finish, and firm tannin, my instincts suggest it warrants 3-4 years of cellaring. It should drink well for 12-15 years.

A high elevation planting between 1200 and 2400 feet. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot aged primarily in new French oak. Its dense purple color is accompanied by sumptuous aromas of graphite, black currants, licorice, and smoke. This full-bodied, opulent 2002 exhibits moderately high, sweet tannin. Drink over the next 15-16 years.

Hartford Court's 2015 Pinot Noir MacLean's Block is bright and finely sculpted throughout. Violet, lavender and rose petal notes wrap around the dark red and purplish fruit. A dollop of whole clusters, along with a bit of altitude at the vineyard site, contribute to the wine's aromatic nuance. Beams of salinity and acidity keep the flavors bright.