A Spotlight on Santa Barbara From the coldest vintage over the past decade or more, the 2011 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is reminiscent of the 2008 with its fresh, lively, pretty style. Black cherry, sassafras, mint and spice all emerge from this elegant, ethereally textured beauty. I like it today but it’s going to keep nicely as well.

A Spotlight on Santa Barbara The 2008 vintage was a cold one and suffered from spring frost that impacted Chardonnay in a number of sites. The 2008 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills shows a very different style than the '07 with its more pure, precise nose of black cherry, forest floor, tobacco, and game. Medium-bodied, pure, elegant and silky, it still has plenty of life and has a distinctly Burgundian flare.

The 2007s From Santa Barbara County Fresh and lively, with lots of blackcurrant, black cherry, peppery herbs and earth, the 2007 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills is fresh, a touch lean, medium-bodied and lively. I love its purity and freshness but would love more breadth on the mid-palate. Still, it's drinking nicely.

Concentrated ripe nectarine, melon and baked apple flavors feature some pastry accents in this white, with lemon meringue notes on the finish.

Polished and full of rich, spicy notes that accent the apple tart, pastry and lemon meringue flavors. Some saline details show midpalate, with a crisp and pure-tasting finish that reveals hints of dried mint.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Red Blend Prequel is an intriguing Rhone-blend from vineyards in Sonoma County. Wild flowers, black pepper, lavender and spice add shades of nuance to a core of inky dark fruit. This racy, exuberant Syrah-based red will drink well right out of the gate.

USA, California, Northern California: Napa & Some Sonoma New Releases The 2015 Red Blend is made up of 53% Merlot, 21% Petite Sirah, 20% Syrah, 4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Cabernet Franc and 1% Petit Verdot, aged 20 months in 28% new French oak and 2% new American oak. Deep garnet-purple colored, baked plums, warm blackberries and Black Forest cake springs from the glass with touches of Chinese five spice, dusty soil and garrigue with a touch of black tea. Full, rich and with an approachable chewy texture, it has great freshness and a long earthy finish.

Composed of 46% Syrah, 39% Merlot, 13% Petite Sirah, 1% Petit Verdot and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2014 Red Blend features a medium to deep garnet-purple color and lovely kirsch, crushed black berries and red currants nose with touches of black pepper, baking spices and garrigue. Medium to full-bodied, the palate gives lovely fresh, juicy red and black fruits with peppery undertones and nice rounded tannins, finishing on a spicy note.

A big, broad-shouldered effort, with a dense mix of flavors framed by sturdy tannins. Offers layers of dark berry, cedar, spice and graphite nuances. Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Zinfandel, Merlot, Syrah, Malbec and Petit Verdot.

An intriguing offering from the Jackson family, the 2012 Proprietary Red this innovative blend of 36% Merlot, 20% Petite Sirah, 21% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Syrah and Zinfandel is outstanding. The wine comes from multiple vineyards in Northern California in Napa Valley and is a reasonably good-sized cuvée of 5,000 cases. The wine shows plenty of peppery, meaty, blackcurrant fruit, sweet cherries, loamy soil undertones, plenty of licorice and spice box. This is a very Mediterranean styled, deep, fleshy red wine to drink over the next 2-3 years.

Golden apples, peaches, and apricots mingle with a few honey and floral hints on the nose. Crisp and refreshing on the palate, the peach and apple take center stage with suggestions of honey and toasted almonds lingering in the background. Very approachable, slightly sweet, and bright, this a very good buy for the price and would be lovely as a starter or with your main meal.

Vivid ruby. Smoky dark berry and olive tapenade scents are lifted by zesty mineral and black pepper notes, with a floral nuance adding complexity. Silky and focused on the palate, offering spice-accented blackberry and bitter cherry flavors that become sweeter with air. The floral quality recurs on the persistent, smoky finish.

Dark and smooth with earthy, dense flavors of blackberry and plum; notes of anise, spice and pepper; juicy, balanced and long.

Inky purple. Oak-spiced cherry and black raspberry aromas are complicated by notes of vanilla, olive and pipe tobacco. Lush and expansive, offering ripe dark fruit flavors that pick up smokiness and spiciness with air. Smooth and sweet on the clinging finish, the dark berry and spice notes repeating.

Opaque ruby. Smoky dark berry aromas are complicated by notes of olive, cracked pepper and licorice. Sweet and expansive, offering powerful blackberry and bitter cherry flavors that pick up allspice and candied violet notes with air. Closes sappy and long, with very good energy and lingering florality.

Bone dry, fruity and tannic, this pleasant Syrah has complex flavors of berries, cherries, grilled meat, pepper and smoky oak. Substantial in body, if a bit tough and astringent in tannins. Needs rich meats and cheeses. Could even improve in the cellar for a few years.

The 2006 Syrah Saralee’s Vineyard exhibits tell-tale tar, roasted meat, and bouquet garni aromas, intense, ripe blackberry fruit, hints of smoke and licorice, and a long, heady finish. Aged in French oak for 18 months, and bottled unfined and unfiltered, this luscious, sexy Syrah should provide plenty of pleasure over the next 6-7 years.

Very ripe and skirting the edges of dried cherries in character, the wine never loses the needed vitality to be attractive, and its hints of dark chocolate and caramel add to its charms whereas they might have otherwise pushed it over the top. Full in body, fleshy in feel on the palate and slightly hot to finish, this wine is not for the faint of heart, but so too is it still Merlot at its heart and in its uses with food.

Bursts with cherry, toasty oak and coffee aromas and offers pretty and layered wild berry, spice and caramel flavors that build richness on the finish. Drink now.

Smooth, polished and ripe, this is a blend of Alexander Valley and Sonoma Valley. Those are both warm appellations, and in this warm vintage, the wine is extremely ripe. It brims with chocolate, cassis and licorice flavors. Almost too fruity, this is saved by a dry finish.

Vivid red. Exotic aromas of red and dark berries, olive, anise and violet; the syrah element is really pronounced today. Deep, sappy blackberry and cassis flavors are very supple and show no tannins. A smoky mineral note creeps up on the finish, which is long, sweet and well-focused. I like this wine's clarity and balance.

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Sonoma Estates is soft, pliant and open-knit, all qualities that make it a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next few years. The purity of the red- fruit and floral/savory aromatics is striking. Red plum, mocha, sage and cedar add layers of nuance. This is such a pretty wine.

Aged 24 months (bottled in January of this year), the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Valley is a blend of 76% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and 4% Malbec. Blueberries, black raspberries, cassis, bay leaf, and hints of tobacco all emerge from this medium-bodied, elegant, seamless wine. More cedar wood and spice develop with time in the glass, and it's medium-bodied, silky, and balanced on the palate.

This is another stellar Cabernet Sauvignon for Arrowood from the 2014 vintage. It shows ripe flavors of blackberry, cassis and blueberry with a touch of oak vanillin and firm tannins that will smooth out nicely in another two to three years. This vintage also offers and intriguing note of cedar that is often a marker in top-notch Bordeaux.