Gold Medal

This wine is made from a collection of vineyards dotted along mountainous ridge lines and benchlands, most of these spots along the Mayacamas Mountains. Winemaker Randy Ullom captures a classic character of dried sage, cedar and pencil shavings here, supporting the savory with bright acidity and a strong presence of tannin. This wine could stand more time in the bottle before enjoying; its youthful grip doesn't go without notice.

Showcasing several vineyards within the appellation, including Alden and Hawkeye, this is a rounded, approachable wine with quiet red and black fruit and leather notes. Balanced acidity gives the full-bodied, ripe fruit a lift.

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate is a medium-bodied, textured, classic Alexander Valley Cabernet that offers plenty of darker fruits, scorched earth and a hint of vanilla. It has rock-solid purity of fruit, as well as impressive balance. The blend is almost 100% Cabernet Sauvignon (there’s 1.5% Petit Verdot), aged in 31% new French oak.

This classic Bordeaux blend, dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon along with Petit Verdot, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec, has plenty of berry and cherry flavors. It is spiced with discreet touches of oak, and is satisfyingly long on the finish.

This affordable red succeeds in offering full-bodied dark cherry and black-currant flavors among an expansive palate of integrated oak and structured tannins. The finish is an extended mix of cinnamon, toast and chocolate tones.

The outstanding 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Reserve is another Sonoma bottling (32,886 cases). It is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest the usual suspects in the Bordeaux grape variety category. Dense ruby/purple, with a big, sweet kiss of crème de cassis, licorice, graphite and new wood, the wine is full-bodied, dense, rich, nicely textured and quite long. This wine will actually age nicely for a decade or more.

Weekend Wine Picks If sommeliers drank a little less Alsace and a little more K-J occasionally, a lot of wine lists would improve. This vintage was a cracker, and the wine simply sings at three years old. Look for a seamless mix of black fruit and cassis with a dollop of vanilla and mocha, all with some finesse. Ready to drink and perfectly suited to red meats. Back up the truck. Private wine shops only.

This crowd-pleasing Cabernet Sauvignon-based Bordeaux blend hails from the cool-climate, hillside vineyards of Sonoma County. Despite an ongoing drought, 2014 turned out to be a great vintage. Fruit forward with layers of dark fruit on the nose and aromas and flavours of ripe black cherries, blackberries and cassis on the palate. Subtle touch of spice. Good structure and balance, well integrated oak. Firm tannins starting to mellow. Closes in a long, lingering cedary finish. Perfectly released in time for summer BBQ, as it make a great companion to grilled meats.

Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 Sonoma County, +331603 Vintages, $27.95: in time for the upcoming spring season and early BBQs -- this is a re-release of a popular selling red wine. It's sourced from Sonoma County (99%) and retails in the US at $24 USD. Black fruit all the way (black cherry, blackberry, black currant), 90% cabernet sauvignon, 6% cabernet franc, rest is petit verdot, merlot, and malbec – which makes it a Bordeaux-styled wine. 13.5% ABV, aged 10 months in French and US oak (86% of total production) plus balance in stainless for freshness. And there's some mocha nuances for the millennials to pick out and go wild over. I last tasted this in May 2017; here, it has picked up a few non-fruit tones such as leather and tobacco leaf, even some "smoke". All of which is a good thing for the evolution and maturing of wines.

Swaths of tannin, along with a classic Knights Valley flavor profile, shape the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Trace Ridge. Graphite, gravel, smoke, game, herbs and cured meats wrap around a core of intense dark fruit. Big, searing tannins reappear on the finish. This is an especially virile style. Then again, its Knights Valley.

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate Napa Mountain emerges from vineyards on Mt. Veeder. Powerful and tannic, with plenty of Veeder character, the 2014 has plenty going for it. The flavors are dark, while the tannins are forbidding. Bittersweet chocolate, spice and menthol are some of the many notes that add complexity.

Good winemaking lies at the heart of this wine, which also blends in smidgens of Cab Franc, Petit Verdot, Merlot and Malbec, the grapes from a range of estate-grown sites. Balanced fruit and dusty tannins accent a generously expansive palate that is rich but not overly concentrated, shining in berry, cherry and mocha tones.

Drinks easy, yet offers substance and depth. An elegant style.

Drinks clean and easy, yet offers substance and depth. An elegant style, supple and graceful, with tender plum, currant and blackberry notes shaded by licorice, light earth and oak.

A delightful surprise, this ubiquitous red wine tastes far more serious and compelling than I expected. It offers classic Cabernet flavor, with an impressive structure and excellent balance. People sometimes dismiss Kendall-Jackson’s “Vintner’s Reserves” as supermarket wines lacking character. This particular one suggests that we should all take another look -- or taste.

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate Hawkeye Mountain offers striking aromatic lift to balance the intense fruit and formidable underlying tannins. Raspberry jam, chocolate, pine, grilled herbs and smoke are front and center in this deep, expressive Cabernet Sauvignon. The 2013 should drink nicely for at least a handful of years, once the tannins soften a bit further.

Offers a cedary edge, with dried berry, oak, espresso and gravel notes.

Offers a cedary, woodsy edge, with dried dark berry, oak, espresso and gravelly notes. Slow to expand but does so pleasantly, ending more complex. Mineral and graphite elements emerge on the aftertaste.

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate (Alexander Valley) is terrific. A host of mocha, black cherry, gravel, smoke, dark raspberry jam and dark spices meld together in the glass. The 2013 is dark, imposing and structured, with fabulous depth and intensity. Gravel, smoke and game reappear on the back end.

A very solid, full bodied Cabernet that hits all the right markers for the variety in a ready to drink after a brief decant package that will be easy to find. Blackberry, cassis, a little plum, fall spice, faint dried herbs, and supple tannins with moderate grip and a medium long finish that satisfies. Yet another go to bottling from Kendall Jackson that will please a range of tasters at a reasonable price.

Such an elegant, yet expressive Californian Cabernet on the nose. Aromas of blackcurrant cassis mingle with dried herbs and cigar box. The palate opens to layers of dark fruit anise and smoke. Terrific balance, depth and length with a dry finish. This Californian red wine is made from Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown in Sonoma, mostly Knights Valley. It's actually a blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, and a splash of Petit Verdot, Merlot and Cabernet Franc grapes. The wine was matured in French oak barrels mostly, with a few American oak barrels for the 2012 vintage. Pair with filet mignon or lamb with rosemary.

Racy acidity and ripe plum and blackberry fruit; velvety texture, vanilla oak and a long, dense finish.

Dark red cherry, plum, savory herbs, gravel, mint, smoke and tobacco are some of the many notes that inform the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Reserve. Voluptuous and racy to the core, the 2011 is powerful, layered and accessible. It should drink well for at least a handful of years.