North Coast Part 1: Napa Valley’s Incredible 2016s Lots of spring flowers, chocolate, damp earth, and blue fruits emerge from the 2016 Cabernet Franc Howell Mountain, which is 100% varietal brought up in a mix of new and used barrels. With medium to full body, bright acidity, incredible elegance, and a still tight, focused style on the palate, hide bottles for 3-5 years and it should drink beautifully over the following 15-20 years.

Blended of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.5% Cabernet Franc, 7.5% Merlot, 6% Malbec and 3% Petit Verdot, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain has a deep garnet-purple color and nose of warm cassis, black berry pie and mulberries with touches of cedar, red roses and cloves plus a touch of cigar boxes. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a great core of black and blue fruit layers framed by firm, ripe tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long.

Graphite, pencil shavings, violets, melted road tar, spices, blue/purplish fruit and lavender flesh out in the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon from La Jota. Aromatically striking and totally vivid in the glass, the 2011 stands out for its crystalline purity, finesse and vibrant finish. All the elements are in the right place. The tannins are firm yet also silky. This is a flat-out stunning wine from Chris Carpenter and La Jota. The 2011 is 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc and 4% Petit Verdot.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages The 2016 Chardonnay Saralee’s Vineyard reveals lemon meringue pie, applesauce and quince notes with touches of allspice, lightly browned toast and honeycomb. Full-bodied, rich and seductive in the mouth, it packs in the apple and citrus pie flavors with a gorgeous creaminess to the texture and a very long, honeyed finish.

A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon and 44% Shiraz, the Hickinbotham 2014 The Peake Cabernet Shiraz has a deep garnet-purple color and very spicy with warm red and black fruit preserves, mocha, vanilla and yeast extract, with a touch of lavender. This blend is firm, rich, full-bodied and concentrated in its very spicy, fruity profile. It also has a long finish.

The Trueman Show: talk about a compelling debut. Vineyard planted in 1971. Blackcurrant, boysenberry, pencil and a flicker of mint/licorice, chocolate wrappers and montelimars. Medium bodied, dense and chewy, shot with ‘minerality’ and brooding appeal: the quality and volume of tannin here is exceptional. Length also. Significant wine. Would never have picked McLaren Vale, not that there’s anything wrong with McLaren Vale Cabernet, I hasten to add.

USA, Northern California, Napa Valley: 2016 & 2017 – A Tale of Two Vintages The 2016 Hartford Court Pinot Noir MacLean's Block is medium to deep ruby-purple in color and opens with fragrant notions of wild blueberries, redcurrant jelly, cranberry pie and kirsch plus hints of oolong tea, mossy bark and truffles. Medium to full-bodied, taut and firmly structured, it delivers tons of black and blue fruit layers sparked by earthy accents, Finishing long and earthy.

The 2017s From Sonoma Red plums, mulberries, oyster shell, and even a hint of iron all emerge from the 2016 Pinot Noir Jennifer's, which comes from a cooler, marine-influenced site south of Sebastopol. Medium to full-bodied, straight, focused, and beautifully balanced as well as incredibly elegant, this is a remarkable Russian River Valley Pinot Noir that does everything right. I suspect a year or two of bottle age will do it well, and it should evolve for over a decade.

USA, California, Northern California: Napa & Some Sonoma New Releases Aged for 17 months in 38% new French oak and bottled unfined and unfiltered, the medium ruby-purple colored 2016 Pinot Noir Marin County leaps from the glass with vibrant black and red cherries, cranberries and violets with hints of rose hip tea, hemp and black soil. Medium to full-bodied, the palate delivers mouth-coating red and black fruits with bags of earthy nuances and a plush texture, finishing very long.

From the cooler Green Valley region of the Russian River, the 2015 Pinot Noir Hailey’s Block was completely destemmed and spent 16 months in 27% new French oak. Hailey's Block is a block within the Arrendell Vineyard, named after Don and Jennifer Hartford's daughter. It’s another beautifully Burgundian wine from this estate that offers crisp black cherry, crushed rock, charcoal, and wood smoke aromas and flavors. It’s fresh, focused, and youthful, with fine tannin and high yet integrated acidity. Give it a year or three and it will keep for a decade or more.

From the oldest vines planted in the 1970s, the 2015 Pinot Noir Arrendell Vineyard is a perfumed, spicy wine that's just singing on the nose. Ripe cherries, raspberries, candied orange, and exotic spices give way to a medium to full-bodied, supple, seamless Pinot Noir. It has bright acidity, sweet, vibrant, fruit, notable tannin, and a great finish. Like a lot of the wines here, it has the fruit to shine, but this is certainly one of the more structured and tannic wines in the lineup.

The 2015 Chardonnay Jennifer's comes from a site south of Sebastopol, which is a cooler terroir. Harvest is normally 3-4 weeks later than what they find in the Russian River Valley. All from Wente clone and brought up in just 28% new French oak, it has a vibrant freshness and purity, with lots of salty minerality in its mango, orange blossom, caramelized citrus all soaring from the glass. Fresh, lively and pure, with remarkable purity and elegance, it's going to keep for a decade as well.

From an extremely cold terroir, it possesses terrific acidity, a liquid minerality, and hints of orange zest intermixed with white peaches and honeysuckle. Produced from tiny yields (255 cases from a 5-acre vineyard), it should drink well for 4-5 years.

North Coast Part 1: Napa Valley’s Incredible 2016s The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Latro is in the same ballpark yet has more savory characteristics as well as plenty of conifer, California bay leaf, currants, and loamy soil aromas and flavors. This full-bodied beauty has plenty of tannin, terrific purity of fruit, no hard edges, and a great finish. Give it a few years.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyards, a blend of 89.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4.5% Merlot, 2.8% Cabernet Franc and 2.9% Petit Verdot, opens with youthfully subtle, very primary black currant and black cherry notes with hints of eucalypt, fertile soil, underbrush and new leather. Medium to full-bodied, firm and muscular in the mouth, the tightly wound fruit is well framed by very ripe, fine-grained tannins and wonderful freshness, finishing with an herbal and mineral-laced lift.

From a nearby Rutherford Vineyard, the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyard (located at the very end of Bella Oaks Lane in the foothills of the Mayacamas Mountains) is a blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5.7% Cabernet Franc, and the rest Merlot and Petit Verdot, but also aged 28 months in French oak. Notes of Christmas fruitcake, graphite, blackcurrant and black cherry are present in this wine, which is full-bodied and powerful, with high levels of tannin, amazing structure, but profound depth and richness. This baby needs to be cellared for a good 8-10 years and drunk over the following 35-50.

packed and youthfully taut, displaying outstanding energy to the deep, chewy dark fruit and mineral flavors. This very tightly coiled, sharply delineated Saint-Emilion blend has serious tannic clout that will require extended aging. Should evolve positively for 20 years or more.

Bright, full ruby. Complex, vibrant aromas of cassis, cherry pit, licorice and graphite, with a floral topnote building as the wine opens in the glass. Dense, pliant and suave, with a compellingly layered, fine-grained texture to the dark berry, licorice and mineral flavors. A wine of major dimension but today the firm, noble tannins clamp down on the fruit. I'd love to see this again in six or seven years--in a flight of top 2009 Medoc wines.

(67% cabernet sauvignon, 12% merlot, 12% cabernet franc, 7% petit verdot and 2% malbec) Good bright ruby. Black cherry, minerals, musky Cuban tobacco and leather on the nose and palate, lifted by a minty nuance. Lush on entry, then concentrated, sweet and penetrating, with superb focus and sap to the middle palate. Wonderfully expressive even if still youthfully unevolved. Finishes with full but ripe tannins and a compelling combination of sweetness and energy.

Good bright ruby. Black cherry, minerals, musky Cuban tobacco and leather on the nose and palate, lifted by a minty nuance. Lush on entry, then concentrated, sweet and penetrating, with superb focus and sap to the middle palate. Wonderfully expressive even if still youthfully unevolved. Finishes with full but ripe tannins and a compelling combination of sweetness and energy.

The 2022 Cabernet Franc offers a gorgeous array of red and black fruits as well as lots of floral and sappy herb notes, hints of chocolate, and some classic Mount Veeder wild herbaceous, resinous characteristics. Medium to full-bodied, with beautiful purity and depth, it delivers classic varietal nuances while staying balanced and structured. Aged for 22 months in 70% new French oak, it’s a compelling Cabernet Franc from this challenging vintage that will evolve for a solid 15 years.

The 2022 Caladan Red Wine Napa Valley is a gorgeous Bordeaux blend that delivers a seamless,
full-bodied profile that ranks, unquestionably, with the top wines of the vintage. Based on 37%
Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 17% Malbec, 16% Cabernet Franc, and 7% Petit Verdot, aged 22
months in 54% new French oak, it offers a complex bouquet of black cherries, cassis, darker
chocolate, graphite, and spicy oak nuances. Rich and full-bodied on the palate, it has a pure,
layered mouthfeel, ripe, polished tannins, and outstanding length. This awesome wine will benefit
from 2-3 years of bottle age and keep for 15+ years. Hats off to Carpenter for this incredible wine in
a challenging vintage.

A ripe yellow/golden color, the 2023 Chardonnay Seascape Vineyard is bright and spicy on the nose with notes of white pepper, flinty reduction, lime zest, green apples, and fresh f lowers. The palate is focused and bright, with refreshing, mouthwatering acidity, an elegant and refined feel, and refreshing saltiness on the finish. From the first coastal ridge overlooking Bodega Bay, it’s refreshing now and has the structure to drink well over the next 10-12 years.

From Russian River Valley, the 2023 Chardonnay Jennifer's Vineyard is a bright golden/yellow color and offers ripe notes of dark wet stones, grilled pineapples, baking spice, honeyed citrus, and candied ginger. The full-bodied palate delivers persistent driving tension and acidity, with the power you expect to see from the rich ripeness of the Russian River Valley but the tension and acidity from cooler sites. It has a powerful feel and is built to last over the coming 10-12 years.

From the Russian River Valley, the 2023 Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyards is a wine Hartford Court has been producing for 25 years. It comes from four vineyards in different areas of the appellation but all with old vines averaging around 45 years. The color of the 2023 is a richer yellow hue, and the wine itself is by far the most powerful, assertive, and ripe of the Chardonnay I tasted, with notes of baked golden apples, poached lemon, smoky earth, and marzipan. The palate is full and broad, with a mouthwatering spine of acidity that balances out this richly structured wine. It has a long finish and a noble feel. Drink 20252037.