Wine Spectator: Still youthfully crunchy, with pear skin and green plum notes bouncing along, while the core of verbena, tarragon, white peach and heather waits in reserve. A light toasty edg...

Wine Spectator: Ripe, layered and structured, with floral scents to the pure dark berry, spice and cedar notes, ending with a measure of elegance and grace amid fine-grained, minerally tannin...

Wine Spectator: Plump and forward, with a tasty core of dark plum, fig sauce and blackberry preserves rolled together and pushed from behind by apple wood and tobacco notes. A flash of bitter...

Wine Spectator: Violets and dark berries, with loads of aromas. Full-bodied, with a gorgeous core of sweet and ripe fruit. Long and dense, yet stylish. 10 acres. Next to Clos Fortet. 90 perce...

Wine Spectator: Rounded and ripe, with dark blackberry and boysenberry flavors melded with ganache, melted black licorice and Black Forest cake. Lush, but with a lovely smoldering charcoal hi...

About this Wine: The Snowden Ranch is located east of the Silverado Trail between Rutherford Hill Road and Taplin Road. The property is a quarter of a mile wide and a mile long. Elevations on ...

Wine Spectator: Very ripe and flattering, with loads of linzer torte, cassis and crushed cherry fruit, but well-supported by notes of cocoa, graphite and toasty spice. The finish is long and ...

Wine Spectator: A tremendous wine, dark, polished and deeply concentrated, with layers of plush plum, blackberry and black cherry, showing touches of herb and black olive. Finishes with a bro...

Wine Enthusiast: Shows the ripe, California character of a fine Pinot Noir, with masses of black cherries, red currants and cola, and also the dusty spices of Santa Maria Valley. Tastes a bit ...

Wine Enthusiast: Smooth and unctuous in texture, this has dense black fruits that edge toward dryness from the tannins. Dark chocolate and licorice notes lend a bitter edge. Rich and modern in...

Wine Spectator: This is loaded, with layers of gorgeous plum sauce, linzer torte and blackberry fruit melding beautifully with charcoal, spice and anise. The long, dark finish has some power ...

Wine Spectator: Bright cherry and berry fruit flavors nestle in a broad, soft texture in this juicy red, which has bright acidity, modest tannins and an herbal, floral finish that's fresh and...

Wine Spectator: Solid, if a touch chewy along the edges right now, as briar, cocoa and licorice snap notes are out in front of the core of pastis-soaked plum and blackberry fruit. There's lot...

About this Wine: This wine will require 7-10 years of cellaring, then last for two decades thereafter.

Wine Spectator: A solid core of cassis and blackberry fruit is liberally framed by dark cocoa and espresso notes and carried through the caressing, blueberry-, spice- and licorice-filled fini...

Wine Enthusiast: This is big and solid wine, with firm tannins and juicy fruit. It shows spice and intense acidity followed by black-currant freshness.

Wine Spectator: This is inviting, with delicious raspberry ganache, cherry reduction and sweet spice notes all pushed by racy licorice and toast. The slightly firm, muscular finish should str...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: The 2009 Chateauneuf du Pape (65% Grenache and the rest Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault) is a beauty. Aged completely in foudre, it reveals classic Provencal notes of garrigue, ...

Wine Spectator: Bright and jazzy, with a smoky edge to the tart blackberry and cherry flavors, picking up a licorice note on the finish. Has complexity and balance, and cellaring should bring...

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: Medium-deep ruby-purple in color, the 2009 Howell Family Vineyard Hawke's Bay Cabernet Franc is a little closed, offering delicate to moderately pronounced notes of red curran...