The 2023 Lytton Springs is powerfully aromatic and expressive from the jump. It explodes from the glass with dark blue fruit, lavender and blood orange peel, framed by mocha-like richness and a wave of exotic spice. The...

The 2023 Dominus is a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 4% Petit Verdot. Opaque purple-black in color, it slowly unfurls to reveal a powerful core of blackcurrant jelly, ripe black plums, and fresh...

Basically pristine, with sleek cassis and damson plum fruit racing through atop mouthwatering apple wood, violet and iris notes. Very youthful, this is still ever-so-slightly tight as well as seriously long, with a bright...

The 2023 HGIII is a tasty entry-level Merlot-based blend from Hourglass. Forward and bright, with lovely upfront fruit, this mid-weight, juicy red is a delight. Drink it over the next few years. -- Antonio Galloni

Vivid cherry red, medium intensity, pared back and moreish. Enticing charred plum and spiced black cherry, restrained and savoury, chalky tannins, good lift through the palate without losing the creaminess of the fruit, a...

Packs warmed cassis and plum reduction notes coated in melted black licorice. Gains good cut from a fresh tobacco edge, showing loamy drive through the finish. Solid. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit...

The 2020 Hora is a powerful, driving wine. Super-ripe black cherry, plum, licorice, rose petal, spice, gravel and incense add to an impression of somber gravitas. Ideally, the aromatics could be more focused, but the 2020...

The 2018 Proprietary Red Paradise Hills Vineyard has really shut down since I tasted it last year. Energetic and vibrant, the 2018 sizzles with all of the energy of this cool, late-ripening vintage. Time in the glass...

All these 2016s from winemaker Graeme MacDonald are straight-up brilliant wines. Starting with the 2016 Proprietary Red, which is 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and the balance Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot, it...

The 2021 Founding Brothers is brilliant and has a certain Saint Julien-like style in its pure cassis, graphite, smoky tobacco, and floral aromas and flavors. These carry to a full-bodied 2021 that's beautifully...

Shows a lighter-bodied, fresher profile than most in this vintage, with a mix of red currant, damson plum and cherry coulis notes stitched with savory, tobacco and rose petal accents. There’s a subtle cedar shading...

The 2021 Hora is the entry-level wine from the Cathiards’ estate in Napa, and it’s a balanced, medium to full-bodied, impressive wine offering ample red and black currant fruit, nicely integrated oak, a round, layered...

The 2021 Lytton Springs is based on 72% Zinfandel, 15% Petite Sirah, and the rest Carignan, Alicante Bouschet, Cinsault, and Counoise. This deep ruby/purple-hued effort has a juicy, lively, medium-bodied style as well as...

A lovely blush that's refined and festive, with vibrant strawberry, orange blossom and cherry flavors that glide on the refreshing finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now. - TF

This lets copious boysenberry and blackberry puree notes glide through, while melted licorice, sweet toast and warmed fruitcake accents fill in through the generous finish. A crowd-pleasing style. Drink now through 2031...

Potent and dense, with brooding flavors of blackberry and cherry accented by bitter chocolate, cracked pepper and savory meat tones as this builds tannins on the finish. Grenache, Syrah and Petit Sirah. Best after 2025...

The 2021 Jubilation is gorgeous. Dark, ample and seductive, the 2021 captures all the textural intensity of this drought year and tiny berries. Black cherry, plum, espresso, licorice, menthol and dried herbs fill out the...

The 2022 Papillon Red Wine is a blend of 71% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% each Malbec and Syrah, 6% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot and 4% Merlot. It also includes a bit more than 5% of 2021 vintage wine, so it is labeled as...

Generous yet steely at the core, with fragrant raspberry, rose petal and gingerbread accents that dance on the long, zesty finish. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Drink now. 15,750 cases made.

Pahlmeyer's 2022 Proprietary Red is only 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, with the balance comprising 4% each Cabernet Franc and Merlot and 3% each Malbec and Petit Verdot. It spent 18 months in 90% new French oak. According to...

A supple, flavorful, sleek and densely fruity wine on a full body. The tannins seem to build on the palate, giving a little textural grip to raspberry and red and black cherry flavors and attractive oak spices like...

The NV (2020) Tradition is 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir. Aromatic and light on its feet, the 2020 is intriguing. As always, there is a bit of stem influence from the whole clusters in the Pinot component. Today, that...

A 550-case blend of 60% Cabernet Franc and 40% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 Eliza's Red Wine offers up hints of tobacco leaf and peppery spice allied to black cherries and loam. It's full-bodied and rich, with a velvety...

A beautiful red that offers plenty now with berries, chocolate and hazelnut. Freshly cut flowers. Peaches and orange peel. Full to medium body with round tannins and a creamy and delicious finish. This is mostly cabernet...

(93+ points) A strong effort, the 2019 Mernet Reserve—a 50-50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, aged in one-third new oak, delivers plenty of almost grapey fruit, cassis and black cherries, underscored by hints of...

The NV Tradition Sparkling Rosé comes mainly from the 2021 vintage and is a blend of 95% Pinot Noir and 5% Chardonnay. It has a medium cherry-pink color and gregarious aromas of raspberries, strawberries, lemon peel...

This tilts clearly toward burly in style, with walnut husk and roasted chestnut notes leading the way for dense and chunky-textured dark currant and warmed fig fruit. There's a tumble of warm humus, alder smoke and bitter...

The 2022 Continuum Sage Mountain Vineyard is a vivid, impressive wine. Super-ripe black cherry, mocha, espresso and cloves stain the palate. This is an especially exuberant, flamboyant vintage for Continuum. It's a superb...