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 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

Deep ruby-purple, the 2017 True Believer Reserve features pure scents of red and black currants, potpourri, aniseed and exotic spices. The palate offers generous, graphite-laced fruits supported by abundant, pixelated...

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 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...

A beguiling blend of dusty violets, crushed stone, musky black currants and grilled herbs makes the 2020 Estate Cuvée impossible to ignore. Racy yet supple, this soothes with its ripe red and black fruits while also...

The 2021 Paradise Hills Vineyard Proprietary Red is a blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.8% Merlot, 2.9% Cabernet Franc, and 2.3% Petit Verdot. Deep garnet-purple in color, it charges out of the glass with pure notes of...

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 star of the show is the 2022 Ontogeny, a broad, layered, richly textured 2022 that has gorgeous cassis and blue fruits as well as integrated oak, some classic Cabernet graphite, iron, and smoked tobacco. It’s rich...

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...

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...

This wine has a feral edge to it, as Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, and bit players come together in a 10-variety ‘kitchen sink’ blend. Pungent floral aromas give way to dark chocolate, mint, and wild mountain blueberries...

Impressive from first sip, the MV Brut, made from 60% Chardonnay and 40% Pinot Noir, with 10 to 15% reserve wine, opens in a world of buttered toasty notes, spicy pear, and hazelnut. The oak and fruit shine amidst a...

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 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...

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...

The 2019 Relevant Cabernet Sauvignon matured for 20 months in new, once- and twice-filled French oak barrels. Deep ruby, it features pure aromas of cassis, grilled meats, warm chocolate, dried herbs, roasted peppers and...

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...

This is a lesson in white Rhône blends, utilizing the Roussanne and Grenache Blanc base with accents from Picpoul, Clairette, Picardan and Bourboulenc. Aromas of baked orange and almond dust make for a warm nose before...

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...

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...

Gorgeously pretty in a salmon hue, the MV Brut Rose is a blend of 56% Pinot Noir and 44% Chardonnay given additional complexity from 10 to 15% oak-aged wines from the estate's reserve cellars. Disgorged in May 2023. It...

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...

Big, broad aromas of black fruit, black pepper and wood smoke give way to well-saturated black cherries, tar and singed rosemary flavors in this dramatic and concentrated wine made from Biodynamic grapes. Tightly knit...

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

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2021 IX Estate needs a lot of shaking to wake up notes of warm cassis, boysenberries, and juicy plums, giving way to nuances of iron ore, wild sage, tapenade, and lilacs. The full-bodied...

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...