If I had to pick a wine that encapsulates the essence of Calistoga, it might very well be Kelly Fleming's 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate. The darkness, the depth, the brawn, the pure power, the intense savoriness. It's...

Mineral and tangy nose with a minty edge to the red berries and oranges. Lightly mossy and decadent, with an impressive mineral quality on the linear, medium-bodied palate. Really refined and composed with a long, juicy...

A blend of Tempranillo and Cabernet Sauvignon, this wine has aromas of black cherry, dark chocolate and violet candy. Flavors of blackberry, Mission fig, mint tea, anise and lavender are intertwined with velvety tannins...

95+ The 2018 Pichon Baron has a deep garnet-purple color. It starts off with savory notes of black olives, sauteed herbs, chargrill, and beef dripping, over a core of crème de cassis and stewed plums. Medium to...

I love the purity of the 2018 Château Grand-Puy Lacoste, a ripe, upfront, expressive beauty that has loads of currant and cassis notes as well as flowers, spicy wood, graphite, and hints of tobacco. Full-bodied, rich...

Expressing notes of cherries, graphite, shaving pencil, flowers and cassis, the 2018 Marsau is medium to full-bodied with a textural attack and juicy texture that is round and pleasant on the mid-palate. However, it...

Glass-staining ruby. Hugely perfumed, mineral-accented black and blue fruit preserves, floral oil, olive paste, pipe tobacco and exotic spice aromas show superb clarity and pick up a hint of smokiness with air. Juicy and...

Impressive linearity and salinity. For once, I notice the winemaking, with greater fruit purity such as juicy plum and ripe blackberry. Gone is the drying finish of noticeable oak tannin from earlier vintages. 'In 15...

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...

The 2018 Blancs de Blancs is a Champagne of total pleasure. Citrus peel, orchard fruit and floral notes are very nicely delineated. The 2018 is an airy, breezy Champange, very much in the style of a vintage in which so...

(94+ points) The current-release 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (soon to be supplanted by the 2019) takes a base of ripe cherries and redcurrants, then accents them with delicate herbal-floral nuances. It's medium to...

I was looking forward to the 2018 Mas de Mancuso Garnacha, from one of the finest vintages in the region in recent times. It comes from a vineyard in the village of Almonacid, an old plot at 670 meters in altitude...

Aromas and flavors of berries, dark chocolate, spice and thyme. It’s full-bodied, rather chewy and slightly austere. Yet, it’s so structured and beautiful. Hint of toasted oak at the end. Give this time to soften and come...

This is richly textured, velvety with dark black cherry and damson fruit character, reflecting the higher alcohol typical of the vintage. Violet floral notes add balance, and this has lenght and sllky tannins, with...

The 2018 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet-purple in color. It needs a little swirling to unlock notes of baked plums, boysenberry preserves, and crème de cassis, with touches of menthol, Indian spices and smoked meats...

The 2018 Prieure-Lichine has a deep garnet purple color. It opens with notes of stewed plums and crème de cassis, laced with cedar and Indian spices, leading to notes of sassafras and chargrill. Medium to full-bodied, the...

A seductive mix of powerful, opulent blackberry and raspberry fruits cut through with vibrant juice, flint, crushed rocks, chocolate and liquorice. The texture is lucious on the opening, but as you sit with it, the...

Quinault L’Enclos 2018 has a deep garnet purple color. It rolls out with flamboyant notes of blackberry pie and chocolate-covered cherries, plus wafts of roses, underbrush, and charcuterie. Medium to full-bodied, the...

(95+ points) More complex and spicier than its 2016 counterpart, the 2018 Extra-Brut Grand Cru Rive Gauche – Rive Droite offers up aromas of spices, toast, baked bread, white flowers and spring flowers. Medium to...

A slight cardboardy note among very classic cherry kernel, black cherry and violet aromas. There's a cinnamon flavour, with cherry and almost blood orange ensuring complexity, while firm and crunchy tannins and crisp...

The warm, sweet nose features aromas of milk chocolate, fresh brewed coffee, vanilla bean and Luxardo cherry, while the palate is a cascade of dark, sweet berries, with a spicy, invigorating earthiness that recalls a...

The 2018 Tenuta Degli Dei is dense, juicy and wonderfully inviting. Silky tannins wrap around a core of inky dark fruit, chocolate, spice, lavender and new leather. In the glass, the 2018 is intensely aromatic and...

(94+ points) A blend of 67% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot, the 2018 Lagrange is deep garnet-purple in color. It comes bounding out of the glass with exuberant notes of baked black cherries, stewed...

Malescot St. Exupery 2018 has a deep garnet purple color. It delivers open-knit scents of warm cassis, black cherry compote, and mulberries, with touches of dried herbs, pencil shavings, and damp soil. Medium to...

Vallana's 2018 Boca is an old-school, super-classic wine. Firm tannins wrap around a core of macerated dark cherry, cinnamon, licorice, dried herbs and menthol. The 2018 needs a good decant. Readers will find a sturdy...

A blend of 92% Merlot and 8% Cabernet Franc, the 2018 L'Esperance de Trotanoy is deep garnet-purple in color. It charges out of the gate with bold notions of baked plums, kirsch, and blueberry pie, plus suggestions of...

The 2018 Canon La Gaffeliere has a deep garnet purple color. It needs a little coaxing to reveal notes of kirsch, black raspberries, and cedar, with hints of pencil lead and lavender. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is...