This is a light-bodied but backed by focused acidity and streamlined flavors of pure cherry and raspberry that are tangy and spicy.

The classic cuvée in bottle, the 2017 Châteauneuf Du Pape is 66% Grenache, 15% Syrah, 10% Mourvèdre, and the rest a mix of permitted varieties. This cuvée is brought up in a mix of stainless steel, wooded tanks, foudre, and barrels, with just 5% new oak. Deep ruby purple-colored, with beautiful black cherry and blackberry fruits, it has loads of licorice and garrigue aromas, medium to full body, beautiful concentration, and considerable elegance and purity. I always find a Burgundian style in the wines from this estate and this is no exception....

Tighter and more linear than usual, the 2018 Coddington Chardonnay boasts scents of pencil shavings set against a backdrop of grapefruit and pineapple. It's medium-bodied, crisp and focused, with a bright beam of acid and hints of citrus pith on the finish.

The 2018 Estate Chardonnay delivers typical toasty-mealy aromas, plus notes of tangerine, white peach and pineapple. Medium-bodied and silky in texture, it's a bit restrained at this stage of its evolution, but it should blossom within another six months or so, then drink well for up to a decade.

Almost always the most opulent of the Kumeu Chards, the 2018 Hunting Hill Chardonnay fits that description perfectly. Loaded with white peach, pineapple and even melon-like fruit, those notes are sculpted by faint suggestions of pencilly oak in a generous but focused package. It's medium to full-bodied, with a creamy mid-palate and a vibrant finish.

Gentle notes of toasted grain mark the nose of the 2018 Maté’s Vineyard Chardonnay, framing ripe pineapple and white peach aromas. There's a hint of bacon fat too. On the medium-bodied palate, the wine is slightly custardy and silky, while at the same time, it's crisp and focused, tightening on the finish into a coiled spring of citrus zest. Like most vintages of Maté’s, this ideally needs a couple of years in the cellar to fully express itself.

Piercing aromas of black currant, blackberry, violet and stone are augmented by earth, tobacco and underbrush flavors. A powerful red, with a muscular structure and a long finish. All the elements are there, but this needs time. Sangiovese and Mammolo. Best from 2023 through 2040. From Italy.

A tangy, bright white with bitter-lemon and sliced-apple aromas and flavors. Medium body. Plenty of fruit and a flavorful finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink now.

Blueberry and currant character with a hint of vanilla. Medium to full body. Chewy tannins and a flavorful finish. Needs time to soften. Better after 2020.

Full, generous in fruit and body, opulently textured. Satisfying, with understated complexity. Faint nuttiness in the background. It has a little more body and depth than some this year, a very classic expression of white Châteauneuf. Organically grown Grenache Blanc 20%, Picardan 1%, Picpoul Blanc 2%, Bourboulenc 25%, Roussanne 22%, Clairette 30%. It's mostly vinified and aged in stainless steel, with 15% in old barriques and 3% in new ones.

Absurdly intense on the nose, saturated in dark-plum essence, vanilla, tar, ash, mocha and light raisins. Somehow, this still manages to be fresh and elegant — that’s thanks in part to the fine nature of the tannins, which on the surface seem brash and burly. Full-bodied and very, very long, casting dark fruit deep and ingrained. A stunning blockbuster of a wine that will either thrill or disturb. Drink from 2025.

Chardonnay from the Côte des Blancs gives this Champagne its typical mineral edge that partners with open apple fruits and crisp acidity. The wine perfectly marries fruit and texture. Drink now.

With some bottle age, this is a toasty, ripe wine. Perfumed and full of apple fruits as well as the more mature flavors, it is a great nonvintage cuvée. Drink now.

A blend of two-thirds Chardonnay with one-third Pinot Noir, this beautifully balanced wine is poised between richness and intense crispness. Its apple and ripe pear fruits are now softening and beginning to meld into the taut texture. Still a little young, this wine will repay aging. Wait to drink it until 2022.

From the Davies family of Schramsberg Vineyards, this expressive red has reached prime ripeness in its ninth vintage; it spent 15 months in 100% French oak. Hedonistic aromas of salted plum and pomegranate accompany undertones of ripe cherry, animale, and salty red fruit for a mouthwatering effect. Notes of red tea and a savory finish of fennel and root beer make a unique impression.

A blend of Malbec, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, this brawny red opens with aromas suggesting mature dark-skinned berry, Mediterranean brush and cedar. The concentrated, forward palate delivers ripe black plum, star anise and mocha alongside polished tannins. Drink through 2023.

The 2016 Barbaresco Bordini is a classy, polished wine. This is an especially gracious wine from Bordini, where the Barbarescos are often bigger. Sweet spice, tobacco, menthol, licorice and cloves add lovely shades of nuance. Dark in its expression and also tightly wound, the 2016 is very nicely done. I confess, though, I would like to see a little more excitement here.

A brooding style, with steeped cherry and raspberry gelée notes, supported by licorice and floral details that are matched to savory hints of herb and black tea on the structured finish. Drink now through 2024. 500 cases made, 20 cases imported.

Creamy, racy and fun, this offers inviting aromas of green apple, wisteria and aromatic herb. The vibrant palate delivers Bartlett pear, citrus and thyme accompanied by an elegant, continuous mousse. It has a crisp, dry close.

Aromas of green apple, citrus and honeysuckle waft out of the glass. On the bright, silky palate, a creamy perlage and crisp acidity provide an enticing backdrop for pear, white peach and lemon drop.