The 2018 Howell Mountain Estate Red Blend is composed of 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot, 2% Merlot and 2% Malbec. It was aged for 22 months in French oak barrels, 100% new. Deep garnet-purple colored, it sashays out of the glass with gregarious scents of red and black cherries, cassis and ripe plums plus nuances of lilacs, pencil lead, tree bark and black olives. Full-bodied, it has a solid structure of ripe, fine-grained tannins with great freshness lifting the dense fruit to a long, wonderfully pure finish. (LPB)

Sam Kaplan is the winemaker and vineyard manager at this 5.2ha property, which sits at about 500m. Here, individual lots of estate fruit are aged for 11 months, then blended and aged another 11 months in all 100% new French new oak. Deeply spicy, the aromas waver between charcuterie, smoke, red and black fruit and Chinese five spice. Framed by chalky tannins, the ripe, silky palate boasts more savoury spice plus layers of blueberry, black cherry, blackberry and chocolate, with a rich, succulent finish. (JC)