2017 2017 Chester-Kidder

The Cabernet Sauvignon-dominated 2017 Chester-Kidder is another more closed, reserved wine that's loaded with potential. Cassis, toasted spices, violets, and leafy herb notes give way to a rich, full-bodied red that has ripe, velvety tannins, a rounded, mouth-filling texture, and one heck of a great finish. Give bottles 3-5 years if you can and it should be very long lived.

Aromas of black fruit, anise, vanilla, cocoa and other barrel spices are followed by pitch-black, rich, hedonistic fruit flavors that bring the acidity and tannin structure of the vintage. It's intense, but with plenty of sophistication. Editors' Choice

Aromas of cassis, chocolate, charcoal and rosemary. It's full-bodied with firm, chewy tannins. Rich and intense with a firm structure. Muscular and big.

Coming from a blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 26% Syrah, and 6% Petit Verdot, this enticing and intense blend from winemaker Gilles Nicault spends 30 months in French oak barrels with 85% being new. A gorgeous deep ruby color in the glass, the nose explodes with aromas of black plum, black currant compote, ground cinnamon stick, eucalyptus, white tobacco leaf and a touch of butterscotch roasted marshmallow. The palate is more savory than fruit-forward than the nose, with dark cherry fruits playing second fiddle to saline, iron, bacon fat, toasted black peppercorn and dried thyme. It’s a complex and beautiful wine that will need another year or two in bottle to come into its own. Highly recommended.

The 2017 Chester Kidder is almost entirely sourced from the newly formed Candy Mountain AVA. A blend of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon with 26% Syrah and the remainder Petit Verdot. The wine shows espresso bean and red cherry candy tones alongside tobacco leaf, with black tea and exotic spices that all take shape in the glass. The palate is super fresh and vibrant with firm tannins that hold together milk chocolate covered espresso bean, tar, dark currants, boysenberry pie and menthol tones. The weight and length is outstanding and the 2017 Chester-Kidder will provide drinking enjoyment for several decades to come.

Brooding aromas of cassis, blackberry, licorice, espresso and violet, plus a whiff of iodiney minerality. Dense, sweet and deep, conveying a youthful medicinal quality to its dark fruit, menthol, licorice and mineral flavors. This seriously mouthfilling wine shows very good mineral energy and finishes with substantial tongue-coating tannins.