Sonoma Preview: January 2019 New Releases
BY ANTONIO GALLONI |
As is our custom, the Sonoma Preview highlights wines that are just entering the market now, in January, typically a very busy time for new releases. Readers will find much to like this year, including a number of stunning 2017s that show the vintage was much better and far more consistent for Burgundian varieties in Sonoma than it was for Bordeaux varieties in Napa Valley.
Subscriber Access Only
or Sign Up
As is our custom, the Sonoma Preview highlights wines that are just entering the market now, in January, typically a very busy time for new releases. Readers will find much to like this year, including a number of stunning 2017s that show the vintage was much better and far more consistent for Burgundian varieties in Sonoma than it was for Bordeaux varieties in Napa Valley.
Show all the wines (sorted by score)
Producers in this Article
Related Articles
2025
- High Highs: Santa Lucia Highlands 2023 (Jul 2025)
- Updated - Sonoma and Neighbors 2022 & 2023: Opposites Attract (Jan 2025)
- Updated - Napa Valley’s 2022 & 2023 Cabernet Sauvignons (Dec 2024)
- Paso Robles 2022 and 2023: Polar Opposites (Jun 2025)
- Roederer Estate L’Ermitage: A Complete Retrospective (Jun 2025)
- Cellar Favorite: 1977 Diamond Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Volcanic Hill (May 2025)
- Exploring Sonoma’s Moon Mountain District (Feb 2025)
2024
- Dunn: Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 1985-2014 (Dec 2024)
- Cellar Favorite: 1973 Californian Cabernets (Oct 2024)
- Santa Cruz Mountains – The Chameleon (Oct 2024)
- Morlet Family Vineyards: Cabernet Sauvignon Mon Chevalier 2007-2019 (Oct 2024)
- Vinous Table: Bar Le Côte, Los Olivos, CA (Oct 2024)
- Cellar Favorite: 1984 Ridge Zinfandel Geyserville Trentadue (Sep 2024)
- Book Excerpt: Common Ground – Charting the Future of Napa Valley (Sep 2024)
- Santa Lucia Highlands: Steely and Steadfast in 2022 (Aug 2024)
- Vinous Table: Hitching Post II, Buellton, CA (Aug 2024)
- Santa Barbara: California's Undiscovered Jewel (Aug 2024)
- Vinous Table: S.Y. Kitchen, Santa Ynez, CA (Jul 2024)
- Paso Robles 2021-2023: Far From Typical (Jul 2024)
- Vinous Table: Mustards Grill, Napa, CA (Jun 2024)
- Cellar Favorite: 1991 Araujo Estate Wines Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard (Jun 2024)
- Aerika Estate: The Prologue (Jun 2024)
- Vinous Table: Ad Hoc, Yountville, CA (Jun 2024)
- Cellar Favorite: 1988 Robert Mondavi Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (Jun 2024)
- Rosé New Releases: All Over the Map (May 2024)
- 2012 & 2013 Napa Valley: Too Close to Call (May 2024)
- Vinous Table: Glen Ellen Star, Glen Ellen, CA (Mar 2024)
- Vinous Table: Angler, San Francisco, CA (Feb 2024)
- 2022 Sonoma: A First Look (Jan 2024)
- Cellar Favorite: 1985 Ridge Vineyards Zinfandel Canyon Road & 1985 Monte Bello (Jan 2024)
2023
- The 2021 Napa Valley Cabernets, Part One (Dec 2023)
- Santa Lucia Highlands: Cool-Climate Excellence in 2021 (Nov 2023)
- Santa Cruz Mountains – California’s Hidden Gem (Nov 2023)
- Cellar Favorite: 2003 Philip Togni Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (Oct 2023)
- Brilliance in Santa Barbara (Sep, 2023)
- Sonoma’s Sensational 2021s (Aug 2023)
- Cellar Favorite: Seven for Seven – A Brief Tour of Napa Valley (Jul 2023)
- Cellar Favorite: 2013 Screaming Eagle (Jun 2023)
- Paso Robles: Boundless Diversity (May 2023)
- The 2001 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: Stepping Back in Time (Apr 2023)
- Cellar Favorite: Two from Mayacamas (Feb 2023)
- Vinous Table: Napa in the City 2022: The BYOB Gala Dinner (Feb 2023)
- Vinous Table: Private Dinner at Wheeler Farms, Saint Helena, CA (Feb 2023)
- Napa Valley: The Frantic 2020s & Stunning 2021s (Feb 2023)
- Cellar Favorite: 1992 Philip Togni Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (Feb 2023)
- Cellar Favorite: 1974 Diamond Creek Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Gravelly Meadow (Jan 2023)
- 2021 Sonoma Preview (Jan 2023)
2022
- Cellar Favorite: 1991 Dominus (Nov 2022)
- Vinous Table: Bar Le Côte, Los Olivos, CA (Sep 2022)
- Santa Barbara: A Rare Bright Spot for California in 2020 (Aug 2022)
- Paso Robles: Seductive 2018s and 2019s (Jul 2022)
- Santa Cruz Mountains: The Compelling 2018s & 2019s (May 2022)
- The 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons at Age Ten (May 2022)
- Santa Lucia Highlands: Back-to-Back Greatness in 2018 & 2019 (May 2022)
- San Luis Obispo: At the Edge of the Ocean (Apr 2022)
- From the Vault: Realm 2005-2018 (Mar 2022)
- VHR, Vine Hill Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon 2008-2019 (Mar 2022)
- The Judgement of Clapham Junction (Mar 2022)
- California North Coast: Eyes Wide Open (Jan 2022)
- The 2019 Napa Valley Cabernets: A Deep Dive (Jan 2022)
2021
- Cellar Favorite: 2001 Kunin Syrah Alisos Vineyards (Dec 2021)
- Breaking News: Justin Willett Acquires Iconic Fiddlestix Vineyard (Nov 2021)
- Santa Barbara: On the Road…Finally! (Oct 2021)
- Cellar Favorite: 1977 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Glen Ellen Vineyards (Oct 2021)
- The Enduring Power of California’s Old-Vine Field Blends (Aug 2021)
- California Vineyard Series: Kamen Vineyard (May 2021)
- Napa Valley’s Thrilling 2018s & 2019s, Parts 1 & 2 (Jan 2021)
- Cellar Favorite: 2011 Saintsbury Pinot Noir Brown Ranch (magnum) (Feb 2021)
- Vinous Santa Lucia Highlands Map: Behind the Scenes (Jan 2021)
- Sonoma: 2021 New Releases (Jan 2021)
- San Luis Obispo: Excellence Hiding in Plain Sight (Jan 2021)
2020
- California Vineyard Series: Bedrock Vineyard (Dec 2020)
- Cellar Favorite: 1997 Marcassin Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast (Dec 2020)
- California Vineyard Series: Monte Rosso (Dec 2020)
- Paso Robles 2018 & 2017: Grace and Power (Dec 2020)
- California Vineyard Series: Pagani Ranch (Dec 2020)
- Cellar Favorite: 1999 Dunn Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Nov 2020)
- 2018 Santa Lucia Highlands: What a Difference a Year Makes (Oct 2020)
- Penultimate: A New Chapter at Promontory (Sep 2020)
- The Sta. Rita Hills: Wine & People of the Wild West (Sep 2020)
- Santa Cruz Mountains: Wines of Breathtaking Pedigree (Sep 2020)
- Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018s (Aug 2020)
- Vintage Retrospective: The 2001 Napa Valley Cabernets (Jun 2020)
- Vintage Retrospective: The 2010 Napa Valley Cabernets (May 2020)
- Winemaking and Wine Marketing in a Plague Year (May 2020)
- Cellar Favorite: 2007 Carlisle Syrah Cardiac Hill Bennett Valley (Apr 2020)
- San Luis Obispo: Solidifying an Identity (Apr 2020)
- Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New Releases (Jan 2020)
- Vinous Table: Providence, Los Angeles, CA (Feb 2020)
- Paso Robles Can’t Stop Winning (Feb 2020)
- 2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth (Jan 2020)
2019
- Mount Eden Pinot Noir: 1984-2016 (Dec 2019)
- Vinous Table: Mount Sinai Charity Dinner at Saison (Nov 2019)
- Santa Lucia Highlands Braves the Heat in 2017 (Nov 2019)
- Exploring the Santa Cruz Mountains (Oct 2019)
- Santa Barbara: Present & Future (Sep 2019)
- Cellar Favorite: 1985 Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain (Sep 2019)
- Larkmead’s Solari Cabernet and LMV Salon: 2001-2015 (Aug 2019)
- 2018 Napa Valley – First Impressions… (Jul 2019)
- The 2009 Napa Valley Cabernets at Age 10 (Jul 2019)
- Paul Hobbs’ Cabernet Beckstoffer To Kalon: 1999-2016 (Jul 2019)
- Kapcsándy Roberta’s Reserve and Grand Vin (Jun 2019)
- Abreu – The 2009s Revisited (Jun 2019)
- Chateau Montelena Cabernet Estate: 1977-2010 (May 2019)
- Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond (May 2019)
- Vintage Retrospective: The 1999 Napa Valley Cabernets (May 2019)
- Lail Vineyards J. Daniel Cuvée: 1997-2016 (May 2019)
- Beaulieu’s Georges de Latour Private Reserve: 1965–2016 (Apr 2019)
- Cellar Favorite: 1982 Kistler California Cabernet Sauvignon Veeder Hills Vineyard (March 2019)
- Cellar Favorite: 1986 Ravenswood Pickberry Vineyard (Feb 2019)
- Inspire Napa Valley 2018 (Feb 2019)
- The Art of the Blend (Jan 2019)
- San Luis Obispo County Plays It Cool (Jan 2019)
2018
- Napa Valley’s Extraordinary 2016 Cabernets (Dec 2018)
- Vinous Table: An Unforgettable Charity Dinner at Saison (Dec 2018)
- Cellar Favorite: 2005 & 1995 Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon (Oct 2018)
- New Releases from Santa Lucia Highlands & Neighbors (Oct 2018)
- Best Kids’ Meals in Napa Valley (Sep 2018)
- Paso Robles 2016 & 2015: New Releases (Sep 2018)
- Santa Barbara Dreamin'… Part One & Part Two (Sep 2018)
- Grower Profile – Ulises Valdez (Sep 2015)
- Double Vertical of Ridge's Geyserville and Lytton Springs (Aug 2018)
- Santa Cruz Mountains – The Gorgeous 2016s (Aug 2018)
- Dunn Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain: 1979–2014 (Aug 2018)
- Vinous Table: SingleThread Farms (Jul 2018)
- Sonoma & Napa Valley Supplement 2018 (Jul 2018)
- Vintage Retrospective: 1991 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon (Jul 2018)
- Williams Selyem: Pinot Noir Allen Vineyard 1987–2016 (Jun 2018)
- 2017 Napa Valley – First Impressions (Jun 2018)
- Vinous Table: Marino Ristorante, Hollywood, CA (Jun 2018)
- Cellar Favorites: David Abreu – Revisiting the 2008s (May 2018)
- Vinous Table: Zuni Café, San Francisco, CA (May 2018)
- Turley Zinfandel Hayne Vineyard: 1993 – 2015 (May 2018)
- Vintage Retrospective: The 2008 Napa Valley Cabernets (May 2018)
- Vinous Table: Dry Creek Kitchen, Healdsburg, CA (Apr 2018)
- Sonoma’s Stellar 2016s (Apr 2018)
- O’Shaughnessy Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Howell Mountain: 2000–2015 (Apr 2018)
- Crocker & Starr Cabernet Sauvignon Stone Place: 1999 – 2015 (Apr 2018)
- Vineyard 29 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Retrospective (Apr 2018)
- Brilliance in Napa Valley: 2016 & 2015 Cabernets (Jan 2018)
- Ridge 2017 Monte Bello En Primeur (Mar 2018)
- Cellar Favorite: Philip Togni Library Releases: 2007 - 1997 - 1987 (Jan 2018)
- Sonoma Preview: January 2018 New Releases (Jan 2018)
- Cellar Favorite: 1994 Rochioli Pinot Noir West Block (Jan 2018)
2017
- Cellar Favorite: 2002 Spottswoode Cabernet Sauvignon (Dec 2017)
- Santa Lucia Highlands 2015: The Grapes of a Wrathful Vintage (Nov 2017)
- BOND: A Complete Retrospective (Nov 2017)
- Paso Robles Copes, Adapts and Evolves (Nov 2017)
- Wildfires Ravage Northern California (Oct 2017)
- Santa Barbara: Better Than Ever (Sep 2017)
- Vintage Retrospective: The 1997 Napa Valley Cabernets (Sep 2017)
- Santa Cruz Mountains – The 2015s and 2014s (Aug 2017)
- Next of Kyn – The First Seven Years: 2007-2013 (Aug 2017)
- Napa and Sonoma: The 2017 Summer Update (Aug 2017)
- Verticals of Ramey’s Hyde & Ritchie Vineyard Chardonnays (Jul 2017)
- Book Excerpt: Appellation Napa Valley – Stags Leap District (Jul 2017)
- Vinous Table: Quince, San Francisco, California (Jul 2017)
- 2016 Napa Valley – First Impressions (Jul 2017)
- A Bond Extravaganza (Jun 2017)
- Cellar Favorites: Seven Classics from Ridge (Jun 2017)
- Vinous Map: The Vineyards of St. Helena & Conn Valley (May 2017)
- Vintage Retrospective: The 2007 Napa Valley Cabernets (May 2017)
- Bryant’s Cabernet Sauvignon: 1994-2014 (May 2017)
- Arietta – A Complete Retrospective: 1996-2015 (May 2017)
- Seavey Cabernet Sauvignon: A Complete Retrospective (Apr 2017)
- Colgin Syrah IX Estate: A Complete Retrospective (Apr 2017)
- Vinous Maps BYOB at Michael Chiarello's Ottimo (Apr 2017)
- Sonoma’s Sensational 2015s (Mar 2017)
- Cellar Favorite: 1995 Ravenswood Zinfandel Monte Rosso (Feb 2017)
- Ovid: The First Nine Years 2005-2013 (Feb 2017)
- Cellar Favorite: 2006 Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill (Feb 2017)
- Napa Valley Trilogy: 2014, 2015 & 2016 (Dec 2016)
- Grower Spotlight: Dick Steltzner (Jan 2017)
2016
- Santa Lucia Highlands: New Releases (Oct 2016)
- Paso Robles: Taming the Beast (Sep 2016)
- The Rutherford and Oakville AVAs - Early Days (Sep 2016)
- Santa Barbara: On the Road, Continued... (Sep 2016)
- See The Vineyards of Stags Leap Like Never Before (Sep 2016)
- California North Coast Supplement (Aug 2016)
- Brilliance in the Santa Cruz Mountains (Jul 2016)
- Vertical Tasting of Shafer’s Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Select (Jul 2016)
- Ridge Monte Bello Revisited: 1968 – 2012 (Jul 2016)
- Meet the Mahers: Two Premier Grape Growers in One Household (Jun 2016)
- Book Excerpt: A Brief History of Napa Valley, Part II (Jun 2016)
- Vertical Tasting of Hundred Acre Kayli Morgan Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Jun 2016)
- 2015 Napa Valley – First Impressions (Jun 2016)
- Announcing Vinous Napa Valley Vineyard Maps (May 2016)
- Vintage Retrospective: 2005 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon (May 2016)
- Remembering Donn Chappellet (May 2016)
- Vertical Tastings of Mondavi’s Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve and I Block To Kalon Vineyard Fumé Blanc (May 2016)
- Vertical Tasting of Kongsgaard Syrah (May 2016)
- Vertical Tasting of Phelps Insignia (Apr 2016)
- Remembering Denis Malbec (Apr 2016)
- Colgin Retrospective at the Villa d’Este Wine Symposium (Apr 2016)
- Book Excerpt: A Brief History of Napa Valley, Part 1 (Apr 2016)
- Old Vines, Deep Roots: Calistoga's Frediani Family (Mar 2016)
- 2014 Sonoma and Points North: New Releases (Feb 2016)
- The Undiscovered California – 2016 Edition (Feb 2016)
2015
- Vinous Napa Valley Vineyard Maps (Nov 2016)
- 2013 Napa Valley: Once Upon a Time in America… (Oct 2015)
- Uncovering the Best Values in California Cabernet Sauvignon (Oct 2015)
- Calera Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard – A Journey Through Time 1978-2013 (Sep 2015)
- Dry Times in Napa Valley (Sep 2015)
- Cellar Favorites: Four Classic Cabernet Sauvignons from Randy Dunn (Sep 2015)
- Paso Robles and Neighbors: New Releases (Sep 2015)
- Santa Barbara: On the Road (Aug 2015)
- California Odds & Ends (Aug 2015)
- Santa Lucia Highlands: New Releases (Aug 2015)
- Santa Cruz Mountains: Scaling the Heights (Jul 2015)
- Ridge Monte Bello: Past, Present and Future (Jul 2015)
- Beringer’s Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon: One of Napa Valley’s First Cult Wines (Jul 2015)
- Forman: Four Decades of Cabernet Sauvignon 1985-2012 (Jul 2015)
- Horizontal Tasting of Napa Valley’s 1994 Cabernets (Jul 2015)
- Horizontal Tasting of Napa Valley’s 2004 Cabernets (Jun 2015)
- Germain-Robin: French Origin, American Twist (Jun 2015)
- Pride – Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon Vertical Tasting (Jun 2015)
- 2014 Napa Valley – Vintage Report (Jun 2015)
- Vinous Event: 2010 Napa Valley at the NoMad Rooftop (Jun 2015)
- Sonoma Supplement 2015 (May 2015)
- Blankiet: Proprietary Red 1999-2012 (May 2015)
- Cellar Favorite: 1978 Ridge Petite Sirah York Creek (May 2015)
- Vertical Tasting of Turley's Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard (May 2015)
- Colgin Cabernet Sauvignon Tychson Hill – A Complete Retrospective: 2000-2012 (Apr 2015)
- Sean Thackrey’s Orion: A Complete Retrospective (Apr 2015)
- Sonoma, Anderson Valley and Beyond: New Releases (Jan 2015)
- The Undiscovered California – 2015 Edition (Jan 2015)
2014
- Six Decades of Mayacamas Cabernet Sauvignon: 1967-2012 (Jun 2014)
- Epic Dunn: Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain 1979-1999 (Feb 2014)
- Focus on Santa Barbara County (Dec 2014)
- Napa Valley Preview – 2012, 2013 and 2014 (Oct 2014)
- Looking Back at Napa Valley Icons (Oct 2014)
- 2013 Napa Valley: A First Look… (May 2014)
- Paso Robles and Points South (Jul 2014)
- Santa Barbara: The Thrill of Discovery (Jul 2014)
- 2012 Santa Lucia Highlands: A Winemaker’s Vintage (July 2014)
- Santa Cruz Mountains – A Study in Terroir (Jul 2014)
- Dalla Valle Maya: A Complete Retrospective 1988-2012 (June 2014)
- California's North Coast (May 2014)
- Sonoma and Beyond: New Releases (Feb 2014)
- Kata: An Exciting Debut From Napa Valley (Feb 2014)
- The Undiscovered California (Feb 2014)
- New Releases from Napa Valley: 2012 and 2013 (Dec 2014)
2013
- Focus on California's Central Coast (Nov 2013)
- 2011 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: Terroir Matters - Updated (Nov 2013)
- Paso Robles and Beyond: Excellence in 2011 (Jul 2013)
- The Santa Lucia Highlands 2011s: Chardonnay Reigns Supreme (Jul 2013)
- Santa Cruz Mountains: California’s Best Kept Secret (Jul 2013)
- Santa Barbara's Stunning 2011s (Jul 2013)
- Sonoma...A Thrill a Minute (Jul 2013)
- Opus One – Past, Present and Future: 1979-2012 (Jun 2013)
- California Syrah on the Big Stage (Jun 2013)
- Annual Coverage of California's North Coast (May 2013)
- Vertical Tasting of Colgin Cellars' IX Estate Syrah Napa Valley (Mar 2013)
2012
- 2010 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon: An Epic Vintage (Dec 2012)
- Annual Coverage of California's Central Coast (Nov 2012)
- Vertical Tasting of Corison Winery's Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley (Sep 2012)
- California's Central Coast: Better than Ever (Aug 2012)
- Focus on California's North Coast (May 2012)
- The Best of Sonoma (Feb 2012)
2011
2006
2005
2002
1999
