Tasting Highlights' wine reviews are fresh out of the tasting room, offering a sneak peek of our editors' most recent scores and notes to WineSpectator.com members.
Napa Valley excels with more than just Cabernet Sauvignon. Framed by mountain ranges, the 30-mile long valley boasts varied soils, elevations and microclimates that make it suitable for a range of grapes and styles. Today's selection showcases this diversity, with stellar examples of some of the region's top grapes, alongside its signature Cabernet.
Chardonnay is the second most planted grape in Napa with nearly 7,000 acres. The grape thrives in Napa's cooler subappellations, such as the Oak Knoll District, where breezes and fog from the San Pablo Bay lend lively acidity to wines like Beringer's Luminus.
Sauvignon Blanc is Napa's other white wine star. They can vary widely in style, from Robert Mondavi's smoky Fumé Blanc, which was fermented and aged in oak barrels, to the intense and vibrant Honig that only spent time in stainless steel tanks.
Vintner Joseph Osborne introduced Zinfandel to Napa in the 1850s, and the grape remains one of the most widely planted grapes in the valley. Green & Red tapped its three estate vineyards overlooking Chiles Canyon, in the Vaca Mountain range, to make this sleek, elegant version.
GREEN & RED Zinfandel Napa Valley Chiles Canyon Vineyards 2016
Sleek and elegantly complex, with expressive cherry, sweet anise and pepper flavors that glide on a long finish. Drink now through 2025. 1,590 cases made.
HONIG Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2018
Succulent peach, nectarine and dried mango flavors are intense and vibrant, showcasing plenty of style, with a note of honeysuckle lingering effortlessly. Drink now. 49,820 cases made.
ROCK WALL Zinfandel Napa Valley Hendry Vineyard Block 29 2017
Plump and plush, featuring zesty black cherry, licorice and toasty mocha flavors that finish with supple tannins. Drink now through 2025. 625 cases made.
TURLEY Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Turley Estate 2016
Features an herb note out front, but a juicy core of crushed black cherry and currant fruit quickly takes over, with light anise and bramble accents on the finish. Opens nicely in the glass, showing engaging energy. Drink now through 2026. 2,500 cases made.
BERINGER Chardonnay Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley Luminus 2017
A vibrant style, with notes of flint and slate to the honeysuckle, green peach and dried citrus flavors. Hints of fennel show on the finish. Drink now through 2023. 4,912 cases made.
COURTNEY BENHAM Sauvignon Blanc Napa Valley 2018
The succulent peach, nectarine and mango flavors are lush and juicy, showing terrific focus and intensity due to fresh acidity. Drink now. 3,500 cases made.
ROBERT MONDAVI Fumé Blanc Napa Valley 2017
A smoky beeswax note accents the core of apricot, ginger and pear flavors in this white, with hints of green tea and dried honeysuckle. Finds harmony on the finish, where a crisp thread of acidity emerges. Drink now. 18,185 cases made.
RUTHERFORD HILL Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2015
Alluring, leading off with a whiff of menthol and sweet tobacco, followed by dense currant and fig paste flavors. Solidly built, with a tarry spine through the finish. Best from 2020 through 2027. 6,878 cases made.