The 2019 Garnacha, blended with 10% Syrah, comes from the Maha Vineyard and the James Berry Vineyard. It has a pale ruby-purple color and a lovely perfume of blueberry, raspberry and rhubarb with nuances of bergamot, woodsmoke and ngostura bitters. The medium-bodied palate is expansive, layered and juicy with an elegant texture and long, perfumed finish.

Offering up aromas of red berries, kirsch and cocoa, the 2015 Garnacha is a velvety, full-bodied wine with a juicy core of fruit and a firm, chewy finish. It's an attractive wine in what could be a challenging vintage.

A year in, year out release that always delivers the goods, the 2014 Garnacha (100% Grenache) offers classic notes of lavender, violets, black cherries and kirsch to go with a medium-bodied, supple, savory and tannic feel on the palate. Fermented with 100% whole clusters and aged mostly in concrete (one-third was in 500-liter puncheons), give this elegant, classy 2014 a year and enjoy bottles through 2024.

Tasted from multiple barrels, the 2013 Garnacha looks fantastic. Showing lots of stem influence in its peppery herbs, smoke and spice, it has beautiful dark fruit, full-bodied richness and a structured feel on the palate. I think the tannin will round into form once bottled, and this should have a solid 7-8 years of longevity. Winemaker Cris Cherry continues to push the whole cluster and savory style in his wines, while not losing the core of fruit that the region is known for. These new releases all have rich, tannic profiles that benefit from air, and will be even better in another year or two. In addition, I was able to do a retrospective of Cris’s Garnacha and High Road James Berry Vineyard, but wasn’t able to get those reviews into this report. Those reviews will be published in separate article at a later date. Tel. (805) 238-7145; www.villacreekwine.com

The 2012 Garnacha, which was tasted from bottle, is a clean, mid-weight effort that has beautiful strawberry and blackberry fruits, mulling spices, dried flowers and hints of vanilla in its medium-bodied, supple, up-front and delicious style. Already approachable, drink it over the coming 4-5 years. Winemaker Cris Cherry continues to push the whole cluster and savory style in his wines, while not losing the core of fruit that the region is known for. These new releases all have rich, tannic profiles that benefit from air, and will be even better in another year or two. In addition, I was able to do a retrospective of Cris’s Garnacha and High Road James Berry Vineyard, but wasn’t able to get those reviews into this report. Those reviews will be published in separate article at a later date. Tel. (805) 238-7145; www.villacreekwine.com