Aromas of cinnamon, red cherry, and an earthiness were pleasant.
This was a medium-bodied dry red wine with good acidity, supportive layer of tannin, and excellent flavors reflective of the aromas with a touch of red pepper.
Finished long on the trailing palate, a touch of red raspberry, a hint of watermelon, and a well-balanced 13.8% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my baked ham dinner.

Yellow apple, soft young manchego, balanced but ripe, finishes with cheesy lees character.

Top Californian Wines to Try
Chardonnay
1. Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve 2019 (13.5%)
A perennial favourite and excellent value, this shows ripe peach and slightly tropical flavours with subtle oak. Will age gracefully.

Any wine is the right wine for Easter
Recommended

Any wine is the right wine for Easter
Recommended

This medium ruby colored Pinot Noir from Oregon opens with a fragrant and inviting blueberry and black cherry bouquet. On the palate, this wine is full bodied with medium acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, smooth, viscous, and dense for a Pinot Noir. The flavor profile is a stewed black plum and cola blend with notes of smoky oak, earthy loam, and cinnamon. I also detected hints of stony minerality and pomegranate towards the very end. The finish is dry, and its flavors are nicely prolonged. I would pair this Pinot with a juicy and tender pork tenderloin roast.

Classic Sonoma-style pinot from the ever-reliable La Crema, fleshy but nicely balanced and relatively fresh, with silky tannins and lively acids. Wood is a minor flavour contributor, adding a gentle sheen of chocolate-coffee spice, but bright red fruit dominates. Solid, professionally made. Drink or hold until the mid-2020s.

Clean, polished, creamy and immediately appealing, La Crema’s 2020 Sonoma Coast chardonnay bottling is a broad and generous, orchard fruit-flavoured wine ranging from peach and apricot to pear and apple, with really well-integrated wood, and lingering finish. All in all, a solid wine with integrity and depth. Enjoy over the next 1-3 years or so.

13 Best Sauvignon Blanc Wines in 2022
9. La Crema, Sauvignon Blanc 2021 | Sonoma County, California, USA
This wine offers a bright yellow color with aromas of tropical fruit, some minerality and lemon blossom. On the palate, ripe melon, grapefruit, stone fruit and apple emerge. Good acidity carries the wine into a mouthwatering finish.

My preference for finesse in Chardonnays has been running more and more to Oregon examples, and Gran Moraine’s is a beauty, not oaky nor caramelized, but wholly expressive of the fruit with just 13% alcohol. It’s a good bet for cold salmon or vegetable soups.

Baked apple aromas. Apple, lemon, baking spices and touch of vanilla on the palate, which is just a tad thin. Bright acidity and refreshing finish. Good plus.

Not much nose. Off-dry palate but well-integrated acidity. Difficult to discern much character but it's certainly not too sweet. 13.5% Drink 2020 –2023

Really racy and lively – yes! This is my sort of wine. It has real lift and transparency together with beautiful balance and evolution – though I suspect most of the 2013 vintage will already have been drunk. Drink 2021 – 2029

Mid crimson. Meaty, sweet ripeness on the nose. Paler than most of the Cabernets also tasted at this launch of The California List, presumably because it is so much older. Tannins, acidity and fruit less than perfectly integrated but still a luxurious wine, Drink 2012 – 2025

Lively, energetic expression with cranberry and pomegranate juice the main features, light, fine tannins lending shape and drawing the wine long, a touch of alpine herb and botanical savouriness in the mix. Elegant, refined and on cruise control. A wine of pedigree here.

This dark garnet colored Pinot Noir opens with an orange peel and maraschino cherry bouquet with hints of herbal tea and teaberry. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with integrated acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, soft and savory. The flavor profile is an earthy black plum with notes of orange zest and minerality. We also detected hints of black tea, cranberry, mushroom, and red currant. The finish is dry and its subtle fine tannins and flavors drift away nicely. The Tasting Panel would pair this Pinot with a cranberry-glazed pork chops or with roasted Cornish game hen.

From 4 Giant Steps vineyards, fermented in matured in 675L clay eggs produced in Byron Bay. Whole-bunch pressed, wild ferment and kept in clay for 6 months. No filtration and bottled by gravity. A very bright green gold. Aromas of almond meal, freshly grated ginger and white flowers. A little match stick, too. An intriguing palate, which is dry, grippy, even and long. A bit closed, this would be a great food wine and it will be fascinating to see how this evolves and changes over the next few years.

The wine is crisp and moderately herbal on the nose in a way that I like: green grass and boxwood, kind of a milder version of a classic New Zealand sauv blanc. On the palate, this wine opens into gentle fruit, shot through with zingy lime. It ebbs slowly and satisfyingly on the finish, making me want to keep taking another sip, and another. Not glugs, but savoring sips; it’s a weekday after all. Serve super chilled.

This golden yellow colored Chardonnay from Copain is impressive. It opens with a fragrant and inviting butterscotch, vanilla, oak, and Barlett pear bouquet. On the palate, this wine is full bodied with medium acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, round, and very rich. The flavors profile is a delicious pear, pineapple, and butterscotch blend with notes of oak. I also detected some hints of minerality, almond, and lemon zest. The finish is dry and its flavors and pleasant acidity are very nicely extended. This terrific Chard would be perfectly fine on its own for California Chard lovers. With food I would pair it with Chicken St. Timothy.

March 2022: Red currants, raspberry scents, quite ripe and forward in fruity perfume with a more tightly wound, fresh feeling palate and a building, quality tug of fine tannin in the mix. Gingery spice, a bit of alpine herb too. Tension, vitality and drive. Serious feeling, understated expression.

BONUS: Kendall-Jackson has a pair of limited-release Kentucky Derby-themed wines from California for the annual race. A 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon ($28) from Napa Valley and a 2020 Chardonnay ($17) from Mendocino County. We didn’t get a chance to try these yet, but the Cab is billed as having notes of cigar box, baking spice, black currant and dark cherry, while the Chard is touted as having warm vanilla, tropical fruit and citrus. The 148th Run for the Roses is Saturday, May 7.

BONUS: Kendall-Jackson has a pair of limited-release Kentucky Derby-themed wines from California for the annual race. A 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley and a 2020 Chardonnay from Mendocino County. We didn’t get a chance to try these yet, but the Cab is billed as having notes of cigar box, baking spice, black currant and dark cherry, while the Chard is touted as having warm vanilla, tropical fruit and citrus. The 148th Run for the Roses is Saturday, May 7.

Perfect Springtime Bubbly to Toast the Season
This one just sort of dropped into my lap. I attended a dinner with the folks from La Crema as part of their touring pop-up experience which was so fun by the way. I was of course expecting to drink some of their tasty Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, but when they literally pulled this one out of the bag, you know they had my attention. They’ve only been making this wine for a couple of years, but it’s such a well done effort. Vibrant wild strawberries, lemon verbena, a touch of cream and mineral. Count me a fan!

This medium purple colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Arrowood opens with a black cherry and mild craisin bouquet with hints of cola and violets. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with integrated medium acidity. The mouthfeel is balanced, smooth and lush. The flavor profile is a juicy black currant and cherry-cola blend with notes of oak and mocha. There is a hint of cranberry and oregano at the very end. The finish is dry and its mild tannins and flavors drift away nicely. This Cab is a very good mid-week offering. It would pair well with grilled steak tips or with your favorite juicy burger.

The second label from Byron, a Central Coast stalwart in Santa Barbara County, this Chardonnay has plenty going on with great fruit (pineapple, citrus, green apple), floral notes (hibiscus, orange blossom), and a pretty evident seashell, salinity thing as well. Bright and fruity on the palate, and while some of the wine spent some time in French oak, I would hazard not much of it was new as the oak influence is rather low. It is quite creamy, though, as some of the wine spent time in concrete and I imagine much of it underwent malolactic fermentation. This tasty, affordable wine falls short of the “Big American Chard” profile, but it has many of those characteristics. Very Good.