Michael Lane, who renovated the vines at Yangarra, grows this fruit at a 5.7-acre block where the shiraz grows on sand mixed with ironstone. That fruit ferments spontaneously with 25 percent of its whole bunches, then ages in large French oak foudres , allowing the minerality to race along with the black cherry flavors unbridled. Jason Hoy, of Tucker Silk Mill in Easton, PA, compared this wine's elegance to the feel of a St-Joseph. "It has light, savory fruit without being vegetal," he said. David Hawkins, who also grew up in Australia, found it "very McLaren," especially in the balanced sweetness of that fruit. Either way, it's bold and delicious.

This is Peter Fraser's barrel selection of the best grenache from a parcel in Yangarra's Blewitt Springs vineyards, the vines planted in 1946 on three feet of silica sands over clay. He cold-soaks the fruit without its stems, half of it as whole berries, then allows it to ferment spontaneously, bringing out a complex perfume in the concentrated old-vine fruit. Even as the alcohol is apparent—giving the tannins a mouth puckering power—the wine feels cool and rich. The savory intensity takes grenache in a classical direction, with the kind of grandeur more typically found in the Rhône or in the hills above Madrid than in the New World.

93 points, poured core black to a deep purple/red with a thin clear meniscus and hanging stained legs.
Aromas of coffee, currant fruit, lavender, and cedar were lovely.
This full-bodied dry red wine showed still fine grainy tannins, good acidity, and good flavors reflective of the aromas, red cherry, and pomegranate.
Finished long on the fading palate, a hint of citrus, cherry cola, and a well-balanced 14.1% alcohol.
Paired perfectly with my guacamole burger.

The team at Yangarra started bottling wine from their Hickinbotham estate in 2012. The dry-farmed vineyard in Clarendon produced a shiraz with the meatiness and bloodiness of rare roast beef, backed up by McLaren Vale tannins that add a black mushroom savor. It's smooth and ripe, a pleasure with filet mignon.

If you want to impress with rarity and quality side-by-side, here’s your choice. This wonder takes us to America in 1886 and the 16th bonded winery in Napa Valley. Not only is Freemark one of the area’s oldest, it boasts one of the most extensive wine libraries in the USA, with vintages dating back to the Sixties. To this day, their wines source grapes from two of the most acclaimed vineyards in Rutherford, Sycamore and Bosché (arguably some of the most famous in the region).
This Freemark blend is dominated by 87 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon, with a kiss of Merlot and Cabernet Franc to round things out. You can expect a burst of cassis, pine and thyme with truffle, vanilla and dark chocolate raspberry. With over 130 years of winemaking history, you can’t really go wrong.

A lovely pale pink-salmon in hue, the La Crema Sparkling Brut Rose Russian River Valley epitomizes Valentine’s Day in a glass.
Girly yet sophisticated, it fairly bursts with bright strawberries and raspberries with just a twinge of ginger on the finish. Crisp and zingy with plenty of acidity, it’s a blend of 65 percent Pinot Noir and 35 percent Chardonnay.
This nonvintage sparkling wine, of which I received a sample, is right at home, be it at a romantic holiday dinner or a casual backyard get-together. It’s sure to make any occasion feel that much more festive.

It’s Winter – These are the Chardonnays you Should be Drinking
Winemaker’s Notes:
This highly textured wine displays aromas of yellow apple, honeysuckle and tangerine skin. Fresh flavors of Granny Smith apple and Meyer lemon are intertwined with layers of spice and crystallized ginger. A rich and weighty mid-palate is followed by a very long exotic, mineral-infused finish.

It’s Winter – These are the Chardonnays you Should be Drinking
Winemaker’s Notes:
Aromas of Meyer lemon, gala apple, and Jasmine are followed by flavors of pear, Cara Cara orange, and lemon meringue pie. On the palate, the wine is concentrated and juicy with a lingering finish.

It’s Winter – These are the Chardonnays you Should be Drinking
Winemaker’s Notes:
On the nose, this wine shows white flowers, orange blossom and stone fruits. On the palate, you’ll find a generous burst of Meyer Lemon is backed by pineapple with hints of brioche and vanilla, all interwoven on a long, succulent finish driven by vibrant acidity.

It’s Winter – These are the Chardonnays you Should be Drinking
Winemaker’s Notes:
This Chardonnay is energetic and balanced with notes of lemon zest, sourdough bread and a hint of mustard seed.

It’s Winter – These are the Chardonnays you Should be Drinking
Winemaker’s Notes:
Situated on the Mendocino Ridge at1600′ elevation, the DuPratt Chardonnay is intensley aromatic on the palate with an acidity that carries flavors of Meyer lemon and saline.

It’s Winter – These are the Chardonnays you Should be Drinking
Winemaker’s Notes:
A true expression of the Willamette Valley, and a partner to our Willamette Valley Pinot Noir. This wine is driven by bright acidity overlaid on top of a solid foundation of fruit, sourced from premier sites across the region to incorporate the unique terroirs of our region’s sub-AVAs.

Winter wines from Oregon to warm your soul
Bubbles are not only perfect any time of year, they’re the perfect way to begin or end any evening (or article). This inaugural release of Gran Moraine’s estate-grown 2014 Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine is a bit of sass and a lot of class, all in a glass. Made entirely from two treasured blocks of estate Chardonnay, it’s been en tirage for nearly six years, where it built character and tiny, precise bubbles. The resulting wine is pure elegance with aromas of lemon curd, kumquat, toasted baguette and grassy meadow, with flavors of orange peel, lilac, persimmons and Meyer lemon. Focused and brilliant, it’s sure to appeal to the hard-core bubble fanatics as well as the casual imbiber. Idaho native Shane Moore, who graduated from Washington State University with a bachelor’s degree in viticulture and enology, suggests pairing it with ramen, corn dogs, oysters, tempura, existential dilemmas, sunrises, reunions and off-beat pop music.

Yeasty aromas, with orange, lemon and watermelon on the palate. Good plus.

Blackberry and brambles on the nose. Blackberry, black cherry, plum, violet, earth, leather and licorice with a lingering finish. Very good.

COMMENTARY: The 2015 Nielson by Byron Pinot Noir is fragrant, attractive, and nicely textured. TASTING NOTES: This wine has aromas and flavors of warm berries, black fruit, and graphite. Serve it with oxtail stew.

While we talk about hundreds of years of tradition in Europe, you rarely see wineries over 7O years old in the US. Freemark Abbey is an exception, established in 1886, by a woman no less. Josephine Tychson built the 127-acre vineyard and winery and sold it 8 short years later to her winemaker. Since then, the winery has enjoyed several owners but has settled down with a group of partners since 1966. In that time, Freemark Abbey has only had 2 winemakers guiding their processes — Ted Edwards and then Kristy Melton — which speaks to a house style. Their wines are rustic, dark and inky. While the grapes are ripe, they also exude a smokiness with notes of bitter chocolate and cinnamon and earth and herbs. It is the type of California Merlot that even Paul Giamatti would drink!

Uncork and Unwind with These Great Book and Bottle Pairings
Very Sincerely Yours by Kerry Winfrey
This free flowing romcom shows the insecurities of a relationship as it keeps your interest from one chapter to the next. Interesting, but not an over-weighted plot.
A wine to match with this flowing story needs to be a smooth wine, full of flavor, but not overpowering. A great fit would be Matanzas Creek Winery Sonoma County Chardonnay 2018. It has a faint straw color, slight buttery with a hint of oak, but not too strong. A lingering, full finish makes you want to continue reading with another glass of this gem.

A ripping blend of 55% merlot, 40% cabernet sauvignon and 5% petit verdot, grown on the north-facing slope of the Warramate Hills, this is one of the Yarra’s most impressive merlot-based blends.
With a deep, vibrant purple/red colour, with cassis and blueberry, spices and violets to sniff. Medium to full-bodied with intense flavour, loads of tension and energy plus. Abundant ripe tannins provide backbone. Long, reverberating aftertaste.

This medium purple colored Shiraz opens with a black currant and sage bouquet with hints of boysenberry, faint leather, and black tea. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with nicely integrated medium acidity. The mouthfeel is smooth and well-balanced. The flavor profile is cedar influenced boysenberry and subtle stony minerality blend with notes of red plum. We also detected hints of black raspberry and menthol. The finish is dry, and its moderate tannins are nicely prolonged. The Tasting Panel would pair this Shiraz with lamb lollipops, Jiko's wild boar, or venison stew.

With its nose of cinnamon, cherry, and rose, this inviting Pinot Noir shows brilliant minerality and a light, airy mouthfeel. A touch of white pepper seasons cherry, cranberry, and red tea.

25 Bottles of Wine to Drink to Become a Wine Expert
Chardonnay is the most popular grape variety in the US. Familiarize yourself with the classic California style—ripe fruit, spicy oak notes—with a wine like the 2019 La Crema Sonoma Coast Chardonnay.

First-Time Bubbly
Shane Moore, the winemaker at Gran Moraine in Oregon's Willamette Valley, describes the recently released 2014 Blanc de Blancs as "an Oregonian James Bond." The extended-tirage sparkling wine, the winery's first-ever Blanc de Blancs, is crafted from estate-grown chardonnay and integrates layers of Meyer lemon, orange peel and brioche.

Twice as Compelling
Along with the Lassègue 2018, a Saint- Émilion Grand Cru wine composed of Merlot (62 percent), Cabernet Franc (35 percent), and Cabernet Sauvignon (3 percent), Château Lassègue released its 2014 library vintage blending the same grapes in slightly different proportions—Merlot (60 percent), Cabernet Franc (30 percent), and Cabernet Sauvignon (10 percent). While the 2018 bursts with red and black fruit, the prime-drinking 2014 unites notes of licorice, spice, and subtle oak.

Twice as Compelling
Along with the Lassègue 2018, a Saint- Émilion Grand Cru wine composed of Merlot (62 percent), Cabernet Franc (35 percent), and Cabernet Sauvignon (3 percent), Château Lassègue released its 2014 library vintage blending the same grapes in slightly different proportions—Merlot (60 percent), Cabernet Franc (30 percent), and Cabernet Sauvignon (10 percent). While the 2018 bursts with red and black fruit, the prime-drinking 2014 unites notes of licorice, spice, and subtle oak.