This concentrated La Jota red—from Chris Carpenter, like the earlier-mentioned Caladan—comes from some of the oldest Cab Franc vines in Napa Valley. Aromas of pungent mountain herbs announce its Howell Mountain provenance, swirling with violets, red fruit and touches of cocoa and smoke box. The palate follows with beautifully intense raspberry and red cherry laced with sweet spices, while a significant tannin structure (Howell Mountain!) creates visceral tension through a vivid finish.

From Cardinale’s Chris Carpenter (who is also behind Lokoya, La Jota and more) comes Caladan, a project rooted in Cabernet Franc. This 2018, with 25 percent Merlot added to its 75 percent Franc, gives up an incredibly high-toned nose full of spicy rose petals, fresh mint and red berries over a layer of wet-stone minerality and pencil shavings. The palate is juicy and delicate even in its generosity. Raspberry and strawberry compote join a vein of cherry (the Merlot talking), with hints of exotic spice and bright but gentle acidity joining with extra-fine tannins to create an elegant structure.

What We Are Drinking This Week
La Crema 2019 Pinot Noir lovely colour with ruby tints and a glowing intensity at its heart. Pure beetroot and strawberry its a Burgundian on the nose with the mineral tension from the winemaking. Full and flavoursome upfront well wed fruit and oak with texture and length with a depth of flavour generosity. A yummy, good value wine.

This is a long running, outstanding oaked chard that from time to time goes on sale, when it does, grab it, my bet, it will easily keep for a couple years. This one is pale/golden in color with a nice vibrant nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some lovely buttery, rich, caramel flavors along with some apple and pear. On the medium length in finish the wine displays some nice crisp, dry, vibrant acidity and oak notes. This is a lovely, smooth, elegant oaked chard, not overdone, to my tastes … Yumm. I would give it an 88+. We paired it with pan fried scallops and it was heavenly.

Wine's for Valentine's Day
Strong but refined, this full-bodied wine has gorgeous fruit, yet excellent balance, as well as exceptional complexity, integration, refinement and finish. Plus, the name of the vineyard is fitting for Valentine’s Day.

One of the most popular California Pinot Noirs come from La Crema, part of the Jackson Family portfolio. The 2019 Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir is smooth, balanced and delicious, with juicy flavours of red cherry and plum accompanied by accents of cinnamon, sweet pipe tobacco, orange and a forest floor earthiness.

We made a big pot of homemade Seafood Chowder full of shrimp, scallops and crab, with a hot baguette of multigrain bread alongside. We paired this with a bottle of La Crema Pinot Gris, for another cold winter feast. Not a bad way to spend a Grey Day!
The La Crema is a little on the delicate side, with a pleasant nose of melon and stone fruit. The flavors are tangerine and lime, with a little Meyer Lemon in the mix. The finish is crisp and clean. The alcohol content is 13.5%, and Norm’s score is 88.
This would be a great choice for Chicken Piccata, and also Shrimp Salad Louie.

Penner-Ash 2018 Estate Pinot Noir has fresh berry and warm spice notes, with fine tannins and a hint of vanilla. Founded by Lynn Penner-Ash, Penner-Ash is one of Oregon's most celebrated wineries. Kate Ayers has been the current winemaker since 2018. A silky wine to sip with Baked Brie with Fig Preserves.

If you're in a French state of mind, try a velvety Bordeaux blend: Chateau Lassegue 2018. The wine is a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Franc with a touch of Cabernet Sauvignon. The moment you pour it into your glass, aromas of violets and dark berries are released, and on the palate, notes of cassis, black cherry, and an earthy finish. This is a smooth and luxurious wine, a fantastic pairing with Beef Wellington.

This iconic California winery has been crafting world class sauvignon blanc and merlot since 1977. Some of the states most talented winemakers have crafted their wines. This Merlot showcases the fantastic grapes that Alexander Valley in Sonoma County can grow. The wine defines what California merlot can really achieve and what level it’s capable of reaching. The talented Marcia Torres Forno crafted this “18” and aged it in French oak for 18 months.
Lovely aromatics of ripe boysenberry, spice and leather fill the glass. Succulent flavors of ripe blackberry, raspberry, anise and black pepper notes fill the mouth. Excellent structure and perfect balance followed by a lengthy finish.
Pair with: pepper steak, grilled ribeye, hearty ragu with pasta, sirloin tips in red wine reduction or end meal with some dark chocolate.

A blend of Sexton, Tarraford, Applejack, Primavera and Wombat Creek vineyards. 15% new oak (puncheons). About 10% malo. In other news, Mel Chester (ex Seppelt, Sutton Grange) is the incoming winemaker at Giant Steps, while Steve Flamsteed involves himself in special ops for GS, among other things.
Flavour, crunch, gloss, and all up a Chardonnay of fine balance and appeal. White peach, almond, a little fennel and lime, fine acidity, flinty texture, a cool cucumber thing happening, and clean, with a well-defined finish of excellent length. Very good in 2021.

Hand-picked from the usual assortment of Giant Steps vineyards across the Yarra Valley.
Red fruit, spice, a little pepper, something of a blood orange/Campari character too. It’s slightly sappy, red cherry and spiced strawberry, again that blood orange flavour and some savoury ‘autumnal’ character. Tannin has light emery grip, and the finish is juicy/sweet/sour and slightly bitter, offering solid length. Good drink. Better again with a little more time in bottle.

Valentine’s Gift Guide 2022
This Pinot Noir can be described as graceful, layered, and bold. Aromas of boysenberry, cherry, and sweet tobacco are followed by flavors of raspberry, blackberry, and cherry. Perfect for celebrating another year with your lover.

Valentine’s Gift Guide 2022
Your love interest will swoon over the notes of white flowers, braeburn apple, and crushed oyster shell. Flavors of lemon meringue, wild strawberries, and fresh ginger shine through on the palate. A lively core of acidity is followed by a vibrant lingering finish.

Best Valentine’s Day Wines
The 2018 Lassègue has a deep garnet color. The bouquet shows notes of cassis and violet. The palate reveals lots of red and black fruit, and silky tannins evolving in a long, complex finish.

How to Pair Wine with Chocolate
Pairing Milk Chocolate with Wine
Milk chocolate is your safest bet when you want to enjoy a wine pairing. Its higher milk and sugar content and lower cacao make it more likely to pair well with your drink of choice. We recommend pairing a medium bodied red like a pinot noir from California or Australia. Both regions are warmer, and their wines boast beautiful ripe fruit flavors that will pair wonderfully with this medium intensity chocolate. Try the 2018 Siduri Russian River Pinot Noir.

The label is deceptively simple and bespeaks respected winemaker Chris Carpenter’s expertise with this single varietal after his work at Lokoya and Cardinale estates. Well before that he interned at Tenute Antinori in Tuscany and studied at the University of Stranieri, which I suspect gave him a notion that big red wines don’t have to be huge red wines. There are layers of aromas and spices here, proving that Merlot is not one-dimensional and merely likeable. The price tag is high but the wine deserves respect.

This bright medium yellow colored Chardonnay from Kendall Jackson opens with a under-ripe pineapple bouquet with hints of Anjou pear and lemon. On the palate, this wine is medium plus bodied with medium acidity. The mouthfeel is round, bright, and balanced. The flavor profile is a mild oak influenced gentle pineapple with notes of cantaloupe. I also detected hints of butterscotch and vanilla. The finish is dry and its flavors drift away nicely. This Chard is made in a crowd-pleasing manner. It is versatile and will pair well with many food. I would pair it with pasta carbonara.

Six Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignons — All Under $100 — You Need To Try Right Now:
Kendall-Jackson 2018 Jackson Estate Hawkeye Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon

One of my favorite Pinot Noirs has for a long time been the La Crema from Russian River, and once again it does not disappoint. This is a classic style Pinot Noir from one of the premier vineyard areas in the entire country. It is pretty hard to beat Pinot Noir grown in Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley! The nose is elegant with the scent of both black and red fruits fresh from the orchard. The rich flavor suggests plum, blueberry and dark cherry, with a touch of chocolate toward the finish, which has just a hint of oak. This one certainly begs for another sip! The alcohol content is 14.5%, and Norm’s score is 90. We have enjoyed this wine many times in the past with grilled meat, and it is also a great match for grilled salmon.

This medium garnet colored Pinot Noir from Hartford Court is terrific. It opens with a mild red raspberry and red cherry licorice bouquet with hints of black tea and violets. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with gentle acidity. The mouthfeel is soft, smooth, and very well-balanced. The flavor profile is red plum and cranberry blend with hints of clove, red cherry, minerality, and dried herbs. The finish is dry, and its flavors and soft gentle tannins are nicely extended. The Panel would pair this Pinot with oven roasted cherry chicken with rosemary or braised rabbit.

Wine recommendations for January
La Crema is a California winery that just celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2019 and specializes in producing wines from cool climates. The wine is aged in oak for 7 months to give the wine a creamy and buttery texture; you should find citrus and green apple notes too.

This is brooding, intense and quite savoury, with notes of blood and iron, as well as sweet blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. It’s a fresh, structured and slightly backward wine, with acidity prominent, and a slight pithy, reductive tension. Has a bitter plum finish. There’s lots to like here, but it’s unyielding and unresolved at the moment, even though it promises a lot more to come. As such, it is hard to rate. I followed it over three days and it slowly began to yield, but not much. There’s not a hint of overripeness here, nor any obvious oak, and in terms of profile it reminds me a bit of Wendouree, although the region and soils are different. But it makes me think it has a long life ahead of it.

Most of the Merlot grapes, 86 percent, came from Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley and the remaining 14 percent came from the winery’s estate vineyards in Bennett Valley. The wine has a beautiful dark ruby color with a touch of magenta highlights. Aromas of black cherry, plum and blackberry offer an invitation to get the wine into your mouth to enjoy the wine’s rich black cherry, blackberry fruit layered with dark chocolate. It is silky smooth, finishing with ripe tannins. Serve it with a grilled steak, or even better make the L’Ultime Dark Chocolate Mousse with Lavender Scented Mixed Berries from the recipe on their site at MatanzasCreek.com/blog/lultime-dark-chocolate-mousse-lavender-scented-mixed-berries. Bill and Sandra MacIver established the Matanzas Creek Winery in 1977. Their first winemaker was Merry Edwards and the next winemaker was Dave Ramey. They sold the estate to Jackson Family Wines in 2000.

California meets Saint-Emilion in this broad-shouldered Merlot/Cabernet Franc-dominant blend. The unnecessarily heavy bottle predicts the wine’s style. Though mostly black fruit-driven at this stage, a lovely mineral tarriness appears in the finish. I suspect more complexity will appear with bottle age. For now, this voluptuous wine has a suave and supple texture that makes it a good choice for current consumption with a steak for those who gravitate to that style.