Les Cadrans de Lassegue Saint Emilion Grand Cru 2016. Second wines of highly ranked wines from Bordeaux can provide great value to discerning consumers. The 2016 Les Cadrans de Lassegue, second wine of the Saint Emilion Grand Cru Chateau Lassegue, is no exception. A skillful blend of 90 percent merlot and 10 percent cabernet franc this very complex complete wine is an amazing value. The Les Cadrans presents a perfumed nose of mushrooms and violets with plum and clove notes in the mouth, creating a very complex and pleasing package.

Deep, youthful red colour in the glass. Pretty, lifted, perfumed aromas of musk, geranium, dark cherry, dried herbs, dark chocolate and spice. Full-flavoured, mulberry, blackberry, blood plum, mocha, spice and a menthol edge. The tannins have a fabulous minerally texture and mouth-feel and there's a lightness and brightness to the palate—nothing heavy or clunky here.

Bright ruby colour. A composed nose of raspberries, rosehip, fennel and sweet spice leads into a velvety core. Its harmonious flow is a standout feature of the wine, alongside its elegant composition of flavours. The palate features vibrant red fruits—raspberries and redcurrant and some savoury tones of fresh earth and bitter chocolate. It glides across with fine yet pliant tannins. Its presence could almost be called ethereal.

Alluring notes of violets, licorice and chocolate-dipped raspberries lead into a ripe and cushioned core full of life. There's a pleasing texture to the wine, a gliding tannin with a fine chew. A warming alcohol glow appears on the finish. This is heady and vibrant with dimension.

Aromas of fresh earth, fennel and raspberries—not as aromatic as its sibling, Hickinbotham grenache. These make way for a palate of dark red berries and savoury tones. There's a sanguine element that adds complexity and intrigue. This wine is all about the base, while its tannins are fine and framing.

Aromas of meat broth, earth and red berries on the nose. On the palate, it has lovely breadth and presence, red fruits mixed with savoury notes. The tannins are fine yet grippy, adding texture to the finish.

A bright, deep ruby-red in the glass. Blueberry, dried herbs and violet aromatics. Just shy of full-bodied, with bright blueberry fruit, nori and saline-mineral notes, layered with great complexity across the tongue. The tannins are fine and firm and there’s a lick of brightening acidity that drives and lifts it to a very long and bright finish. A wine that will offer great rewards for years to come.

Liquid Gold | 7 Splendid Napa Valley Chardonnays
This inaugural vintage of the La Jota W.S. Keyes Vineyard Chardonnay comes from a cherished vineyard block planted in the historic W.S. Keyes Vineyard in 1999. With bracing minerality, refreshing acidity, and notes of white peach, crisp pear and freshly baked bread, this is a Chardonnay that is ready to drink now, but is also built to age.

The 2019 Chardonnay Machado has a soft honeyed character, with brighter tones of saline, Meyer lemon and chamomile. The medium-bodied palate has great textural presence, its satiny, expansive flavors foiled by bright acidity that brings an energetic quality to the long finish.

The 2019 Pinot Noir 3D is lovely, with pomegranate and raspberry aromas and nuances of lemon peel and wildflowers. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and polished, with sleek layers of spicy fruit and juicy acidity calling you in for another sip on the long finish.

The 2019 Pinot Noir 459 has a medium ruby-purple color and rich scents of raspberries, blood orange, sage and angostura bitters. The medium-bodied palate is layered and deeply fruited, with fine, silty tannins and a long, iron-laced finish.

The 2019 Chardonnay 3D has a singular expression this year, with expansive flavors and fine aromatic nuances. Quince fruit is overlaid by wafts of chaparral, sage, mushroom and dark spices on the nose, and the palate has a satiny texture and gentle tang,
finishing long and mineral-driven.

The 2019 Syrah from Ex Post Facto was made entirely with whole clusters and spent, "a zillion years in the fermenter, as always," quips winemaker Greg Brewer. It's fantastically expressive this vintage, with pure scents of red and black currants, cracked pepper, mint, coffee beans and wildflowers. Medium-bodied and silty in texture, its intense, spicy fruits are perfectly ripe, and fresh acidity adds crunchy appeal on the long, layered finish. Yum!

Pale ruby-purple, the 2019 Pinot Noir Hapgood is scented of raspberries and pomegranate with touches of licorice, iodine and earth. The medium-bodied palate offers bright, pure citrus flavors, a gently chalky texture and great uplift and length.

Medium ruby, the 2019 Pinot Noir Machado is scented of blackberries, aniseed and citrus peel with loads of fine, earthy accents in the undercurrent. The palate is chalky, fresh and detailed, with a very long, spicy finish.

The 2019 Chardonnay Sta. Rita Hills is scented of toasty yellow apples, roasted almonds, honey and saline. The palate is satiny and seamless, with bright acidity and rich, honeyed fruits, finishing with impressive texture and length.

Pale ruby-purple, the 2019 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills has bright cranberry and pomegranate aromas with touches of earth, tangerine and dark spice. The palate is delicately styled, with a soft, seamless texture and bright citrusy character lingering on the finish.

The 2019 Chardonnay Hapgood offers saline-tinged citrus fruits and deeper honey-nut tones on the nose. The palate is satiny and super fresh, a linear line of acidity streaking through honeyed fruits, and it finishes long and lifted.

Lassegue’s 2015 Bordeaux is a sumptuous Merlot-driven blend from the Right Bank. It is immensely pleasurable now and worthy of a spot in the cellar. It’s a lustrous garnet red, with vibrant aromas of ripe plum, cherry, dark chocolate, and violets. Medium to full in body, it has a dense but balanced feel on the palate with opulent layers of spiced black fruit, cassis, and mocha. The blend is 70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine evolves nicely in the glass and is the perfect candidate for a case purchase.

Flinty to begin, the 2020 Chardonnay takes some time to reveal baked peaches and quince with honey-nut undertones. The palate offers incredible texture and saline-like mineral character, with soft white-flower perfume on the refreshing finish.

The Penner-Ash 2019 Estate Pinot Noir is refreshing and savory — a delicious effort by Kate Ayers, the winemaker. It is a terroir-driven Pinot Noir that showcases the distinguishing textures and flavors of Willamette Valley. The first sip releases high-toned notes of wild strawberry, raspberry, cranberry, rose petal, wet stone, cherry, and crushed earth. The palate is fresh and lush with supple tannins and a soft mineral core that provides complexity to each layer of the wine.

This is a beautifully structured wine with generous notes of black olives, blueberries and lavender. Deliciously ripe and fruit forward.

Barossa and McLaren Vale Grenache: 20 top wines to try
Great care has been taken in crafting this elite expression of Grenache from a rare old dry-grown McLaren Vale vineyard. Winemaker Peter Fraser captures a heady high-toned perfume of ripe berries and a hint of wild herbs, with a fine, clean palate and a long, beguiling flow of subtle flavour hits. The impact of the initial impression persists, with lean muscle in the structure enabling every nuance to ring clear and true.

This pale straw-colored Chardonnay from Kendall Jackson is terrific. It opens with a fragrant oak and pear bouquet with notes of wet stone. On the palate, this wine is full bodied with nicely integrated acidity. The flavor profile is a lemon and golden delicious apple blend with notes of oak and pear. I also detected hints of butterscotch and almond in the mix. The finish is dry, and its acidity and flavors are nicely extended. This Chard paired very well with my Lucia’s Pollo e Zucca di Zucca aka sautéed chicken with butternut squash ravioli simmered in a parmesan cheese, and chiffonade fresh sage cream sauce. Yum!

Hartford Family Winery, Russian River Pinot Noir 2018, assertive for Pinot, there’s crunchy red berry fruit, well integrated gently spicy oak and a silky sleek character that makes this the most wonderfully satisfying fireside wine.