Silky, balanced, fresh.
From under the umbrella of Jackson Family Wines, this plush Penner~Ash Pinot is an outstanding wine with fragrant notes of cedar and dried violets, sun warmed raspberries and cherry spiked with star anise. It's a fresh and balanced red woven with flavours of berries and earth, white pepper, anise and tealeaf. Silky, bright and elegant.

This medium purple colored Syrah from Copain opens with a moist pipe tobacco and black cherry bouquet with hints of leather, craisin and cinnamon. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with medium acidity. It is also balanced and savory. The flavor profile is a pronounced oak influenced pomegranate and stony minerality blend with notes of craisin. I also detected hints of red raspberry and cinnamon mixed in. The finish is dry and its dusty tannins and fruit flavors sail away nicely and last for a considerable amount of time. This red fruit-based Syrah would pair well with Shaking Beef from the Slanted Door (San Francisco) or with bratwurst sliders on pretzel buns.

Wine of the Day: Willakenzie Tourdion Cuvee Blanc
Though there are likely not many wineries that blend Pinot Noir with Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc, but they should, as Willamette Valley’s Willakenzie Estate reveals with their luscious, lively Willakenzie Tourdion Cuvee Blanc. Inspired by the wines of France’s Alsace region, known for crafting stellar Grand Cru wines from the varieties, although usually as single varietal wines, Tourdion gracefully marries 45% Pinot Noir (pressed shortly after harvest to ensure the skins do not impart too much of their color into the delicate juice), 33% Pinot Blanc, and 22% Pinot Gris, from fruit grown throughout Willkenzie’s expansive estate filled with varying elevations, soil types, sun exposures, and microclimates. Each variety is harvested separately, whole-cluster pressed to maintain vibrant freshness, fermented and aged on the lees in neutral oak, giving a hint of creaminess and texture to the layered wine. The resulting wine is aromatic and inviting, opening with layers of orange blossom and lemon blossom, with subtle herbal notes, and spice, followed by notes of creamy lemon box pie, mandarin, melon, and a smokey mineral note of crushed stone. #Cheers

The 2018 Les Voisins is equally notable. It has more opulent pear and apple notes.

This well-respected winery draws grapes from Anderson Valley to make two distinct chardonnays – Les Voisins and this DuPratt. We liked this one in particular because of its special qualities that come from grapes grown on a small vineyard atop a ridge at 1,550 feet. It bares good acidity and austere character that make it a good match with food.

Eucalyptus and peony, the merest hint of liquorice and redcurrant make for a layered and complex nose. The palate is light but profound, tracing a clear and pristine outline of finest tannin, contouring the fruit with exactitude. This is vivid, bright, intense but oh so translucent. Bravo.

The gorgeous lift of eucalyptus swings alongside the most tender red fruit. Think redcurrant and tart but exquisitely intense tart, red cherry. The palate is pristine, bright, vivid with that bright red fruit that seems to radiate from a profound core. Everything remains light and bright, nothing is heavy, yet there is such beautiful depth. This pull of Pinot with ease.

Beautifully smoky and crunchy cranberry fruit is vivid and aromatic on the nose. That lovely crunch carries right onto the palate where that same smokiness wraps itself around more of that tart, lovely cranberry fruit. The finish is fresh and mouthwatering and of exquisite balance. What a great value wine.

Wines for December holidays
Purple hue sets the stage for a strong nose and power on the palate with thick body, pleasing balance, excellent fruit, notable complexity and much more.

10 Local Wines Worth a Holiday Pour
This expressive wine is a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc and Pinot Gris. With a strong citrus character, Tourdion is full-bodied, energetic and exceptionally food-friendly. It makes for a great party starter, and pairs amazingly with light bites and appetizers — smoked salmon blinis, bruschetta, goat cheese tarts, oysters, you name it!

Such a substantial Merlot, yet still the most mid-weight wine in the Hickinbotham range. 50% of the blend goes into a new large foudre and there is a certain coffeed graininess on palate and finish. Fleshes things out though. Nice texture and balance otherwise – plump, yet not overripe, with not unnatural acidity. Compared to the superstar Shiraz et al this is a step behind – and the oak is a presence. But the balance and poise and naturalness are just excellent. It’s not exactly varietal, but as a clever McLaren Vale red it’s pretty good.

Gran Moraine’s sparkler offers pear, rose petal, brioche, and wild strawberry aromas, followed by juicy tangerine and nectarine notes on the palate.

The La Crema bubbly offers white flowers, apples, lemon meringue, wild strawberries and fresh ginger on the nose and palate.

Lassegue 2017 contains the least merlot I have seen in the wine — 50 percent, with 45 percent cabernet franc and 5 percent cabernet sauvignon. Again, the aging process involves 70 percent new oak for one year. The dark ruby-magenta hue here is enhanced by a touch of mulberry and garnet at the rim; the first impression is of slightly exotic notes of espresso and mocha, opening to hints of pencil dust, walnut shell and forest floor; give this wine some swirling and aerating to bring out the essence of black currants and raspberries, with hints of raspberry leaf, loam and sandalwood; still quite young at four years, Lassegue ’17 coats the palate with stalwart tannins and bastions of burnished, ecclesiastical oak; patience is required to elicit ephemeral qualities of bittersweet chocolate, lavender and violets, with wild tones of blueberry and pomander, all elements subsumed in a grave finish of graphite and granitic minerality. 14 percent alcohol. Try from 2024 or ’25 through 2032 to ’35. Excellent.

Lassegue 2018 is a blend of 62 percent merlot, 35 percent cabernet franc and 3 percent cabernet sauvignon, aged one year in French oak, 70 percent new barrels, the standard regimen for the estate. The color is very dark ruby-magenta, shading to a transparent rim; at first, this seems all an expression of structural elements — foresty briers and brambles, graphite, wheatmeal and walnut shell; notes of black currants and cherries are intense and concentrated, though a few moments in the glass unfurl hints of cedar, tobacco and dried rosemary, with touches of fig paste and black olive; all of these qualities are revealed with balance and nuance; on the palate — yes, not surprising, the wine is dense, warm and enveloping, solid with dusty tannins enlivened by a refreshing spate of bright acidity; the finish is just as firm, as granitic and as spice-laden as you would expect. 14.5 percent alcohol. Try from 2023 or ’24 through 2030 to ’34. Excellent.

Red, White and Brew: Cold weather selections
il fauno di Arcanum is a Bordeaux-style blend, inspired by their right-bank wines. Merlot and Cabernet Franc – driven, this wine is voluptuous and lush. The 2018 vintage saw almost ideal growing season, with no extreme heat or untimely rains. This resulted in an elegant wine with a strong backbone. Some earthy aromas on the nose are followed by dark fruits and luscious tannins on the palate. It culminates with a long and spicy finish. Not your typical Italian wine from the Toscana region. Highly acclaimed every year, this vintage was rated 94 points. Very food friendly, especially with meat dishes.

Grilled pineapple, dried mango, spiced pear, buttered toast and smoked almond on the nose. Medium-to full-bodied, layered and concentrated. Some waxy and smoky character. Excellent length. Sustainable. Drink now.

An intensely flavorful chardonnay with cooked pear, papaya, clove, tangerine peel, toffee and chamomile on the nose. Full-bodied, layered and textured. Smoky and spicy character to complement the ripe fruit. Phenolic. Delicious now.

Refined nose of flint, dried apple, orange pith, hazelnut and toast. It’s medium-to full-bodied with vibrant acidity. Citrus zest evolves to mango and stone fruit. Flavorful finish. Sustainable. Drink or hold.

12 Best Christmas drinks gifts for your friends
This chardonnay is a nice aromatic white that has a faint whiff of caramelized pears and creamy butter. The first taste shows the excellent balance with frothy acidity and a comfy mouthfeel. It goes great with cheese.

Full throttle black cherry fruit is currently tucked in behind oak and tannin structure. That said, a return to the bottle after a couple of days on the counter reveals a wine beginning to open and show its charms. This will resolve nicely over time – I would start with about five years. Of course, a long decanting near term will work wonders as well.

This wine from Chianti Classico Gran Selezione, a relatively new DOCG, seems to be a tip of the hat to the new world, showing a little more oak and a little more ripeness than the regular Chianti Classico specs allow. “Strada Al Sasso” is a very sexy wine, with a rich midpalate and a long, fruit forward finish. It’s quite approachable now after a good decant, and it will certainly reward some additional bottle aging.

Bold extraction and a fair amount of oak take centerstage here, with black cherry, sage, charred oak and brown spice aromas and flavors. This will need a long decant near term, or age long term for full enjoyment when the oak folds in. Black tea-like tannins require food; no surprise there!

The Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard site is ‘ancient’ by Australian standards, originally planted in 1858. The Brooks Vineyard Shiraz showcases the pedigree of this historically important vineyard. With an elegant nose and flavours of crunchy blackcurrant and blackberry, accented by black and white pepper and cedarwood, the palate shows excellent concentration, brisk acidity and silky tannins with weight, layers and depth. It has a lingering, savoury finish.

The brilliant biodynamic McLaren Vale producer that is Yangarra Estate was the source of a Master-winning Syrah this year. Using very old vines and sensitive cellar techniques, the style of wine is ripe, but not heavy, with a smoothness and brightness one might not normally associate with this hot part of Australia. Texture aside, this is a delicious Syrah, with flavours of dark cherry, pepper and plums, vanilla and cedar, even a touch of dried mint and cranberry.