Very pure fruit aromas with ripe cherry essence and some strawberry. The palate has a soft, creamy feel with a distinctive, kirsch-like core of flavor. Crunchy tannins cradle fluid fruit flesh. Drink now.

All the herbs you want with none of the green that you don’t.

World-famous for its Pinot Noir, the Willamette Valley is also an ideal growing region for beautiful sparkling wine. This Chardonnay-led Brut Rosé, a non-vintage bubbly, encapsulates just what is so exciting about Oregon wine right now. It’s a single vineyard, estate-grown wine from the Gran Moraine Vineyard in the Yamhill-Carlton AVA of Willamette Valley. Aromatic, exotic citrus fruit, ripe peaches, toasted almonds and a sprinkling of dried rose petals. Mouthwatering acidity is balanced with supple tannins all the way.

Rosé Season Is Here: The 12 Best New Bottles of Pink to Drink This SummerDusty rose marks the nose on this pale beauty from Sonoma’s Hartford Family Winery, with wild strawberry joining in the perfume. This one is dry and refreshing yet generous, its red fruit running from raspberry to cranberry, ripe peach, grapefruit and tangerine zest all underlined with minerality.

Impressive sensorial quality that imposes a profound stamp is rich in identity with the mixed floral and fruity scents of lavender, violet, agapanthus, magnolia, orange blossom, blue plums, pressed blueberries and warm white stone. Full body, silky tannins, enveloping but not over the top, it relaxes in a very pleasant bite that from the center of the palate onwards creates length and persistence. What a phenomenon. Impossible to resist it but better from 2023.

Impenetrable in color with captivating violet reflections, hints of black plums, blackberries, wild myrtle, cinnamon, juniper berries and green pepper emerge. In the background, the slight opalescence given by the stay on large and fine lees makes it more attractive and will protect it over time. Full body, velvety tannins and an incredibly radiant and essential, defined and progressive finish. Fantastic now it will be better from 2023 onwards.

Processed without fear of contact on the fine lees, this young Chianti Classico shows sensory power and character. Primary hints of black cherries, orange blossom, wild strawberries and juniper berries blend with shades of cedar and pink grapefruit. Full-bodied, juicy and delicious on the palate, it gives a more than pleasant sip, important but not demanding. Delicious right away but better from 2022.

Fresh but flinty and sulphide-inflected, La Crema's 2018 Monterey chardonnay starts out with gentle wood influence with just a touch of caramel and creamed corn, alongside more dominant white and yellow-fleshed orchard fruit. Yet the finish picks up the wood theme and runs with it, ending on astringent texture and burnt caramel flavours. Ultimately, it seems, it carries more wood than the wine can/should handle in my view, on this leaner, cooler climate frame. The net result is a little rough and tumble, oak-infused.

Notably warm, buttery and creamy, certainly as compared to the Sonoma and Russian River chardonnays. Also herbal pesto, pecan brittle and then back to ferns and nettles in a chardonnay that oscillates with the tides. Plenty of complexity, diversity and intensity with a tacky feel that comes and goes in waves. Acids keep things equal and alive. Drink 2021-2024.

This is is a full bodied, smooth, just slightly sweet chardonnay with a fairly ripe complex nose of peach/pineapple fruit, creamed corn, some flinty reduction, toast and nutmeg. Ticks all the boxes of modern California chardonnay. But it is a bit blowsy, sweet and spicy on the palate, with alcohol heat as well. The length is excellent.

A McLaren Vale Shiraz always destined to impress. This 2018 is no different. Another excellent Ironheart Shiraz. Handpicked off certified organic and biodynamic vineyards, 25% whole bunches were used before sitting on skins for 16 days and 32% new French oak used. It's deep and brooding, dark chocolate and coconut husk reach out early. Packed with interest, cedar, cloves and raspberries seemingly skim across the surface but it's the darker red fruits that get in deep. Hold your breath before blackberries cut loose - it's the depth that screams out and captivates here. The oak protrudes a little for now but this will settle with time. This is most definitely a keeper. Dried herbs and a lashing of chocolate rush late as do fine spices. A finish that runs long and seemingly never-ending. Brilliant! Drink to ten years+.

Opening to a delightful nose, the 2017 Chardonnay wafts out of the glass with delicate French oak notes, citrus blossom, yellow apple, Meyer lemon, hints of musk melon and underripe pineapple. Medium to full-bodied, the palate shows energetic acidity with succulence on the palate. Growing spiciness from the oak enters across the mid-palate, with subtle flavors of sautéed almonds and yellow apple with a kiss of reductive essence. The wine finishes texturally long and with a food-friendly, spicy conclusion. Nicely done.

Pale straw in the glass, the 2018 Chardonnay Silene opens with beautiful aromas of cardamom madeleines, yellow apple, crème brûlée and sweet lemon pastry cream. Medium to full-bodied, the wine is fresh and vibrant with a balanced structure, lively acidity and oak tones woven through the mid-palate. The wine concludes with a bright finish of soft, nutty flavors of almond and a lingering tone of lemon panna cotta.

Splendid Red, White, Rosé and Bubbly Wines To Serve During BBQ SeasonFrom the foothills of this appellation comes this versatile blend of 90% Merlot with 10% Cabernet Franc from Ch. Lassègue’s second label. This vintage is aged only 12 months in French oak, which gives it a lightness that allows for a slightly chilled serve. It’s fantastic with barbecued chicken, or even hot dogs!

ABC - AKA – Always Bring Chardonnay I would love to serve this in a blind tasting for people who usually ONLY DRINK BURGUNDY! This wine takes a bit of time to open up in the glass but once it does you will be rewarded with crystalline granny smith apple freshness, nervy citrus peel tension, a coquettish brioche whisper which is whipped into place with a saline savoury finish. A super serious and elegant option which could contend with certain sites in Burgundy, especially at the price!

ABC - AKA – Always Bring ChardonnayBaked pear ripeness gives away this wine’s Cali roots but it’s a bit more restrained on the oak front. Think Werthers Original tanginess as opposed to butterscotch. This is what Brits order to enjoy Cali Chard without actually having to go too far out of their comfort zone!

Moving the aesthetic now from narrative luxury to the more traditionally understood sense of deluxe, my tastings yielded several examples vying for a place at the high table. The Capensis Chardonnay 2016 is a perfect candidate: Burgundian in its DNA, harmonious, multilayered, opulent, yet still fresh.

Deep garnet color, lush plum aroma, dense, meaty, spicy with soft tannins with notes of plum and toast, balanced and long, give it a couple of years to come around.

This medium ruby colored Pinot Noir opens with a boysenberry and black cherry bouquet with hints of moist peat moss, wild mushrooms and black plum. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, nicely balanced and soft. The flavor profile is a tasty crushed stone, tart cherry and toasted oak blend with notes of red plum. We also detected hints of dried herbs. The finish is dry and drifts away nicely. The Panel would pair this Pinot with roasted quail with Pinot Noir sauce or with cast iron pan-roasted chicken breasts.

This pale straw-colored Sauvignon Blanc opens with a lemon-lime and mild yellow grapefruit bouquet with hints of honeydew melon. On the palate, this wine is light plus bodied, nicely balanced, pretty and delicate. The flavor profile is a gentle grapefruit and mild stony minerality blend with hints of lime, green apple and white pepper. The finish is dry and pleasantly refreshing. The Panel would pair this Sauvignon Blanc with fried walleye or sushi.

Soft and creamy, with an appealing touch of butterscotch pudding to compliment the peach and citrus flavors, which are smooth and juicy on the finish.

The 2020 Château Lassegue is another brilliant Saint-Emilion in the making. Offering a full-bodied, rich, textured, and at the same time pure and precise style on the palate, it has classic notes of ripe black cherries, charcoal, crushed stone, and truffly earth. Emerging from the home estate of Pierre Seillan, who’s the force behind the Verite wines in Sonoma, this beautiful 2020 is going to require just 2-4 years of bottle age yet keep for 15+.

This has a bready, buttery nose, as well as ripe peach and pear fruit. The palate is smooth with nice balance, showing some spicy framing to the soft fruit.

This versatile Rose from KJ would be good to have on hand for thewarm weather. It is a medium salmon color, and has a complex bouquet whichincludes watermelon, peach, strawberry, wet stone and white florals. On thepalate, it is medium bodied, has medium acidity, is balanced, fresh and quitequaffable. There are flavors of green apple, nectarine, strawberry, stonyminerality and some hints of ruby grapefruit and red berry. The finish is dry andcitrusy and lasts a long time. In addition to being a good deck sipper, it wouldpair with crispy fish tacos or Thai chicken and watermelon salad with a citrus vinaigrette.

Pale yellow-gold in color, this wine smells of buttered popcorn, pineapple, and lemon curd. In the mouth, bright lemon curd flavors mix with pineapple and cold cream, with pretty white floral notes lingering with a faint woody flavor through the finish. Excellent acidity keeps the mouth watering as the wine lingers for a long time. Intense and ripe, but with enough brightness to balance its fruit. This is a new bottling for the Capensis label, consisting of fruit sourced from two mountain vineyards – the estate Fijnbosch vineyard and the neighboring Nooitgedacht vineyard, ranging in elevation from 940-1730 feet above sea level.