The 2018 Chardonnay Tous Ensemble is a blend of mostly younger vines on the Sonoma Coast. Lemon confit, marzipan, chamomile and dried flowers all grace this expressive entry-level Chardonnay. The 2018 balances fruit richness and energy, while avoiding some of the austerity of the recent past.

The 2018 Pinot Noir Les Voisins is a pretty, translucent wine that shows the more understated side of Anderson Valley. Crushed flowers, bright red berries, spice, mint and rose petal all grace this airy, transparent Pinot. This is a decidedly understated style. There is lovely energy in the 2018, but it is on the lighter side.

Few wines scream ‘drink me!’ like Californian Pinot Noir — huge, up-front fruits of black cherry, strawberry and raspberry wash over the lush, succulent palate. Officially the Santa Barbara appellation, Nielson pulls fruit for this bottling from Santa Maria Valley, Los Alamos, and Santa Rita Hills. Their respective zones contribute aromatics, weight and power, harmonizing to create a wine of great substance.

I like the way so many French vineyards do not brag on their labels with effusive notes and poetry. This is a straightforward Saint-Émilion with all of the richness that you expect from a grand cru. It is predominantly or perhaps all Merlot, maybe with some Cabernet Franc (locally called Bouchet) in the blend. At $60 it is not a wine to pop the cork on every day, but for a fairly special meal with friends who really enjoy wine this will make them very happy this summer.

Another refined example of Willamette Valley terroir, showing that a cool climate is kind to grapes like Chardonnay that can be so easily manipulated. It spent 10 months in 25% new French oak, which gives it just enough of a sweet undertone and maintains a good balance of acid. This is the ideal white wine for grilled salmon and almost every shellfish.

The Best Wines For Celebrating Summer 2021Best Wines For a Beach BonfireYangarra Ironheart Shiraz, McLaren Vale, AustraliaFor a different take on syrah, turn to this full-bodied shiraz from Australia. This robust red shines with flavors and aromas of black pepper, plum, and blueberry. Juicy and structured, it feels as cozy as the bonfire itself. It’s food-friendly but great on its own.

The energy and focus of this wine is excellent with blackberry, salt, chalk and stone aromas and flavors. Some tar, too. It’s medium-to full-bodied with fine, firm tannins and a long, flavorful finish.

Cabernet Franc led blend.Dark ruby red in colour. Opens up with a beguiling display of black fruits, wet leather, spice, black olives and cigar box. Huge presence. Potent. Gives layers of pleasure. Wow.

Merlot led blend.Deep ruby red in colour. Blackberries, dry leather, pipe tobacco,Eastern spice. Dense and sumptuous. Seamless and unwavering linearity.

Ruby red in colour. Rich fruits comprising cherry and pomegranate lead nuances of dry forest floor and wild mushroom. Plush and silky. Cabernet Franc spice box along with lemon peel and bitter chocolate notes on the very persistent finish.

Intense ruby red in colour. Red fruits, rose aromatics, mocha, spice. Super expressive. Finesse with energy. Plenty of verve.

Bright ruby red in colour. Red berry, raspberry, rose petal aromas, liquorice.Polished. A wine of impact.

Dark ruby red in colour. Red cherry, plum, blood orange, sage and violet floral. Shows superb intensity. Sweet tobacco and liquorice alongside zesty mineral finish.

What's the best wine to have with steak?Offering a touch more freshness than your average richly ripe Napa Cab is this brilliant option from the neighbouring Sonoma County, specifically within the Alexander Valley AVA. It’s still intense and juicy, with concentrated blackcurrant, and sweet vanilla and chocolate notes, but it also has a lovely dry finish, with flavours of cedar, and some refreshing red cherry among all the fleshy black fruit.

A bit on the richer side for WV, but wows with complexity and textural interest.

The 2019 Pinot Noir Dakél Viñedo Maricerro comes from the Itata coast, 12 miles from the Pacific. Aged for 10 months in 15% new barrels, it is a vivid reddish-purple hue with an elegant and intense aromatic profile of cherry, earth, and mushrooms kept inside a cedar box, accompanied by a whiff of smoke. Intense on the palate and full of flavor, it has a terse but silky feel and ripe, delicate, long-lasting aromas.

The 2019 Chardonnay Dakél Viñedo Maricerro comes from the Itata coast, 12 miles from the sea. Fallen leaf yellow in hue. The nose contains aromas from the aging process, such as cigar box and nutmeg, along with white fruit and green apple notes, a hint of creamed corn and a yeasty backdrop. In the mouth it has a lot of flavor, a terse feel and freshness wrapped in an oaky coating. Classical and extremely long-lasting, this is an accomplished, cosmopolitan white.

#WineWednesday: Everything’s Coming Up RosésLa Crema Sparkling Brut Rosé dances on the palate with lovely notes of lemon meringue, wild strawberries and fresh ginger. A special pour for a special day.

Medium ruby in the glass with a touch of garnet in it, this wine smells of bright cherry fruit. In the mouth, intense cherry fruit has an incredible purity to it and a stony backdrop against which hints of dried flowers and dried herbs emerge. Mostly, however, this is a ringing crystalline chime singing the flavor “cherry” more intensely than you can imagine is possible. Outstanding. Gorgeous acidity, perfect poise. There is wood here, but it is so well integrated into the wine, it is but a whisper of the leathery tannins and a whiff of toasted espresso. Pierre Seillan strikes again.

Vérité: Now at age 10The 2011 La Joie is also gorgeous and about as classy as they come. Based on 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and the rest small quantities of Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec, it's a Bordeaux look-alike with its cassis and darker currant fruits as well as lead pencil, flowers, and cedary herb-like aromatics. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it has terrific tannins, a wonderful sense of elegance, and a great finish. This is just a classic California Cabernet Sauvignon that blossoms with time in the glass, has wonderful balance, and another 15-20 years of prime drinking ahead of it.

Vérité: Now at age 10More mint, black cherry, mulberry, cedar, candied violet, and floral notes emerge from the 2011 Le Desir, and it blossoms with air, developing even more classic Franc herbal and chocolate nuances. With medium to full body, it's more angular and structured than the La Muse yet still beautifully balanced. Possessing ripe tannins, good acidity, and outstanding length, it's another impressive wine from this estate that unquestionably has a Bordeaux-like sense of structure and acidity. It promises another 15 years of prime drinking and will have a gradual decline after that.

Vérité: Now at age 10There were a little over 2,000 cases of the 2011 La Muse produced, and this Merlot-dominated beauty checks in as 89% Merlot, 7% Malbec, and 4% Cabernet Franc. It has a Cheval Blanc-like bouquet of darker currants, cherries, leafy herbs, cedarwood, and graphite that opens up beautifully with time in the glass. More medium to full-bodied on the palate, it doesn't have the density of a bigger, riper year but has terrific overall balance, ripe, polished tannins, and a gorgeous finish. As with the other releases, it's still youthful (there's no hint of bricking or amber at the edges), and while it's drinking beautifully today, it has another 15 years or so of prime drinking.

A Sauvignon Blanc From SonomaAfter a small test release last year, La Crema is making a sauvignon blanc widely available just in time for summer.It’s never too late to try something new. La Crema, a Sonoma County winery that is known for chardonnay and pinot noir, has introduced a sauvignon blanc. The winery, established in 1979, released the 2019 sauvignon blanc on a limited basis last summer; now the 2020 is widely available. It’s a lovely summer quaff. “The climate and soils of northern Sonoma County are ideal for producing world-class Bordeaux varietals, particularly sauvignon blanc,” said Craig McAllister, the head winemaker. Bordeaux is the operative term here. The wine, in a clear Bordeaux-style bottle, displays more subtle fruit, notably citrus and pineapple, integrated with good acidity, than the grassy herbaceousness typical of sauvignon blancs from other regions.

Zinfandel of the Month – 2019 Hartford Family Winery Zinfandel Russian River Valley Old VinePurple in color. 15.1% ABV. Awesome nose of red fruits, peach and baking spices. Medium body with perfect acidity. Absolutely bursting with bright, sweet fruits. The purity of the fruit is notable. Cherry, strawberry, raspberry liqueur and pepper on the palate. Exceptional length on the finish. Stunning Zinfandel that is on par with the glorious 2015. Just a baby. This will drink well for 4-6 years.

The tasting began with the first sauvignon blanc vintage from a known producer of Sonoma County pinot noir and chardonnay. After winemaker McAllister, with roots in New Zealand, joined La Crema, it was only a matter of time. Sourced from the warmer north County vineyards, the 2020 La Crema Sauvignon Blanc Knights Valley is partially barrel-fermented in neutral oak for 28 days, which gives the wine, according to Craig, more texture with minimal oak notes. A vibrant bouquet of tropical and stone fruits with floral hints carried through the flavors and a long finish. Craig pairs this wine with oysters, ceviche and fried fish.