Noir indeed - this lovely light-bodied, juicy wine is a voyage of discovery by the intrepid Peter Fraser. The grapes were mechanically sorted 50% whole berries, wild-fermented, 14-16 days on skins, matured for 6 months in used French oak. A wonderfully different wine, welcoming investigation, not hiding anything. 62% grenache, 15% shiraz, 12% mourvedre, 6% carignan, 3% cinsaut and 2% counoise.

It's impossible to bypass the southern Rhone Valley in writing about this wine with its blend of grenache, mourvedre, shiraz, cinsaut, carignan and counoise. Autosuggestion of course, but its ultra-fragrant bouquet crosses into that of the garrigue, the juicy palate bubbling with similar flavours. Such value.

Hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed using a basket press, wild-fermented in used French oak, 7 months in barrel with lees stirring. The wine has wonderful texture, and enjoyable fruits that suggest some brioche may be around the corner.

Pale salmon-bronze; a bone dry rose with a rapier thrust to its flavours and their glittering acidity, the finish long and equally intense.

A highly esoteric blend of 74% grenache blanc, 12% roussanne, 6% clairaut, 5% picpoul and 3% bourbelenc that is winemaker Peter Fraser's salute to the wines of centuries past. Lest anyone think the vinification is of similar natural antiquity, think again. It will grow rich and textured as it ages.

Hand-picked, 50% destemmed and crushed to 675l ceramic eggs, fermented on skins and macerated for 183 days before pressing. The other 50% was also fermented in eggs, the skins discarded. It's an interesting wine, but has a slightly stuffy finish.

Tasting Notes: Les Cadrans de LassègueColor: Beautiful bright red.Aromas: An earthy scent, along with sweet and tart cherry pie notes and a hint of iron. When slightly chilled, even more of the fruit characteristics came out. Taste: Dry and slightly spicy with hints of smokiness; very savory, with a slight chalkiness on the finish; well-balanced by the fruity flavor of black cherries. The well-integrated, medium-low tannins are fine and silky-textured. The wine’s bright acidity paired beautifully with sweet, tart tomatoes and buttery, creamy cheese.

Chilled Red Wines: A Trend That's Here To Stay?A Few Chill-Worthy Reds Les Cadrans de Lassègue 2016. This delicious red Bordeaux is made from 90% Merlot and 10% Cabernet Franc. Lush and opulent, the wine’s freshness and fruit are enhanced by a slight chill. Read more about the wine here, and pair it with tomato, basil and burrata salad.

The second label from Château Lassègue in Bordeaux, this is an affordable Saint-Emilion Grand Cru wine. It has a wonderful nose of violets, cherry, pomegranate and prosciutto. Fresh on the palate with more cherry, cranberry and a pleasing amount of acidity. A delightful wine, it’s made predominantly from merlot and is particularly good with a tomato and goat cheese tart.

Wines to discoverA wine column wouldn’t be complete without highlighting a few incredible discoveries, so check out the choices below, hand-picked as some of the top wines to delve into right now.Brewer Clifton Santa Rita Hills Chardonnay 2016

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyMy favorite of the Chardonnay releases is the 2018 Chardonnay 3D, and this beauty has everything you could want from a Sta. Rita Hills release. Medium gold-hued, with a stunning nose of stone fruits, white currants, crushed stone, toasted bread, and a hints of green almonds, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a seamless, elegant texture, flawless balance, and a great, great finish. It's one of the finest Chardonnays in this report.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyThe 2018 Pinot Noir Hapgood is another savory, incredibly complex wine from this estate. Offering up plenty of redcurrants, mulled blackberries, dusty earth, spring flowers, and baking spices, it hits the palate with medium to full-bodied richness, a silky, elegant texture, ultra-fine tannins, and no hard edges. It's another brilliant Pinot Noir from Brewer that can be enjoyed today or cellared for over a decade.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyThe 2018 Pinot Noir Machado is pure class, showing beautiful purity of fruit as well as classic Sta. Rita Hills complexity and spice. Lots of raspberry, strawberry, spring flowers, forest floor, spice, and just a touch of seaside-like iodine all emerge from the glass. It's a wonderfully complete, balanced, seamless 2018 that does everything right.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountySimilarly ruby/plum-colored, the 2018 Pinot Noir 459 has a big nose of spiced cherries, new leather, toasted spice, and spring flowers. These carry to a ripe, opulent Pinot Noir that stays flawlessly balanced, has good acidity, and a great, great finish.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyThe 2018 Pinot Noir Julia's is one of the smaller production releases, with just over 1,000 cases produced. Its translucent ruby hue is followed by a complex, nuanced 2018 that offers gorgeous purity in its raspberry and strawberry fruits as well as lots of sappy, foresty, spicy notes, medium to full body, integrated acidity, and a layered, elegant, yet still powerful style on the palate.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyThe 2018 Chardonnay Hapgood offers a touch more precision aromatically and gives up lots of buttered stone fruits, toasted hazelnuts, white flowers, and brioche aromas and flavors. More medium-bodied, concentrated, and nicely focused on the palate, it's a beautifully complete, classic Santa Barbara Chardonnay that does everything right. It has 10-15 years of prime drinking ahead of it.

It’s not always easy to find a new release Pinot Noir with a little bit of bottle age, but here it is. La Crema’s 2016 vintage from the iconic Saralee’s Vineyard offers a Pinot of uncommon depth and complexity, shows beautifully integrated tannins and it’s ready to drink now. Complex notes of raspberry, strawberry and cherry come together in a dazzling display of Russian River Valley Pinot Noir at its very best.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyMoving to the reds, the 2017 Pinot Noir Truly Rita comes from the Dierberg-Drum Canyon Vineyard in the Sta. Rita Hills. Its medium ruby hue is followed by rocking notes of black raspberry and wild strawberry fruits, notes of flowery incense, and subtle marine-like minerality. These carry to a beautifully textured, ripe, balanced Pinot Noir that has everything you look for from this appellation. It's going to evolve for a solid decade.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyI loved the 2018 Pinot Noir Solomon Hills, which shows the pure, elegant, fruit-driven style of this vineyard beautifully. Pure raspberry and strawberry fruits, lots of flowers and sappy herb notes, medium-bodied richness, bright acidity, and background oak all make for a brilliant Pinot Noir to enjoy over the coming 7-8 years.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountySpiced cherries, strawberries, sappy flowers, and hints of gamey, foresty notes all emerge from the 2018 Pinot Noir Sta. Rita Hills, and it's medium-bodied, elegant, and seamless on the palate. This stunning value should be snatched up by readers.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyThe darker ruby/plum-hued 2018 Pinot Noir 3D offers more forest floor, gamey herbs, salted meat, and assorted mulled red and black fruits notes as well as a richer, medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured style on the palate. It's a big, rich, seamless Pinot Noir that excels on its texture and balance.

The 2018s from Santa Barbara CountyPure lemon, honeysuckle, caramelized stone fruits, iodine, and toasted almond notes emerge from the 2018 Chardonnay Machado. This medium-bodied beauty has bright, juicy acidity, terrific balance, and a great finish. As with all of Greg's wines, it's accessible today yet has another decade or prime drinking.

Shimmering magenta. A highly fragrant bouquet evokes fresh cherry and red berries, potpourri and savory herbs, and a smoky nuance emerges as the wine opens up. Sappy and penetrating on the palate, offering appealingly sweet raspberry, boysenberry, cherry and floral pastille flavors accented by allspice and vanilla flourishes. Concentrated yet lively as well, showing impressive finishing power, repeating florality and smooth, well-judged tannins.

Saturated garnet. Vibrant, mineral- and spice-driven raspberry and boysenberry scents are complemented by a suave floral nuance and an exotic touch of blood orange. Juicy and focused on the palate, offering energetic red and blue fruit and spicecake flavors that show excellent clarity and reveal deeper cola and mocha flourishes on the back half. The floral note builds steadily on the penetrating, berry-dominated finish, which is given gentle grip by polished, sneaky tannins.

Vivid ruby-red. A suave, assertively perfumed bouquet evokes fresh red and blue fruits, candied rose, vanilla and exotic spices, plus a hint of cola in the background. Juicy and energetic on the palate, offering appealingly sweet black raspberry, cherry and boysenberry flavors sharpened by building spiciness. Finishes impressively long and lively, with slowly mounting tannins and resonating florality.