Spicy pomegranate and strawberry ride along a road of thick concentration and tannin in this hearty vineyard-designated red. Perfumed aromatics deftly balance the richness with a freshness of sea spray and Asian spice persisting on the long finish.

This wine is made in decent quantities, enough to hopefully find, and that's good news, given its quality for the price. Juicy, spicy and just the right amount of herbal, it has sizzling acidity that livens and refreshens the palate, dotted in chocolate-covered cherry, plum and clove.

The grapes for this full-bodied red wine are grown in Sonoma's Russian River Valley appellation, a cool climate that adds a racy, nervy edge to the wine. This classic Californian red wine is pure liquid satin in the glass! Black cherry seduction with mouth-watering yearning for more. Complex with layered of dark berries that intermingle with a judicious use of oak. Cherry and raspberry jam on the midpalate: rich and delicious. Only about 12,000 cases were produced of the 2014 vintage of this Californian Pinot Noir from the Russian River. Drink now or save for a few years: you have the luxury of that choice with this wine. Pair with holiday turkey. Highly recommended.

Black cherry and bramble berry aromas follow through to a full body, round and savory tannins and a juicy finish. Lovely fruit and lightly toasted oak character here. Drink now.

Fleshy cherry and dark spice with a long, naughty finish on this California Pinot Noir. Medium-bodied and satin smooth like lingerie. A supple red wine with cherry-berry mouth-filling wonder and flavours. Just enough oak for hedonists. Layered yet not heavy. This pinot has been one of my favourites for years. Satin seduction in a glass. Pair with roasted turkey or chicken.

This bold, intense expression of the variety entices with an exuberant nose of white pepper, clove and cardamom scents, a spark of pine needle fragrance just underneath. Tingly acidity provides freshness and added succulence to its otherwise rich texture and black cherry decadence.

Stunning Californian Pinot with the richness and depth that's rarely paralleled in this state. The cool-climate of Monterey is definitely an influence here. Fleshy wild berry notes, some spice. Pair with many chicken and seafood dishes.

This classic Californian red wine is pure liquid satin in the glass! Black cherry seduction with mouth-watering yearning for more. Complex with layered of dark berries that intermingle with a judicious use of oak. Cherry and raspberry jam on the midpalate: rich and delicious. Drink now or save for a few years: you have the luxury of that choice with this wine. Pair with holiday turkey. The grapes for this full-bodied red wine are grown in Sonoma's Russian River Valley appellation. Highly recommended.

Fleshy cherry and dark spice with a long, naughty finish on this California Pinot Noir. Medium-bodied and satin smooth like lingerie. A supple red wine with cherry-berry mouth-filling wonder and flavours. Just enough oak for hedonists. Layered yet not heavy. This pinot has been one of my favourites for years. Satin seduction in a glass. Pair with roasted turkey or chicken.

Smooth and spicy with strawberry and spice; crisp and racy with bright fruit and a long, mellow style with tangy acidity and depth.

Stunning Californian Pinot with the richness and depth that's rarely paralleled in this state. The cool-climate of Monterey is definitely an influence here. Fleshy wild berry notes, some spice. Pair with many chicken and seafood dishes.

Liquid velvet! Black cherry seduction with mouth-watering yearning for more. Please! Complex with layered of dark berries that intermingle with a judicious use of oak. Cherry and raspberry jam on the midpalate: rich and delicious. Drink now or save for a few years: you have the luxury of that choice with this wine. Pair with holiday turkey. The grapes for this full-bodied red wine are grown in Sonoma's Russian River Valley appellation. Highly recommended.

Love this silky Pinot Noir! It seems to get better every year. Beautiful cherries and field raspberry notes roll in first, then there's fresh earth aromas after a spring rain followed by some baking spices and a long finish. This Pinot has been one of my favourites for years. Satin seduction in a glass. Some comforting mocha on the finish. 4.6/5 Pinot Noir food pairings: turkey, pork tenderloin, coq au vin, grilled salmon.

Brilliant ruby. Heady aromas of black raspberry, incense, floral pastilles and cola are underscored by a suave mineral quality. Sappy, incisive red and dark berry flavors put on weight with air, displaying excellent clarity and spicy lift. A smoky nuance builds with air and carries through the subtly tannic, strikingly persistent finish, with the dark berry and cola notes echoing strongly. This bottling represents 204 cases of the 18,378 of pinot noir that La Crema produced in 2011.

Whenever I see La Crema pinot noir on a restaurant wine list, I know it's going to be a great meal, no matter what we're having food-wine. This subtle red is silky smooth enough not to clash with seafood yet it's loaded with fleshy cherry flavours for meatier dishes. Perfection though is roast chicken or planked salmon. Absolutely phenomenal for this price.

This dramatically constructed Pinot wants time in the cellar. It's dry, full-bodied and tannic, with bigtime cherry, black raspberry, teriyaki beef and black pepper flavors, compounded with rich, smoky oak. The acidity is so acute, it will easily shepherd this wine through 5-7 years of bottle aging.

Stackhouse makes this wine from an estate vineyard just outside Navarro and another, near Philo, under long-term contract. There's laserlike focus in the foresty, wild fruit, a dark flavor that brings huckleberries to mind. The depth in the aroma continues on through the finish, where a hint of seaweed and tangerine-like acidity point up the freshness in this mouthwatering red. For bone-in pork chops roasted with hedgehog mushrooms.

There's nothing showy or pushed about this wine, and if you like your chardonnays heady and rich, you should look inland. For me, however, this is exactly what a California coastal chardonnay should be: cool, invigorating, with the briny spice and salinity of the sea. Its flavors drift with a calm persistence, like a gull coasting in the wind, as if the chardonnay grapes could absorb the texture of the fog and the slat air of the trade winds. The structure is focused and rather narrow, with a fine, lively acidity that keeps the flavor subtle enough for Hog Island sweetwater oysters, or freshly caught snapper grilled on the beach.

The 2017s From Sonoma Beautiful stuff, the 2016 Chardonnay Kelli Ann Vineyard comes from a site in the Russian River Valley and spent 15 months in 31% new French oak. It has a classic Russian River profile of orchard fruits, brioche, and caramelized citrus. Rich, medium to full-bodied, beautifully textured and ready to go, drink this hedonistic Chardonnay over the coming 3-4 years.

The 2011 Chardonnay Nine Barrel is very pretty in this vintage. Succulent and layered in the glass, the 2011 is laced with expressive apricot jam, honey, white flowers, spices and mint, all in a silky, resonant style with plenty of near and medium-term appeal.

An interesting and elaborate Chardonnay that shows intense winemaker intervention. It’s sweet in honey, butter and cream, with lees-inspired notes that give balancing bitterness to the tropical fruits. Soft and opulent now, it will hold for 4–5 years.

A very rich, oaky, dramatic Chardonnay. It's dry and crisp in acidity, showing powerfully ripe pineapple, orange, apricot and honey flavors, enhanced by toasty oak. Brisk acidity makes it clean and vibrant.

Rich and unctuous, with a viscous, glyceriney texture holding deep, opulent flavors of pineapples, lime custard, clover honey, Mandarin orange and cinnamon spice. Lees treatment brings a creamy, slightly sourdough tang. Good price for a Chardonnay of this quality.

Here is a deep, decidedly complex look at the grape that begs for a bit of patience insofar as, while very rich and leading with plenty appley fruit and creamy oak, it seems a wine of hidden talent and reveals a bit more with each successive sniff and sip. Fairly full on the palate, slightly oily in feel yet never heavy and always well-balanced, it is light on its feet without being a light wine, and it should prove first-rate partner to the likes of seared scallops or sole in buerre blanc.

Selected from 84 wines recommended over the past two years. Jess Jackson, whose family owns La Crema, had pushed for a Sonoma Coast appellation that would include most vineyards to the west of Highway 101. It gave winemaker Melissa Stackhouse at La Crema the flexibility to produce a great chardonnay at an astonishing price. The freshness of this wine, the flavors of pear and peach skin, give it a zest that feels true to the coast. It's layered and cool, a luscious wine for crab.