The Mandatory Wine List to the Best Brands You Must Try Before You DieOne of the most popular (and reasonably priced) bottles of wine from Murphy Goode, its Cabernet Sauvignon is full of rich tobacco, sour cherry, and chocolate favors.

What To Drink Now: Sensational Sauvignon BlancFor the past forty years, Sonoma’s La Crema Winery has been known for its approachable, balanced, cool-climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines. Now, they are adding Sauvignon Blanc to the mix with their inaugural 2019 La Crema Sauvignon Blanc. Capturing the abundant sunshine of Sonoma County, the wine shines with tropical fruit notes of mango, guava, and passionfruit, with a subtle, slightly grassy soft herb note rounding out the finish.

A Wine Lover's Guide to Chianti Classico, the Most Iconic Italian RedHow to Pair Chianti ClassicoThe classic wine and food pairing mantra "what grows together, goes together" is so very true with Chianti Classico and typical Tuscan dishes. Chianti Classico pairs naturally with anything featuring tomatoes—the acidity in the fruit and the wine's structure sing together...We recommend Tenuta di Arceno Chianti Classico 2017 with Parmigiano-Reggiano Crisps.

Good luck finding a better Bordeaux at this price! Les Cadrans de Lassegue delivers the goods from a Grand Cru site at half the price or less of any worthy competition, with rich, earthy character complementing classic Merlot aromas and flavors seamlessly. Additionally, the inclusion of 10% Cabernet Franc isn’t lost in the mix, showing cherry and mild herb hints, particularly in the finish. Nicely done!

The Cure for Rosé Fatigue Is a Juicy, Chilled Red WineExperiment with something like Copain’s P2 2019 (an excellent 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris)…

This wine comes entirely from within the Russian River Valley AVA, a large region that possesses a myriad of soils, exposures, and unique terroirs that together produce a superb representation of the whole of the Russian River Valley. This 2017 offering showcases this area in all its complexity while also making for a wine that is eminently drinkable now as opposed to much later. It’s juicy with black and red fruit highlighting a weighty, full-bodied and fruit-forward style of powerful flavour. Baking spice and cola round out the profile on the finish.

Creamy, fresh, golden. Yellow with golden glints with and aromas of grilled lemons and young pineapple, toasted cashew, honeysuckle, tangerines, brown spice and vanilla. The palate mimics its nose with melon, tangerine, pineapple, candied nuts and hints of caramel. Creamy yet fresh it has a bold spritz of citrus in the mouth and a lingering oak spiced finish.

While chatting, we sipped Lassègue Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2016 and Vérité Le Désir 2016. Both red blends are bold and elegant with an authentic sense of place and examples of meticulous and passionate winemaking.

While chatting, we sipped Lassègue Saint-Emilion Grand Cru 2016 and Vérité Le Désir 2016. Both red blends are bold and elegant with an authentic sense of place and examples of meticulous and passionate winemaking.

Exploring the Elegant and Earthy Red Wines Made with Pinot Noir GrapesAnd up in red-wood covered Anderson Valley, try Copain Pinot Noir Edmeades Vineyard 2017.

Exploring the Elegant and Earthy Red Wines Made with Pinot Noir GrapesThe Sonoma Coast is making excellent examples; try La Crema Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir 2017…

Chardonnay? More like Chardonn-yay. This Santa Rita Hills blend is the result of the cool and foggy Pacific climate in Santa Barbara County, making for a crisp and complex wine with tones of walnut, marmalade, and sun-dried honeysuckle.

Bright varietal fruit of dried hay with a trace of green leaves; some citrus notes and a hint of kiwi. Medium-bodied, but dry and food-oriented. Superbly made; very classy and best with poached white fish.

Cool-climate fruit of grapefruit and chamomile tea aroma notes with a texture that’s slightly richer than the next wine. This stylish white actually improved after decanting and indicated that two to three more years in the bottle will make it not dissimilar from a fine white Bordeaux.

Taster’s notes: Smooth, rich and juicy, plum, red currant, walnut, full body, fresh acidity, velvety tannins, elegant structure, persistent red-fruit finish.

This is a bold styled pinot noir that can stand up to pretty much all meat dishes. Big cherry elements in a soft tannin structure, this wine is a delight to drink.

This winery has long been known for value, and this vintage of its Sonoma Coast pinot noir is a great example. Modestly priced but ambitiously crafted, it delivers layered aromas of cherry and pomegranate, a subtle note of oak spice and beautifully integrated tannins.

This ruby colored Pinot Noir opens with an earthy black raspberry and strawberry bouquet with hints of light oak and cinnamon. The medium bodied palate is smooth, juicy and slightly dry. The flavor profile is a blend of ripe black cherry, red licorice, oak, light strawberry and minerality. The tannins and acidity are well-balanced on this crowd-pleasing Pinot Noir. The pleasant finish is dry and extended. I would pair this Sonoma Coast Pinot Noir with prime rib.

Wine of the WeekThis Grand Cru from Saint-Emilion is deep red in color with black cherry, currants and spice aromas. Medium bodied along with ripe, plush fruit and crisp acidity.

Suitably pale ruby colour. Spice and liquorice on the nose. High, finely sanded tannins on the palate. Hot finish with full but fairly light fruit. Not nearly as bumptious as I expected. Seems to be suppressed, perhaps premature, yet without all the fruit power needed for long life.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir Radian Vineyard is a total rockstar. Deep, resonant and luxurious in its beauty, the 2018 possesses tremendous texture and exceptional balance. Red/purplish fruit, lavender, licorice and blood orange build as the 2018 shows off its layered personality. More than anything else, the Radian is a Pinot built on depth and a real sense of volume. Don't miss it.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Pinot Noir Rita's Crown Vineyard shows all the natural intensity and depth that are such signatures in this rugged district within the Sta. Rita Hills. Black cherry, plum, hard candy, lavender, menthol, licorice and graphite all run through the Rita's Crown. Readers will find a deep, potent Pinot endowed with tremendous depth and structure.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018s The 2018 Pinot Noir Clos Pepe Vineyard is fabulous. Silky, perfumed and supple, the 2018 offers a compelling expression of this site. All the elements meld together in a Pinot that is incredibly delicious and inviting. Black cherry, plum, leather, licorice and lavender build into the refined, nuanced finish.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018s The 2018 Pinot Noir La Encantada Vineyard is the most exuberant of these Pinots from Siduri. An explosion of sweet red berry fruit, blood orange, incense and spice gives the Encantada striking exoticism. Silky tannins wrap around the pliant, creamy finish. The 2018 is such an enticing, alluring Pinot.

Santa Barbara: An In-Depth Look at the 2018sThe 2018 Chardonnay Radian Vineyard offers a beguiling mix of exuberance and energy. Lemon confit, tangerine oil, mint and butter notes are nicely pushed forward, and yet there is enough underlying minerality and acidity to balance some of the wine's natural overtness. The Hartford Radian is a bit more generous in feel than most wines from the far western coast of the appellation. That is not a bad thing, just a specific interpretation of site.