From a vineyard in the Los Alamos Valley, this bottling by Greg Brewer begins with fresh aromas of passion fruit, citron, lime leaf and wet cement. The palate is tightly wound with slightly sour tones of guava peel, presenting a very fresh, no-oak style that still has plenty of character.

Extremely jubilant aromas of Fruit Stripe gum, guava, pineapple and mango make for a fresh and lively nose on this bottling. The palate zips with acidity that cuts through the ripe peach, pear and pineapple-guava flavors, which are powerful yet framed in a tense texture.

Whimsical Whites Aromatics of peaches, pineapples, citrus fruits, and toasty vanilla greets the senses. The palate delivers flavors of peach, pineapple, and lemon along with accents of vanilla, nutmeg, white blossoms. A nice, balanced Chardonnay, open a bottle when you’re enjoying fresh crab cakes.

Tight, juicy and youthfully tannic, this comes from the Cloud Landing Vineyard in the new appellation, planted to a multiplicity of clones. Textured and richly full bodied, it offers complementary elements of forest floor, tea, blueberry and orange peel.

Shows good concentration to the brambly flavors of boysenberry and red currant, supported by bright acidity. Flinty notes emerge on the supple finish, with accents of cocoa powder. Drink now through 2022.

Taut and well-framed, this offers roasted cherry and plum flavors, backed by chunky tannins. The ripe finish features smoky notes, and ends on a roasted accent. Drink now.

Spicy, with ripe dark fruit flavors that feature notes of smoke and underbrush. Iron and hot stone details emerge on the finish.

A snappy red, with licorice accents to the cherry and raspberry preserve flavors. Flint and spice notes show on the fresh finish. Drink now through 2022.

Fresh, with lively raspberry and cherry flavors that feature light spicy notes. Fruity finish. Drink now.

Strong aromas of vanilla and caramel meet with buttercream and lemon on the nose of this very classic style of California chardonnay. There is a lemony tension and freshness to the sip, where the oak flavors grow strong and nearly sweet in the finish.

Perfumed and thick in structure, this is a widely appealing wine bursting in jammy blueberry and dark cherry that finishes robust in oak.

Rhone Reds and Blends with Neapolitan Pork Chops It’s nice to see more California wineries adding Rhone blends to their offerings. This flavorful Grand Reserve offers red currant and mixed wild cherry flavors with background notes of chocolate and cedar box. Aging in French oak and pre-fermentation cold-soak adds layers of complexity adds complexity and hints of vanilla and caramel.

For its easy-on-the-wallet price, it delivers aromas and flavors of blackberry, dark plum, mocha and spicy oak. The tannins are smooth, the flavors rich, and the finish long. It’s a fine every-day-drinking Cab.

Golden straw colour. Spicy, toasty peach and mango on the nose. Medium- to full-bodied. Ripe orchard fruit flavours with a note of pineapple and a touch of butterscotch sweetness in mid-palate.

Straw colour, minerally, peach pit bouquet. Medium-bodied, dry with a white peach flavour. A touch of sweetness in mid-palate with lemony acidity on the finish. Perfect with stewed rabbit in a mustard reduction.

Deep ruby colour. Spicy, smoke, black raspberry nose with an oaky note. Full-bodied, dry, ripe strawberry and plum flavours with vanilla oak spice. Juicy and ripe.

Off the vine: A case of pinot envy Ripe, fresh raspberry, red plums and strawberry along with hints of cedar. Finely textured with silky tannins that compliment the spicy finish.

Off the vine: A case of pinot envy Ripe plum and cherry aromas along with a hint of blood orange construct subtle layers of spice. The bold red fruits of this wine pairs nicely a bacon-wrap or a light and airy chocolate mousse.

Off the vine: A case of pinot envy Beautiful with blackberry, plum and licorice flavors that are complemented by subtle layers of ripe fruit and toasty oak. Full bodied and yet so elegant with a long, persistent finish.

The Case for Chardonnay Back in Healdsburg, right off the main square, Valette is the namesake restaurant of hometown chef Dustin Valette, It’s a must-visit for dinner, not only for its excellent house-made charcuteries and dishes like coriander-crusted local duck breast but also for the superb, Sonoma-centric wine list. Get a bottle of Stonestreet’s elegantly floral 2015 Upper Barn bottling, from one of California’s most storied Chardonnay vineyards.

This midnight purple colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Galerie is showing very nice right now. It opens with a fragrant ripe blackberry bouquet with hints black licorice and oak. On the palate, it is medium to full bodied, balanced and savory. The flavor profile is an extracted blackberry jam with notes of minerality and black licorice. I also detected notes of boysenberry, refined graphite and vanilla oak with just a hint of espresso and black cherry mixed in. It is a very complex wine. The finish is dry and its well-managed tannins are very nicely extended. Our group really enjoyed this Cab with our steaks at the Taconic in Vermont.

Graphite notes accent the rich, fruity blend of cherry, currant and plum flavors, supported by lively acidity. Minerally and red licorice elements emerge on the fresh finish, with hints of white pepper. Drink now through 2023.

Intense notes of hot stone and slate accent the dried cherry and berry flavors. Floral hints show midpalate, with a powerful finish that is rich and mineral-infused. Drink now through 2024.

This is one of the gems in the Kendall Jackson portfolio. This is a world class Cabernet. Purple in color. The nose has cassis, cedar, milk chocolate, and a bit of char. On the palate, this has a wonderful muscular texture. Firm tannins. Lots of cassis fruit. Deep and complex if still tight. Lively with great balance and precision. Long finish. This is delicious but grabs your attention. It still has some upside as it ages and probably at least seven to ten years from peak. It should easily last two more decades, plus. It should be versatile to go well with most medium and heavier foods as it by no means an over sweet fruit bomb. It would be interesting to watch it mature as in twenty years it will drink like a St. Julien, Bordeaux. Grade: A+ Score: 97 Vintage: 2015

Rosé: State of Play By picking their bush vine Grenache early in the season, Yangarra aims to capture the pink lady apple crunchiness of the skins. The resulting Rosé is almost clear in the glass with a pale onion skin hue. The nose is also very restrained with hints of wet stone, herb and charcuterie. Very savoury, almost neutral in style, making this an excellent food wine in the style of some European Rosés. More about texture and mouthfeel rather than sweet fruit characters.