Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Chardonnay (Russian River) is a delicious entry-level Chardonnay from Hartford Court. Yellow orchard fruit and expressive floral notes are nicely pushed forward in this very pretty, open-knit Chardonnay.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Chardonnay Four Hearts Vineyards is another pretty, appellation-level Chardonnay from Hartford Court. Apricot, orange peel, spice, chamomile and lightly buttered notes flesh out in this resonant, inviting Chardonnay. My impression is that the Four Hearts will drink best upon release.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Zinfandel (Russian River) is a terrific introduction to this range of Zinfandels from Hartford. Bright, punchy and forward, the 2017 is super-expressive. Juicy red berry fruit and high-toned floral notes are nicely pushed forward in a succulent, juicy Zinfandel that will drink well right out of the gate.

This Sauvignon Blanc from Galerie is very good. That said, it initially opens with a off-putting sulfur, green pepper and yellow grapefruit bouquet that softens with swirling and aeration. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced, elegant and soft. The flavor profile is a tasty gooseberry and gentle mineral blend with notes of yellow grapefruit and saline. I also detected a hint of lime zest. The finish is dry and its flavors fade away nicely. I would pair this Sauvignon Blanc with swordfish skewers.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond Another new wine in this range, 2017 Pinot Noir Côte Bannie is perfumed, silky and also quite promising. Sweet floral notes, red cherry, mint, hard candy and blood orange are all wonderfully alive in this mid-weight, classy Pinot. All the elements are in the right place.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Pinot Noir Edmeades Vineyard is lifted and understated, with lovely floral and savory character. Crushed flowers, herbs, spice and dried cherry are all laced together. Medium in body and gracious, the 2017 is shaping up to be a terrific wine. Stylistically, it is a bit more savory and less fruity than other Pinots in the range.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Pinot Noir Les Voisins is a pretty wine with lovely floral and savory character. Sweet red berry, crushed flowers, mint. This mid-weight, gracious Pinot will drink well with minimal cellaring.

A rosé with a dark salmon color and a reasonably intense floral and red berry perfume, this is an attractive wine from the get-go. That impression of red fruits continues on the palate, with hints of strawberry, cranberry, watermelon.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Red Blend Prequel is an intriguing Rhone-blend from vineyards in Sonoma County. Wild flowers, black pepper, lavender and spice add shades of nuance to a core of inky dark fruit. This racy, exuberant Syrah-based red will drink well right out of the gate.

Try this Wine: Amazing Spring Whites Yangarra makes an Estate Roussanne for less than half the price of the Roux Beauté. I tasted the 2016. On first sip, it didn’t impress because it needed oxygen. With several hours of decanting, it began to reveal itself as a dynamic wine capable of putting on complexity and intrigue with more air or age. That is a clear sign of quality and precise attention to detail. The nose wafts lean aromas of sweet dandelion, mild Meyer lemon, tangerine peel and under ripe mango. It’s medium weight on the palate, with balanced and crisp acid that forms a nicely textured backbone. The flavors are just beginning to define themselves, and there is enough nuttiness already to suggest a really cool evolution over the following five-ish years, if not longer. Fresh almond, lean lemon, tart mango and pineapple, unsweetened vanilla, salty minerality and bitter greens form the basis of the flavor profile. Tasty now, it will develop complexity and a more dynamic structure as it ages.

Highly Recommended A firm but not overbearing style, offering plenty of red fruit with a vanilla oak topping. Powerful and impressive, and ready now.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Chardonnay Estate is a very pretty, open-knit wine that captures the essence of the property. Yellow orchard fruit, lemon confit, tangerine, chamomile and dried flowers are nicely laced together in this attractive, inviting Chardonnay from Stonestreet.

Weekend Wine Picks Pinotphiles of the Burgundian nature can’t understand the exuberance of a Pinot-like Siduri — in particular, this Santa Barbara version — but many others do, and they love drinking this intense hedonistic style. The fruit comes off vineyards in the Sta. Rita Hills and Santa Maria Valley, and its black cherry/wild strawberry flavours are super vibrant and alluring. There just enough earth and spice to keep it from being too much over the top, leaving a long, sweet, mouth-filling Pinot finish. Grilled wild salmon is the match.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Zinfandel (Russian River Valley) is inviting. Fresh and perfumed, with lovely red fruit character, the 2017 is open-knit and expressive today. I would prefer to drink it over the next few years.

Blended with small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, this is a full-bodied concentrated red that's thick in tannin and youthful structure. Black fruit, sage, clove and cinnamon figure into the rich, lushly crafted palate that's integrated in toasted oak.

Floral, silky, savoury. Expect smoked cherries and dried rose petals, brown spice, vanilla, leather and tealeaf on the nose.The palate is supple with a silky texture and echoes the nose with its sweet yet savoury character. Good balance here, a classic harmonious La Crema.

Elegantly layered aromas of black cherry, wet sage and tobacco make for a rich and nuanced entry to this single-vineyard bottling. The palate is loaded with juicy cherry and mint flavors, proving quite powerful but still very approachable.

Earthy, big and bold, this speaks well to fans of a full-bodied, fruit-forward style. Boysenberry, black cherry and cola are complemented by savory teases of coffee and black licorice.

There are lots of cedary accents to the raspberry, cherry and red currant flavors in this red, which is crisp midpalate, with a tensile finish that lingers with juniper berry notes.

Full and rich, this has a sizable concentration of guava, pineapple and lime, the latter offering a hint of underlying freshness. The finish is big, yet tangled in acidity.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Pinot Noir (Petaluma Gap) is soft and pliant, both of which make it an absolute joy to taste today. Crushed red berries, mint, chalk and white pepper all give the wine an attractive upper register. There is a lovely sense of energy that runs through this taut yet expressive Pinot Noir.

This is a thick, chewy and full-bodied red that will appeal to a wide range of palates and budgets. Bright underlying red fruit enlivens the firm tannic structure and integrated oak, finishing soft and smooth on the palate.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner's Reserve is another terrific, entry-level wine from Kendall Jackson. Floral and lifted, the 2016 offers terrific Cabernet aromatics to match its mid-weight structure and overall feel. The 2016 is tasty, not to mention a superb value.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Chardonnay Grand Reserve is a gorgeous barrel-fermented Chardonnay that offers a striking interplay of richness and the more saline notes that are typical of Santa Barbara, where 75% of this fruit is sourced. Apricot, honey, dried flowers, mint and butter notes lead into the creamy finish. The Grand Reserve is very nicely done.

This wine interlaces a light buttery-oak nuance with vibrant, appealing fruit flavors. It's medium weight yet fresh, with a smooth, well-balanced palate that displays a harmonized mix of savory oak and citrus nuances.