Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Syrah Les Voisins is a compelling wine in the middle tier of the Copain range. Inky dark fruit, lavender, licorice, mint and black pepper add energy to this medium bodied, nicely delineated Syrah. There is lovely depth and plenty of personality.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Chardonnay DuPratt Vineyard is soft and open-knit, with lovely mid-weight structure and fine balance. Dried flowers, lemon peel, almond and sage give the wine a slightly savory quality while some skin contact adds breadth. The 2017 was bottled about a month before this tasting and comes across as still emerging from that natural period of closure.

This light pink colored wine opens with a faint strawberry and melon bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and juicy. The flavor profile is a flinty mineral infused mild strawberry with notes of watermelon, tangerine and hints of herbs. The finish is dry and its flavors drift away nicely. This Rose is food friendly and would pair well with an asparagus and prosciutto salad. Very good.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond Arrowood's 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Knights Crown is fabulous. Rich and explosive, the Knights Crown is almost shockingly sensual for a wine from Knights Valley. Racy and silky, the Knights Crown is more texturally finessed than most Knights Valley Cabernets, it is a wine of sheer sensuality and appeal.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Pinot Noir Edmeades is another attractive wine in this range. Dark cherry, plum, lavender and spice are lifted in this nuanced Anderson Valley Pinot. The flavors lean towards the darker end of the spectrum, but the wine remains very much medium-bodied in structure.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2015 Syrah Ramal Road Vineyard is dark, rich and inviting, with lovely depth and plenty of persistence. Black cherry, smoke, cured meat, licorice and leather add character to this flavorful, mid-weight Syrah from vineyards in Carneros. The inclusion of whole clusters (40%) adds shades of nuance.

Fragrant, silky, effusive. An effusive California Cabernet, which doles out generous aromas of cassis and blueberries, sarsaparilla, mocha a leather. The palate is equally as alluring and approachable; it is fresh and jammy with a silky texture. A mouthfilling and modern wine with sweet tannins.

Rich, almost neon color. Nose of buttered popcorn, peanut shells, on top of baked apple, orange marmalade, with ginger, almond cake, sea salt notes. Rich, bold, waxy, honeyed, this is full-throttle in style, but it has freshness underneath, too. Warm and nutty with buttered popcorn, salted almond, peanut brittle, with apricot and yellow apple fruit. Big and luscious but well-made with underlying perfume and floral notes. Fermented and aged 12 months in French oak, 37% new.

NEW, tangy, juicy. Strawberries and watermelon, vanilla, cedar and tangerine aromas lead to a tangy and off-dry palate with expressive fruit and a slick, fresh finish.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond La Crema's 2016 Pinot Noir Nine Barrel is a supple, engaging Russian River Pinot Noir that will drink well right out of the gate. Dark cherry, plum, chocolate, hard candy and sweet spice all build into the creamy, textured finish.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Pinot Noir Bellflower Vineyard is soft and supple in its first impression, with good depth to the black cherry, lavender and spice flavors. The tannins become a bit edgy on the finish, but otherwise, this is nicely done.

The 2017 Sonoma Coast PN rated 88 McD and the Chard was 89 points. Both are sold under $20. In the Chard, look for apricot, lemon, apple, hints of oak-driven pie spice aromas. Complex palate shows lemon, nectarine and melon supported by appropriate acidity that provides a long, clean finish.

This white from the great vineyard site is intense in approach and full-bodied richness. Thick, concentrated layers of tropical and stone fruit effuse from the palate adorned in toasted oak and lasting lushness.

Broad aromas of pear, lime skin, apple blossom and hazelnut show on the nose of this bottling. The nutty aspect extends to the palate and settles into tangy marmalade and buttered toast toward the finish.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Chardonnay Seco Highlands is exotic, perfumed and nuanced, with all of the tropical character that is so typical of Rued clone Chardonnays. Passion fruit, mint and wild flowers all add to the wine's racy personality. It would be nice to see a bit more body, but otherwise, the Seco Highlands is well done.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond Kendall-Jackson's 2017 Chardonnay Vintner's Reserve is a reliably delicious, affordable wine that hits all the right notes for a barrel-fermented Chardonnay in its price range. Tangerine, dried flowers, vanillin and honey notes all meld together in a supple Chardonnay that can be enjoyed upon release. Kendall-Jackson's ability to make the Vintner's Reserve Chardonnay, with production of in excess of 2.5 million cases per year, at this level of quality, is truly remarkable.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Chardonnay Fulton Ranch is a racy, exuberant wine that captures all of the natural intensity of the Russian River. Bold and immediate, the 2017 is easy to enjoy for its up-front fruit and open-knit, giving personality.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Chardonnay Cloud Landing Petaluma Gap is inviting. In this range, the Cloud Landing is differentiated by a distinct floral signature that is so typical of Mt. Eden clone Chardonnays. Lemon peel, white flowers, mint and chalk all open up in this pretty, if somewhat slender, Chardonnay.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2016 Merlot Vintner's Reserve is a plump, yet delicate wine with lovely fruit intensity to match its gentle, mid-weight personality. I would prefer to drink it over the next few years, while the plum and blueberry flavors retain their youthful freshness.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond Copain's 2017 Chardonnay Tidal Break is bright and nicely focused, with lovely citrus, floral and almond notes. This crisp, refreshing Chardonnay is a good choice for drinking now and over the next few years.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond The 2017 Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley) is an attractive, fruity wine to drink now and over the next few years. Bright raspberry, strawberry and floral notes are nicely pushed forward in this open-knit, perfumed Pinot. The 2017 is perhaps a bit light, but inviting nevertheless.

Dry and tangy in style, this light-bodied wine offers good refreshment qualities due to bright citrus and green-apple flavors. Good acidity keeps the texture lively so it will make a good lunch or apéritif wine.

The 2017 Sonoma Coast PN rated 88 McD and the Chard was 89 points. Both are sold under $20.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond La Crema's 2016 Pinot Noir (Green Valley of Russian River Valley) is an attractive, lifted wine. Bright red cherry, berry and floral notes are all laced together in a pretty, mid-weight Pinot Noir that will drink well upon release. This is an especially delicate, airy style for the Russian River.

The 2017 La Crema Monterey Chard is also 88 McD with bouquet of peach, pear, pineapple with a hint of acacia. On the creamy palate, vanilla and French butter (not movie butter). I Bidenized the “French not movie” bit from Keith Beavers of VinePair - great line.