Fresh and nicely varietal in its look at bright cherry fruit, this one checks the boxes for balance and restraint without giving up its Pinot Noir claims. It is medium-full in body and somewhat stiff at entry before a veneer of glycerin softens its palatal impacts. If a bit basic in approach, it is will nonetheless make a fine mate to dishes like Chicken Chasseur. 1 star.

Murphy-Goode is a solid label offering consistent quality Pinot for around $20. The style is round, juicy and easy drinking, with earthy, cherry, compost, spicy notes with a touch of oak. Ready to drink and designed for fun. Simply add your favourite pizza.

This is a value red made in a big full-bodied style that's thick, rich and chocolatey. Substantial heat and oak push the fruit forward with no hesitation.

Light yellow color. Nose shows white peaches, lemon curd, orange blossoms and whipped honey notes. Crisp acidity frames the palate nicely, while the wine sports a waxy, plump texture. Apricots, yellow apples, peach nectar, the fruit is backed up with white pepper and flowers. This shows a lot of depth for a California Pinot Gris at this price point. Lots of fun.

USA, California, Northern California: Napa & Some Sonoma New Releases Aged in 20% new French oak, the 2016 Pinot Noir Vintner’s Reserve is pale to medium ruby-purple colored and has a beautiful perfume of potpourri, black tea and powdered tea with a core of kirsch and raspberry preserves. Medium-bodied, soft and juicy, it has a lively line of freshness and a savory finish.

USA, California, Northern California: Napa & Some Sonoma New Releases The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Vintner's Reserve is blended of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Malbec, 2% Petit Verdot and 1% Merlot, aged ten months in 6% new French and 4% new American oak. Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, it has an enticing nose of warm cassis, cloves, dried herbs and cedar chest. Medium-bodied with plenty of crunchy black fruits and a chewy texture, it has a refreshing line carrying of the spicy finish.

Wines of the Week: Why You Drink More Savory Wines This Syrah, in fact, is an important example of how California (and Oregon) are increasingly home to Syrahs that leverage the spicy and savory characteristics of the variety as much as they do its ability to be crafted into wines of powerful fruitiness. In just the past few weeks, I’ve found this to be the case with the Copain Les Voisins Syrah 2015 from the Yorkville Highlands of Mendocino (meat, plum, and peppercorn intertwine magnificently)...

Up in Mendocino where the air is rare Chardonnay shines and this is a great example from one of the best producers in the area. The Pacific Ocean influence is prominent in this bottle with bright creamy lemon curd aromas layered with the scent of alpine, green apple and pear. The acidity is crisp, giving the wine a nice wet-pebble minerality to clean it all up. This wine is definitely worth the price. Rating - A.

Masterful pinot noir with bright berry flavors, elegant structure. 3 stars, superb.

Deeper, darker pinot noir with sensational complexity and balance. 3 stars, supberb.

Stunning quality, soft oak influence, fleshy flavors, well balanced. 3 stars, superb.

A textbook ripe chardonnay from a terrific producer, this wine has pineapple and citrus notes with an unctuous round texture in the mouth. Toasty oak is barely discernible. Fantastic!

Medium ruby shading to utter transparency; spiced and macerated black cherries and blueberries with touches of pomegranate, red cherries and licorice; incredibly perfumed: violets and lilac, sassafras, rhubarb, cranberry; smooth as silk and as weighty as velvet, both ethereal and acutely present; time in the glass brings in notes of mocha and bittersweet chocolate, with a foundation of graphite minerality motivated by acidity as deep as a river. An extraordinary pinot noir. Exceptional.

Need to Restock Your Cellar After the Holidays? Here Are 6 Promising Cabernets to Fill the Gaps Exotic florals, mocha, and baking spice underpin black plum and cherry in this top Arrowood Cab. This is a powerful wine, with impressive structure integrated with the fruit.

Willamette Valley Pinot Noir Auction 2019 Vibrant acidity, corduroy-textured tannins, some fresh red rose aromas, black fruit, long length of finish.

Yangarra are doing all the right things with the vines and land they own (they were certified biodynamic in 2012) and have been producing iconic McLaren wine for some time now. That said, Yangarra’s shiraz shows a little more restraint than a typical McLaren red, opting to exhibit the cool climate nuances of the estate vineyard. The nose shows deep red fruit with notes of kirsch and desiccated cherry. A fine nose it is, but where this wine really shines for me is on the palate. Layers of dark fruit and texture roll over the tongue and the tannins are at once a little dusty and drying without sacrificing precision and detail.

Yangarra Estate Vineyard: Southern Rhône Specialists in South Australia’s McLaren Vale 2014 Yangarra Estate Vineyard Shiraz — brilliant ruby in the glass with generous aromas of red fruit, dried herbs and black tea aromas. Flavors of tart red fruit, crushed flower stems, dried herbs are supported by juicy acidity. Tannins are substantial and drying, but well integrated with the flavors. The body is medium and the length moderate+. This lovely (and lively) Shiraz shows an exciting tension between the red fruit flavors and acidity that is punctuated by drying tannins. It is a delight to sip and made a delicious pairing for oven roasted chicken and Brussels sprouts with bacon.

Yangarra Estate Vineyard: Southern Rhône Specialists in South Australia’s McLaren Vale 2016 Yangarra Estate Vineyard Roussanne — medium yellow in the glass with aromas of pears, dried oat hay and dusty gravel. Flavors of white peach, pear, oat hay, dusty gravel and lingering spice combine for a complex flavor profile in a medium body with bright acidity. Flavors last a very long time. This is a substantial and balanced white wine. This is a lovely, serious white wine. Its complexity will keep you thinking about what you’re tasting. I want to say this is a brilliant food wine, because of its body and acidity, but don’t overlook its sipping potential as well. Pair it with creamy pasta, chicken or fish.

Scores Aren’t Everything & Best of 2018: Lisa Perrotti-Brown Northern California in 2018 It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. My tastings of new releases out of Northern California this year were a tale of two vintages—one of the easiest and most effortless, followed by one of the most extreme and dramatic vintages in the region’s history: 2016 & 2017. Best of Sonoma (Reds) 2016 Verité La Muse – 100 The 2016 La Muse comes strutting out of the glass with flamboyant crème de cassis, ripe plums and black cherries notes followed by nuances of aniseed, chocolate box, wild thyme, violets and chargrill plus a fragrant suggestion of potpourri. Full-bodied, rich and concentrated, the densely packed, perfumed black fruit layers are beautifully framed by perfectly ripe, finely grained tannins and fantastically knit freshness. It finishes long with the most incredible display of mineral sparks.

A crowd pleaser for the not so Chianti’s in your life The 15% of Merlot in this Classico masks any subtlety of the 85% of Sangiovese, making this a plush, round, and chewy wine more in line with a new world style, it is also at 14.5% alcohol. It is a nice medium to full bodied wine with notes of vanilla and blueberries with the hint of oak and cherry hanging out backstage and heat from the alcohol up front. It is not a Classic Classico but if you are having an Italian meal, want a Chianti, but want it big for under $20, this bottle is for you. Rating = B+.

Need to Restock Your Cellar After the Holidays? Here Are 6 Promising Cabernets to Fill the Gaps From 2,400 feet in elevation, this Cab from Stonestreet has gently grippy tannins, making it built to last. Earth, mineral, and anise add complex layers to lively raspberry, cherry, and cassis, all melded in great balance.

Snatched up by Jackson Family Wines, Siduri’s vision – and quality – prevail In all the years, this is the very first Santa Barbara County-designated bottling (all the others have been regional or single-vineyard offerings). Red fruit, primarily cherry and red raspberry, on the nose. Bright and outgoing on the palate with red cherry, raspberry, cranberry and pomegranate in the forefront and some bay leaf and savory herbs in the background that support the fruit. Light on its feet and easygoing, it's not without substance and character. Accessibly delicious and great to drink right now, it's a best buy.

Snatched up by Jackson Family Wines, Siduri’s vision – and quality – prevail Plum, blackberry, black raspberry and cocoa on the nose with intriguing spice and herb notes. The plum, black cherry and pomegranate flavors are juicy and accessible. It has great color, intensity and complexity all the way through as the upbeat acidity integrates with the supple but firm tannins on the finish. A blend of four different vineyards, aged for 15 months in French oak (30 percent new), it's a fine introduction to what Santa Rita Hills is all about, at a very attractive price.

This Pinot is a great introduction to the Pinots of the Santa Lucia Highlands, which are generally fuller-bodied and higher in alcohol than most California Pinot Noirs. What I enjoy about SLH Pinots in general, and this one in particular, is the fact that they maintain all the qualities I love in Pinot – just in a bigger, bolder package.

Snatched up by Jackson Family Wines, Siduri’s vision – and quality – prevail Dark cherry, pomegranate and herbs, along with a distinct minerally/wet stones aspect (like San Pellegrino), on the effusive nose. Truly a dark star of a pinot on the palate, supple but concentrated, rich with deep, dark cherry fruit, raspberry, pomegranate and damson plum. Fascinating and mysterious (the more you swirl, the more you get), it's a blend of six different cool-climate vineyards wherein somehow the whole effect is greater than the sum of the parts. A beguiling and sultry pinot in all aspects.