2018 Pacific Northwest Rose Report Winemaker Erik Kramer has crafted this great new Pinot Noir Rose. Pretty lighter red fruit aromatics fill the glass. The plush texture really shines here. Red currant jelly, red cherry and pomegranate with a kiss of citrus rind complete this fantastic new wine.

The Surprise of 2015 in Napa and Other California Wine Reviewed This is a dusty red with soft and polished tannins. Shows some light wood undertones. Velvety and chewy finish. Needs drinking.

The Surprise of 2015 in Napa and Other California Wine Reviewed This is holding on beautifully for a very difficult and wet vintage. Fresh and clean with currants, lime and hints of cedar and meat. Medium body, firm and velvety tannins, and a savory finish. Drink now.

The Surprise of 2015 in Napa and Other California Wine Reviewed Dark plums, mulberries and some dust. The palate has some nice tension, ripe tannins and a fruit-forward finish. Chewy. Drink in 2021.

Sleek and gracefully built, offering vibrant cherry, green peppercorn and tea flavors that finish with refined tannins. Drink now through 2021.

K-J has long been the standard-bearer for value in California wine, utilizing a vast network of excellent vineyard sources to produce good wine at a fair price. The Vintner's Reserve Cabernet is a shining example, retailing for $24 but doing a great impersonation of a wine that should/could cost much more. This vintage offers layered black fruits, generous wood spice that adds warmth, and depth and structure that speak to the quality of the grapes that went into this bottling. Drinking well now, but this wine will easily hold for another eight to ten years.

The Surprise of 2015 in Napa and Other California Wine Reviewed A soft and juicy chardonnay with lots of pralines, cooked apples and toasted oak character. Full body, lots of flavor and a slightly oily finish. Full style. Drink now.

The nutty character on the nose mingles nicely with Challah bread and lemon cream. The palate shows a lean, mineral driven edge, with good structure and lighter cantaloupe and Pink Lady apple flavors. This elegant wine finishes long with vanilla cream.

Grainy and gritty in texture at first, this wine finds a smooth roundedness on the midpalate that follows it through the bright acidity and punches of red plum and cherry. Ultimately rich and full-bodied, it offers a touch of reduction on the finish that presents as complex and intriguing.

This pale straw colored Sauvignon Blanc from Galerie is very nice. It opens with mild gooseberry bouquet with a hint of wet stone. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, slightly acidic and round. The flavor profile is a mild mineral infused light yellow grapefruit with hints of faint vanilla oak and lime. The finish is dry and its flavors drift away nicely. This Sauvignon Blanc is food friendly and would pair well with swordfish skewers.

Great wines that could sell for twice the price I've recommended this bottle before in this column but it's worth another mention because, tasted against its direct competition, it shines. And it's wildly popular for good reason. Expect evocative aromas of toasted nut, vanilla cream and pithy citrus peel leading to a silky-swift entry that tastes lifted and dignified rather than too fruity or overoaked. Mouth-coating flavours of crisp apple are interwoven with warm hazelnut, crème brûlée and buttered toast with a balanced, seamless structure. Long. Works very well with poultry but also pairs marvelously with classic cheese fondue.

Very perfumed with peach and sliced-lemon character. Full-bodied, round and fresh with a hint of lemon drops at the end with crushed stones. Drink now.

I really enjoyed this wine. A long time Napa standard, it had been a while since I had revisited it. Light golden in color. The nose has melons and red apples. Very clean, little oak and no butter. On the palate, this is crisp and refreshing. Some apples, some melon with a nice mouthfeel. Food friendly. Under $30. Really a nice value in Napa Chardonnay.

Copain's Syrahs are Aging Wonderfully Good stuff inside for sure, it just stayed tight the whole night, even Day 2 it wasn’t as expressive. Gobs of dark fruit on the nose. Structured tannins provide lots of grip, medium acidity. Dense black fruit, iron, smoke, graphite, pepper and violets. Young still, I’d let this sit for three or four years. Damn, Wells’ wine age for quite a while. Iconic Paso Robles vineyard, 10 miles from the ocean, clay over ancient seabed soils.

Copain's Syrahs are Aging Wonderfully Dark and plummy on the nose with violets and black olives. Surprising grip on the tannins, this is quite dense actually, but some fresh acidity. Black currants and rich black cherries, quite “purple” in its approach. Floral as well with potting soil and violets. One of the wines that needs more time, which I found surprising and interesting. A Lake County vineyard, in red volcanic soils, above the beautiful Clear Lake in Southern Lake County.

Good value wines for summer parties Summer’s humidity is instantly reduced with a glass of chilled 2017 Willakenzie Estate Rose Willamette Valley. This pale salmon-colored wine blends 95% pinot noir with 2% pinot blanc and 3% pinot meunier, a grape usually associated with Champagne. It adds up to a pleasant citrus and cherry-scented and flavored wine with a touch of minerality and a palate-cleansing finish.

This dark red colored Pinot Noir from Oregon opens with a very inviting bouquet of plum with a hint of black raspberry and tea. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied and nicely balanced between its acidity and fruit. The flavor profile is a tasty red plum with hints of red cherry, black pepper and milk chocolate. The finish is dry and its flavors and mild tannins drift away nicely. I would pair this very nice Pinot with a grilled salmon burger or a rack of lamb with rosemary and garlic.

Retasted in Vancouver, fruit is a 61/25/14 mix of Crater View, RoxyAnn and Power Block vineyards. It's 100 percent viognier and entirely fermented and aged in stainless steel. The attack is fresh with honeysuckle, orange blossoms, apple and citrus. The fruit and acidity is perfectly matched along the spine of this vibrant white, with hints of jasmine, apple and citrus zest and a dash of peach pit bitterness in the finish. A perfect wine for halibut and a fruit salsa.

The Surprise of 2015 in Napa and Other California Wine Reviewed The nose is very rich here, offering a wealth of plum paste, vanilla extract, chocolate and coffee beans. The palate's very intense with dense fruit, ripe tannins and a fruit-forward finish. Drink in 2020.

This pink colored wine made from Pinot Noir grapes was very well received by our mini-tasting group. It opens with faint watermelon bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced, elegant and very approachable. The flavor profile is a mild watermelon with hints of red cherry and minerality. The finish is dry and fades away nicely. This Rose will be a crowd pleaser and will pair nicely with delicate foods. I would pair it with grilled red snapper.

Bright gold color. Bright aromas of sea salt, almond, lots of ocean breeze, along with rich elements of toasted biscuits and toffee. Brisk acidity on the palate aligns with a rich texture, all balanced nicely. Lemon curd, bruised apple, pineapple upside down cake, along with toffee, almond, toasted biscuits, but there’s also a streak of chalk and seashells. Rich but lively, too, there is a lot going on here! Fermented and aged in 41% new French oak.

This is a big bold wine, rough and sinewy in layers of leather, oak, tannin and earthy tobacco. The earthiness presents as a mix of wild mushroom, sage and cedar, with a sanguine meaty edge to the black fruit.

Light-bodied and slightly lacking in color, Siduri’s Muirfield Pinot is a bit deceptive because it’s anything but short on flavor. Delicate notes of cherry and spice dominate, with modest tannins for enjoyable near-term consumption. 89 points.

The Surprise of 2015 in Napa and Other California Wine Reviewed A big and rich merlot with dried lavender and a juicy plum character. Full body, chewy tannins and a slightly high-octane finish. Drink now. 89 points.

Light pink/orange in color. The nose has some slight watermelon and a bit of grapefruits. This is an easy, light rose on the palate. Refreshing notes of cherries and some cinnamon. Around $16, this is nice for a party. 89 points, ,B+.