Rich yellow color. Aromas of almonds, honey, bruised apple, along with sea breeze and white flowers. Rich texture and it’s creamy and bold but also fresh acidity. Bruised apple, lemon curd, yellow pears, along with flavors of almond cake, cinnamon. Underlying notes of minerals, sea salt and ocean breeze. Lovely, rich, nuanced. Aged 10 months in 40% new French oak.

The Surprise of 2015 in Napa and Other California Wine Reviewed Aromas of dried cherries and strawberries follow through to a full body with slightly chewy tannins. Lots of concentration for a pinot noir. A muscular style. Drink in 2020.

Wine for the cellar The blend in 2012 is 48/27/22/3 Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot. The nose is a peculiar mix of floral/meaty notes with bits of black fruit and coffee aromas. The attack is similar with resiny, licorice, black fruit and bitter espresso notes. This needs another three to five years to settle down. Best with mushroom or meaty pasta dishes. 88 points.

Siduri’s Parsons’ Vineyard Pinot Noir from this vintage offers complex aromas of raspberry and cherry, a hint of wood spice and moderate tannins. This is a Pinot to drink young, for it lacks the stuffing for long-term ageing. 88 points.

Flavorful and unusually gutsy for the varietal, this wine has almost meaty aromas, lots of grape-skin and grapefruit flavors on the palate and a sense of density the comes from a little tannin in the texture.

A crisp, clean mix of lemon, lime, grapefruit and orange zest flavors on a smooth and juicy body, with a hint of green tea.

Continuous, well-defined, ripe cherry fruit is joined by a tasteful dollop of sweet oak in both the outgoing aromas and steady, mid-density flavors of this nicely balanced, medium-full-bodied Pinot, and, if never a dramatic wine, it hits all of the right varietal marks from its fruity focus to its rounded, slightly velvety feel. It shows a careful winemaking hand throughout and asks for little in the way of additional age, but neither does it suggest that it will tire and fade away anytime soon. And, it is made even easier to like by its comparatively modest price. 88 points. One star, good value

Medium-light salmon color; medium-light, earthy, cherry fruit aroma with an early trace of sulfur; medium body; red fruit flavors that are relatively soft in the mouthfeel; slightly lingering aftertaste. 87 points.

Here, again La Crema has come up with a very clean and carefully made wine that offers a clear look at the lively, red cherry and strawberry fruit of Pinot Noir, and, if a touch lighter and not quite as filled-up as its cellarmate from the Sonoma Coast, it is an easy-drinking, well-balanced example whose varietal credentials are never in doubt. It, too, hits the mark for fine value, especially when found at a discount as it often is. 87 points. One star, good value

KJ has joined the rosé rush predictably, watching from the sidelines to make sure it was real, before being slotted into the friendly Vintner’s Reserve selection. It’s not anywhere near as sweet as you might expect which is as heartening as it is light with fresh cut watermelon, apricots and white flowers. KJ has an almost unlimited amount of coastal fruit to choose from in Santa Barbara, Monterey, Sonoma and Mendocino counties. The inaugural pink is mostly pinot noir with some syrah and grenache. It’s all stainless steel fermented to retain maximum freshness. Drink now. 87 points.

The 2017 Lassègue was tasted twice, one sample not representative as it was too old. The second sample taken the day before, has a perfumed bouquet with iris and light incense aromas. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grain tannin and ample, tobacco-tinged black fruit. I really appreciate the balance and freshness of this Lassègue. It feels nicely poised with just a light graphite note poking its head above the surface towards the finish. This property, owned by the Jackson family of Kendall-Jackson/Verité fame, has great terroir and this 2017 shows it off well.

It’s dreary and drippy in our neck o’ the woods today, so let’s sample a wine that will lift our spirits and remind us that, yes, it really is Spring. This is the Cenyth Wines Rosé of Cabernet Franc 2017, Sonoma County. Cenyth Wines represents a partnership between longtime friends Julia Jackson and Hélène Seillan. Julia is a daughter of the late Jess Jackson; Hélène is daughter of Pierre Seillan, winemaker for Vérité, the flagship wine (in my opinion) of Jackson Family Wines’ Spire Collection, and vigneron of JFW’s Bordeaux properties Chateau Lassègue and Chateau Vignot, in Saint-Emilion. Cenyth debuted with an exceptional cabernet sauvignon-based wine from the 2009 vintage. Anyway, the Cenyth Rosé of Cabernet Franc 2017 offers a ravishing pale copper-salmon hue and beguiling aromas of spiced peach and orange rind, strawberry and quince, with undertones of damp stones and dusty slate. It’s a spare and elegant rosé, unusually complex for the genre. A few minutes in the glass bring in notes of lychee and lilac, blue plum and almond skin; the chiseled limestone minerality provides ballast but doesn’t come on too strong for a rosé that is essentially, transparently beautiful. 13 percent alcohol. Drink now, of course, through this year and into 2019. Excellent.

Actress and Winemaker Drew Barrymore Next, we tried the bottle of Barrymore Drew's Blend Pinot Noir. This lovely wine offered a pleasing perfumed fragrance ranging from cherries, rhubarb, pomegranates and spices. We enjoyed it with spicy food, fresh fish and red meat dishes. This wine is sourced from three different vineyards in Monterey, CA. It's made with 100% Pinot Noir grapes. Following fermentation, the wine is aged in French oak barrels.

What to Drink Now: Napa Cabernet Sauvignon A good bottle of Cab remains a go-to wine Napa Valley delivers sublime Cabernet Sauvignon options. The joy is finding what your palate prefers. Here are a few to try this season. (Some were sent for editorial consideration.) Get a taste of all of these delicious wines and more, while helping the Napa Valley community, at Auction Napa Valley May 31 through June 3, presented annually by the Napa Valley Vintners. For lovers of high-elevation mountain fruit, consider Cardinale ($250) which blends five of Napa’s mountain ranges into layers of dried blueberry, leather, cigar box and espresso for an earthy representation of textured, highly structured Cabernet Sauvignon. Or highlighted in individual mountain AVAs, like Cardinale sister wines La Jota ($75) from Howell Mountain and Mt. Brave ($75) from Mount Veeder, both concentrated, dense and divine.

From Riesling to Pinot Noir, savour B.C.’s best wine varieties If the idea of warm cinnamon toast with a couple dollops of apple-and-quince compote sounds like your thing, then pour yourself a big slug of this showstopper.

Actress and Winemaker Drew Barrymore The first bottle I shared with friends was the Barrymore by Carmel Road Rosé of Pinot Noir. It’s a delicate wine with a beautiful pink hue. The nose offers floral and light citrus aromas. Taking a sip there are hints of blood orange intertwine with creamy apricot that is clean and crisp to the palate and doesn’t finish sweet. It’s not a simple wine, but more complex due to the long and slow fermentation balancing the pleasing layers of melon, cherries, and strawberry. The 100% Pinot Noir grapes are grown in Monterey County and fermented in 100% stainless steel. Even though I could happily drink this wine year round, the rose’ is a quintessential warm summer day wine to enjoy with charcuterie or fish tacos.

A Toast to Earth Day - The Biodynamic Wines of Yangarra The perfect wine to toast Earth Day, this wine is made without chemical additives. Preservative Free(PF), and no additions of any kind: sulfur, acid, tannins or fining agents. The PF Shiraz is made from grapes grown on certified biodynamic single-estate vineyard, grown without herbicides, fungicides or synthetic chemicals. It’s medium bodied, fresh, fruit driven wine that is delicious enjoyed as a young wine.

The "PF" is for "preservative free," and, far from oxidized, this burly Shiraz, coming to us from Down Under by way of Jackson Family Wines, shows signs of "reduction," which is basically the opposite of oxidized. Just a touch of reduction, however, accents the savor of liquefied dried plum with gamey, chocolatey notes. Not fined or filtered, it leaves a chunky residue of organic material in the bottom of the last glass—and a pretty favorable memory of the category, as well. Four stars.

A Toast to Earth Day - The Biodynamic Wines of Yangarra This wine is all about texture. The meaty blueberry hint is sometimes like prosciutto or other dark charcuterie meats; the figgy base tones provide a solid base flavor, the cleansing natural acidity working with the tannins to draw the finish out to a delicious taper with a long aftertaste where those cherries evident in the bouquet.

A Toast to Earth Day - The Biodynamic Wines of Yangarra This was a beautiful silky Roussanne with a wonderful bouquet on the nose of fruit, floral and spice. With just the right amount of acid, this wine left a long lingering finish on the palate. This was an exceptional Rousanne that stood out in its style and personality.

Wine Pick of the Week Celebrate spring with this highly attractive Oregon Pinot Gris. Its appealingly fruity nose foretells deliciously forward fruit on the palate along with refreshing acidity and expressive complexity. Finishes very long and strong.

DIY Four-Course Dinner Paired with Oregon Pinot Noir For our second course, I went straight for the pasta – Gnocchi with Frizzled Prosciutto & Blue Cheese. It’s salty, rich and creamy, all the qualities you’d look for in a “dive-right-in” pasta dish. You’ll be drawn in by the aroma of the blue cheese, but you’ll be hooked on the crispy frizzled prosciutto that tops this dish. This gnocchi was just begging for an Oregon Pinot Noir with a good amount of acidity to it, to counteract it’s unctuousness. The 2015 Pierre Leon Pinot Noir ($55) from WillaKenzie which really complimented the funky blue cheese and salty prosciutto nicely.

19.5/20 points

19/20 points

20/20 points