This pitch black colored Chianti Classico Riserva opens with an appealing black cherry bouquet with a hint of cola. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and juicy. The flavor profile is a tasty cedar infused dark cherry with notes of gentle minerality. I also detected hints of craisin, black pepper and red plum in the background. The finish is dry and its flinty tannins fade away nicely. The wine is very food friendly and would be perfect for Italian fare. I would pair with beef braciola or lamb kabobs.

Limpid yellow-gold. Musky pear skin, lemon pith and succulent herb aromas are lifted by a gingery nuance. Chewy and focused on the palate, offering pear nectar and Meyer lemon flavors that are given spine by a core of dusty minerality. Smoothly plays weight off energy and finishes long and nervy, displaying resonating citrus fruit character.

Limpid yellow-gold. Aromas of fresh orchard and citrus fruits along with hints of white flowers and dusty minerals. Gently sweet pear, orange and melon flavors show a suave floral quality and a firming quinine note. Finishes silky and taut, featuring an echoing floral note and very good persistence. This is a more restrained version of the variety than one normally finds from the New World.

COMMENTARY: My love for La Crema goes way back—I won't tell you how far—and the 2017 Pinot Noir Rosé just adds to those feelings. TASTING NOTES: This is a lovely rosé with excellent aromatics and flavors. Pair the wine's strawberry and dried earth flavors with a light seafood risotto.

This seductive Pinot Noir from Oregon's Willamette Valley gets off to a good start with an inviting nose of violets and spice. It only gets better from there. On the palate the wine is exquisitely balanced, showing notes of raspberry and cherry with a touch of oak spice. The texture is silky and supple, made for immediate consumption, although the excellent balance suggests it will age nicely over the next five to seven years.

Weekend Wine Picks This has nothing to do with Burgundy but everything to do with the Anderson Valley and the wild Sonoma Coast — remote, distant, yet memorable. The nose is a mix of raspberry, pepper, smoky, blueberry, mocha with a savoury undercurrent of celery salt, plus vanilla aromas. The attack is clean, fresh, juicy and elegant but with intensity and more peppery, savoury, herbal, compost notes with a vanilla, licorice finish. Bring on the duck, quail, turkey and smoke meats. Private wine shops only.

Weekend Wine Picks Unabashedly Californian Chardonnay from a hillside that sits above the Santa Maria Bench in Santa Barbara. The Chardonnay blocks known as the Camelot Highlands is what winemaker Randy Ullom calls the filet mignon section. The vines, planted to their own roots and over 40 years old, are deeply set in an ancient seabed. Tropical fruits mark the nose with scents of pineapple, mango and papaya, previewing a creamy rich mid-palate laced with butter, mineral, cinnamon, vanilla, orange and crème brûlée. Another crowd pleaser. Private wine shops only.

Medium-light to medium ruby; attractive, assertive, cherry fruit aroma with earthy notes and hints of baking spices and forest floor; medium to medium-full body; rich, earthy, spicy, red fruit flavors with herbal notes, good depth and structure, and a pleasing, supple mouthfeel; medium to medium-full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Appealing to drink now, though best to age for several more years. Very highly recommended.

Dark purplish ruby; attractive, ripe, blueberry and blackberry fruit aroma with hints of black pepper, cardamom, and cinnamon stick; full body; ripe, concentrated, spicy, blue and black fruit flavors with well integrated oak and a rich, plush mouthfeel; full tannin; lingering aftertaste. Shows some maturity and enjoyable to drink now or over the next three to five years. Very highly recommended.

Whether someone special stops by, you got a sudden promotion or you just need a boost mid-week, having this showstopper white on hand lets you hit the pause button and elevate the moment. From the very first whiff, you know it’s something special. Evocative aromas of toasted nut, vanilla cream and citrus peel lead to mouth-coating flavours of crisp apple heavily imbued with warm hazelnut, crème brûlée and buttered toast. It’s a captivating wooded Chardonnay that is stylish, graceful and versatile. Try it with gourmet macaroni and cheese or white pizza.

California Pinot Noir Light ruby color. Smells of tart strawberries, red cherries, McIntosh apple peel, along with rhubarb, cola and roasted coffee. Refreshing acidity on the palate, full-bodied with a chewy texture, and plenty of tangy cherries, raspberries, rich back cherries. Flavors of cola, rhubarb, rose hips, sweet tobacco, along with coffee, chestnut and vanilla. Packed with flavor but stays fresh. Aged 13 months in 20% new French oak.

California Pinot Noir Medium ruby color. Nose of crisp raspberries, strawberries, juicy red cherries, along with rhubarb, roses, some sweet cola and light roast coffee. Zesty acidity on the palate, some nice but to the tannins, but also plenty of rich cranberry, raspberry and strawberry fruit. Notes of rhubarb, rose hips, along with coffee and dark chocolate. Delicious but complex. Aged 13 months in 20% new French oak.

California Pinot Noir Medium ruby color. Crisp aroma of strawberries, pomegranate, raspberry, along with rose hips, rhubarb, tobacco, with cola and coffee. Crisp acidity on the palate, suave texture but nice tannic grip. Tart cranberry mixes with richer black cherries, backed up by roses, rhubarb, cola, coffee and dark chocolate shavings. Juicy and forward but structured and fresh as well. Aged 13 months in 20% new French oak.

COMMENTARY: Pink wines are a serious business. The Cambria Estate has successfully navigated this wine to move folks from the blush side to the bonafide rosé category, and this is no easy feat. TASTING NOTES: The 2016 Cambria Rosé of Pinot Noir exhibits loads of ripe red fruit and dried earth aromas and flavors. The weight and richness on the palate square puts this wine in the food wine category. Pair its intensity and crispness with fresh salmon sashimi.

Lynn Penner-Ash's pinot noirs, typically plush and ample, gain their mineral edges from the shallow soils and wind barrage at Zena Crown. This wine starts off dark and velvety, with a purple core of fruit that lightens with air as the flavors become leaner, more mineral and more elegant. It still has some baby fat and could use some time in the cellar before serving with herbed pork loin.

Bright violet. Primary black and blue fruit, peppery spice and floral scents show good clarity and pick up a smoky nuance with air. Juicy, focused and lively on the palate, offering gently sweet blueberry and cherry flavors and a palate-numbing suggestion of cracked pepper. Lingers nicely on the finish, which features dusty tannins and a hint of jammy blue fruit.

COMMENTARY: A rosé for all, The 2017 Kendall-Jackson Vintner's Reserve Rosé brings lots of joy and pleasure to the party, and this is wine for both newbies and experienced drinkers. TASTING NOTES: This wine starts out with bright pink and comes onto the palate with an explosion of berry fruits. Enjoy its open-knit style with light appetizers or just by itself.

Weekend Wine Picks If sommeliers drank a little less Alsace and a little more K-J occasionally, a lot of wine lists would improve. This vintage was a cracker, and the wine simply sings at three years old. Look for a seamless mix of black fruit and cassis with a dollop of vanilla and mocha, all with some finesse. Ready to drink and perfectly suited to red meats. Back up the truck. Private wine shops only.

Medium-light golden yellow color; attractive, forward, slightly buttery, earthy, citrus, apple, and pear aroma with hints of baking spices; medium to medium-full body; lemony, apple and white peach flavors with bright acidity and a crisp mouthfeel; lingering aftertaste. Very highly recommended.

This slightly opaque and dark red colored Zinfandel from Hartford opens with a fragrant mulberry and cranberry bouquet with a hint of clove. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, slightly acidic, and mouthwatering. The flavor profile is a tasty plum with notes of integrated oak. We also detected hints of red raspberry, black pepper and minerality. The finish is dry and its flavors are nicely prolonged. The Panel suggested pairing this wine with a pork tenderloin with a fig and sage sauce.

Light yellow. Mineral-tinged aromas of tangerine, Anjou pear and honey, backed by subtle anise and ginger notes. Chewy and focused on the palate, offering pear nectar, Meyer lemon and bitter quinine flavors that show good depth and energy. Closes firm and dry, featuring a lingering citrus fruit note and a hint of candied ginger.

Wine for the cellar Barbara Banke made a stylistic left turn and an astute buy when she purchased the Copain property and brought it under the Jackson Family Wines banner. Although lauded for his Rhone wines, the strength of winemaker Wells Guthrie is his ability to source fruit — in this case, savoury, cool Mendocino fruit. Tous Ensemble (all together) is a mix of fruit from three vineyards across the county, blended into a ready-to-drink Pinot. Copain makes an understated, spare Pinot Noir in the Tous Ensemble range at a mere 13.5 per cent alcohol, offering red fruits, soft tannins and a dry, food-friendly finish. 89 points.

COMMENTARY: The Barrymore by Carmel Road brand has produced some excellent wines. The 2017 Rosé of Pinot Noir adds another successful notch to its portfolio. TASTING NOTES: Shows pleasing candied strawberry aromas, this wine is an easy drink, and that is perfect for simply sipping. 89 points.

This dark red colored Zinfandel from Murphy Goode opens with a strawberry and red plum bouquet with hints of pencil shavings and oak. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and smooth. The flavor profile is a tasty cherry with notes of old oak. We also detected some hints of espresso, strawberry and a touch of minerality. The finish is dry and its flavors and gentle tannins drift away nicely. The Panel found this Zin to be food friendly and would suggest pairing it with a grilled salmon burger. 89 points. Very good.

Weekend Wine Picks Well-made, commercial quantities, widely available at a fair price. When is the last time you heard that? The fruit is a mix of estate and grower vineyards but all of it is grown in cool, marine-swept Sonoma County vineyards. The nose is fresh, the fruit red, with wild strawberry aromas and a pinch of baking spices. The palate is similar with soft, silky textures. Delicious, drinkable and authentic Pinot Noir aged in French oak of which only 20 per cent is new. 89 points.