Gift Guide: Holiday Host A bottle of wine is a classic host gift, and I love all of the offerings from Barrymore by Carmel Road, which is the collaboration between actress Drew Barrymore and Monterey winery Carmel Road. They have a Pinot Noir and a Pinot Grigio as well, but I'm partial to their rosé, which is refreshing and light. Bonus: the bottle is absolutely Instagram-worthy!

11 wines introduce you to Chilean carmenere's inky charms Blackberry and other dark fruits were joined by vanilla, cedar, smoke and spice in this 90/10 carmenere/cabernet sauvignon blend from the Maule Valley.

Escape to Sonoma County This is an ethereal Cabernet Franc with concentrated notes of red fruit, violet, exotic spice, and a savory spine of earthy tobacco running through it. The plush finish goes on and on.

Escape to Sonoma County With dense flavors of plum, black pepper, and mint, this Merlot-driven wine offers layered complexity, firm structure, and an energetic full body.

Escape to Sonoma County Blackberry, cassis, cedar, and forest floor cascade along a granite backbone of fine-grained regal tannins reaching a sustained long velvet finish. This is a Napa Cabernet lovers’ dream.

Evolved, bright, dark crimson. The first bottle had rather a stewed nose but the second bottle was much more impressive. Fresh, sweet, sappy with some complex maturity. Some tannin and dried herbs on the end. 17/20

Entry level cab. Wow! It's great. 3 stars.

Very pricey but worth it, intense deep complex flavors, monumental. 4 stars.

Altitude gives intense, balanced flavors, herbal, citric notes. 2½ stars.

Tons of fruit, with vanilla notes, good structure. 2½ stars.

Oregon makes some very fine Pinot Noirs. This is no exception. And in some ways, it is better than most, in particular, those selling for $50 for more. The secret here is not only in its dramatic red cherry fruit and faint forest floor complexity, but in the way wine maker Adam Lee handled the structure to avoid one of Oregon’s almost regular issues with PN: tannin. This wine has a gorgeous structure based on good acidity, with less tannin than I normally see in the state’s PNs. Exceptional.

The Penner-Ash Zena Crown Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015, Eola-Amity Hills, reveals a large-framed, intense and concentrated wine animated by penetrating graphite minerality and vibrant acidity while unfolding lovely details of spiced and macerated black and red cherries and currants infused with pomegranate and cranberry, sandalwood and sassafras; as with its stablemates mentioned above, texture and structure are fused by the power of its slightly dusty, velvety tannins — it’s the most tannic of this trio — leading to a sleek finish packed with cedar and tobacco, flint and juicy black fruit. Excellent.

This fall, Lynn and Ron Penner-Ash toasted the 20th harvest for their Penner-Ash Wine Cellars brand, which they sold in 2016 to Jackson Family Wines. Her touch with her flagship Pinot Noir may well have been what made the winery along Ribbon Ridge Road most attractive to the late Jess Jackson’s company. Zena Crown and Gran Moraine, two sites purchased by JFW in 2013, made significant contributions to Penner-Ash’s lot selection from 13 vineyards. She’s also been at the forefront of the movement among Oregon Pinot Noir producers to dial down the expression of oak, exemplified with her 10-month barrel program of 29% new French barrels. This beauty is loaded with dark purple fruit tones akin to elderberry and blueberry with plum, accented slightly by sweet barrel notes of cocoa powder, cinnamon and clove. And despite the record-warm vintage, this Pinot Noir is presented in a lighter structure with raspberry acidity and just a touch of tannin. Outstanding.

The color is dark ruby shading to a transparent magenta rim; it’s a pinot noir of blazing purity and intensity, featuring spiced and macerated black cherries, currants and plums permeated by cloves and ground cumin, hints of sandalwood and sassafras and a touch of pomegranate; the super-satiny texture drapes the tongue in a dense, almost chewy enfolding, though kept dynamic through elemental bright acidity; the wine becomes increasingly loamy and foresty through the intense and concentrated finish. 13.7 percent alcohol. One of the best pinot noirs I tasted this year. Exceptional.

The color of the Penner-Ash Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015, Yamhill-Carlton District, is very dark ruby shading to a transparent rim; it’s a wine formidable in size and dimension, starting with its potent elements of loam and graphite minerality, its heady and intense aromas of lilacs and rose petals, its deeply spicy scents and flavors of black and red cherry and currant compote; dense, chewy and succulent, it’s a powerful and muscular expression of the grape, its texture equal parts talc and flint, its electric acid strain seemingly chiseled from granite. Excellent.

By the way, don’t miss the Penner-Ash Hyland Vineyard Old Vine Riesling 2015, McMinnville, a true classic of a pale, dry riesling that makes a powerful expression of petrol, heather, peaches, lime peel and intense aromas of jasmine and gardenia, its lithe texture wrapped in vibrant and vigorous acidity and a scintillating limestone element. Excellent.

Merlot has had a bad name since the release of the movie Sideways in 2004. Paul Giamatti's character, Miles' hatred for the varietal caused a measurable decrease in its sales. Pinot noir, Miles' favorite, in contrast, saw sales increase by 16%. Miles' feelings aside, merlot doesn't deserve to be so maligned. In the hands of a deft winemaker, it can make a remarkable wine. Today, we'll begin to look at how the variety is used in wines made by famed Napa winemaker, Chris Carpenter. Chris is so passionate about merlot that he makes it for three wineries, from three different regions across two continents. Our exploration of Chris' merlot will start with this wine: 2014 Mt. Veeder Merlot produced & bottled by Mt. Brave (Oakville, California). This wine is 100% merlot from the Mt. Brave Vineyard in the Mt. Veeder AVA within Napa Valley. Following fermentation, the wine was aged for 19 months in French oak. It comes in at 14.5% ABV. The wine showed a dark ruby almost opaque color. Blackberry, cassis, raspberry, plum, vanilla and oak each arrived on the jammy nose. Blackberry, raspberry preserves, black cherry, plum, mocha, oak and hints of licorice followed on the palate where the licorice melded with the berry fruit as the wine opened up. The wine exhibited excellent structure and good length, along with well-integrated tannins. This wine would pair well with a marinated and grilled flank steak with chimichurri.

Top Wines of 2017 Two of my top wines of 2017 were made by the same winemaker with the same grape variety but for two different wineries on two different continents. Winemaker, Chris Carpenter's passion for merlot was on full display with the 2014 Mt. Veeder Merlot produced & bottled by Mt. Brave and the 2014 The Revivalist Merlot McLaren Vale vinted & bottled by Hickinbotham Clarendon Vineyard.

Merlot Can be Great – Try These from Winemaker Chris Carpenter This was my favorite, and a close second for Cheri. Another wine with a dark, pure ruby color, it was very close to the La Jota in appearance. The nose was of dark fruit, tending toward blue fruit. There was some bramble and woodiness as well. Just a touch though. This full bodied wine has an incredible, pure blue fruit experience on the palate. There were distinct blueberry flavors. Brisk tannins and great acid keep this fresh, but it is the laser beam focus of fruit which makes it stand out. It is incredibly long. Hands down the best of three great wines in my opinion. $75 SRP, and definitely worth it. That is why we have our own opinions however, as Cheri thought a bit differently….

The Top 25 Wines of 2017! 2. 2014 Mt. Brave Mt. Veeder Merlot – $75 – if you have dismissed Merlot try this and change your mind.

Merlot Can be Great – Try These from Winemaker Chris Carpenter This is a dark, pure ruby in color. The nose is big, and carries darker fruits including some cherry notes. We got blackberry, oak and some herbs as well. It has some characteristics of a Bordeaux, and you definitely get the impression it is blended wine and not just 100% Merlot. That works great here, as the wine is rich, complex and long. Good acid keeps it beautifully balanced. This is truly exceptional. Not our favorite of the three however, and that is saying something for the other two. SRP is $85, and it deserves that.

The Top 25 Wines of 2017! 19. 2014 La Jota Howell Mountain Merlot – $85 – Another great Merlot from Chris Carpenter.

This is a wine of amazing purity and intensity, from its dark ruby-magenta hue to its piercing elements of graphite and flint minerality, to its penetrating scents and flavors of blueberry, pomegranate and black currant; in its vibrancy, resonance and appeal, this wine can only be described as “exciting,” though the dry, dusty tannins coat the palate; some time in the glass adds complex notes of fruitcake and espresso, truffles and loam and a touch of bittersweet chocolate; the finish fleshes out the wine with a complement of warm spices and cool minerals that reach fathoms deep. Exceptional.

Holiday Wine Pick With all the holidays, parties, family gatherings and variety of foods, December might be the best month for adventurous wine drinking. It also presents challenges deciding what to drink and what you can afford. Not to worry; I'm here to help with a shopping list of good, affordable wines from my recent tastings. Pinot Gris is a fine alternative, offering fresh citrus and melon with similar weight. Here are two: ...and 2016 La Crema Monterey...

The best holiday wines under $20: 2017/2018 edition These are 13 of the most affordable, crowd-pleasing bottles of vino you can bring to a festive feast. With nectarine, citrus blossom, and honeysuckle aromas on the nose, and pear, apple, and Meyer lemon on the palate, the lively acidity in this pinot gris pairs perfectly with light salads (especially those with tangy, vinaigrette dressings) and seafood pastas. But don't be afraid to try this bright and refreshing bottle with something like a gooey camembert cheese or salty prosciutto before sitting down for dinner.