Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc: More Than An Afterthought? Fresh citrus, beeswax, sliced green apples and plenty of minerals. Quite a delicate but pretty style of palate with fresh acidity, a medium body and a dried-citrus finish.

Golden apples, peaches, and apricots mingle with a few honey and floral hints on the nose. Crisp and refreshing on the palate, the peach and apple take center stage with suggestions of honey and toasted almonds lingering in the background. Very approachable, slightly sweet, and bright, this a very good buy for the price and would be lovely as a starter or with your main meal.

This is another stellar Cabernet Sauvignon for Arrowood from the 2014 vintage. It shows ripe flavors of blackberry, cassis and blueberry with a touch of oak vanillin and firm tannins that will smooth out nicely in another two to three years. This vintage also offers and intriguing note of cedar that is often a marker in top-notch Bordeaux.

Trim and vibrant, with floral cherry and spice aromas and sleek strawberry and tart mineral flavors.

Expressive cherry and cranberry aromas open to sleek and vibrant flavors that show fresh anise and green peppercorn accents.

This pale straw colored Viognier from Oregon opens with an orange and lime bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, slightly acidic and savory. The flavor profile is a saline and light lemon-lime blend with notes white pepper and a faint touch of apricot. The finish is dry and its flavors linger and last for quite a while. This Viognier is food friendly and would pair well with shrimp scampi. Very good+.

Rich, very ripe and outgoing both on the nose and in the mouth and a wine that will not be accused of being underplayed in any way, Mt. Brave’s is a big, beamy Merlot that succeeds in spite of its flirtations with excess. It is mouthfilling stuff with plenty of extracted, black cherry fruit keeping it on track, and, if we would not count on finesse ever becoming one of its strengths, it has the presence, the potency and the tannic structure to support a good half-decade of age. One star.

I’ve always been struck that California and Oregon Pinot Gris lacks the richness, palate weight and viscosity of Pinot Gris made in Alsace. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. But it is a difference that draws unrealistic and unfair comparisons to the wine’s European cousin. New World Pinot Gris typically falls somewhere between the lushness of Alsatian Pinot Gris and light-bodied, crisp Italian Pinot Grigio. La Crema’s Monterey Pinot Gris is a good example. It has a modicum of richness that is beyond most Pinot Grigio but is far from lush. This vintage offers an almond, marzipan note as well as nuance of lemon oil and pear. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable Pinot Gris even if it fails to imitate Alsatian Pinot Gris, as so many critics would prefer.

Vintages: this wine is a cool climate offering, so much as current California "heat" would allow, from the coast coolness in the evening and the early morning, and with fruit (ten different clones) from eleven different vineyards. Head winemaker Craig McAllister celebrated his tenth anniversary with La Crema, and here has crafted a minor gem. Expect a combo of cherry-berry, underbrush, some (but low) oaking, some mocha, spices. I had it with roasted chicken thighs; it went very well.

20 over $20

Jackson Estate's Anderson Valley Pinot Noir represents excellent value. First of all, it's from a premium Pinot district, and its modest price means you could almost make it your house Pinot. The clincher, though, is the quality in the bottle. Showing notes of ripe crushed berries and cola, it's bright and juicy on the palate and exhibits excellent length and a lingering finish.

Elegant aromas of black plum, asphalt, black tea and sandalwood show on the nose of this appellation blend from Adam Lee. The palate offers hints of forest floor with mushroom and mulberry flavors, as well as a persistent woody spice. 89 points. Very good.

There's good cut to this minerally red, which features luscious raspberry, dark plum and blackberry flavors. Well-structured, with a spicy and chocolaty finish.

Intensely dark blackberry fruit meets with game and minty chocolate on the nose of this appellation blend by Adam Lee. The flavors are woody with forest undergrowth, and surround a core of mulberry. 88 points. Very good.

Broad, with orange zest and orange blossom highlights to the core of pear and peach notes. Effusively fruity and expressive, offering a juicy finish and touch of almond skin. Drink now. Tasted twice, with consistent notes. 88 points. Very good.

This pitch black colored Merlot opens with a blackberry and prune like bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and juicy. The flavor profile is a blackberry and mild mineral blend with notes of oak and black licorice. There is a hint of black pepper and red grapes toward the end. The finish is dry and its moderate tannins are friendly. This Merlot would pair well with bistro food. I would pick barbecue steak tips. 88 points. Very good.

Herb, dill and cedar notes are prominent amid taut, dry dark berry and cigar box flavors. Ends as it begins, with a tight structure.

Time to load up, for it's been 95% barrel-fermented and exploits a creamy palate and finish. All chardonnay from Monterey (47%), Santa Barbara (30%), Mendocino (22%) and Sonoma (1%) is done up sur lie and aged five months in older French and US oak with 11% of it new. Good integration of off-dry tropical flavours on the mid-palate with vanilla and cream, followed by slight oak nuances in the finish. A key example of a winemaker's wine blend: consistent from year to year. With a plastic cork there is no need to store – drink as you buy. 88 points.

Kendall-Jackson helped define the buttery oaky Chardonnay movement, and this bottling plays that card quite strongly. Oak meets with roasted nuts, sea salt, pecan brittle and Gravenstein apple on the nose. The rounded palate shows sandalwood, candied walnuts and chamomile, though oak is very prominent as well.

11 Lip-Smacking California Pinot Noirs Oak and savory herb notes give this flavor dimension, adding to a modest mix of wild berry and spice elements. 87 points.

11 Lip-Smacking California Pinot Noirs Offers a mix of loamy earth, dusty herb and savory dried red berry that's complex and lingering, with nice tannic grip.

87 points.

Ripe tropical fruit and melon aromas from the eco-friendly, recyclable plastic cork. Expect ripe fruited aromas of tropical fruit and melon, with whiffs of pineapple, banana and butter of modest intensity. It's a little sweet on the medium-bodied palate, some creaminess, and appealing notes of vanilla, pineapple and tropical fruit flavours with some sweet oak in the background. It has fresh, clean acids and a lingering, juicy finish. Serve with only a light chill. Score: 87 pts

Polished aromas of roasted nuts, sea salt, Meyer lemon peel and onion skin show on the nose of this widely available bottling from the Chardonnay kings. The sip is a little bit flat in terms of texture and acidity, but there are compelling and satisfying flavors of roasted walnuts and pecans, with a citrusy acidity that rises toward the finish.