This lean well-priced pinot doesn't pander with added sugar or extract. Instead, you can taste the wind off Monterey Bay, the flavors all tart cherry and berry, with a modest oak complement that doesn't get in the way of the vibrant fruit. A well-made, go-to pinot noir staple.

Fresh and juicy, with good cut to the red currant and dried berry flavors that feature bright minerality. Ends with a creamy, well-spiced finish, with notes of dried green herbs. Drink now through 2023.

2018 has given us a very pure Pinot Noir packed full of black cherry. The textures are similarly inviting with just enough structure to channel all the mouth-filling fruit along the palate to an even more impressive 13.5 alcohol content. Seriously Pinot-like, this was once thought unattainable in California. Delicious and friendly, you can serve it with duck, mushrooms, root vegetables, soft cheeses and pork. La Crema Sonoma Coast oversees a large production of estate and grower vineyards, all within the cool, marine swept boundaries of Sonoma County. Post ferment, it’s aged nine months in 98 per cent (20 pe rcent new and dwindling) French oak. Bravo.

This pale straw-colored Sauvignon Blanc opens with a very fragrant yellow grapefruit, green pepper and green olive bouquet with hints of guava and wet stone. On the palate, this wine is light plus bodied and slightly acidic. The flavor profile is a gentle mineral infused light grapefruit with notes lime, white peach and saline. We also detected some hints of green bell pepper and nectarine pit towards the very end. The finish is dry and its flavor drift away nicely. We would pair this delicate Sauvignon Blanc with a honey-fried walleye or seafood scampi.

Julia’s Vineyard, named for a daughter of founders, Jess Jackson and Barbara Banke, is dedicated to Pinot Noir. It is a delicious wine with juicy black cherry, blackberry fruit laced with vanilla and notes of dried thyme, velvety smooth in the mouth. It is medium bodied and animated with vibrant acidity. It finishes with sleek, ripe tannins. It is the perfect partner with a roasted pork tenderloin, duck, quail or grilled salmon. The 2018 vintage was the second at Cambria for winemaker Jill Russell. She considered it a magnificent vintage with “canopies luscious and full; the vines were thriving and happy. We had zero weather events to push our picking decisions and we were able to let the grapes hang longer for more complexity while still retaining acidity.”

The 2018 Lassègue has a really gorgeous bouquet of luscious dark cherry fruit, cassis, crushed violets and vanilla pod. It becomes increasingly floral with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied and sweet with supple tannins. Licorice and brown spices filter through the black fruit, leading to a satin-textured finish. Very seductive and quite heady, this is a Saint-Émilion that clearly has ambitions, though overall I find it just a little too sweet.

This pale straw-colored Sauvignon Blanc opens with a nectarine pit and yellow grapefruit bouquet with hints of fresh cut grass, green apple and green pepper. On the palate, this wine is light plus bodied with gentle acidity. The flavor profile is white grapefruit and lime blend with notes of stony minerality and green apple candy. The finish is dry and drifts away nicely. The Panel would pair this Sauvignon Blanc with crab avocado stack salad, crab cakes or oysters.

This midnight purple colored Tuscan blend opens with a pleasant black cherry and mild leather bouquet with hints of earthy blackberry. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with slightly elevated acidity. It also has a nice round mouthfeel. The flavor profile is a juicy black cherry and fine-grained graphite blend with notes of cedar and strawberry licorice. We also detected some hints of walnut, black plum and traces of bay leaf mixed in. The finish is quite dry and its moderate tannins stick around for quite a while. We would decant this Merlot based wine for about an hour and then pair it with a five-star recipe of sweet Italian sausage with peppers and onions.

California whites under £30 / $30Vanilla custard and fresh cream on the nose. Puff pastry and confit orange carries through to mid palate, persistent finish where a hint of oak comes through.

Open-textured, with fine-grained flavors of red currant, plum and cherry. Offers light spiciness in the midpalate, with a finish that has hints of dried green herbs. Drink now through 2024.

A lot of people ask me, and Campbell, and Mike, for a ripe and creamy Chardonnay that delivers a bit of Old Skool flavour. I’m often stuck for a recommendation, but this wine surely fits the bill. Importer: Red + White. It has the peach, pineapple and cream, and silky buttery gloss of flavour, but keeps itself pretty trim all up, and balanced, and also sports some savoury toasty wood and spice. Finish is solid. You have folds of flavour, and ease of drinking. It does old school Chardonnay very nicely.

Bold, spicy, rhubarb and pipe tobacco, with stewed cherries. It’s a big wine, not exactly subtle, and comes over a bit like mulled wine, replete with cinnamon and orange peel, but there’s plenty of flavour and poached strawberry, warming alcohol and a lick of dusty tannin. It’s hearty and interesting, but for those seeking a fuller flavoured expression of Pinot Noir. Ooof.

Vivid black cherry, plum and blackberry fruit notes are framed by vanilla and sweet spices in this polished red. Nonetheless, there are ample tannins as this winds down on the long finish. Best from 2023 through 2036.

Bordeaux has many expressions. For Saint-Émilion it’s the ability for longevity in the wines. True, most wines are made to drink now, and then there are wines like Les Cadrans, which have the ability to be enjoyed now, or held on to for several years. The 2016 offers soft and subtle fruit of blackberry, blueberry, boysenberry, and like traditional Bordeaux, it holds back the expressive nature and allows it to work with food and to be a companion to whatever meal you might be having. There are notes of black cherry, cranberry, spice and violet, expressing its silky Merlot character. Rich and round on the palate, with a touch of well-integrated oak and fine-grained tannins, Les Cadrans is mainly Merlot with 10% Cabernet Franc and aged 10 months in new French oak. A celebration of Old World Merlot, this Saint-Émilion can be enjoyed now and over the next 10 years.

This medium ruby colored Merlot opens with a blueberry, wild cherry and oak bouquet with hints of dried herbs and lavender. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, well-balanced, polished, elegant and nicely coats your mouth. The flavor profile is a tasty red plum and gentle oak blend with notes of cherry and hints of minerality and black pepper. The finish is dry and its flavors and mild tannins drift away nicely. The Panel would pair this Merlot with veal medallions with mushroom-wine sauce or a Tennessee meatloaf (blend of beef, pork & veal)

This Central Coast GSM has an Australian feel: warm and generous in its red raspberry and red cherry scents, bright on the edges, with a juicy core of red fruits and caramelly oak to back it up. This is modern and forward, for barbecue.

A smoky version, whose black cherry, earth, wild thyme and cedar notes are tightly bound with the dense matrix of tannins. An accent of licorice seeps in as this winds down on the finish. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2025.

Medium purple color. On the nose, I get tangy red and black currants, roasted figs, juicy and deep, laced with violets, tobacco, inviting earth and clove. Full and suave on the palate, moderate acidity, with bold plum and currant fruit that is juicy but maintains a tangy edge. Laced with cocoa, charcoal, tobacco, mint and menthol. Complex earth and floral tones will continue to come out with time. Really solid value here. Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot.

This has aromas of underbrush, truffle, blue flowers and French oak. Reflecting the nose, the tightly wound, full-bodied palate features coconut, vanilla and licorice that accent a black cherry core. Close-grained tannins provide the tight framework and leave an assertive, drying close. Drink 2023–2029.

Thick, earthy and red-fruited, this approachable red offers tremendous value and quality. It is solid and well integrated in its hearty texture and fresh notes of pomegranate and plum. Characteristics of nutmeg, vanilla and oak rise on the finish.

The high-toned nose features of honeysuckle, caramel, chamomile, and lime pith. Medium bodied with lightweight, juicy acid that flutters about, refusing to integrate with the structure; even on the finish it remains apart. May be a sign of youth. Flavors include slightly bitter green apple, lemon verbena, damp earth, and white pepper minerality. It finishes on a sweet orange note. I’d love to revisit this in two or three years because if that acid integrates, this improves dramatically.

USA, California, Napa Valley: More New 2018 ReleasesThe 2018 Chardonnay Estate was aged for 10 months in French oak barrels, 31% new. It gives up notes of guava, fresh yellow apples and white peaches plus hints of chalk dust and candied ginger. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is elegant and refreshing with good length and a mineral kick on the finish.

USA, California, Napa Valley: More New 2018 ReleasesThe 2019 Pinot Noir Russian River Valley was aged for 10 months in French oak barrels, 27% new. It delivers vibrant notes of black cherries, kirsch and mulberries with suggestions of garrigue and forest floor. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is chock-full of ripe, juicy black and red berry flavors, supported by soft tannins, finishing with a lively red berry kick.

This medium purple colored Syrah from Copain opens with a blackberry and black cherry bouquet with hints of anise, smoked beef jerky and boysenberry. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with gentle acidity. We also found it to be balanced and round. The flavor profile is a red plum and red raspberry blend with notes of cedar and tart cherry. We also detected hints of star anise, crushed stone, and strawberry. The finish is dry and is flavors and moderate tannins build-up and last for a very long time. The Panel would pair this Syrah with duck à l'orange, or with marinated venison steaks.

Subtle white, with subdued herbal notes, but cream and salted butter emerge midpalate together with notes of citrus and yellow apple. Hints of orange and mint linger on the long, well-defined finish. Drink now through 2026.