Sweet on the nose with hints of mint and peppery black cherries. Dense and big, quite concentrated.

A warm red with scents of baking spices, mulled cider and baked fruit, this is soft and complex. Its lean profile will meld into slow-cooked braises.

Rich and plummy, with spice notes of cardamom and cinnamon, this wine has a brown sugar sweetness that leavens its gaudy spice flavors. Decant and pour for a lamb tagine.

Grown at the Jackson Family’s Far Coast Vineyard in Annapolis, this has the tight fruit of a cool-climate syrah, enriched by oak to an espresso-roast coffee-bean character. It’s robust, a potent red for short ribs.

A friendly style, with creamy raspberry and plum nicely lined by light anise and sweet spice hints. Drink now through 2023.

This has a nice polish to its open-textured mix of dried red fruit and berry flavors, with hints of hot spices and sandstone accents on the finish. Drink now.

We made a big pot of homemade Seafood Chowder full of shrimp, scallops and crab, with a hot baguette of multigrain bread alongside. We paired this with a bottle of La Crema Pinot Gris, for another cold winter feast. Not a bad way to spend a Grey Day!
The La Crema is a little on the delicate side, with a pleasant nose of melon and stone fruit. The flavors are tangerine and lime, with a little Meyer Lemon in the mix. The finish is crisp and clean. The alcohol content is 13.5%, and Norm’s score is 88.
This would be a great choice for Chicken Piccata, and also Shrimp Salad Louie.

Roasted, toasted berry richness dominates on this overtly full-bodied and ripely concentrated wine that is stemmy in earthiness, oak and lasting notes of cola and vanilla.

Oranges, tangerines peach, hazelnuts and mildly grassy licorice. This is a pleasant, everyday Chardonnay.

Buttery, with hints of richness to the ripe white fruit and spice flavors. Oaky accents fill the broad-textured finish. Drink now.

This wine has long been a fav of mine since first encountering it at Reds … Ruby in color with a nice inviting red berry nose. On the mid palate the wine displays some nice crisp dry dark cherry notes, definitely more of a fruit forward style, but not a fruit bomb. On the medium length finish the wine displays some nice crisp acidity and soft tannins. Definitely more of drink now style of wine that can easily be paired with softer flavored foods. We paired it with quiche and it went well. There isn’t even a hint of herbal, or minty notes that I don’t care for in some cabs. I would give it an -88, yum.
This juicy, fresh wine reflects an easygoing, ripe, approachable style that has wide popular appeal. The dark fruit, cassis and herbs are framed by vanilla, spice, and moderately employed oak that adds some toast but keeps the fruit at the fore. The balance and juicy character will make it a fine option for stews or roasted meats.

A solid introductory style Monterey-based pinot that offers a silky soft palate and sweet red fruit mixed with dried herbs, spice, and freshly turned earth. The oak is present, but it doesn’t overpower the wine. A fruity charming berry-laden red is the first duty of inexpensive New World pinot. It is certified sustainable. The perfect mid-week drop.

This medium garnet colored Pinot Noir from Kendall Jackson is very nice. It opens with an attractive cherry, strawberry, and vanilla bouquet with hints of blueberry. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied with medium acidity. The flavor profile is a juicy red plum and oak blend with notes of clove, stony minerality and black cherry. I also detected hints of dried herbs and black pepper towards the very end. The finish is dry and its flavors drift away nicely. This is a friendly and very affordable Pinot to pair with your upcoming holiday parties!

There's a taut minerality to the dried cherry and savory spice flavors, which are fresh and direct. Leafy accents appear on the finish. Drink now.

Supple, with a fresh thread of acidity weaving in and out, featuring apple blossom, pear and orange zest flavors. A touch of ginger shows on the finish. Drink now.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2017 Merlot Jackson Hills is a bold, powerful, savory wine. Dark cherry, lavender, chocolate, sage, menthol and grilled herbs give the 2017 notable aromatic complexity. The tannins are pretty rugged though. Far from an easygoing wine, the Jackson Hills has rather rugged mountain tannins that will probably always be a part of the wine's makeup.

Seeing 20/20 – Sonoma & Anderson Valley New ReleasesThe 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Tradition is a bright, grassy Sauvignon to drink now, while varietal flavors remain bright. This is an especially nervy, taut style.

Appealing, with medium-weight lemon and tropical fruit flavors. Drink now.

As with the other 2016 Pinots from WillaKenzie, the fruit seems less than fully ripened. Stem and leaf flavors stand out, and the red berry fruit is one-dimensional and lacks much punch. Aging in 50% new French oak puts a toasty frame on the finish.

A soft entry leads into not-quite-ripe fruit flavors of rhubarb and strawberries. There's an herbal, tomato leaf character under the fruit, and aging in 50% new French oak has not made much of an impression.

La Crema can always be counted upon to deliver value, but it’s especially true when it comes to Pinot Noir. The 2017 Sonoma Coast is modestly priced yet ranks very high on the satisfaction meter. This vintage is somewhat delicate and light in color, but there’s no skimping on flavor. Aromas of cherry and wood spice dominate, with modest tannins lingering in the background.

Forward, with a dose of roasted vanilla surrounding the core of plum and black cherry compote flavors. Drink now through 2022. Tasted twice, with consistent notes.

This is an opulent, richly layered wine, a combination of Merlot, Petite Sirah and Syrah, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Juicy, it offers smoky cherry and grippy tannin around likable layers of weight and body.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Pinot Noir (Santa Barbara County) is an attractive, perfumed wine to drink now and over the next few years. Crushed flowers, red berries, mint, sweet tobacco and cedar add perfume. This is an especially airy, lifted style.

Santa Barbara: Present & Future The 2017 Chardonnay Katherine's Vineyard is laced with hints of tangerine, orchard fruit, mint and light tropical notes. The 2017 is attractive, but it is also a bit compact. I can't help thinking that this wine is being bottled too early and/or with too much intervention.