Values/California Red

Well-balanced with a zesty display of ripe cherry, raspberry and wild berry. Intense and vibrant, it exhibits loads of berry flavors on the finish, giving it a good measure of complexity. Drink now through 2009.

A big, brawny, high-alcohol Zin, dry and fairly tannic, and balanced in cherry, tobacco, herb and cocoa flavors. There's nothing subtle about this exuberant wine, which will be a great success with red meat.

Distinctly and decidedly Gewürztraminer, with vivid pear, litchi and rose petal aromas and flavors that linger on the dry finish.

This is a sexy, natural yeast/barrel-fermented rind, butter fruit, medium to full body, and a pure, clean, peach-flavored finish. A delicious, food/consumer-friendly Chardonnay, it is also and excellent value.

Tightly focused, with a core of ripe pear, spice, fig and light oak, showing depth, richness and complexity on the finish, where a dash of pineapple folds in. (Also appeared in 7/31/98 issue.)

Smooth and elegant fig, pear, spice and honey notes.

Medium body and acid. Lots of fruit. Medium oak. Minerals, green apples, citrus. Nicely extracted fruit is bright, ripe and tangy in the mouth. Crisp citrus fruit dominates oak.

Deep straw color. Medium-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderate extract and oak. Vanilla, pears, citrus. Pleasantly influenced by a judicious oak, this wine has a well balanced and rounded mouthfeel kept lively with good acidity.

Medium body, acid, fruit and oak. Minerals, lemons, pears. Clean fruit character, coupled with sweet oak notes and good length.

Deep straw color. Medium-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderate extract and oak. Vanilla, pears, citrus. Pleasantly influenced by a judicious oak, this wine has a well balanced and rounded mouthfeel kept lively with good acidity.

The unrefined and unfiltered 2000 Chardonnay is an excellent value. It goes through full malolactic,and approximately 50% new oak is utilized in its upbringing. Lush fruit, and a big, honeysuckle, lemon butter, smoke, and subtle tropical fruit-scented nose emerges from this cuvee. It's no shy wine at nearly 14% alcohol.

This has a plumpness that feels as close to grenache as it does to pinot noir. It’s spicy and crunchy in the end, exhibiting what one taster called “an approachable minerality, like watermelon seeds.” Stash this in a picnic basket with crusty bread and pâté. 88 points.

Brought up all in old wood and completely destemmed, the 2016 Pinot Noir Tous Ensemble reminds me a quality Côte de Beaune with its pretty red fruits, flowers, and earth. It has lively acidity, excellent purity of fruit, light tannin, and a clean, precise style on the palate.

Moderately light cherry red color in the glass. Pleasant aromas of cherry, pomegranate and cranberry are echoed in the light weighted flavors. Simple, but satisfying, with sleek tannins, a refreshing lift of acidity, and a modest finish. A solid, harmonious, everyday drinker. 88 points.

Dried cherry, smoke, licorice, tobacco, spice and mint give the 2015 Pinot Noir Les Voisins its lifted personality. The 2015 offers good up-front attack, but then loses a bit of persistence through the mid-palate and finish. The 2015 conveys a distinct impression that the fruit was harvested very early.

The 2013 Pinot Noir Monument Tree is surprisingly light in this vintage. Delicate, floral and lifted in the glass, the Monument Tree presents a decidedly delicate expression of Pinot. Crushed flowers, mint and dried cherries are nicely layered throughout. The 2013 is solid, but it lacks depth, while the finish is attenuated. This is the last vintage of the Monument Tree for Copain.

Exploring The Best New Releases from Sonoma and Beyond Copain's 2017 Chardonnay Tidal Break is bright and nicely focused, with lovely citrus, floral and almond notes. This crisp, refreshing Chardonnay is a good choice for drinking now and over the next few years.

Made from 100% Chardonnay, the 2016 Chardonnay Tous Ensemble is a juicy, clean, crisp expression of Chardonnay. From the Cloud Landing and Carneros Hills West vineyards, its classic bouquet of lemon curd, rose petal, salty minerality, and earth all give way to a medium-bodied, fresh, lively, Chablis look-alike that will drink nicely for 3-4 years.

Brought up all in neutral barrels, the 2016 Chardonnay Sky Crest is another Anderson Valley release. Spiced apples, pear, dried earth, and dried thyme-like nuances all emerge from this medium-bodied, juicy Chardonnay that has both a sweet and savory style. There’s an evolved feel on the bouquet, but it’s vibrant and juicy on the palate, with good purity. Give bottle 6-12 months and it should keep for 3-4 years.

Ripened to exotic scents of baked strawberries and beeswax, this is warm and bright. Fine cabernet franc (40 percent) melds with merlot in tannins that feel gentle and soft, to match roast duck with cherries.

Plum sauce and crushed cherry flavors glide through, lined with mocha and toasted vanilla notes. Polished finish. Offers a nice texture and pretty fruit, but stays short on energy and depth. Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon.

This is a round wine, with ripe tannins and a sweet-tasting blackberry flavor. It shows a definite sense of power, and the freshness of the year is also apparent. Big and chunky, this finishes with a crisp black-currant note.

Bright ruby-red. Black fruits, licorice and minerals on the nose. A dense, rich midweight with slightly chunky flavors of blackberry, currant, dark chocolate and menthol. Boasts very good stuffing but could use a bit more verve and lift. Finishes with nicely ripe, chewy tannins.

Good deep ruby-red. Black fruits, mocha, dark chocolate and licorice on the nose. Sweet, lush and full for the vintages, with fruit-driven flavors of currant and blackberry enlivened by minerality. Tannins are suave for the year. This has turned out well.