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.

The pick of these two Pinot Noirs is the largest cuvée of 4,194 cases, the 2014 Pinot Noir from Anderson Valley. It is made from Dijon clones 667, 777 and 115. It spent ten months in 29% new French oak. This wine has the raspberry, blueberry and rose petal fragrance of Anderson Valley Pinot Noirs, with medium body, elegance, and lush, delicate fruitiness.

The 2013 Pinot Noir from Champ de Reves is forward, supple and juicy, all qualities that make it a good drink over the next few years. Although the 2013 is an attractive wine, my impression is that something more is possible in this Anderson Valley site. It will be interesting to see what the winemaking team strives for in the coming years. These vines were planted only in 2006.

Moderate ruby red color in the glass. Aromas of cherry, rose and complimentary oak lead to a concentrated presence on the palate of darker fruits, prominent oak notes, some drying tannins, and a sweet fruited finish. 88 points.

A new project from Jackson Family Wines from the Boone Ridge Vineyard, this is a voluptuous Pinot delivers a substantial mouthfeel of dark blueberry fruit and mushroomy earth. Textured and grippy, its acidity is on the mark, a good go-to for family meals, especially a quiche Lorraine brimming with bacon.

The 2010 Pinot Noir is an attractive wine laced with sweet red fruit, flowers, licorice, mint and spices. Sweet floral notes reappear on the finish, adding lift and brightness. This mid-weight, feminine Pinot is best suited for drinking over the next 1-3 years. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2015.

This pale pink colored Rose made from Cabernet Franc opens with a unique light orange and watermelon like bouquet. On the palate, this wine is medium bodied, balanced and smooth. The flavor profile is a gentle mineral infused light strawberry and almond blend with a hint of German pilsner beer towards to end. The finish is dry and its flavors fade away nicely. This Rose would pair nicely with oysters. 88 points. Very good.

Moderately light garnet color in the glass. Shy aromas of ripe dark berries, prune, marzipan and fertile earth. Full-bodied, with a virile core of dark red and black cherry fruit flavors that veer to the very ripe side. Nicely balanced with immersed tannins and some finishing generosity. Re-tasted the following day from a previously opened and re-corked bottle, when the wine continued to show a compote character. Score: 88

Moderately light ruby red color in the glass. The nose opens nicely over time in the glass, offering fresh aromas of dark red cherry, spice and dusty oak. Light weighted and easy going, with bright flavors of cherry, strawberry and mocha. Lacy in texture with silky tannins and a cherry-fueled finish. A simple but redeeming wine. Score: 88