Gold Medal

Trophy Red Wine of Show

Napa Valley's top Cabernet Sauvignons A delicious symphony of mountain grapes from all of Napa Valley’s mountain AVAs. Very nuanced and long, with flavors that exude spiciness, savoriness, and minerality.

Deals $35 & Under A rich, supple classic with lovely apple tart flavors, a creamy middle, and a long lightly toasty finish.

Wine of the Week It's practically dessert in a bottle. Flavors of crisp Golden Apples, crushed wild straw, and hints of lemon meringue pie make up the flavor profile of La Crema Russian River Valley Brut Rose. An outright steal at $45 a bottle, this California sparkler is made in the traditional method, which means that the wine receives its secondary fermentation right in the bottle and is allowed to age to its moment of perfection before it is released. The result is a splendidly flavorful and refreshing sparkling wine that is perfect for a lazy afternoon brunch or a light aperitif before dinner. Its also perfect for pairing with a variety of soft cheeses and desserts. Most people think of Chardonnay or Pinot Noir when they think of Sonoma County's Russian River Valley, but La Crema is proving that the region is also capable of creating a really intriguing delicate wine, by combing the two (73% Pinot Noir, 27% Chardonnay), creating a sparkling wine that is perfect for the lighter type of fare that is now favored by millennials. Imagine it with Oysters on the Half Shell, Ceviche, Spicy Salmon Sushi Rolls, Thai Basil Shrimp, Lamb Kabobs, or Kung Pao Chicken. The exotic flavor combinations are endless.

Masterful single vineyard Chianti, explosive, dense with tart herbal notes.

A round and aromatic Chianti with generous flavors, floral and spice notes.

What to Drink Now: California A decided lover of mountain fruit, Jess Jackson began his Legacy Winery in 1990 to highlight the best mountain fruit on his Stonestreet Estate in Sonoma’s Alexander Valley. The wines represent the land and all of Mother Earth’s splendor. Legacy Red Blend reveals the rusticity, with a bold, robust palate thanks to a hearty percentage of Petit Verdot (about 9% in the latest release) with floral, wild herb notes from 13% Cabernet Franc, blending into tobacco, cherry, and leather filled Cabernet Sauvignon.

11 Excellent Unconventional Wines to Pair with Thanksgiving Dinner If you’re looking for alternative reds to serve with Thanksgiving dinner, “you practically have to bring old vine Grenache into the equation,” says Milliorn. He recommends an Australian Grenache—one grown in sandy soils. “Aromatic, orange rind, spice and subtle fruit, these are remarkable wines,” he says. This cranberry-and-spice laden offering from the McLaren Vale region of Australia is an affordable stunner.

Give these expensive wines with their own stories for the holidays Tony Rynders, the winemaker who put Domaine Serene on the map and more recently Tendril and Child’s Play Wines, is the man behind the new launch of Kendall-Jackson’s Maggy Hawk winery in Anderson Valley. Everything he seems to touch turns to gold and this series of four spectacular pinot noirs is impressive.

2019 Holiday Bubbles Edition Robe: Deep gold robe, single-shaft pinpoint perling. Nose: Lemon, citrus, chalk, brioche nez. Bouche: Golden apple, citrus, bouche; smooth finish. Elegant, refined, well-structured.

The 15 Best Sparkling Wines for the End of the Decade Winemaker’s Note: Aromas of strawberry shortcake, canned pear, white peach, lightly toasted brioche, rose petals Flavors flirt with tangerine, kumquat, nectarine on the finish with watermelon rind and lemon meringue.

The 2015 vintage was a challenging year. Maybe that accounts for the closed nose. The palate displays brioche and savory notes. Definitely memorable and complex in the mouth. A fact that makes up for the closed nose.

This wine is 8-10 months in French oak, 35% new. The nose is cherry and rose fragrance. The palate is bright open fruit with a long fruity finish. The Russian River brings a character to pinot noir that is different to Burgundy or Oregon. A kind of third expression. This wine illustrates that with its gushing fruit and freshness.

La Crema’s widest-sourced pinot noir. This wine is 8-10 months in French oak barrels with 25% new oak. Nose of raspberry and toffee. Palate of dark fruit, forest floor, root beer. A lot of complexity for the money here. A wine to look for on restaurant lists. Pleasant on its own or with pork, veal or liver.

The Saralee’s vineyard can be described as the estate vineyard, being right outside the visitor centre. La Crema used the fruit before they bought the old Kunde estate. This wine is aged in 30-35% new French oak. The nose is citrus fruit (lemons) and wine gums. On the palate oranges and stone fruit. However, my favorite feature is a trenchant phenolic backbone that makes the finish long-lasting and distinct. The Saralee’s vineyard can be described as the estate vineyard, being right outside the visitor centre. La Crema used the fruit before they bought the old Kunde estate. This wine is aged in 30-35% new French oak. The nose is citrus fruit (lemons) and wine gums. On the palate oranges and stone fruit. However, my favorite feature is a trenchant phenolic backbone that makes the finish long-lasting and distinct. The Saralee’s vineyard can be described as the estate vineyard, being right outside the visitor centre. La Crema used the fruit before they bought the old Kunde estate. This wine is aged in 30-35% new French oak. The nose is citrus fruit (lemons) and wine gums. On the palate oranges and stone fruit. However, my favorite feature is a trenchant phenolic backbone that makes the finish long-lasting and distinct.

Aged in 35% new oak, 100% French. Nose of honey, brioche, mandarin orange. Palate confirms the fruit in the nose and frames it with a medium acid. This wine is very much in the big, ripe, fruit California idiom. Nonetheless, it is not a fruit bomb and brings sufficient backbone to keep it fresh.

This wine has a nose of tropical fruit (mango, pineapple) with hints of orange. On the palate there is vibrant fruit due to the medium-high acid. Despite being the volume white in the La Crema range this wine should not be overlooked. It is distinctive and well-balanced. A comparative bargain, it is also flexible, pairing well with lobster, chicken, turkey and veal. Or just as a quaffing wine.

Totally reliable, consumer friendly, very tasty chard, perfect for a party.

KSRO Wine Guy Tom Simoneau’s 2019 Wines of the Year From long time Pinot Noir super star winemaker, Adam Lee, this Pinot comes from the Expansion Block at Saralee’s where every other row is planted to a different clone. Do not miss this Pinot Noir.

Holiday Wine Guide: The LCBO’s best reds This is an easygoing and simply delicious pinot, especially with the holiday bird. Oak toast, spice and vanilla are generous, as is the rich core of red cran-cherry fruit. Mid-weight and smooth. Chill slightly.

Surprisingly finessed for a Cali pinot at this price. While still showing more aromatics and fruit than your classic Burgundy, as one would expect from California, the structure here is very European. Great core of acidity to keep the fruit feeling fresh, with a hint of mint on the finish. Very well done for this price.

Perfect Pinot Noirs for your Holiday Table Winemaker’s Note: This wine is a ripe, rich Oregon Pinot Noir, and yet on the finish it has a tension and acidity that leads one to say that this is definitively Oregon at its finest.

Perfect Pinot Noirs for your Holiday Table Winemaker’s Note: Aliette is a perfumed and finesse-driven expression of Pinot Noir, offering notes of strawberry, rosewater, raspberry tea and a trace of minerality.

Perfect Pinot Noirs for your Holiday Table Winemaker’s Note: Stormin’ is big, rich and assertive. The combination of clones 777 and 2A deliver a wine that is dark and brooding with surprising complexity. Plush blue fruit, cherry cola and umami notes lead into ripe tannins and a muscular frame that is refined by balanced acidity and a generous finish.