Smoky, complex aromas of sage, juniper and eucalyptus. Sweet cherry flavors with an undercurrent of black pepper.

highly recommended wine, Soft, undeveloped ripe strawberry fruit. Well structured and polished wine.

Elegant, light, perfumed nose with good alcohol. Soft, undeveloped ripe strawberry fruit. Well structured and polished wine.

recommended wine

Fresh respberry nose which is straightforward, not too oaky with a hint of violets. Fresh, clean, not complex, yet pretty, well-made wine.

recommended wine

Tight, youthful, raspberry and blackberry fruit. Good quality feel. Ripe jammy fruit, firm tannins, very youthful, undeveloped violet fruit. Good potential and structure.

Big & juicy with berry & a hint of black pepper. Needs time for the generous oak to integrate.

WINE WITH…Tuna Confit (Oil-Poached Fresh Tuna) Tuna tastes rich and meaty, consequently calling for a substantial wine, while the fruity salad in this dish is light and lively, so better with a bright, refreshing one. What to do? Our tastings suggest that you try to thread the needle, with light-bodied reds and heartier whites. Fresh rosés will also be a good choice, especially this time of year. Dry rather than sweet, this wine’s fresh fruit flavors echoed the kumquat and blood orange’s own juicy fruitiness.

Pink wines continue to grow in popularity From California, I found several (in order of my preference, but all are recommended) from various appellations... • Santa Maria Valley: Cambria Julia’s Vineyard ($25) spicy, tangy.

Try These 20 Great Rosés From France and the West Coast From pinot noir grapes grown in the Santa Maria Valley, this broadly flavored rosé has bright notes of strawberries and grapefruit.

10 Best Wedding-Day Rosés, According to Sommeliers This is a very special wine for Cambria’s winemaker Jill Russell—it’s her very first wine released in the marketplace as the winemaker for this storied Santa Maria Valley winery. She loves to say this rosé was made with intent, started during the growing season by identifying two blocks of Pinot Noir that she felt could produce the style of rosé she enjoys drinking. To achieve this, she left a heavier crop than what was done for their Pinot Noir wines to create bright fruit flavors and structure. After blending, the wine was fined and filtered, which resulted in a balanced yet juicy rosé with a beautiful pale pink color. Expect to taste notes of strawberry, watermelon rind and grapefruit with a sip of this dry, yet crisp rosé with the perfect balance of acidity and texture.

Refreshing rosés for hot weather Here are my favorite Pinot Noir Rosés:...Barrymore Monterey County, plush and spicy; La Crema Monterey, soft, hints of cream and spice; Cambria Santa Maria Valley, juicy with cinnamon…

Christmas on the Foxen Canyon Wine Trail ... don't miss it! Their 2016 Rosé of Pinot Noir is an excellent dry, easy sipping wine.

…is a nice marriage of vanilla and cherry/berry fruit flavors. Medium bodied and well balanced, it's not lavish or overdone. The silky mouthfeel helps give it a fine sustained finish.

Bright cherry red with a youthful rim. Medium-bodied. Balanced acidity. Moderately extracted. Moderately oaked. Mildly tannic. Raspberries, vanilla. Sweet, fleshy red-fruit aromas follow through on the palate, with vale sweetness and juicy acids making this very approachable.

Lastly, the 1994 Sangiovese displays a charcoal/cherry-scented nose, and compact, clipped, high acid flavors.

A remarkably attractive blend of varietal fruit and sweet oak scents in the nose. Cherryish fruit with more density and weight than normal to this varietal.

Lots of creamy oak. Very pleasing cherry fruit.

Perfumed floral aroma with smoky oak and gamey accents; richly textured berry flavors, slightly herbal; firm tannins; length. Try with portobello mushroom sandwich.

Dense, ripe, richly oaked. Medium-full bodied, soft and fleshy.

This winery's '99 pinot gris is a real mouthful of peach, apricot and melon flavors that are dry and elegant but also impressive in texture and length.

Julia's Vinyard. Smelling faintly of old wood & dried brush, this stolid, soft wine is clean enough, but its full, low energy flavors carry only the barest evidences of Pinot fruit & offer almost nothing of real pleasure.

Challenging, with lots of stuff. Smooth yet deep. You don't drink it, you experience it, and it rewards you.

Challenging with lots of stuff. Smooth yet deep. You don't drink it, you experience it, and it rewards you.