Rich and lively, with real energy plus the more typical sweetness of Grenache. Shows how well this variety reacts to amphora. (JR)

Vibrant ruby. Very focused and tight compared with the more usual sweet style. More ambition? Lots of acid (NB 50% whole berries included in the fermentation vat, which generally increase apparent freshness). Not yet ready. (JR)

Medium ruby color; strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, dark cherry, plum, cranberry, tea, vanilla, spices forest floor on the nose and palate.

Dry; integrated, silky tannins; balancing acidity. Medium body; long finish; aromatic complexity. Grapes harvested from Sable Mountain and other prime Anderson Valley sites noted for low-yielding vines and quality fruit. Harvested fruit was cold soaked for 3-5 days to enhance color, followed by fermentation in open-top stainless steel tanks with manual punch-downs three times a day. Fermented wines spent nine months in French oak, 20% new, which preserved natural fruit and relegated oak to a mild supporting role. 13.5% ABV

The 2024 Copain Wines Sonoma County Daybreak White Blend is a vibrant and aromatic wine that showcases the diversity of Sonoma County’s terroir. This blend, featuring Malvasia Bianca among 9 total varietals, bursts with exotic notes of green tea, honey, ripe mango, and Lilikoi on the nose, while the palate delivers a refreshing mix of pear, nectarine, and guava. Its clean, electrifying profile makes it a versatile standalone sipper or a perfect pairing with Mom’s favorite.

The Freemark Abbey 2023 Napa Valley Chardonnay is a rich and sophisticated wine that captures the essence of Napa Valley’s renowned terroir. This Chardonnay opens with an inviting nose of apple cobbler, crème brûlée, ripe pineapple, orange marmalade, and fresh peach, leading to a supple and balanced palate with flavors of stone fruit, candied lemon zest, baking spices, ambrosia, and vanilla. Its vibrant yet creamy texture and long, lingering finish make it a versatile companion to Mom’s favorite creamy pastas, or a delightful sipper on its own.

The Matanzas Creek 2023 Sonoma County Rosé of Malbec is a delightful wine that bursts with bright, playful flavors, making it an ultimate Mother’s Day gift. This nouveau-style rosé offers aromas of Turkish rose, pink grapefruit, watermelon rind, and raspberry sorbet, with a vivacious acidity that dances on the palate, revealing hints of mandarin zest. Its light pink hue with copper undertones gives elegance, perfect for celebrating Mom alongside springtime brunches or a relaxing afternoon in the garden.

This white Pinot from California’s Anderson Valley seems ripe and full-bodied at first, with a kind of a creamsicle note on the nose. Yet it’s much brighter on the palate than that would suggest, with green melon flavors and crunchy acidity — a testament to Maggy Hawk winemaker Sarah Wuethrich’s significant talent.

Generously juicy and flavorful, this fruit-forward Cabernet shows quite deep color for its price category as well as substantial palate weight. There’s just enough tannic grip to let this stand up to moderately robust food, but natural fruit sweetness makes this a Cab that can easily be enjoyed as a cocktail-style sipper. 

More dark fruit than their other single-vineyard wines. The fruit seems to fold and fold, spilling sweetness and crimson, but filled with fragrance and a calligraphy of blue. So much softness compared with Bastard Hill. This ripples through the mouth like wind across a still pool. I can taste the indigo. Gravel and black plum. Nutmeg and sweet spice. (TC)

Stunning acidity and mid-palate chisel, like a ruby gem, rose cut from stone. Peony and cherry blossom and wild strawberry. Tannins fragile yet clear and ramiform through the delicate succulence of the fruit. Clouds of white pepper. Embryonic but compelling already. (TC)

Absolutely soaring; violin in an empty cathedral. The tannins feel like old, worn terracotta roof tiles. Smooth and rough and mouth-watering. Sucking sour cherries in the rain standing on an old stone pathway. Rose petals and tamarind and rose hips. Umami tang nipping in and out of the sweetness. Somehow transparent and lush at the same time. (TC)

Lemon sherbet and so, so tense it’s almost setting itself alight. Shimmering with nervous tension and stoniness, not an ounce of fat on those sinews. But there is real depth to the glittering citrus fruit and lapidary acidity. Asterism of flavour, from lemongrass to jasmine, lavender to bergamot. So structured and crackling with smoky energy that you can just about hear it. I found myself holding my breath. (TC)