West Wines: Holiday Shopper’s Guide to West Coast Wines The five-acre DuPratt vineyard was planted in 1983 and sits on a ridge in California’s Anderson Valley at an elevation of 1,550 feet. The fruit reflects its mountainous locale, yielding wines with notable acidity and an appealing, rigid structure. This chardonnay is minerally fresh, leaving traces of pear, vanilla spice, lemon zest and stone fruit on a creamy finish. It’s got long-term cellaring appeal but if you absolutely must have it now, pair it with your Christmas turkey meal with all of the fixings.

Wines of the Week Bursting with bright, fresh cherries and raspberries as soon as you pour it into the glass, this is a silky and vivacious Pinot Noir with just enough of a savory edge—blood-orange pith, wild strawberries, tobacco leaf—to work beautifully alongside a broad range of foods. There’s energy to spare here, but never at the expense of depth. And at less than $35, this is a steal.

Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2019 - #79

Top 100 Cellar Selections of 2019 - #9

25 Splurge-Worthy California Reds This is the kind of wine you could smell for hours and be perfectly happy: Wild strawberries, black raspberries, herbes de Provence, and the subtle spice of excellent French oak.The palate is perfectly balanced, generous and broad, yet precise at the same time, with flavors of cherry clafoutis, cacao nibs, cigar tobacco, and sweet spice, as well as nods in the direction of blackberries, cassis, and black raspberries. Lingering notes of pencil lead and cedar make this remarkably food friendly even this early in its evolution.

25 Splurge-Worthy California Reds Star anise, Chinese five-spice powder, and hints of currants and cedar precede flavors of mixed mountain berries, candied violets, and blueberries that ripple out on the palate. Amazing acidity and elegant tannins promise a very long life ahead.

Legacy: A Jewel in the Crown of Jackson Family Wines 2013 Legacy Red Wine, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County — bright ruby in the glass with aromas of cedar and red fruit. Rich red and dark fruit flavors include blackberries, tart cherries, pomegranates and raspberries. Fruit and cedar flavors, along with a lingering slate-like minerality, are supported by bright acidity. Tannins are smooth in this agile Cabernet blend.

Legacy: A Jewel in the Crown of Jackson Family Wines 2015 Legacy Chardonnay, Alexander Valley, Sonoma County — medium yellow in the glass with citrusy, grapefruit aromas lightly scented with toasty notes. Citrusy flavors with melon, yellow apple, a hint of toast and lingering minerality are supported by nice acidity. The body is on the light side of medium.

The Tuscan Masters 2019: Gold

The Tuscan Masters 2019: Gold

The Tuscan Masters 2019: Gold

Sipping through California’s Sta. Rita region Greg Brewer and Steve Clifton have partnered to create acclaimed Burgundian-style pinot noir and chardonnay since 1995 and currently farm four “monopole” or single-vineyards with some of the finest stock in the appellation. I selected the 2016 Brewer- Clifton Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir ($40), that blends grapes from the 3D, Machado and Hapgood estate vineyards. Whole- cluster pressed and aged in neutral oak, it is an exceptional wine at a reasonable price.

How To Drink Like A Royal: California Wine Breaks New Ground At England’s Guards Polo Club This Cabernet Franc-dominant blend has 12% Merlot and a small bit of Malbec. Plush black fruit notes are tempered with cassis and clove –all wrapped in a structure that shows freshness and polish.

How To Drink Like A Royal: California Wine Breaks New Ground At England’s Guards Polo Club A Cabernet Sauvignon focused wine with a pinch of Merlot and bit of Petit Verdot. Dominant notes of red currant, plums and dried herbs are supported by beautiful structure and polished tannins.

How To Drink Like A Royal: California Wine Breaks New Ground At England’s Guards Polo Club A Merlot-dominant blend with a bit of Cabernet Franc and Malbec. The palate is rich with blueberries, blackberries, earth, cassis and chocolate. Finely tuned, built to age but polished enough to open now.

A little pricey, but worth it, complex fruit, layers of flavor, spice, cedar.

VALUE FOR THE MONEY $24 buys you a first class Napa Chardonnay.

Very well made SB, smooth with perfect bracing acid, bright flavors.

We may be going back a bit into the Global Masters archives, but with California Wine Month well under way, we wanted to celebrate a brilliant bottle that’s distinctly Golden State. This wine hails from our Sauvignon Blanc Masters in 2015, where it took the position as the outstanding sample of the day, becoming the only entry to gain the title of Master: the ultimate accolade for the very best examples of their type. The wine was from Stonestreet Estate Vineyards in Sonoma, a property spread across the Mayacamas Mountains on California’s north coast, and one that’s best known for its seductive and refreshing results with Chardonnay as well as Cabernet. But, as we discovered that day, this estate, with vineyards at around 300 metres above sea level, also produces first-rate Sauvignon Blanc in a similar mould to its other wines, and by that, I mean a style that is rich, but also bright. Indeed, this particular wine, a top-end, barrel-fermented Sauvignon, is more like a great white Bordeaux from Graves, with peach, passion fruit, and a touch of cleansing pink grapefruit, complemented by a lovely creamy taste and texture, along with a hint of vanilla. Think of a freshly prepared salad of citrus and yellow fruit, topped with a touch of ice cream, and you can imagine the flavour combination – this is a wine that is both indulgent and cleansing, and, in terms of foods, a brilliant match for a range of demanding ingredients, from herbal garnishes such as dill, to buttery sauces on a wide array of dishes, from fish to white meats, or vegetables such as asparagus or artichoke. The wine we awarded was from the 2012 vintage, and the current release is 2015, as this is a wine that benefits from a bit of time maturing in bottle before consumption. In terms of the technical details, the Sauvignon for the Aurora Point comes from north east facing slopes at 300m elevation, and the grapes are harvested by hand, pressed gently, and then fermented in oak puncheons (500 litre barrels), followed by seven months ageing in “neutral oak” puncheons, before bottling in April. Fewer than 300 cases are made of this wine. Finally, for those of you who might be surprised at the decision to ferment and age a Sauvignon Blanc in wood – after all, the grape is associated with linear, lemongrass and lime-zest whites – it follows a long tradition of marrying this grape with oak in both Bordeaux but also California, where Robert Mondavi coined the term Fumé Blanc in the 60s to reflect the smoky, toasty, dry, fresh character of first-rate barrel-influenced Sauvignon – differentiating it from lesser-quality, often sweet examples (the grape had come from Bordeaux to California in the late 1800s).

Beyond Biodynamics: 6 Sustainable Wine Brands To Try 1/6 Who said sustainability has to feel austere? This merlot-dominant Bordeaux blend from Jackson Family Wines of California’s Sonoma County was created to rival Pomerol’s Pétrus. With its luscious red cherry and undergrowth aromas (and the knowledge that it comes from a low water-usage, largely solar-powered winery), it will make you feel simultaneously indulged and deeply virtuous.

Forward, but not without focus; burly, but not without beauty. B+

Cherry, pencil and spice on the nose and palate. Lingering finish. Very good.

Off the vine: A case of pinot envy Ripe, fresh raspberry, red plums and strawberry along with hints of cedar. Finely textured with silky tannins that compliment the spicy finish.

Off the vine: A case of pinot envy Ripe plum and cherry aromas along with a hint of blood orange construct subtle layers of spice. The bold red fruits of this wine pairs nicely a bacon-wrap or a light and airy chocolate mousse.

Off the vine: A case of pinot envy Beautiful with blackberry, plum and licorice flavors that are complemented by subtle layers of ripe fruit and toasty oak. Full bodied and yet so elegant with a long, persistent finish.